OCR Training Plan: 12-Week Strength Program for Obstacle Course Racing

Go directly to the program in StrengthLog.

Strength Training for OCR

OCR stands for obstacle course racing. You probably already knew that, but if you stumbled onto this guide by accident, that’s what it means.

You run anything from a 100 or so yards to marathon-length events with giant wooden walls, barbed wire, heavy sandbags, and slippery monkey bars right in the middle of your route.

To become good at, or even finish, an OCR event, you need good running fitness, of course. But being able to run fast or long won’t help you get past the O’s, the obstacles.

You need a strong and capable body for that. And nothing builds stronger or more capable bodies than strength training.

The weight-training benefits you’ll get the most use out of for OCR are grip, pulling, leg, and core strength, plus being able to carry heavy things.

• Grip and pulling help you excel at monkey bars, ropes, and walls.
• Leg strength for hills, mud, uneven terrain, jumps, and heavy carries.
• Got core strength? Then you can stay stable when you crawl and climb and twist and carry (often with awkward loads).

A good OCR strength plan focuses on movements like pull-ups or assisted pull-ups, dead hangs, rows, lunges, squats, deadlifts, step-ups, push-ups, planks, bear crawls, and different types of carries.

These exercises transfer much better to OCR than bodybuilding-style isolation exercises.

And that’s why this OCR training plan is designed around these staples.

OCR Strength Training Program

This 12-week strength training program will prepare you for any obstacle course racing event. It’s optimized for the most common and popular distances, from around 5k to around 15k.

Every OCR is different, but this program improves the following 6 qualities that benefit you, regardless of included obstacles:

1. Grip endurance: dead hangs, farmer’s carries, towel hangs, towel rows
2. Pulling strength: pull-ups, rows, rope climbs
3. Lower body strength: squats, lunges, step-ups, deadlifts, sled pushes
4. Loaded carrying: farmer’s carries, sandbag carries, suitcase carries
5. Crawling and trunk control: bear crawls, anti-rotation core, carries
6. Power and obstacle ability: box jumps, incline running, burpees

The goals of this OCR training plan are twofold:

1. Get strong enough so that the obstacles don’t slow down your running, and
2. Get fit enough so that running doesn’t destroy your obstacle technique.

The program is available in our workout log app, which you can download with the buttons below:

This program works best if you already have some strength training experience. It features many different, relatively complex exercises, and if you have never lifted weights before, it might be too much for you to jump right into.

If you’re new to the gym, start with one of our beginner programs, like the Beginner Barbell Training Program. You train three times per week, alternating between workouts A and B.

Workout A

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	8–10
Bench Press	3	8–10
Barbell Row	3	8–10

Workout B

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlift	3	6–8
Lat Pulldown (or Pull-Ups)	3	8–10
Overhead Press	3	8–10

These exercises form the basis of all functional strength, so beginners can’t go wrong.

Train workouts A B A week one and B A B week two, then go back to week one and keep alternating between the two.

This beginner program (any many more) are available for free in our workout log app, StrengthLog.

If you do have some weight training experience, you’re ready for the OCR Strength Training Plan.

12-Week OCR Strength Training Plan

This program runs for 12 weeks, split into three major parts, plus a final taper week before the OCR event (on the weekend of week 12 or during week 13).

You train 4 days per week, splitting your body into upper, lower, full-body, and circuit sessions over 4 phases.

If you can’t or don’t want to do 4 weekly workouts, you can adapt it to 3 sessions, as detailed below.

Weeks 1–4: Foundation

You kick your OCR prep off with 4 weeks of movement quality, basic strength, and grip tolerance focus, with OCR simulations you can do in the gym for conditioning.

Don’t go all-out at this point; leave 2–3 reps in reserve (meaning you terminate a set when you could probably have done another few reps if someone threatened to tickle you with a feather) on your strength exercises.

Weeks 5–8: Strength Progression

In the second phase of the OCR training plan, you increase the weights and familiarize yourself with harder carries, longer grip sets, and pull-up progressions. The circuits focus on being able to handle obstacles while fatigued.

Here, go for a higher effort level, 1–2 reps in reserve, on strength work.

Weeks 9–11: Race Prep

Getting closer to the event! You keep heavy lifting, but with slightly reduced total volume, so you’re able to recover.

Same effort level as the phase before.

Week 12: Deload / Taper

The last week before competition, you reduce volume by about 40–60%, recover fully before go time, and arrive fresh.

Below is a sneak peek of a sample of how a week from each of the phases (weeks 1, 5, 9, and 12) is structured in the StrengthLog app.

With a premium subscription, you get built-in progression week by week, with detailed rep, loading, and exercise schemes. In addition, the total training volume increases from week to week within each phase, all of which is detailed in the app.

