Transitioning to OCR From Other Sports

More Than Just Grip Strength

While grip strength is a cornerstone of Obstacle Course Racing, the sport is far more complex than simply mastering obstacles. It requires a balance of running endurance, strength for carries, mental fortitude, body control and obstacle techniques. Athletes transitioning from other disciplines – like climbing, CrossFit, gymnastics, and martial arts (the examples I’ll use in the blog) often bring excellent grip strength to OCR. But, to truly excel, they must adapt their grip training to meet the diverse demands of OCR, which go far beyond grip alone.

In this blog, we’ll explore how athletes from various sports can take their existing strengths and adjust their training for a more well-rounded OCR performance. If you’re a climber, CrossFitter, or from any sport that builds grip, here’s how you can branch into OCR and make your training even more effective. I’ve also created ‘The OCR Program’ to help you transition or get started in OCR alongside World Champion Ida Mathilde, you can check it out here.

Strengths from Other Sports

Athletes coming from various disciplines already have an edge in OCR, but each sport emphasizes different skills. Here’s how your current abilities can help you, and where you might need to make adjustments:

• Climbers: You excel in static holds and finger strength. Long rigs and obstacles that require body awareness will be second nature to you. However, OCR involves dynamic grip endurance and running between obstacles, meaning you’ll need to develop the ability to sustain your grip over a long period while fatigued from running and an increased heart rate. And hey, no chalk.

• CrossFitters: You’ve got power and strength, with excellent explosive pulling capabilities. Carries like the Atlas Stone and sandbags might be easier for you. But OCR requires you to switch between running and grip work, and your grip endurance over time will need more development. It’s also hard to carry a muscular body on a rig, and I’ve so often seen CF athletes fail because they’ve relied on biceps > technique.

• Gymnasts: Your body control, grip, and explosive strength make you efficient on obstacles like monkey bars, rings, and rope climbs. However, OCR’s longer distances and obstacles require you to work on your running endurance and grip fatigue, especially over multiple obstacles. 

• Martial Artists: Your grip endurance from grappling and strong hands will serve you well. But OCR is about efficiency, so working on grip stability and mastering obstacle transitions is key for you. 

Adapting Your Training for OCR

No matter what sport you come from, you’ll need to tweak your training for OCR’s unique challenges. Here are some ways to adjust your training to include the running, obstacles, and endurance needed to excel in OCR:

• Grip Endurance: Many OCR obstacles are back-to-back, requiring you to hold on for extended periods. While climbers and CrossFitters have the strength, OCR athletes need to build endurance on top of that strength. You’ll want to include exercises like dead hangs, extended monkey bar traverses, or doing pull-ups to failure.

• Dynamic Grip Movements: Climbers are often great at static holds, but OCR involves dynamic grip movements—like moving from ring to ring or transitioning quickly from one obstacle to another. Practicing dynamic movements like muscle-ups, swinging from ring to bar, and fast rope climbs will help prepare you for this.

• Running With Grip Work: One of the key adjustments athletes from other sports need to make is incorporating running into their grip work. OCR is unique because you’re running between obstacles, often making your grip fatigued by the time you reach the next challenge. Start adding running intervals between your grip training sessions. For example, run 400 meters, followed by grip exercises like farmer’s carries or monkey bars, then repeat.

• Heavy Carries and Pull Power: OCR athletes need more than just grip strength – they need to lift, carry, and pull with power. CrossFitters may have an advantage here, but others can benefit from adding carries (like sandbags, buckets, or farmer’s walks) to their routine, and also increasing their core training and strength. Power development exercises like weighted pull-ups and explosive deadlifts can also help you. 

OCR is More Than Grip: Don’t Forget About Running and Strength

Though grip strength is essential, OCR is a multi-faceted sport that challenges every aspect of your fitness. Running makes up a huge portion of any OCR race, so make sure you’re working on your aerobic base and running economy (easier said than done). Endurance running workouts combined with grip-intensive intervals will help simulate race conditions and boost your performance on race day.

Carries are another vital part of OCR, requiring strength and power. Heavy carries (like sandbags, logs, and buckets) will test your full-body strength, so incorporate strength training into your routine. Exercises like deadlifts, squats, and functional (sports-specific) movement patterns will ensure you’re prepared for those grueling carries.

OCR combines the best of every sport – it’s about balancing grip, strength, endurance, and mental resilience. If you’re coming from a sport with strong grip elements, like climbing, CrossFit, or martial arts, you’re already ahead of the game. But to truly excel in OCR, remember to focus on endurance, efficient obstacle transitions, and overall body strength.

Key Training Adjustments for Different Sports

Here’s how athletes from various sports can fine-tune their training for OCR:

• For Climbers: Focus on dynamic grip strength and endurance. While you’re used to hanging for extended periods, OCR requires fast movements and transitions. Try adding explosive pull-ups, monkey bars, and grip endurance circuits that include short runs.

• For CrossFitters: Grip endurance and running probably need more focus. Include long, grip-intensive obstacles like rigs and train your grip to last while fatigued. You’ll also benefit from adding more aerobic work to prepare for the running components of OCR, which can be done during CF workouts as well.

• For Gymnasts: You’ll need to develop your running endurance and obstacle transitions. Incorporate longer endurance runs, practice grip endurance, and work on full-body coordination across multiple obstacles.

• For Martial Artists: You already have a strong grip from grappling, but OCR requires more grip stability and efficiency. Focus on high-rep, low-weight grip exercises, such as light farmer’s carries or long dead hangs. Start mixing grip training with running intervals to replicate race conditions.

With the right adjustments to your training, you can transition into OCR successfully and build an unstoppable, well-rounded skill set. Let Ida Mathilde and I help you, click the button below to get started with our 8-week program today.