No Obstacles, No Problem: Innovative Ways to Prepare for Military and Law Enforcement Fitness Tests (Obstacle Courses)

Without an obstacle course at your disposal, the path to peak physical readiness relies on your ingenuity and determination to adapt your training. Training for pre-military or law enforcement programs has a broad spectrum of events that can be part of your assessment and selection process. Obstacle courses are often challenging for many recruits, particularly when access to an obstacle course is limited. If you find yourself in this situation, you're not alone. Many recruits experience the same dilemma, as they aim to prepare for demanding physical assessments without the availability of specialized equipment. A trainee recently reached out for guidance, wanting to focus on a workout regimen to build the necessary skills and endurance for courses like the Navy SEALs’ Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal (BUD/S) obstacle course or the U.S. Marine Corps confidence course. (see link to POV walk-through of the BUDS O Course.)

Obstacle Course Racing (OCR)

Even if you are not going into the military and like to do tough challenges, sign up for an obstacle course race if you want to challenge more of your physical components than just running. Many of today's most popular OCRs are modeled after many special ops level O-courses like the Nasty Nick, BUDS O-Course, and USMC Ocourse.

You can do this without a physical course! Obstacle courses typically blend high and low obstacles, accompanied by stretches of fast running—sometimes in soft sand (like at SEAL training). To develop the requisite strength, muscle stamina/grip, speed, and agility, focus on a dual approach: building upper body strength and enhancing overall endurance.

BUD/S O Course Cargo Net

First and foremost, it’s essential to prioritize upper body strength and endurance workouts. The ability to perform exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, and dips will be crucial as you tackle obstacles that require significant upper body engagement. You also need to work on grip. Hanging on pullup bars for time, rope climbs, towel pullups, and farmerwalks carrying 50lb DBs for max distance will help with the grip needed. 

In addition to upper body training, don’t neglect your legs and lungs! Some of the obstacles require a jump (or a leap of faith for the Dirty Name Obstacle). Short runs with intervals can help simulate the quick transitions you might encounter between obstacles on a course, thus improving your stamina. As you continue to run, build in some sprints followed by recovery periods, which will prepare your body for the demands of an obstacle course.

As you embark on this training journey, remember that adaptation and consistency are key. You may not have the luxury of an actual obstacle course, but with dedication and a well-structured workout plan, you can cultivate the endurance and strength necessary to excel when the time comes. Your proactive approach now will undoubtedly pay off, helping you face future challenges confidently.

Here is how I recommend training for such a test:

1 - Continue with upperbody strength/endurance workouts - You need the muscles that enable you to perform a pullup, pushup, and dip. Keep doing those in a regular program in your PT workouts. If you are not doing these exercises, try this classic 

Repeat 5-10 times
Run 100m fast (2x50m)
Farmer walk fast (2x50m) with 2 x 40-50lbs DBs.
Pushups - 20 reps
Pullups max + max hang for time 
Dips - 10-20 reps
(no rest)

This type of quick circuit will ensure you are working the right muscles to help you get over a wall, up a rope, and over a fence. Notice the short, fast 100-meter sprint in this workout. This addition will help you cover ground quickly and make up valuable time if you are struggling with any obstacles or shuttle runs as well.

2 - GRIP - Climbing a rope or jumping over a wall will require significant upper body strength, but it will also require you to be able to grip a rope or wall edge. Once again, flexed arm hangs and pull-ups will help to a degree, but I like to add a rope or rolled towel over a pullup bar and practice hanging on the two ends or doing pull-ups with it. That is one of the best grip workouts ever. In fact, in the strong man competitions, the world’s strongest men often hang from a bar the longest as a part of the event.
PS: The heavier you are, the more you need to focus on your grip (or lose weight). 

No Rope - No Problem (Use rolled towel or pushdown rope)

3—Balance—Find a curb or long beam you can walk across / run across to practice balance on a log, as many obstacle courses have a balance portion. A trick I always use is looking at the balance beam's end and running to it. Do not look straight down, as that can interfere with your ability to stay on the balance log.

4 - Weights and Calisthenics (and Cardio)—Depending on your athletic history, you may need more weight training (endurance athletes / low body mass) and gain weight, or you may need more endurance/muscle stamina (high body mass) and lose weight. I always recommend a calisthenics-based program with plenty of cardio activity like running, swimming, and rucking to increase your endurance and muscle stamina, as these will be tested often. However, events like rucking, log PT, and boats/equipment carry all require a foundation of strength. If you do not have an athletic history of lifting, you need to do a cycle or two of lifting to prepare for the load you will be bearing.
Consider Learning About Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization if you have any strength or endurance weakness (even swimming). 

Try this Classic O-Course Simulator Workout #2:

 Mix Pullups, Full body Exercise with Running / Carrying - The 8 count bodybuilder (or burpee) Pushup / Pullup Pyramid: 

This one can be done at the beach if you have a pullup bar or run down to a local play ground or park and find some monkey bars. Here is how the Pullup / Pushup/Burpee pyramid workout works:

Do ONE 8 count bodybuilder pushup - run 30m to a pullup bar - do 1 pullup. Run back to 8 count area and do TWO 8 counts - run back to pullup bar - do 2 pullups. Continue up the pyramid to 20 if you want to challenge yourself - stop when you fail.

Another option is go to 10 and repeat in reverse order if you are failing at pullups soon. This mimics pulling over a wall and pushing off the ground / crawling mixed with a short run to another "obstacle".

|You can also mix in farmer carry, fireman carries, lunges, squat jumps in between pullup / burpee area to work grip and leg/jump strength/stamina.

USMC O-Course 

Embrace the challenge of preparing for military or law enforcement programs with the confidence that comes from targeted training. Explore StewSmithFitness.com to discover an arsenal of workouts specifically designed for obstacle course racing, even without a physical course. We even have an Obstacle Course Workout that focuses on the exercises that can help with the long and short obstacle courses in your future profession (or just for OCR fun).

Equip yourself with the knowledge and strategies necessary to thrive in your journey. The path to success begins with informed action—join us now.

Feel free to email me at stew@stewsmith.com if you have any questions.

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