Spartan Race standout alex Nicholas is bringing some muscle to obstacle racing. Forget the marathon running and mind-numbing cardio sessions. His routine will make you look at the sport in a whole new light.
a lot of obstacle course race (OCR) athletes are skinny guys, so it’s nice to see a muscular guy like you doing well.
Most of the guys leading the pack are marathoners or trail
runners. i have a background in martial arts, and i was a college football player.
i’m the only guy weighing more than 200 pounds who’s won. i want heavier guys to have a chance. You need to incorporate heavier obstacles so it’s not a glorified trail race.
That would make competitors focus on strength training.
Yeah, resistance training and actually building muscle. Some people are great at getting that runner’s high, but you put them in the gym and they have a difficult time.
What constitutes heavy lifting to you?
i do heavy kettlebell circuits once a week. i’ll do 100-pound swings, snatches, and cleans. i try to get 8–10 reps each minute with each arm on
snatches and cleans, then swing with both arms.
snatches and cleans, then swing with both arms.
i’ll set the timer at one minute, get 10 reps, take
a 20-second rest, do a few burpees to keep my
heart rate up, and do 10 reps with the other arm.
