Spartan Sprint Lifting and Strength

***David Jeffries is again taking over with a look at strength work for a Spartan Sprint!***

Last time we talked about some run training for a Spartan Sprint. I gave 3 example workouts you could use to train for running the shortest Spartan Races. We didn’t go into how to use these in an entire plan of training (we will get there) but today we are going to talk about strength training for a Spartan.

What types of strength do you need for a Spartan?

In my experience, the biggest form of strength you need to run well is pulling (back) and grip. There are just so many obstacles the require a pull up/pulling motion and the ability to hold on. Some examples: monkey bars, rings, rope climbs, the rig, A-frame, Z Wall, etc. The ability to pull, hold, and stay tight is huge.

After that its all about grunt strength in my opinion. You put in work. The sandbag and log carries are work. They are there to test you. All max rep, max time work helps. How long can you go before MAXing on in a MAX30 workout? How long can you hold that wall sit?

The Burden March is rough. Fill that bucket up (don’t cheat yourself)… grip it and go! Your back will ache, you grip will hurt, your forearms will scream to be done. But if you have put in work, you can shut it out and move. That is what Spartan Races are all about!

Specific Beachbody Moves That Help

So before we even talk about whole workouts, there are some exercises or moves that come to mind when I think about Spartan Races.

P90X – Back and Biceps– Corncob Pull Ups – Man do these help! Talk about time under tension and the ability to stay tight and adjust positions.

P90X – Legs and Back – Switch Grip Pull Ups – Practice taking your grip off the bar and getting it back. Throwing in some reps of pull ups will tax you more and more. This is a great move that directly translates

Asylum Vol 1 – Strength – Mtn Climber Pull Ups – Flipping your grip. Staying tight as long as possible. PERFECT training!

Asylum Vol 1 – Strength– Dumbbell Circuit – Not really pulling here, but these are included just because they stink! You need to do training that makes you uncomfortable. Go heavy, go hard, stay with Shaun T. Make this some grunt work.

P90X2 PAP Upper – Towel Pull Ups – Grip central and more pulling. You get the idea :) Try doing a plain grip (no pointer finger in the middle) to make it harder. GRIP IT!!!

Workout Considerations and Planning

I will be bringing this all together next week in a final post (my full training plan and hybrid), but let’s talk some planning.

When I have been at my best, I have always lifted 3x a week and ran 2-3x. If you can double up on runs with your workouts, you can add more volume. I have found 6 workouts a week to keep me fresh and avoid injury.

I like planning my lifting days first and then looking at intervals from there. For example:

WEEK 1
M – P90X Chest and Back
T – 3 Mile EZ Run (Conversational Pace)
W – Asylum Vol 1 Strength
Th – 8x400m + Push Ups/Air Squats
F – X2 PAP Lower (Great for stabilizing and strengthening legs/hips)
S – 2 Mile Warm Up Run (Very Conversational Pace) + 1 Burpee Mile
S – Mobility and Recovery

That will be a taxing week if you haven’t worked up to it. Give yourself extra recovery and make sure you pace yourself the first time you do the workouts (if you haven’t done them in a while). Then once you are built up, GO FOR IT!

I stick by my motto, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Then you will be on your way to crushing a Spartan Sprint!

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