Month: June 2015

Having been overweight for more than half of my life, one of my biggest accomplishments has been conquering my fear of going to the gym. I know I am not alone when I say I had this fear. I was (and still am LOL) a very shy person, I did not feel comfortable in my own skin, and I had no clue what I was going to do when I finally mustered up the courage to get myself to go. Through trial and error, I finally found a way to get over my fear of going to the gym, and you can too.
Trust me.
1) Choose the right gym.
Not all gyms are created equal and some gyms are more intimidating than others. For a beginner I would suggest a smaller family friendly place if available, like a YMCA or a family run gym.
The first gym I attended was a YMCA and I found this to be the least intimidating. It was filled with cardio equipment like treadmills, Stairmasters, bikes, and ellipticals, but it also had a large free weight section and weight machines with descriptions on how to do each exercise. The added benefit of going to a YMCA is that it had group classes available like yoga, Les Mills Body Pump, Zumba, spin and other classes that allowed me to experience a variety of exercises to help me find one that I loved.
Other gyms, like Crossfit boxes or powerlifting gyms, may be a little intimidating to beginners. Many are filled with a ton of squat racks, power lifting stations, sleds and really big tires that can make you overwhelmed and exacerbate your fear to the point that you want to turn around when you have only just arrived.
2) Have goals in place.
Setting goals is important because this is a main determining factor of what you will be doing while at the gym. If your goal is to gain muscle then you most likely will be doing a lot of heavy weight lifting. However,  if your goals are to train for a 5K you will probably be doing a lot of work on the treadmill and crosstrainer.
3) Have a game plan.
Knowing what you want to do when you finally get to the gym is huge! If your goal were to gain muscle then I would research a workout plan ahead of time, and figure out how to do each exercise properly before you get to the gym.
This was super important to me personally because I wanted to be able to do the exercises properly without hurting myself, and at the same time look like I know what I was doing while at the gym. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource with lots of free workouts and has videos that demonstrate how to do each exercise properly.
4) Bring a Workout Partner.
Doing something new is scary enough, but having someone sharing the experience with you can help alleviate some of the fear. It will also provide you with a constant level of support, someone to share your triumphs with, and someone to help push you through your struggles.
5) Plan your gym sessions.
Knowing that you have arranged your schedule to compensate for working out removes some of the stress associated with going to the gym. I’m all about stress reduction and by planning ahead, knowing that I am working out at a certain time on select days, and that I still have time for everything else that I need to do really helped eased some of the fear about going to the gym.

People seem to be more than willing to work overtime at the gym to make up for their poor eating habits at home.
Will they get stronger and fitter? Sure. Will they lose fat? That depends.
To be honest, we are all a little delusional when it comes to our perceived effort. We like to think we are near superhero status in the gym, sweating it out in full-on beast mode. But the reality is that just because we look like a beast in our Facebook posts doesn’t mean we truly are training like one.
Some of the same people who look like they are hardcore fitness fanatics on their social media pages mope along on the treadmill at the pace of a senior citizen with a double hip replacement. Or worse, I see people looking like they are really getting it on the elliptical, with their arms and feet going at warp speed only because they have the elliptical on the lowest resistance level available. Needless to say, while they are definitely increasing activity and improving their health, they are missing the real calorie-scorching benefit their body needs to erase their past food sins.

I’m a beast on Facebook

Just because you post your workout on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s worth posting. A more honest approach to fitness would be if people posted all the food they ate throughout the day too. Then everyone would understand why these Facebook fitness freaks live at the gym. They have to work off all the calories they consume when they’re not at the gym.
As a trainer, I work really hard to convince people to be as disciplined in the kitchen as they are in the gym. I personally prefer that people adopt a workout plan that is not too extreme. In my opinion it is better to manage your weight with a healthy low-calorie diet and moderate exercise plan than to work out like crazy because you are eating like crazy. No matter what I prefer, there will always be people out there who just want to burn as many calories as they can so they can drink and eat as much as they can.

