How To Train For Your First Tough Mudder 🏃‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️🎽🏅

Obstacle course races (OCRs) are sweeping the globe in popularity. Challenges like 20’ high cargo net climb, 40lbs log carries, crawling through cold and sticky mud, and of course, running test every aspect of an athlete’s fitness level.  

They can be a fun activity to do with a group of friends or coworkers. You can choose to conquer the race on your own. Regardless, making it through one of these intense races, like the Tough Mudder (Source), requires a solid strength and conditioning program to be successful.  

Our 8-Week Tough Mudder Training Plan For Beginners 

Tough Mudder races vary in distances and the number of obstacles you’ll encounter along the way, which does training for one just as unique as the race itself. As a racer, you have the choice between: 

• Mini Mudder (1/4 laps, 10 obstacles)

• Tough Mudder 5K (3-miles, 13 obstacles) 
• Tough Mudder Classic (8-10 miles, 30 obstacles) 

No matter which event you select, the physical demands will be the same. The program outlined here is designed with the Tough Mudder Classic in mind, but it can be scaled to accommodate an athlete preparing for the Mini Mudder and Tough Mudder. As well as the physical, to succeed at any OCR, you will need willpower. As the founder of Knowledge for Men, Andrew Ferebee, puts it, “Take 100% responsibility for yourself and eliminate the word “BUT” from your vocabulary.”

In this program, you won’t find much heavy lifting (Source), hypertrophy-based routines, and aesthetically pleasing exercises. But if you’re looking for a no-nonsense workout program that is perfectly tailored to help a recreational athlete within a few years of experience in the gym building the self-confidence, cardiovascular and muscular endurance, explosive and relative strength needed to crush a Tough Mudder (or any other OCR) then check out the program below: 

Week 1:  

Monday – 60-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 6 Rounds: Overhead Walking lunges x25m/Bear Crawls x25m/Pull-ups x max reps 

Wednesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Thursday – 30-minute easy run 

Friday – Hang Power Clean 5×3/Overhead Dumbbell Press 5×5/Farmer’s Carry 5x25m 

Saturday – 40-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 2: 

Monday – 60-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 8 Rounds: Overhead Walking lunges x25m/Bear Crawls x25m/Pull-ups x max reps 

Wednesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Thursday – 25-minute high-intensity run 

Friday – Hang Power Clean 5×3/Overhead Barbell Push Press 5×5/Farmer’s Carry 5x25m 

Saturday – 40-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 3: 

Monday – 60-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 10 Rounds: Overhead Walking lunges x25m/Bear Crawls x25m/Pull-ups x max reps 

Wednesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Thursday – 20-minute high-intensity run 

Friday – Hang Power Clean Push Press 5×5/Farmer’s Carry 5x25m 

Saturday – 40-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 4: 

 Monday – 75-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 6×400 meter run 

Wednesday – 3 Rounds: Bodyweight Deadlift x10/Burpees x10/Sled Push x25m 

Thursday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Friday – 3 Rounds of Hang Power Clean Complex: Hang Power Clean x3, Front Squat x6, Push Press x3 

Saturday – 50-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 5:  

Monday – 75-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 8×400 meter run 

Wednesday – 5 Rounds: Bodyweight Deadlift x10/Burpees x10/Sled Push x25m 

Thursday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Friday – 5 Rounds of Hang Power Clean Complex: Hang Power Clean x3, Front Squat x6, Push Press x3 

Saturday – 55-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 6: 

Monday – 75-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 4×800 meter run 

Wednesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Thursday – “Cindy” 20-minute AMRAP: Pull-ups x5/Push-Ups x10/Squats x15 

Friday – 25-minute Fartlek run (Source) 

Saturday – 60-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 7: 

Monday – 75-minute easy run 

Tuesday – 6×800 meter run 

Wednesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Thursday – “Cindy” 20-minute AMRAP: Pull-ups x5/Push-Ups x10/Squats x15 

Friday – 25-minute Fartlek run 

Saturday – 60-minute easy run 

Sunday – Recovery 

Week 8: 

Monday – 30-minute easy run at a conversational pace 

Tuesday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Wednesday – 30-minute easy run at a conversational pace 

Thursday – Active Recovery – Yoga, hiking, swimming, or other low impact activity 

Friday – Strict Recovery  

Saturday – RACE DAY 

Sunday – Recovery 

Check out Steve Cook’s Tough Mudder vlog below 👇

Hydration, Recovery, and Supplementation 

One of the most critical components of this training plan is adequate hydration to fuel your body through each workout and promote muscle recovery. Depending on your training intensity and weather conditions, you should be drinking about 1 gallon of water a day. Do not factor in Gatorade and other sports drinks into this total amount; however, electrolyte-based beverages are encouraged to be consumed post-workout to maintain hydration (related article).

Hydration and proper diet are not only essential during the 8-weeks leading up to the race, but it is also critical that you fuel properly on race day. 

Diet Tips For Tough Mudder Athletes: 

• Bananas 

• Energy Bars 

• Whole Grains in moderation with starchy carbs.

A Tough Mudder strength and conditioning program that fails to incorporate scientifically proven methods (News source) to help the athletes properly recover, rehydrate, and rebuild from strenuous training sessions are incomplete.  

“Recovery” days are not the same as “Rest” days because they are not set aside for you to sit on the couch all day drinking soda, eating chips, and binge-watching Netflix. These recovery days are designated for light stretching and mobility work, properly refueling with adequate carbohydrates and essential fats, getting bodywork done such as sports and deep tissue massages, and overall allowing your mind to decompress and rebuild before the next week of rigorous training sessions.

Recovery Tips For Tough Mudder athletes: 

• Deep Tissue/Sports Massage 

• Chiropractor Adjustment 

• Epsom Salt baths

• Compression Leggings and Socks 

• 8-9 hours of sleep every night (related article)

Finally, besides using the tactics mentioned above to help your body recover after tough workouts, you should also consider supplementing your diet with essential vitamins and minerals that will keep your body functioning at peak performance throughout the 8-weeks of training and into the race. These supplements aid with sleep, bone strength, joint health, and rebuilding muscles.  

Supplements for Tough Mudder athletes: 

• ZMA 

• Vitamin D3

• Krill oil

• Protein