Why do people quit tough mudder

Use your legs to generate momentum. You'll need good coordination and well-developed core muscles for this, which makes this a more advanced technique. According to their own statements, only 30 percent of all Mudders make it across Hangin' Tough successfully.

Based on our own judgment and experiences, this numer seems to be pretty accurate. If you want to stay dry during Hangin' Tough, you need to swing from ring to ring until you make it to the other side of the water. This means you need fewer swings to complete the obstacle than at Funky Monkey 2. For significantly better grip, we highly recommend wearing gloves. The smoother you move, the less you will rotate. Since stopping the rotation takes the most energy, try to move as smart as possible.

To reach the next ring more easily, always keep your arms slightly bent. This way, you can take a lot of stress away from your shoulders and grip muscles. Hold you Wood explains itself. Grab a log and carry it along the course until you have to drop it on a pile again. You usually walk in a circle until you come back to where you've started the obstacle so you take the log from the same pile you drop it off again.

This makes life easier for the volunteers, so they don't have to hold their wood the whole day. Although we believe that Tough Mudder volunteers are tough enough to do so! One hint: As a guy… choosing a smaller log than your fellow female Mudders will turn your Hold your Wood into a walk of shame.

So please… man up. Choose a log which feels heavy when you pick it up but which you can still lift up easily enough to place it on your shoulder. Here we are at how to carry the log best. Carry it on top of one shoulder. If it gets too heavy after a while change sides. Best by balancing it from one shoulder behind your neck to the other.

If you have a longer log it will be more comfortable to carry it across your neck and both shoulders. Your shoulder and neck muscles are stronger than the muscles in your arms. Also by carrying it across your shoulders, your whole body carries the weight and not just your arms. As a team you can also choose to take on one of the really big logs and finish this obstacle together.

With your hands you need to climb along a small wooden beam while hanging down, facing a wooden wall. Once again, we recommend wearing gloves. They'll provide you with a better grip, and make sure you don't get splinters.

Keep your arms bent at a degree angle to use your strength efficiently. Try to gain as much distance with each stride as possible. The longer you pause, the more your muscles will weaken. To avoid getting stuck in traffic jam, make sure to leave enough room between the Mudder in front of you and yourself.

If you are a fan of waterslides, springboards and similar stuff, you will definitely love King of the Swingers! Here you have to swing Tarzan like from a platform and try to reach a bell hanging quite a few feet in front of you over the water with your hands. Hanging on the bar and relying on your normal swing, thinking it will be enough definitively doesn't work! If you want to have a realistic chance, you have to jump with all your power, and keep all your muscles tense.

With good coordination skills and a bit of luck, you'll be one of the few Mudders who passes King of the Swingers succesfully! Not as hard as the Berlin Walls, but still the walls of the obstacle Skidmarked are no piece of cake either. The walls you have to climb over are not as high as the Berlin Walls, but they are at a 45 degree angle. Due to your center of gravity, your feet automatically tend to move towards the direction of the wall, when trying to get over the edge by jumping up.

Of course, the goal is to conquer the Skidmarked alone, but in fact a lot of the Mudders need help. If you follow our advice and do pull-ups regulary during your Tough Mudder training , you should be able to conquer the Skidmarked by yourself! The secret lies in an explosive movement, because otherwise your feet will drop towards the wall, which makes it almost impossible to win back control. Of course, taller Mudders have an advantage, but with the right technique, strength, and body tension, even a midget is able to pass the Skidmarked successfully!

If you don't have the necessary power, a leg-up or a double-leg-up, as described in the Berlin Walls section, should be the first choice. If all else fails, then you can climb on the wooden beam construction on the side of the wall — but please, you're a Mudder!

So only do this in a case of emergency! The wooden sticks fit exactly in the holes of the wall, so you have to make distance primarily with your back and arm strength! Depending on the course, the obstacle might differ. Sometimes your feet can support you more and sometimes less.

Most of the times they have two different kinds of lanes — a normal one with small wooden beams as assistance for your feet and one for advanced Mudders without any assistance. If you follow our Tough Mudder training tips , and regularly do pull-ups, then The Liberator isn't that big of a deal for you, because you can rely on your back and arm strength!

