The WOD, short for Workout of the Day, is a staple in obstacle race training. Thanks to CrossFit, the Spartan Race’s WOD newsletter, and many other sources, there’s a good pool of WOD ideas.
These 13 are some of my favorites for obstacle race training.
They’re in no particular order and the utility for each one varies: some will help you build strength, some will improve your running time, some will boost your endurance, and some may address a little bit of everything.
1. The Barn Workout
The Barn Workout is a great WOD to build strength and endurance. This workout is better suited for intermediate-advanced exercisers.
Inspired by the Spartan blog WOD newsletter, I condensed the warm-up originally appearing on the blog in case you, like many of us, are short on time.
Warm-Up
Easy jog for ½- 1 mile (or as much distance as you can cover in 5 minutes)
Stretch for 5 minutes, focusing on major muscle groups:
Hamstrings
Glutes
Quads
Back
Chest
Circuit
1. 30 Burpees
2. 30 Burpee/Pullups
3. 30 Pullups
4. 30 Box jumps
5. 30 Medicine Ball Squat Throws
6. 100 Jumping Jacks
7. 300 crunches
8. 30 body weight squats
9. 30 side kicks (each side)
10. 30 jumping lunges
11. 30 curls
12. 30 Tricep overhead presses
13. 30 frog jumps
14. 30 squat jumps
15. 3 x rope climbs
Cool-Down
Stretch major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Hamstrings
Glutes
Quads
Back
Chest
2. 300 Burpee Challenge
The 300-burpee WOD is best for all fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, you can break down the challenge into smaller tasks like 6-10 burpees at a time followed by a 1-2 minute rest break. If you’re of intermediate or advanced fitness level, you could probably crank out twice as many (maybe more) before taking a short break and getting right back into it.
The other good thing about this workout is that you can split up the challenge throughout the day. It’s a good one to include in your arsenal for days when you may not be able to allocate a complete hour to work out. You can work in bouts of burpees throughout the day.
Be sure to warm-up for your first segment of the day with bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, and stretches.
3. Deck of Cards
The Deck of Cards WOD is a good total body circuit that will add variety and intensity to your training. You may also find it kind of fun, too.
Read more on Melissa’s site MyExerciseCoach.net