Will run for beer

People will do anything to keep their favorite food or drink habit. Mud runs are a perfect example of how this mindset has changed the world of fitness. I guess the thought is if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Marathons and 5Ks have taken a backseat to more entertaining fitness events, like mud runs and obstacle courses that include rock bands, turkey legs, energy drinks, and beer. There is even a Great American Bacon Race that ends with three free bacon stations. Who would ever have thought of eating bacon after going for a run? At least beer is cold and refreshing.
The fact that many races have added high-calorie refreshments to the end of their events is just more proof people don’t mind the work as long as they can still have a tasty reward.

Beast mode vs feast mode

There are plenty of people who refuse to give up their favorite indulgence and opt instead to do double duty in the gym. They seek out the hardest workout possible to make up for their lack of strength in the kitchen and don’t bat an eye in the process. Personally, I’m too lazy for that and would prefer to just eat less.
However, if you can relate to what I’m talking about here, then it will be worth your while to continue reading along and make sure you are choosing the most effective workout possible.

Top 10 Calorie Killers

1. Calisthenics – You may be wondering what the heck calisthenics is. It’s just a fancy name for old school bodyweight exercises you did in grade school, like pushups, situps, squats, and jumping jacks. What I love about calisthenics is that it not only burns calories, but it requires no tools and shapes up the entire body. One hour of vigorous calisthenics burns approximately 500 calories. (Approximate calories for each exercise is based on a 150-pound person.)
2. Circuit Training – Circuit training is a fast-paced resistance workout using moderate weights at high repetitions. Circuit training typically uses weight machines or free weights and burns more calories than traditional weight training because there is less rest time. This style of resistance training also works the body aerobically, getting the heart pounding and muscles pumping all in one intense workout. One hour of vigorous circuit training also burns approximately 500 calories.
3. Jump Rope – I’ll never forget the time I grabbed a jump rope and thought I’d get a really good workout in, only to fall to the ground after five minutes. All of the times I saw Rocky jumping rope like it was nothing made me think that I could grab a rope and crank up “Eye of the Tiger” on my stereo for a workout to remember. I remember it all right. I remember dying of exhaustion and boredom too. Jumping rope was a big fat fail for me, but if you can sustain jumping rope for an hour, go for it! An hour of jumping rope will burn approximately 557 calories. Mix in a few double-unders, and I’m sure you’ll burn even more.
4. Running – Running is inexpensive, requires very little equipment, and burns a ton of calories too. Again, most people would not be able to keep a fast pace for a solid hour, but you’ll burn a ton of calories if you can. While running doesn’t strengthen and tone the entire body like calisthenics or circuit training, it does support weight loss and kill some fat for sure. One hour of running at six miles per hour (10-minute mile) burns approximately 629 calories.
5. HIIT – High-intensity interval training not only burns loads of calories during the workout, but it has been proven to increase your calorie burn for up to 48 hours after your workout. More moderate training only really increases calories burned during the workout, so HIIT training is definitely at the top of my list for best workouts, up there with calisthenics and circuit training.
Since HIIT workouts vary in intensity and style–ranging in work-to-rest ratios from 1:2, 1:3, 2:1, or 1:1–it is hard to calculate approximate calorie burn. However, you could burn an average of 9 to 13 calories per minute in a workout implementing HIIT training, and up to 12 to 16 calories a minute during the more intense segments of a HIIT workout. After doing a little research online, I found people were burning anywhere between 540 to 960 calories per hour depending on resistance, intensity, and rest time.
6. Kickboxing – Kickboxing is one of my favorite ways to burn calories. Maybe it’s because I like feeling tough and pretending to punch and kick things, but I definitely won’t kick myself when it’s over because this workout is well worth the investment. You can jab, cross, hook, and kick your calories to the curb with this fat-melting workout. Kickboxing burns approximately 579 calories per hour–and probably a little more if you go to a class like I do, which has a buttload of burpees, squats, and plyos mixed in too.
7. Cycling – When I talk about riding a bicycle, I’m not talking about taking your beach cruiser for a stroll around the block. No, I’m talking about getting on that bike and spinning those pedals as fast as you can for an hour. If you can manage to really pump out some rotations, then you will melt fat for sure. Cycling at 14 to 15.9 miles per hour burns approximately 643 calories per hour.
8. Step Aerobics – Not all step aerobics are created equal, so it’s a bit hard to guesstimate how many calories you burn in your favorite step class. Regardless, it’s probably not too shabby. Whether you are doing low-impact or super high-impact step aerobics, you will burn between 460 and 660 calories per hour. Throw on an extra riser and step things up to make the most of your step class.
9. Elliptical – The elliptical is another exercise for which it’s hard to predict calorie burn because there are so many variables. Most ellipticals have different resistance levels, ramp adjustments, and the option to use handles or go without. As a result, it’s hard to determine how many calories you may burn during your elliptical workout. I can, however, give you some examples.
According to the Lose It! app, a light elliptical workout may burn 429 calories per hour, versus 643 calories for a very vigorous elliptical workout. There are four different intensities to choose from in the Lose It! app: light, moderate, vigorous, and very vigorous. Each level adds about 70 calories each time you bump up the level. The bottom line is, don’t get on an elliptical at level one thinking you’re going to burn off those French fries. Pump up the resistance to pump up your results.
10. Swimming – Swimming is a great alternative to traditional cardio for people who have physical limitations or joint issues. It doesn’t burn as many calories as I expected, however. One hour of freestyle swimming at a moderate pace only burns 343 calories per hour. Of course, that’s better than nothing if you are limited and have to take the weight off your joints during your cardiovascular workout. Just don’t expect to burn a ton of calories despite how winded you get in the water. Weight-bearing exercises always tend to burn more calories than seated exercises or exercises in the water.

