Tough Mudder

[ctjet]

http://toughmudder.com/

Tough Mudder events are hardcore 20 km-long obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses and half a million inspiring participants, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world

SO!

For all the fitness freaks around here, i thought some of you may be interested in this! Its pretty fcuking epic as far as mental and physical endurance is concerned, but well worth the weekend away. I signed up as part of a 5 man team taking on this beast, and i cant rememer the last time i was this excited about a boys trip!

We're renting a house over the weekend and are in the process of getting together an alcohol and BBQ feast organised for the evening after the event. Also apparently have to buy sacrificial clothes as you will destroy ever thing you wear to the event, shoes included!

They hold these things everywhere around the globe so anybody who has been, or is going, and has any advice... it would be much appreciated

Training begins today.

Good luck

[Trozzle]

Where is the Aus one? I'd be keen to fail give it a shot lol

[JZP]

Philip Island

[ctjet]

moustache man!

some pretty intense training

[JZP]

This guy is a pretty fit dude!

My wife was surfing the website and looking at how she can sign up.

You should view the vid of the 24 hour challenge....

[NickR33]

my old man makes me do a few of the things in that vid... and they are NO FUN

Tough Mudder looks cool, good luck!

[FloydWestwood]

I'm doing the saturday event. Training started last year!

hoping for under 2hrs 45mins this year (was way over 3 hours last year lol)

[GTR-N1]

I'm doing the saturday event. Training started last year!

hoping for under 2hrs 45mins this year (was way over 3 hours last year lol)

I think you'll do it Dave!

Think of how I'll slap you around if you don't.

waiting at the end!

[dasic1]

Im doing it on the Saturday as well

[Zorro]

Yep, me and a few of the boys are hitting up the 2013 Adelaide challenge! Should be epic hard!

[ctjet]

Good to see some many potential nutcases joining in the fun

Anybody doing any kind of specific training for this?

Just running wont really prepare you for this, so ive taken up a more 'gymnastics' approach to fitness. Using my own body weight instead of gym equipment type of thing

[ctjet]

ho-ly shit

view interactive full map below

http://toughmudder.com.au/events/melbourne/

[dasic1]

Ive only added more running to mine. I do MMA and kickboxing as well as strength and conditioning there so hoping I will be good.

Im also considering doing the tuff bloke challenge at the start of March. Its the same sort of thing but a timed race over 5 or 6km.

[ctjet]

event merch is reasonably priced... until you see the postage!!

lol

might just see if they plan to seel shit on the day

Edited February 2, 2012 by ctjet

[Melly]

There are a few there is also the tough bloke/chick challenge than there is also Valley Stampede near sydney, Mud Run near Sydney and Warrior Dash which is at Peats Ridg... Those are just the ones I can think of at the moment...

[ctjet]

20,000 expected for gruelling test

WHO in their right mind would willingly run 20km through mud, fire and ice, endure electric shocks and then skol a beer?

Up to 20,000 Victorians, or so it would seem by the number of people who have signed up for the latest craze in extreme sport to hit the state - Tough Mudder.

Part endurance run, part military-style obstacle course and total madness judging by the waiver that participants must sign acknowledging the event is a "hazardous activity" with "inherent risks of physical injury ... not limited to an above-average risk of death and/or serious injury".

Risks include "falls; illness; infection; contact or collision with spectators, personnel, and other pedestrians; contact or collision with motor vehicles or machinery ... road and surface hazards; close proximity and/or contact with thick smoke and/or open flames; imperfect course conditions; and inadequate safety measures"

Not only are Australians scrambling to sign up for the challenge, but they are also shelling out up to $150 for the dubious honour.

The first Tough Mudder in Australia will be held at Phillip Island on March 31 and April 1 - fittingly, April Fool's Day. Entrants will scale 3m-high walls, crawl through mud under wire, run through diesel-soaked straw and 1.2m flames and navigate through live wires carrying 10,000-volt shocks.

Conquerors of the course - designed by British special forces troops - will be given a beer, orange headband and an after-party with strength contests, complimentary mullet haircuts and permanent Tough Mudder tattoos.

Tough Mudder spokesman Alex Patterson said only about 10 per cent of people picked randomly off the street would be able to finish the gruelling event, but about 80 per cent of entrants completed it.

"I'm surprised there are so many people who would pay to run through cold water and electric shocks and run up and down hills for kilometres," he said. "But you come out of Tough Mudder with a bunch of good stories - you've run through fire, you've jumped off a 6m platform and you've downed a beer at the end of it.

"Once you've done a Tough Mudder you are a tough mother and no one can take that away from you."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/expected-for-gruelling-test/story-fn7x8me2-1226262706827

[blah_blah]

Fark that looks intense. Have a chick at work doing it, didn't realise it was so intense till I watched the vids on this thread.

Good luck to everyone

[NickR33]

"and inadequate safety measures" LOL

[FloydWestwood]

Lots of body weight training will help for this. Lots of heaves/chinups, lots of core work.

oh, and running.

I figure if I can run 30km safely I can do 20km with the obstacles thrown in.

[JZP]

There is a suggested training regime. It's pretty challenging.

Lifted from the website:

You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, or anything heavy with a handle for most, if not all, of the exercises below.