Note: distances for relevant exercises (like carries) are in meters in this example. When you follow the program in-app, you get distances in either the Metric or imperial system, depending on your preference.

Weeks 1–4: Foundation

The first phase builds basic strength, grip endurance, and movement quality.

Workout A: Upper Body + Grip

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Assisted Pull-Up / Pull-Up	3	6
Inverted Row	2	10
Push-Up	3	12
Dead Hang	3	30 seconds
Farmer’s Carry	3	30 meters
Plank with Shoulder Taps	2	20

Workout B: Lower Body + Incline Running

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	8
Romanian Deadlift	3	8
Reverse Lunge	2	8
Step-Up	2	10
Side Plank	2	30 seconds
Running (incline)	4	30 seconds

Workout C: Full Body + Carries

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Trap Bar Deadlift	3	5
Overhead Press	3	8
Walking Lunge	3	12
Sandbag Carry	3	40 meters
Hanging Leg Raise	2	As many as you can
Bear Crawl	3	15 meters

Workout D: OCR Simulation Circuit

This is a circuit workout.

• Move as quickly as you can between exercises.
• Complete 3 rounds (week 1) at controlled intensity.
• Rest 2 minutes between rounds.

Exercise	Reps
Running	400 meters
Burpee	10
Walking Lunge	20
Dead Hang	30
Kettlebell Swing	20
Bear Crawl	20 meters
Farmer’s Carry	30 meters
Push-Up	10

Weeks 5–8: Strength Progression

This phase gets more OCR-specific. You increase load, add grip variation, and do more work while fatigued:

• Add weight to carries
• Increase dead-hang time
• Move from assisted pull-ups toward regular pull-ups
• Add towel work

Workout A: Pulling Strength + Grip

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Pull-Up	4	6
Towel Row	3	10
Dumbbell Row	2	10
Dips	3	As many as you can
Towel Dead Hang	4	15 seconds
Farmer’s Carry	4	20 meters

Workout B: Lower Body + Climbing Power

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	4	6
Romanian Deadlift	3	6
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	8
Step-Up	2	8
Sled Push	5	20 meters
Pallof Press	2	12

Workout C: Full Body + Carries

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Trap Bar Deadlift	4	3
Push Press	3	6
Kettlebell Clean	3	5
Sandbag Carry	4	50 meters
Suitcase Carry	3	30 meters
Bear Crawl	3	20 meters

Workout D: Fatigue Circuit

This is a circuit workout. The goal is to learn how to grip, climb, crawl, and carry while tired.

• Move as quickly as you can between exercises.
• Complete 4 rounds (week 5) at controlled intensity.
• Rest 90 seconds between rounds.

Exercise	Reps
Running	400 meters
Pull-Up	5
Push-Up	10
Goblet Squat	15
Bear Crawl	20 meters
Farmer’s Carry	40 meters
Burpee	10
Monkey Bar	8

Weeks 9–11: Race Prep

In this phase, your strength work is heavy enough to maintain power, but with more focus on obstacle performance under fatigue.

Workout A: Pull + Grip Endurance

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Pull-Up	4	As many as you can
Rope Climb	4	4.5 meters / 15 feet
Superset: Ring Row + Push-Up	3	12 + 12
Dead Hang	As many as it takes	3 minutes total
Farmer’s Carry	4	50 meters
Hollow Hold	3	20 seconds

Workout B: Lower Body + Incline Running

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	4	5
Romanian Deadlift	3	6
Walking Lunge	3	10
Step-Up	2	10
Running	6	30 seconds
Copenhagen Plank	2	30 seconds

Workout C: Loaded Carry

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Sandbag Carry	5	50 meters
Farmer’s Carry	5	25 meters
Suitcase Carry	4	30 meters
Bear Crawl	4	20 meters
Sled Pull	4	20 meters

Workout D: Race Simulation

This is a circuit workout. Repeat it for ~45 minutes total.

Exercise	Reps
Running	800 meters
Pull-Up	5
Sandbag Carry	50 meters
Burpee	10
Rope Climb	4.5 meters
Box Jump	4
Monkey Bar	8
Bear Crawl	20 meters

Week 12: Taper / Deload

In the final week before the event, you focus on recovery while keeping your body ready.

Don’t try to get stronger now. The work’s already done.

Complement with an easy run or two.

Workout A: Full Body

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	10
Pull-Up	3	6
Push-Up	3	12
Farmer’s Carry	2	30 meters
Pallof Press	2	12

Workout B: OCR Circuit

This is a circuit workout. Do 2–3 rounds, and don’t go all-out.

Exercise	Reps
Easy Running	400 meters
Pull-Up	8
Push-Up	12
Goblet Squat	15
Sandbag Carry	30 meters
Bear Crawl	20 meters

Progression

For squats and deadlifts, percentage-based progression is clearly outlined in the app. StrengthLog does all the calculations for you.