I’ll never forget my first CrossFit workout. Reebok flew my husband and I out to visit their headquarters to get a sneak peak of all their newest apparel before they hit stores. Part of this exciting trip included getting a bunch of new gear and working out with some of Reebok’s CrossFit pros.

Getting new digs sounded fun to me, but working out with elite CrossFit athletes scared the bejesus out of me. I barely like to workout, much less workout out until I bleed or pass out on the floor. I had heard about those crazy CrossFitters. I had seen their bloody calluses on facebook and bruised stripes all over their legs from all their double-unders. They really seem to like pain. Me, not so much.

While I had never done a CrossFit workout before, my husband, Steve Pfiester, was very familiar with CrossFit and had just received his CrossFit Level 1 Certification. He told me the stories of how he thought he was going to die during “Fran” (I’ll explain Fran later). Anyway, unlike me, Steve was very excited to workout with the pros and give the workout everything he had.

I, on the other hand, knew it was going to be the longest workout of my life. I hate the unknown. I hate trying new things. I also hate pain, which I was pretty sure was inevitable. I also loathe being in a place where I have to compete with others. I despise the pressure, and I knew they weren’t going to tame it down for us one bit. I expect their trainers wanted to give us the gnarliest workout possible. And, they probably were not going to be happy unless someone puked – and I did not want that puking pathetic soul to be me.

While I may be strong and fit, I am no professional athlete. While, I admit, there were others in our group that seemed less fit than me, they didn’t seem the least bit worried about this workout. Maybe they were just better at hiding it. Whatever the case, my heart rate started increasing as soon as we started walking to Reebok CrossFit One, located on their headquarters’ campus. I seriously was a certified nervous wreck.

As soon as we walked in, everyone was super nice and welcoming. Of course they have to be nice at first so we wouldn’t run away before the workout began. After greeting us, they took us to the white board to discuss the workout. I knew they were dividing us up in teams and I wasn’t going to be with Steve. This frightened me even more. There went my security blanket. I now actually had to absorb what they were explaining and not look like a complete idiot. “I can do this,” I kept telling myself. However, I walked away still having no clue what they just explained to me.

The trainers spoke in some other language. It sounded like English, but they seemed to have a secret code.  Even though I had been in the fitness world for more than twenty years, I felt like I had never been in a gym in my entire life. “Were they enjoying making us feel completely pathetic,” I wondered?

