Spartan 500 Dynamic warm-up
Main set: 50 burpees 50 squats (or squat tosses with sandbag) 50 crunches 5-25 pull-ups 5 rope climbs (or 5-25 chin-ups) Run 1 mile Sprint level: 1 x Super level: 2 x Beast level: 3 x Stretch
Speed + Strength (Endurance Version)
"Don’t think about it. Do it. Don’t talk about it. Do it."
-Henry Rollins Dynamic warm-up
Main set: Run 1 mile, moderate-low intensity 10 burpes 15 crunches 10 hanging knee raises or 30 second plank Sprint level: 1-2 x Super level: 3-4 x Beast level: 5+ x Keep pace sustainable, and don't rush your strength conditioning. Stretch
Speed Session
You get faster by running faster, it's not complicated - you just practice. This speed building WOD can be done by the complete beginner or expert alike. Keep it simple: run, recover,
repeat.
Warm-up; Jog 5 minutes 10-30 burpees
Main set: Run 1 minute Walk 1 minute Repeat Main set repetitions: Sprint level: 3-8 x Super level: 9-15 x Beast level: 16+ x
Cool down: Stretch
Spartan Street Team WOD by Christopher Mount - Fresno, CA "Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember."
-Virgil
Warm-up: 1 mile jog 20 pushups, 20 lunges every 1/4 mile
Main set: 1 rope climb (5 towel pull-ups as a substitute) 50 meter farmer’s carry with dumbbells/bucket filled with sand 10 burpees 15 crunches
Main set repetitions: Sprint level: 3 x Super level: 5 x
Beast level: 7 x
Cool down:
Stretch
Squat-fest
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
-Leonardo Da Vinci How many squats can you do in one day? If you don’t know, find out by scheduling 15 minutes 2-4 times in the day where you can commit to doingbodyweight squats. Or, just set aside an hour and go for it. Bodyweight squats are simple and powerful. When in doubt on how to train, do squats while you think about it. Master the squat, and everything else will fall into place. Target daily bodyweight squat counts: Sprint level: 10-50 Super level: 50-150 Beast level: 150+
Spartan 100
"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done." -Thomas Jefferson
Warm-up well for this one. 100 meter hard run 10 push-ups 30 seconds rest 100 meter hard run 10 jumping lunges 30 seconds rest 100 meter hard run 10 pull-ups
30 seconds rest 100 meter hard run 10 burpees 30 seconds rest 100 meter hard run 10 bodyweight squats 30 seconds rest 100 meter hard run 30 crunches 30 seconds rest Sprint level - 1x Super level - 2x Beast level - 3x As always, stretch when finished.
The Long Run
Supercharge your aerobic capacity by spending more time moving forward. When you can't run anymore, walk. Just keep moving forward. Come race day, you'll be thankful for all that extra time you spent on your feet. Learn more about Long, Slow Distance (LSD) training.
Run/Hike/Walk Sprint level: 30-60 minutes Super level: 60-90 minutes Beast level: 90+ minutes Opinions on optimal run cadence differ, but some studies suggest that m aximum running efficiency can be found around 90 foot strikes (per foot) each minute. So, if you want to count it out for yourself, that should be about 30 foot strikes for one of your feet for every 20 seconds. Feel out this cadence for yourself. Run a familiar area and c heck you pace. You might be surprised.
Spartan Street Team WOD: Sandbag Workout
Tony Middleton – Lafayette, Colorado
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
-Frederick Douglass Carrying a sandbag (or other weight) is a critical co mponent of obstacle course racing. For this workout you can use a sandbag, a medicine ball, or even just a heavy rock. The important thing is to integrate the weight into your movements. Warm up first and then do each exercise for 30 seconds.
Warm-up: Run/walk 400m with weight
Main Set:
Deadlift (with bag)
Decline pushups
Axe chops (each side with bag)
Squat (with bag)
Clean (with bag)
Overhead press (with bag)
Side plank (each side)
V-up
Rest one minute
Supersets of Main Set Sprint Level – x 3 Super Level – x 4 Beast Level – x 5 Cool down with a walk and good stretch.
Medusa's Challenge
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Warm-up: Dynamic warm-up – each movement x2 at 25 yards each: high knee walk, high knee jog, butt kickers, lateral shuffle, skip Main Set: Perform 60 seconds of each exercise,* with 10 second rest between:
Push-ups Crunches Pull-ups Plank Squat jumps Jump rope (fast) Mountain climbers Flutter kicks Arm curls with sandbag 1 minute rest Perform strength exercise sequence 1-3 times. Run/Jog/Walk 15 minutes. Stretch. *Sprint level: 60 seconds of each exercise *Super level: 75 seconds of each exercise *Beast level: 90 seconds of each exercise
Suffer-fest
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"
- Muhammad Ali Warm-up 2 minutes of burpees 800-meter run above lactic threshold* Recover 1-2 minutes 2 minutes of jumping rope (or rowing) 800-meter run above lactic threshold* Recover 1-2 minutes Sprint level: 1x Super level: 2x Beast level: 3+x Stretch
Unbreakable Hill Repeats
"The mountains are calling and I must go."
-John Muir A hill is a useful piece of training equipment. No matter how tough you think you are, elevation will push you to the breaking point. No one is immune. If you want to go full speed without having to run fast, a hill will supply you with everything you need. High intensity intervals of maximal effort are a great way to benefit your cardiovascular and muscular systems, all while burning any surplus calories.
