I’m probably entering the Tough Mudder in Bear Creek PA this coming April, and I’m trying to come up with my training template. Here is what I had in mind to prepare. Caution, this is somewhat long.
Sunday: Full Body Strength + Core (strength work and core work is one session) + Aerobic Endurance (low intensity/longer duration hours after my strength work)
Monday: Power Endurance 30-60 minutes (30-60 minutes worth of unpleasant conditioning)
Tuesday: Full Body Strength + Core + Muay Thai (certainly not going to stop going to class, we do plenty of rope work and bag work while we’re there)
Wednesday: Intervals @ speed endurance (sprints or Prowler work emphasizing longer distances to fry my legs)
Thursday: Full Body Strength + Core + Muay Thai
Friday: Aerobic Power (high intensity cardio that is continuous and not lasting longer than 30 minutes, really pushing the pace here)
Saturday: Rest
The main lift on Sunday will be trap bar deads along with a horizontal push, horizontal pull, and a separate core session with heavy rollouts and high rep bodyweight movements. This will be my heaviest day coming in at my 4-6RM for a total of 25 reps.
Tuesday will be lighter lifting, roughly my 10-12 RM going for a total of 40 reps. Just to be clear, every rep is max effort. Put another way, though the weight is my 10RM, each rep the weight is lifted as fast as possible. This will assist in power/power endurance development as well as strength gains. Movements will include a unilateral leg movement like split squats or one legged dumbbell deadlifts, a vertical push, vertical pull, and heavy lateral stabilization (saxon sidebends) along with high rep bodyweight core movements.
Thursday is the same idea as far as loading and volume, but with front squats, glute hams, a horizontal push, horizontal pull, and heavy barbell twists with high rep core movements.
These loading guidelines will change as I get closer to the tough mudder. As the weeks progress, every 5 on the 5, I will begin to replace the 10-12RM days with more 4-6RM and even 2-3RM work. This will allow me to keep increasing relative strength and decrease volume on strength days, which in turn will enable me to work longer and harder on the conditioning days without worrying about recovery. Also, movement selections on the strength days will change, but movement patterns will remain pretty consistent.
Obviously this looks like an assload of work, and it is. But I’ve handled similar schedules before, and while the first two weeks suck, I always adapt quickly enough. Plus Muay Thai will really aid in recovery since none of it will make me sore. Bag/mitt work is great like that.
Any input would certainly be welcome, thank you for reading.