The trainers called everyone by the door to get the workout started. My team leader shouted out, “Does anyone like to run”? “Yes!” I said, “I love to run.” Truth is, I don’t really love to run, but I know how to run – and I expected I’d be better at running than using some of the other torture devices they had laying out for us.

I had one very brief moment of relief that I could actually do something they were asking me to do. Then they push me to the front and said, “Good, you will run for our team”. The relief went away and panic came right back. I realized I’d be racing against all the other team runners. Did I mention how much I dislike competing? Well, just in case you missed it, I really dislike competing.

The workout had a combination of everything. We did box jumps, pull-ups, overhead holds, push presses and all kinds of stuff. In the end, while I might have fought the whole process, I survived the workout. I could barely breath the whole time, but I lived. I didn’t puke and they didn’t have to bring out the AED. So, overall, it went well I guess. However, I did realize a few things about CrossFit that day.

There are things that go on during a CrossFit workout that would never fly in any other public establishment. Here are just a few things I noticed.

1. They abruptly strip their clothes off when they get hot. Seriously, this isn’t one of those things many people would complain about, but I have to admit it took me by surprise. Everyone started the workout fully clothed, but by the time the workout was over, everyone was half naked.

I know our gym members would totally freak if we let members take their shirts off during their workout. I can only imagine all the complaints I’d get about their sweat getting everywhere, not to mention the people who would be plain-out offended to see a bare chest or sports bra. Our germaphobes would be spraying down everything and I’d eventually have a riot on my hands. But, I’m not alone. Let’s face it, most places have the “no shirts, no shoes, no service” motto, probably, for a good reason.

2. They speak in codes and acronyms. I understand that different organizations have acronyms for different things to make communicating a little easier, but CrossFitters don’t just speak in code in the gym. They speak in code everywhere they go. It is almost like a special code they speak to let other CrossFitters know they are in the special group, and to let everyone else know they aren’t.

Though I don’t believe the purpose is to make you feel stupid, it does seem to leave everyone listening in complete confusion. Maybe it would help if CrossFit came out with a “How To Be a Friend with a CrossFitter” book. This way people could join their conversations without feeling completely lost.

3. They are constantly talking about girls. They complain about how much they hate Annie or how Mary kicked their butt. Some of the talk is downright dirty sounding. I mean, what would you think if someone asked you how fast you did Fran or hear someone compliment a friend on their snatch?

Most people don’t know that Fran is a workout and a good snatch is an Olympic lift done with food form. The whole CrossFit lingo is a bit edgy and would probably need to be modified if you wanted to talk about CrossFit in church.

4. They spend a lot of time on the ground. When a CrossFitter gets tired, they just fall down wherever they are and lay down in their pool of sweat. Can you imagine if I collapsed on aisle 3 in the grocery store? How about if I decided to fall to the ground in the middle of my golf game? Every nurse, doctor and candy striper in site would run to my aid. You just don’t see that in most public places, and if you do, someone is calling an ambulance. Floors are nasty and everyone knows you aren’t supposed to get on the floor unless you trip and fall.

CrossFitters don’t care about germs or dirt. They actually are proud when their workout ends with some face to floor time – so much so, they will be sure to take a selfie to capture their proud moment.  Try that anywhere else, and the cops will ask you to leave the premises.

5. They seem to enjoy awkward moments.  As if it the verbal sexual innuendos are not already edgy enough, they love to share their wild slang on clothing and social media. Is it a chance to talk dirty and get away with it, or do they just like creating awkward moments? Maybe I’m just a bit of a prude, but I think I’ll stick to wearing fitness clothing with motivational quotes on them.

6. They make up new terminology for normal gym stuff. CrossFitters don’t go to a gym, they go to a box. They don’t do a workout, they do a WOD. They call cheating kipping, which is totally acceptable during your WOD in your box.  Since kipping looks a lot like someone having a seizure while attempting a pull-up, you may not want to do this in a traditional gym unless you want immediate medical attention.

Also, written workout programs are not just workout routines, they are prescri
ptions in the CrossFit world. While they don’t call it a prescription, they use the RX prescription term all the time. If they complete the workout as written, they say they RXed it, which means they did the workout as prescribed. What they really should tell you is that if you RX a workout, you will need an actual real prescription to manage the pain afterwards.