Exercise 1 – Running Man

To get yourself in peak cardio condition, you can either:

1) Get on a treadmill. Start jogging at a slow comfortable pace for the first 5 minutes, then increase the speed to a full sprint for a full minute before reducing the speed back down to a jog for a minute or two. Alternate this jogging and sprinting for 35 minutes. Build up to 1 hr.

2) Free run. As you head outside for a jog, choose a point or landmark in the distance that’s reasonably far and sprint to it. Do this 10 or so times throughout the course of your run, paying attention to mixing in jogging and sprinting equally. Again, build up to running 3-4 times a week and increasing your distance gradually until you can comfortably run 3+ km.

Related Obstacle: The Braveheart Charge (& all of Tough Mudder)

Exercise 2 – TM PUSH-UP

Start out in a regular pushup position with two dumbbells in each hand. As you push your body upwards, rotate your torso at peak height and bring your right hand up behind you so that your hands are in a vertical line. Lower the weight so that you are once again in push up position. Do a push up, repeating with your left hand.

Related Obstacle: Boa Constrictor

Exercise 3 – THE FIST AND THE FURY

Grab a dumbbell, kettlebell, or anything heavy with a handle, in one hand and let it hang in front of you. Lower the weight below your hips and let it swing between your knees and legs. Try to keep your core sturdy and straight, explode upwards and swing the weight up to about eye level in a fully upright position. With control, do this as many times as you can, spending about 45 seconds on each arm.

Related Obstacle: Berlin Walls

Exercise 4 – SCISSOR KICK

From a regular standing position, take one big step forward and lower yourself into a forward stepping lunge. This is the start position. From there, explode off the ground, getting enough air under you to scissor kick your legs and land with your opposite leg forward and ready to crouch down to the lunge position. Keep doing this, alternating your legs on each jump/repetition for 60 seconds.

Related Obstacle: Fire Walker

Exercise 5 – BACK ROW

Grab a pair of dumbbells or kettle bells and bend over, holding them in each hand, making sure your back is parallel to the ground. Keep your core steady and pull the weights in a controlled manner up to your chest, hold at the top for the rep, pause, and repeat.

Related Obstacle: Hold Your Wood

Exercise 6 – DUMBBELL SIDE LUNGE

Grab your dumbbells and let them hang by your sides. Take a lateral step with your right leg, completely straightening your left leg. From there, bend forward at your hips, and touch the dumbbells to the floor by your right foot. Push off your right leg and make the same lateral lunge on your left leg. That’s one rep.

Related Obstacle: Swamp Stomp

Exercise 7 – PUSH UP + ROW

Grab two dumbbells and assume a pushup position, with your arms straight. Perform a regular pushup, but as you fully extend your arms at the height of the push up, take one dumbbell and bring it all the way to the side of your chest. Lower your arm and descend back ot the start position. Repeat with the other arm. That’s one rep.

Related Obstacle: Devil’s Beard

Exercise 8 – LUNGE + TWIST

Grab a heavy object and clutch it tight to the middle of your chest as you stand with feet shoulder length apart. Take a step forward as you would with a normal lunge, but as you lower your body with the weight, twist your torso to the right, pause, and return to a full upright position. Do the same with the opposite leg. That’s one rep.

Related Obstacle: Greased Lightning

Exercise 9 – SHOULDER PRESS

Grab some dumbbells or small kettle bells in each hand and spread your feet shoulder length apart as you would for a squat. Bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders as if you were doing a shoulder press. Lower yourself as you keep the weights cocked at the shoulder, as you explode upward from the squat position, push the weights up and above your head.

Related Obstacle: Cliffhanger

Exercise 10 – DECLINE PUSH UP

Simple, quick, and easy. Get into a normal pushup position, but put your feet on top of an elevated park bench or box, arms extended out in front of you so that your body is perfectly parallel to the floor above the ground. Begin to do as many pushups as you can in the next 60 seconds.

Related Obstacle: Kiss of Mud

Exercise 11 – Quick Feet

Staying in the pushup position, rapidly bring each knee towards your chest, as if you were sprinting in place or pedaling a ridiculously small bike.

Related Obstacle: Cliff Hanger

Exercise 12 – Tough Chin Up

Just like your old man used to do, hang from a bar with either an overhand or underhand grip and pull yourself up – be sure to try and touch your chest to the bar, or get as close as you can. This will get progressively harder as the set wears on. Remember to do as many as you can for the full 60 seconds. Even if you have to take a slight break, be sure to finish the set.

Related Obstacle: Underwater Tunnels

Exercise 13 – Superman Plank

Get back into the pushup position you’ve grown accustomed to, placing your forearms on the ground and keeping your core – abs and hips – tight as possible. Hold this position for a full 60 seconds.

Related Obstacle: Greased Lightening

Exercise 14 – Drunk Superman Side Planks

Get on your side and hold yourself up by left forearm, creating a half triangle between your lats, forearm, and ground. Like a regular plank, keep your core tight – flex if you have to – and hold the position for 60 seconds, then alternate with your right side and repeat for another 60.

Related Obstacle – Walk the Plank

Exercise 15 – Angelina Jolie

Get in between two chairs, bars, or if at a gym, a dip machine. Grab each bar or handle with each arm and lower yourself slowly and with control, as you push up with your arms try to explode up, lifting yourself completely off. Be sure to start out slowly until you get used to jumping off and regaining control of the bars.

Related Obstacle: Ball Shrinker

Exercise 16 – THE TOUGH SQUAT