April 15th 2012 Michigan/Ohio Tough Mudder Training and Calendar Outline

It is now that time folks! Tough Mudder training begins! I have attached a calendar with a workout plan (cardio and muscular strength/endurance).  Keep in mind I developed this calendar to also help me with training so it has runs and muscular training on days that work best for me. Feel free to adjust the calendar to you as necessary.  Also, this is just a rough outline for you to fit exercises into.  I will continue to keep posting potential workout plans for certain days and focus areas.

Cardio Endurance  

- 1 Long Run Per Week: (normally on a weekend day) – currently scheduled on Sunday

- 2 Optional 3 Mile Runs Per Week: Towards the end of training you may find your body needs a bit more rest and you do not need to do 1 or both of the 3 mile days - currently Thursday and Friday
-1 Medium Length Run currently on Tuesday

Based on this calendar, training starts this first week of January.  Through January, the actual running portion is pretty light. The runs start to pick up mid-February through March.  This running plan gets your cardio endurance up to 12 miles (the length of the event) BUT this event is NOT your typical endurance run…SO it is important to challenge yourself in a couple different ways.  Along with these examples I will continue to send out  suggestions to amp up your work outs. 

Here are some ways to kick up your runs

     1 - Alternate sprinting and jogging….make workout plans either by distance or by time increments. (I personally prefer challenging myself with distance, personal preference)

    

     EX: Jog 1 mile, sprint .5 mile, jog 1 mile, sprint .5 mile

EX: Jog 10 minutes, sprint 3 minutes and alternate (brutal)

EX: Vary intensity based on heart rate…hills…speed…alter your effort

2 - Run 1 mile then stop to do a form of strength training or resistance exercise…make a plan with parks…or some form of outdoor “equipment” available…then run another mile…this can also vary by distance and/or time.

     **Feel free to run outdoors or on a treadmill** My personal preference...is to train outdoors and with varied weather and terrain opportunities.

Muscular Endurance and Strength Training:

“Muscular endurance is the ability to perform many repetitions against a given resistance for a prolonged period of time.”

The Tough Mudder will challenge your body for probably 2-3 hours with both cardio and muscular endurance.  This event will require both power (plyometrics - jumping, sprinting, intense repeated efforts) as well as long muscular endurance (greater than 2 minutes of work).  To help yourself prepare throughout the month of January and mid-February (before running starts increasing too much) push for maximal strength training with the thought that the more muscle you build the more power you have to push things with.  The last bit of training will help you use that power for longer periods of time. The cross over from maximal strength training to muscular endurance switchs the week of Feb 27-March 4^th.

Maximal Strength Training :

 Hypertrophy and muscle building (lift to your max potential)

Complete a maximal strength training circuit two to three days per week (at least two days of strength training with a possible one day for yoga/stretching).  Ideally building strength in the beginning will assist you with having more power to push and pull for prolonged Tough Mudder events. Short heavy intervals with high fatigue.

·        

            Day 1– Monday–Upper

Muscle Groups Include

Chest, Tricep, Bicep, Deltoid, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius


 Day 2- Wednesday–Lower

Muscle Groups Include

Quadriceps, Abductors, Adductors, Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes

 Day 3-Thursday–Abs/Rotation/Total Body Blast (free day to do what you want)

Abdominal Muscle Groups Include

Transverse Abdominus, Internal and External Obliques, Rectus Abdominus

Muscular Endurance :

Muscle power and prolonged exertion (multiple reps…stop once your speed decreases and is no longer rhythmic)

Complete a muscular endurance circuit two to three days per week (at least two days of strength training with a possible one day for yoga/stretching). With training it is important to gear the activity to meet the needs of the sports demands. With the Tough Mudder, a big portion of the event is lifting and throwing around your own body weight in interesting situations…along with body strength also remember to emphasize stability and balance.  It is up to you whether you want to break up your strength training portion via muscle group, day, upper/lower etc.  Remember BALANCE AND STABILITY. I like the Lifetime Fitness motto of 3 2 1 - 3 days cardio, 2 days strength training, 1 day yoga/stretching.  

·        

     Day 1 – Monday – Upper

Muscle Groups Include

Chest, Tricep, Bicep, Deltoid, Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius

·        Day 2- Wednesday – Lower

Muscle Groups Include

Quadriceps, Abductors, Adductors, Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes

·        Day 3- Friday or Saturday–Abs/Rotation/Total body blast/Yoga/Stretching 

     **Try the actual Tough Mudder Workout from their website**
     Tough Mudder (TM) workout

Abdominal Muscle Groups Include

Transverse Abdominus, Internal and External Obliques, Rectus Abdominus

Calendar Color and Activity Guide by Jessica 

Red – Muscular Strength or Endurance Work Out Days

Green – Optional 3 Mile Days

Blue – Medium Length Run

Purple – Long Length Run

Black – Rest

Orange – Tough Mudder Week

S – Muscular Strength Work Out Focus

E – Muscular Endurance Work Out Focus

(switches the week of Feb 27-March 4)
**January may look easy but let yourself start slow, build to your max potential!**

Calendar Template and Clip Art- Compliments of Microsoft Word 2010