7. They celebrate and encourage pain. I don’t know about you, but I am never excited about throwing up. There are many things I try to avoid and throwing up is one of them. Getting blisters is not too far behind barfing. Yet, the CrossFit community seems to really love bleeding palms, puking their guts out, whipping their body with speed ropes and showing off their scrapes and bruises from box jumps and muscle ups.

The more battle wounds someone has the better, it seems. I guess if you aren’t strong enough to RX a workout, at least you can look tough if you walk away with evidence of a really good beating.  But don’t worry. If you don’t get hurt working out, you can always wear a really tough shirt with a hardcore CrossFit slogan using the F-word on it so everyone knows just how tough you really are.

CrossFun

CrossFit isn’t the only organization or hobby to make an easy target for a rant or Saturday Night Live skit. The world of sports and fitness is full of funny slang words and silly practices – especially in the eyes of an outsider. In all honesty, I could come up with the same number of funny jokes (or more!) for the bodybuilding world too.

The truth is, as a trainer, I personally use a lot of CrossFit training principles. CrossFit, when done right, and under the right leadership, can be very safe and fun. But, when you think outside the CrossFit box, CrossFit can be downright funny.

It’s an excuse for skipping exercise I hear all the time from friends and clients. I often respond with a laugh and say, “Don’t tell me about being busy. I know busy. “

I’ve got seven kids ranging in age from 7 to 24. I shuffle the younger kids back and forth to lessons, sports activities, play dates, and shopping trips. I work from home, help kids with schoolwork, cook meals seven nights a week, and play the role of doctor, vet, chauffeur, counselor, and more.

I am busy. But I don’t let busy get in the way of eating healthy or exercising. And neither should you.

If you have ever said you don’t have time to exercise because your schedule is too busy, I want to encourage you to find ways to banish that excuse.  If I can do it with all I have going on, so can you.

Why is it even important?

It is important because exercise is a vital part of your weight loss experience. Exercise by itself will not do much for your weight loss success, but adding exercise to a healthy diet certainly will.

A few years ago, I took an informal poll of people I know who lead extremely busy lives and still find time to exercise. Fortunately, they were not so busy that they did not have enough time to help me out.

Here are the eight commonalities among my friends and acquaintances who rarely skip exercising.   

1. Work Out More on the Weekends

If your weekdays are filled with family and work responsibilities, do not skip weekend workouts. Instead, exercise on both weekend days and take a couple of days off during the week.

2. Exercise Two Times a Day for Short Bursts

I often break up my exercise into two short sessions because I don’t always have a 30 to 45 minute block. But I usually do have two 20 minute blocks of time and I bet you do too.

3. Reward Yourself for Exercising

Save that book you’ve wanted to read or the Facebook game you’ve wanted to try until after your workout. Knowing you have something fun to do after you are done can increase your motivation to fit exercise into your day.

4. Get Creative With Workouts

I understand it can be hard to get to the gym or spend time outside running or walking. I sometimes workout in our living room to a video on YouTube or just run in place.

5. Become An Early Bird

Busy people do not have a lot of free time. I most often choose to forgo 45 minutes of sleep in order to get my workouts done before my busy day gets cranked up.

6. Involve Your Children

Don’t use your children as an excuse to skip your exercise routine. When I was 300 pounds, I blamed my lack of exercise on my three young children. However, once I got serious about losing weight, I often took my children with me on long walks. The two youngest rode in the stroller and my oldest daughter rode her bike.

7. Count Your Steps

A popular way for busy people to make sure they are moving enough is to attach a pedometer to their waistbands. It takes about 5,000 steps to walk three miles. Set a step goal and work up to it. I generally get in 8,000 to 10,000 steps each day.

8. Multi-Task

I often talk on the phone while I am doing stretches, do calf raises while cooking dinner, and workout while listening to a book I want to read but can’t find the time. Become an exercise multi-tasker in the same way you multitask at work to get things done.

