If you are looking into participating in a mud run, you’ve probably come across talk of grip strength, but what do you need it for?
Mud runs often have many obstacles that require excellent grip strength. Without grip strength, many obstacles will be difficult or even impossible. Some obstacles require gripping onto a teammate’s hand, climbing rope ladders, and swinging on monkey bars or similar objects, all in slippery mud.
Read on to discover what kinds of obstacles you should begin preparing yourself for if you plan on participating in a slippery mud run.
Grip Obstacles
Mud runs will typically be rampant with obstacles that demand a high level of grip strength. Without grip strength, the muddy obstacle becomes too difficult to complete. Some teamwork obstacles require a strong grip from the participants as well. Without good grip strength, you won’t be able to help pull your teammates to the top of difficult challenges. You might have a decent grip strength normally, but when you are trying to grab someone’s muddy hand, it gets immensely more challenging. Most mud runs have some of the following obstacles:
Rope Climbs
Most mud runs have a straight vertical rope climb. Others have obstacles that involve climbing a rope that isn’t the vertical rope climb.
Tough Mudder
The Tough Mudder mud run has the Mudderhorn, an A-frame cargo net that you have to climb up and then down the other side. The Black Widow is another rope obstacle made up of a series of crisscrossing ropes, like a spiderweb. In the Black Widow course, a mud runner must grip onto the rope as they walk across another rope.
Spartan Race
The Spartan Race has an A-frame cargo net similar to the Mudderhorn. There’s a vertical cargo obstacle as well that requires climbers to climb up vertically instead of angled.
The Spartan Race has a vertical rope climb as well. This is a simple, straightforward rope climb. A rope climb requires all of your body parts to work together to ascend.
Savage Race
The Savage Race has its version of the A-frame cargo net called Big Ass Cargo. There is also a horizontal cargo net challenge where the mud runner is on the underside of the net called Missionary Impossible. The Savage Race also has the Colossus obstacle.
The Colossus is a slick, quarter pipe ramp with ropes to aid in climbing up. You must grip onto a rope and pull yourself up the ramp. The Savage Race also has a rope ladder climbing obstacle called Mad Ladders. This obstacle requires you to climb a series of unstable rope ladders, switching back and forth, so rungs are available to you.
Rugged Maniac
The Rugged Maniac’s cargo obstacle is called Vertigo. This race also has its own variation with the cargo nets called Hang Loose. This is a free-hanging vertical cargo net. Rugged Maniac also offers the Double Cross. On this obstacle, you can choose whether to climb a loose, inclined rope or trudge through mud alongside a rope.
Slippery Object Climb
It isn’t a mud run unless there is something slippery to climb up. These are typically tall curved walls that require a running start. While a strong grip is required at the top of the wall, it’s also required to help pull others to the top and help a teammate pull you to the top.
Tough Mudder
The Tough Mudder’s standard steep slippery object climb is called Everest. It’s a curved wall to climb, and it’s typically considered a teammate obstacle. One variation of Everest is the Blockness Monster.
The Blockness Monster is a wall coming out of a mud pit. The Mud Pit has walls of mud that you need to climb. There are also straight vertical wall climbs such as the Berlin Wall, the Ladder to Hell, and the Skid Walls.
Spartan Race
The Spartan Race has its own slew of climbing obstacles including the Z-wall, climb walls, and a seven and a half foot overhang inverted wall. The Spartan Race offers the Helix climbs, a set of X-shaped ladders to climb across, and the Stairway to Sparta, which is a tall ladder with spread-out wooden plank rungs.
Savage Race
The Savage Race’s version of the wall climb is a half-pipe called the Twin peaks. There is plenty of pole climbing, fence climbing, and wall climbing to give those forearms a fiery burn.
Rugged Maniac
The Rugged Maniac offers the Warped Wall. It is 11 feet tall and requires teamwork to climb. There is also the Cliff hanger, Ridge Runner, and Jacob’s ladder. Top it all off with the intense muti-obstacle Mount Maniac.
Monkey Bars
Tough Mudder
The Tough Mudder offers the Gauntlet, the Funky Monkey, monkey bar, ring, and other swinging grip obstacle courses. There is also the cage crawl, where you hoist yourself along the underside of a fence through muddy water.
Spartan Race
The Spartan Race has several monkey bar obstacle courses similar to the Tough Mudder, as well as a rock-climbing wall with various chain holds and cut-out grips.
Savage Race
The Savage race offers the Wheel World, Savage Rig, Pipe Dreams, and the Twirly Bird, which are all monkey bar-type obstacles. In addition, they have the Holy Sheet, which is monkey bars made of sheets.
Rugged Maniac
The Rugged Maniac offers the Barzan, which is a course that involves swinging horizontal poles, a pole climb, and a zipline with ball grips.
Heavy Object Pull
In addition to these listed obstacles, most mud runs have a section that requires you to pull something attached to a rope or chain. Some require you to lift a heavy object on a pulley system, while others will have a muddy stretch for you to pull bricks across.
Mud runs are all about teamwork. When climbing a slippery wall, you may have a teammate at the top ready to grip your hand and pull you up. However, if you don’t have good grip strength, you won’t be able to hold on to be pulled to the top. On the other hand, if your forearms are getting sore, you won’t be able to help your teammates to the top.