For other strength exercises, if you complete all sets of an exercise with good form:

• Increase upper-body lifts by 2.5–5%
• Increase lower-body lifts by 5–10%

OR:

• Add 1 rep per set before increasing weight.

Rest Times

Rest 60–120 seconds between sets (recommendations, not set in stone) on regular strength exercises.

Longer rest is fine if you want, but you want at least a minute to recover and perform your best.

OCR Strength Training Plan: 3-Day Version

Let’s say you’re a busy bee and don’t have time to hit the weights 4 times per week. Can you still follow the OCR training plan?

Sure. You can follow the workouts to a T, but with a rotating split. Like this:

• Week 1: You train workouts A, B, and C.
• Week 2: You pick up where you left off and train workouts D, A, and B.
• Week 3: You continue with workouts C, D, and A.

And so on.

The frequency is a bit lower, but you still train the important movement patterns often enough for it to work.

Running Training Plan Suggestion

This is a strength training plan for OCR, but running makes up about 80–90% of a race. If your cardio is lacking, you’re going to have a bad time.

In other words, you’re going to have to do some running in addition to the lifting.

The program includes hill sprints and 2–4-minute runs as part of strength circuits, but you also want to be able to handle longer distances, assuming your OCR is 5k or longer.

Here are some tips on how you can plan your running training (feel free to handle this part on your own if you want and can).

I’m going to assume you can already jog or run at a comfortable pace for a few kilometers.

For a fun OCR 5–15k after 12 weeks, I’d make the running plan simple: 3 runs per week. You want to manage your running volume so that it doesn’t wreck your strength/obstacle training, or vice versa.

I’d suggest you train three running qualities.

• First, build an easy aerobic base so your event distance feels routine.
• Second, add some controlled faster running so you can do the full distance a little faster than your training pace come race day.
• Third, practice “broken running,” because OCR isn’t a normal road race. You’ll run, stop, climb, carry, crawl, then run again.

If you run thrice weekly, here’s how I would plan it for a 10k OCR (if your OCR is shorter or longer, adjust accordingly).

Run 1: Easy Run

This is your relaxed run. You should be able to speak without gasping for air.

Start around 30–40 minutes (jogging is fine) and build toward 45–60 minutes.

Run 2: Quality Run

Here, you alternate between intervals, hills, and tempo work.

It could be something like 2 minutes of jogging followed by 1 minute of faster running, with some hill sprints thrown in if you’re running outside.

Run 3: Long-ish Trail/Easy Run

This is where you build confidence that you’ll last the full distance.

Ideally, run on trails, grass, gravel, or rolling terrain. Build up the distance week by week until you can comfortably cover 8–11 km (5–7 miles). If the race is 10k, you don’t need to run half-marathons.

Don’t worry about your pace. Your goal here is to finish feeling like you could have done a little more.

You can run on any day of the week, even on your strength days, before or after your weight session. And starting with 2 days of running, building up to 3, is fine.

For building maximum muscle or strength, I usually recommend separating cardio and strength work, but OCR training is different. You need to practice running when your legs are already smoked if you want to be able to perform your best on event day.

When it comes to intensity, 80% of your running should feel easy. Don’t go too hard too often. You’ll just get sore, slow to recover, and more likely to get shin/calf/Achilles issues.

If you haven’t done much serious running before (or at least not in the last few years), your pace might feel almost embarrassingly slow at first. And that’s fine.

The Last Few Weeks

If you have your OCR planned for the weekend of week 12 or for week 13 (since this OCR training plan is 12 weeks long), weeks 11 and 12 will be your taper weeks for your running.

When you get to that point, reduce your training volume, but keep some speed work.

About 10 days before the race, do your last hard session. During race week, if the actual event happens during the weekend, do only a few easy runs.

You want to arrive at the event fresh, not “extra trained” (which usually means extra tired).

Follow the OCR Training Plan in StrengthLog

What’s the best way to follow this program?

With StrengthLog, our workout log app. It’s one of our many sport-specific training programs.

You get the entire program at your fingertips, with all workouts ready to go. The app makes it super easy to keep track of your weights and reps and make sure you’re on the right path.

Download it and start tracking your progress today!

StrengthLog is free, but for our more advanced premium programs, like this one, you’ll need a subscription to follow it in-app.

We offer a 14-day free trial (no strings attached and no funny business) that you can activate in the app, so you can check it out before making a decision.

Final Rep

Stick a fork in me – I’m done. You’ve reached the end of this article, but your OCR training plan is just about to start.

Fire up the StrengthLog app, track your lifts, take it one week at a time, and when race day rolls around, you won’t have to settle for surviving the mud. You’ll own it.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your training.

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Last reviewed: 2026-06-24