Those of us who want to tackle the Nuts Challenge 28km (4 laps=200 obstacles) should be well underway with our training and preparation by now. While some are lucky enough to be able to get down to the venue and take the race organisers up on their generous offer of getting some first hand experience on the course, others such as myself are relying on a solid programme to build the strength and stamina needed for the day.
For those of you that don’t know the Nuts Challenge is one of the toughest events on our list and it’s likely each competitor will be out there for a few hours and we’re often asked how’s best to train for such long events so I’ve shared my own training plan here.
Typical Week Training
| Day | Training |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8 mile run followed by 20 minutes yoga |
| Tuesday | 3 mile run followed by gym circuit* & foam roller (optional 2 mile run to end). |
| Wednesday | 8 mile run on road or 6 miles off road followed by 20 minutes yoga. |
| Thursday | 4x400m top speed repeats on treadmill followed by strength work/plyometrics**. |
| Friday | 3 mile easy run followed by gym circuit (optional 2 mile run to end). |
| Saturday | Long run – around 12-13 miles followed by 20 minutes yoga. |
| Sunday | Rest |
*Gym Circuit
Superset 1 (no breaks)
50 pressups - 20 TRX row
40 pressups ~ 20 TRX row
30 pressups ~ 20 TRX row
20 pressups ~ 20 TRX row
10 pressups ~ 20 TRX row
25 x single-arm dumbbell snatch (one set each arm)
Use TRX or similar Suspension trainers to your advantage
Superset 2
Barbell step-up x 15 each leg
Ab roll-out x 12
3 sets
Superset 3
Barbell squat x 30
Pullup x 10
3 sets
Cable standing oblique twists 3 sets of 15 each side
Tri-Set:
Tricep extension x25
Lateral raise x25
Alternating bicep curl x15 each arm
Stretches & foam rolling to finish
These exercises should be performed with a weight that is manageable for the prescribed reps – not too heavy as it is based on quite a high volume of work.
The first part of the session is designed to really test your upper body endurance so it is worth working on 30 pressups down to 10 before going up to 40 then 50 when you start to progress.
**Strength Training/Plyometrics
A combination of skipping, agility ladder drills, punch bag work and any explosive bodyweight moves followed by whatever strength can be mustered for bench presses, deadlifts, military presses and pullups.
Example plyometric circuit:
45 seconds work – 15 seconds rest – 3 rounds
Split squat jumps
Pressup-to-stand (a burpee without the jump)
Kettlebell swing
Spiderman pressups
Floor-to-box jumps
This training plan was arranged to fit around a busy work schedule – while it would be nice to be able to get down to the course to train or to have 4 hour long training sessions on weekends this is just not realistic for some people, so the idea behind this week of training is to build a respectable base of endurance through regular and consistent running.
The combination of resistance and plyometric circuits will add strength needed to get you over or under any obstacle without draining your energy. By following one training discipline with another (ie. running then resistance then running again) your body will adapt to using the whole body during a training session – you will get better prepared for running with jelly legs and it won’t be such a shock to the system when your blood is racing to different muscle groups as you run, then climb, then jump, then run, then crawl etc. during an event.
The inclusion of yoga as a cool-down is added to keep you supple - building strength and balance through methods often neglected by runners.
Hope this helps!