One day I made a mental list of all the different tools I have used to lose and maintain my weight. It was quite the list and represented some successful and some not so successful weight loss tools.
If I asked you to make a list, would yours be similar to mine?

Books and magazines
Internet articles and websites
Measuring cups, food scale, and measuring spoons
Resistance bands and dumbbell sets
Treadmill
Stationary bicycle
Running shoes
Notebook
Exercise clothes
Some of these tools were extremely helpful like the running shoes, clothes, notebook, and books. Others, not so much.

Take the stationary bike for example. That ended up being a terrific clothing rack that my husband and I struggled to keep clean. We finally sold it for $5 at a garage sale.
For years, researchers have tried to figure out what the magic ingredient is that sets the successful loser from the not so successful. Weighing habits, balance of nutrients, exercise frequency, breakfast habits, and support groups have all been identified as possible reasons for dieting success.
I am sure that many of those played a role in my success. I have never been much of a breakfast eater but still managed to lose weight and keep it off. I do weigh every day, eat a healthy balance of nutrients, and exercise regularly.

A 2015 research study has added a new tool to the arsenal of people who want to lose weight. It’s so simple it seems silly.
Make a grocery store list.
Who knew?
Just write down what you are going to buy and you have a better chance of weighing less than your friend who doesn’t make a list.
The cool thing about this tool is that it is super simple. Everyone has a piece of paper and a pen and a lot of people have access to computers or smartphones capable of making and printing a list.
Researchers at the RAND Corporation took time to go door to door and asked people about their grocery shopping habits. All in all, they interviewed over 1,000 people living in lower income neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh area.
Among the questions they asked was whether the person shopped using a list. When the researchers ran their statistics, they found that the people who used a list weighed about 5 pounds less and had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than the people who didn’t.
Now, 5 pounds may not seem like a lot, but if you are 50 pounds overweight, 5 pounds is 10 percent of what you need to lose. That’s pretty significant.
When I read the study, which you can find in the “Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior,” it made me think about how simple changes can add up to big benefits.

Making a list is simple – right? All you have to do is sit down, decide what you want to eat for the week, and note what foods you need to buy.
Not only is it simple, but having a list helps you avoid being swayed by the ceaseless push from food advertisers to buy junk. They push you toward unhealthy purchases by featuring junk food on almost every endcap in the store, filling grocery store ads with unhealthy foods, and making junk food appear cheaper than healthy food.
Using a list gives you the same benefits a horse using blinders has.  The horse can only see what is in front of him and is not swayed by what the horses on the other side of him are doing.
A list is like your blinder. Pay attention to your list, look specifically for foods you want to buy, and you will leave the store with only healthy foods in your cart.
And you know what happens when your diet is filled with healthy foods and void of junk, don’t you? You often end up eating fewer calories and losing weight.

These days you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of obstacle course racing. Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, Warrior Dash…it seems everyone knows someone who has crawled under muddy pits of barbed wire and leapt over flaming logs resulting in the most epic of Facebook profile photos.

But with the popularity of obstacle course racing, or OCR as it’s often referred to, also comes numerous stories of injuries sustained at these races, as well as fear inducing reports encouraging runners to pick another sport. Typical injuries include sprained ankles, cuts and scrapes, as well as the occasional broken limb, and absolute worst case scenario: death. While loss of life is incredibly rare, it has happened, such as the 2013 drowning of 28 year old Avishek Sengupta during a Tough Mudder race.

There is no denying that with the addition of obstacles, some of which are inherently dangerous in and of themselves, such as fire, heights, or barbed wire, that obstacle course racing is a far riskier sport than traditional road or trail running.  So is obstacle course racing really worth the potential risk?

The answer is clearly subjective.

If you are an elite athlete, surgeon, or have some other profession where a possible injury would absolutely ruin your livelihood and career, then maybe the potential for an injury is simply not worth the risk. But for the rest of us, the potential to broaden our fitness horizons while pushing our mental and physical capabilities…and having a lot of fun… might be well worth the risk.

Let’s check out a few pros and cons of OCR.