Warm-up: Jog/run 10-20 minutes. This doubles as your means of transport to the workout, and your warm up. Main set: 10 second hill climb (sprint) 30 seconds rest x3 20-second hill climb (very high intensity) 30 seconds rest x4 30-second hill climb (high intensity) 1 minute rest x2 The 'rest' period consists of walking downhill. Jog home, then stretch. For those in flatlands, do these uphill intervals by dragging a tire with a rope. It will be great practice for your next Spartan Race.
Swimming
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
- Eleanor Roosevelt How much swimming are you incorporating into your training? Maybe it's time to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new? Whether you want to actively recover from your normal routine, or introduce yourself to the full-body workout that swimming can be, consider looking for a pool when at a gym or workout facility. We’ve put together Lap Swimming 101 to make working out at the pool less of a mystery.
Beginners can try swimming 6-10 100 yard/meter sets as a solid workout. Like running, pacing is something you need to experiment with until you get the hang of it.
The Spartan 300
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. - Tim Notke
Do what you can in this Spartan WOD, until you can do it all. 100 jumping jacks 30 burpees 10 burpee pull-ups 20 pull-ups 30 box jumps 30 sandbag squat throws 100 crunches 30 body weight squats 30 side kicks (each side) 30 jumping lunges 30 sandbag curls 30 sandbag triceps overhead presses 30 high knees, each leg 30 squat jumps 3 x rope climbs or 25’ yard bear crawl Stretch
Trail Running
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. - Robert Frost
Because there aren’t many paved roads on a Spartan Race course, try trail running once a week if you can. Don’t obsess about miles - just enjoy logging time in nature while moving forward with an elevated heart rate. If there are no trails nearby, try leaving the asphalt as much as possible by running through parks and fields when you see them. Keep your runs fresh by improvising. The more irregular the terrain you run the more you will develop your stabilizing muscles and agility for a successful race day. Go slow, be careful, but challenge yourself. Trail running – 20 minutes to 5 hours, with 10-100 burpees at halfway point.
Don't forget to stretch.
Leg Day Spartan Street Team WOD by Kim Shobeck – Bell Canyon, CA Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
- Lou Holtz
Main set: Run 2-6 miles for time Then Set the timer: Lunge with a heavy weight for 400m. At every minute, drop and do 5 push ups.
Cool down: Stretch
The Spartan 15 "All know the way; few actually walk it."
- Bodhidharma Jump rope 5-10 minutes. 3 x 15 burpees 3 x 15 bodyweight squats 3 x 15 jumping lunges 3 x max pull-ups Run/row 15 minutes at a high intensity. More advanced athletes should use a sandbag for the squats and lunges, and make it a 30 minute high intensity run. Stretch
Spartan Lap Ladders "Either you run the day or the day runs you."
- Jim Rohn
So get moving! Hard, fast intervals followed by short recovery periods are a surefire way to build your top speed. Don’t forget to warm-up well for a speed workout like this. You should be in a full sweat before beginning. For a warm-up, jog for 10-15 minutes, incorporating 3-6 short accelerations (15-20 seconds) to full speed.
Main Set: 400 meters (1 lap) 2 minutes rest 800 meters (2 laps) 2 minutes rest 1200 meters (3 laps) 2 minutes recovery 10-30 burpees Sprint level: x1 Super level: x2 Beast level: x3 Stretch You can approximate this workout on the street by doing 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 mile intervals.
Spartan Beginner WOD 1.2 "The only journey is the one within."
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Warm-up: Light jog 5-10 minutes or Jump rope for 3-5 minutes Main set: 10 Push-ups 10 Body weight squats 10 Burpees 10 Crunches 30-second high knees 30-second plank
x3 Stretch Click to see Spartan Beginner WOD 1.1 More advanced athletes can use this as a recovery workout or put it in the middle of a 3-5 mile run.
Beast Mode 1.2
Run 1 mile 15 burpees 5 pull-ups 50 crunches 15 box jumps 5 pull-ups 50 bodyweight squats 15 burpees 5 rope climbs or 5 x 25' bear crawl 50 walking lunges 15 box jumps 5 x 25' bear crawl x3 Stretch
Hurricane Heat WOD "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
- Louis D. Brandeis Thinking about doing a Hurricane Heat at your next Spartan event? Try this workout first to see if you have what it takes.
Warm Up: 50 jumping jacks Main Set: Find a log, rock, or tire and carry for 1/2 mile 10-50 burpees Pick up your object and carry additional 1/2 mile 10-50 burpees Run 1-3 miles
10-50 burpees Sprint level: x1 Super level: x2 Beast level: x3 Stretch
Spartan Street Team WOD by Kent Ragsdale, Jr. Raleigh, NC "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie
Warm-up: Dynamic warm-up Max set of sit-ups 2 mile run Max set of push-ups Main set: -5 rounds (continuous loop) -1 minute each exercise, high intensity Pistols (one-legged air squats) Plank Wall sit Bicycle kicks Burpees Hanging leg raises Cool down: Stretch
Spartan 400's "Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers
400 meters is 1 lap around the track. Here’s your chance to develop your speed.
Warm up: 1 mile jog Dynamic warm-up
Main set: Run 400 meters 10 burpees Recover 2-4 minutes 10 burpees Run 400 meters Recover 2-4 minutes Sprint level: 1-2x Super level: 3x Beast level: 4+x Stretch