Press your body close to the wall, do a pull-up with the help of the sticks, and then work your way up to the top hole by hole. You can try to support yourself a bit with your toes, but then you automatically create a distance between your hips and the wall. There will be Mudders who are holding and pushing your feet from below and others on top trying to reach your arms to pull you up — so nothing can go wrong. At the obstacle Trench Warfare you have to crawl through a dark, narrow and curvy tunnel which was dug into the ground.

You crawl through dirt, little stones and sticks might leave you with a few scratches on your knees and arms. If you are not comfortable with tight spaces, the fact that it's pitch black because you can't see the end of the tunnel, doesn't make it easier.

As you can't see much, you shouldn't rush or you might run into a wall because you missed a turn. So just take it easy. After a little while your eyes will adjust a little and you will be able to see some outlines.

Orientate yourself on the Mudder in front of you and you'll get through this obstacle more easily. If you are scared of tight spaces, staying close behind the Mudder in front and talking to your team mates inside of the tunnel while making your way through will help you to calm down. If you hated the balance beam in school, Twinkle Toes will hardly create any enthusiasm in you either.

To avoid another cold surprise, you have to make it across a narrow wooden plank with about the width of your foot.

Surely you know the feeling of having to overtake a truck in a narrow construction area on the highway. The more you think about how close a call this is, the worse you'll feel. If you don't think about it, however, you'll pass by the truck smoothly and relaxed. Don't try to run across the plank and don't crawl on your knees. Take normal steps at a medium pace, and you'll have the best chance to make it across dryly.

Try to walk as upright as possible and focus your eyes on the other end of the plank. To avoid having to stop in the middle of the plank, make sure to leave enough room between the Mudder in front of you and yourself. Whether you'll enjoy Walk the Plank or not largely depends on your attitude towards water and heights. For many, this is one of the most fun obstacles. For others, the sheer thought causes massive panic: You have to jump into the water from 12 feet high platform and swim to the other side.

If Walk the Plank should scare you, try jumping from the diving board in a public swimming pool. At Tough Mudder, you have to master this obstacle anyway. If you hesitate, other Mudders will show no mercy and push you in. Therefore, grit your teeth, and get to it! To make sure you dry quickly, we recommend special gear and running shoes that are well suited for Tough Mudder. Electroshock Therapy Everest 2. Tips for the obstacle Arctic Enema 2.

In Arctic Enema 2. Last but not least, here's a tip for the really tough guys If you're looking for the ultimate kick, sign up for the first starting group! First come, first serve! Tips for the obstacle Balls to the Wall The biggest challenge at Balls to the Wall is to keep a firm grip, despite the slippery rope. Anyway, falling down from the top isn't the best idea, so be careful! Tips for the obstacle Berlin Walls When we strongly recommend you to do pull-ups during your preparation , the Berlin Walls is one of the reasons why!

It's only a matter of training! But don't worry, we also have some alternative techniques for you. With teamwork to success! Those who aren't that strong, usually receive help with the classical leg-up. But better than the leg-up is the double-leg-up! Well, that's kind of cheating though, but better than going around the obstacle. Tips for the obstacle Birth Canal Move as close as possible to the ground, but without unnecessary dragging!

With this tactic you can avoid grazes and keep control! So be smart and try to crawl along the side for saving power! Tips for the obstacle Cage Crawl Strength lies in calmness! For the most part, you run one mile and then face an obstacle—run another half mile and face another. Before the event, we recommend getting to a point where you can walk and run 7 miles without having a meltdown. You can skip obstacles. Yeah, we said it. Whatever your fitness level, you should try to complete as many obstacles as you realistically can.

Tough Mudder is about trying things that challenge and sometimes even scare you. Sure, you have the option to skip, but facing your fears is way more badass than standing on the sidelines. When it comes down to it, silently repeat your favorite motivational quote , throw caution into the wind and do it for the story. While we do have a competitive option for those who want an extra challenge, the wide majority of our events are not timed and not competitive.

Does your idea of bonding involve hitching yourself to a caricature of traditional masculinity in an era when the well-off have to purchase their own suffering? It sure does! Great, feel free to sign up. There is one in Sussex in a few weeks. What the hell? Oh, and a 7. Plus extra for parking. And extra if you want to leave your stuff somewhere safe.

Just to watch? Welcome to the Tough Mudder experience, where the hardest obstacle is leaving with any money. But who cares? This is your midlife crisis! Spending vast sums of money on a frivolity is an integral part of that. Lots of people mark their midlife crisis by cutting down on booze.