Pro: OCR is so much more than running. I’ve met a number of very fast, very fit road runners who simply lack the upper body strength to do a single pushup, never mind pull themselves up and over an 8 foot wall. Training for an OCR will force you to work on ALL aspects of fitness: endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, and more; many of which are ignored by the traditional avid runner. Racing an OCR will clearly and quickly show you what your fitness weaknesses are.

Con: The “do more/never quit” mentality that surrounds OCR may be too much for beginners, resulting in an overuse injury during training.  Or worse: a race day injury from attempting an obstacle they physically weren’t prepared for yet.

Pro: OCR will force you out of your comfort zone. These days, everything in our society seems to be about ease and comfort, and about doing as little as possible to achieve our end goals.

Not the case in OCR.

When was the last time you were cold and wet for hours on end, or had to carry a big, unwieldy log up a large mountain? OCR will not only make you uncomfortable, but may even force you to face some of your fears, such as heights and small confined spaces. The personal and emotional growth that can come out of facing your fears and leaving your comfort zone truly is priceless.

Con: Sometimes, forcing yourself to leave your comfort zone can cause you to ignore that inner voice warning you of danger. Maybe you know you are unable to grip monkey bars, for whatever reason, but you see everyone else successfully completing the task, so you try it anyway and end up falling.  You knew you should have listened to the voice of reason, but the adrenaline flowing and the mob-mentality caused you to second guess yourself, resulting in injury.

Pro: Some of the obstacles are really, ridiculously fun. A combination of both primitive adventure and the sort of fun you had as a kid playing in the mud. When was the last time you got to plummet down a waterslide through flames? I’m pretty sure I never got to do that before OCR.

Con: Some of the obstacles are not dangerous by design, but can be due to user error. Falling off of the top of a 12 foot wall hardly ever ends well, nor does catching yourself on barbed wire.

Pro: the majority of OCR race directors take care in ensuring the race course is as safe as possible. Well, as safe as leaping through flaming logs and crawling under barbed wire can be. Despite the fact that many obstacles look dangerous, there are often insurance regulated safety measures in place, making the race far less dangerous than it may appear.

Con: Some aspects are completely out of the race directors control. For example, I know of a few people who have sustained small cuts due to branches, rocks, etc., and the mud they subsequently crawled through after resulted in an infected wound.

These are just a few examples. So, as we’ve established, injuries are certainly possible in obstacle course racing. But there are steps you can take to minimize your risk of injury.

Stick with well established races. These companies are more likely to have their safety standards up to par, whereas some smaller races may try and cut corners to save costs. I’ve seen some very unstable obstacles and lack of safety measures taken at some of these less experienced races.

Avoid crowds if possible. Injuries are more likely to occur when there are more people vying for the same foot or hand hold. If you approach a wall or cargo net crawling with people, give it a few seconds (or minutes) to allow the crowd to thin out before attempting to climb it.

Know your limits. Can’t swim? Obviously you should avoid deep water obstacles. Do heights cause you to freeze up and panic? Maybe you shouldn’t attempt that 20 foot cliff jump. Have a recurring injury that might prevent you from lifting heavy weights? Don’t pick up the 80 pound atlas carry. You get the idea here, know your physical and mental limits.

Most importantly, the best way to avoid injury is to train for the race. Just because many advertisements allude to the fun, muddy, beer drinking aspect of the race doesn’t mean you don’t actually have to put in any work to reach the finish line. Chances are you will still be covering 3 or more miles, and facing obstacles that will require lifting, climbing, and crawling using both your body weight and added weight (such as carries). A body physically trained for such tasks is far less likely to sustain injury.

Plus, the race is far more enjoyable when you aren’t suffering from lack of adequate training.

So, are obstacle course races worth the risk? In my OCR loving opinion, yes they are, but truthfully only you can make that decision for yourself. In the end, while the race director is responsible for providing a safe course, you are responsible for your own actions. If any aspect of the race course feels questionable or unsafe for whatever reason, use your best personal judgment and modify, or skip the obstacle altogether. Show up prepared, know your limits, and most importantly, have a muddy good time.