The monkey bars and the rig. Two obstacles that separate the committed from the casual in obstacle course racing. While many racers will power through burpees and jump walls, these overhead hanging challenges demand a specific kind of strength: grip endurance, shoulder stability, and coordinated reach. Here’s how to train for them.
Why Monkey Bars and the Rig Matter
In any major OCR—whether Spartan, Tough Mudder, or a regional championship—you’ll encounter horizontal obstacles that require you to hang and swing. The monkey bars demand explosive hand-to-hand transitions; the rig requires slow, controlled movement across bars of varying distances and heights. Both punish grip failure. Both reward specific preparation.
Most racers approach these obstacles with a mix of hope and CrossFit experience. Some luck out. Others fall in the mud, take a penalty burpee, and wonder why their gym pull-ups didn’t translate. The answer: the rig and monkey bars aren’t just about pulling strength. They’re about grip stamina, body tension, and the ability to move confidently across an unfamiliar apparatus while fatigued.
Build Grip Endurance First
Before you swing across anything, you need hands that won’t quit. Dead hangs are the foundation. Hang from a pull-up bar with straight arms, feet off the ground, for as long as possible. Most racers can manage 30 seconds to a minute at first. The goal is 2–3 minutes of continuous hang by race day.
Aim for 3–4 sets of max-effort hangs, 2–3 times per week. Once dead hangs feel comfortable, add rotation: one hand slightly higher than the other, which mimics the offset grip you’ll use on the rig. Then try alternating hand positions—left higher, right higher, left again—without letting go.
Farmer’s carries also build grip like nothing else. Grab heavy dumbbells or kettlebells and walk. Walk for distance. Walk for time. Your forearms will scream, and that’s exactly what you want. This is grip endurance under fatigue, which is what you need when you’re already 45 minutes into a race.
Master the Monkey Bars Progression
Start by practicing explosive hand transitions on a low bar set at chest height. Swing side to side without letting both feet leave the ground. Once you’re comfortable with that momentum, try single swings: hang with both hands, let your feet come off the ground slightly, and swing to get closer to the next bar position.
When confidence builds, move to an actual monkey bar ladder. Begin with slow, controlled transitions where you grip both bars briefly before moving. Progress to faster transitions. The goal is fluidity—you want to feel like you’re moving through it, not stopping at each bar.
Training tip: install a set of monkey bars in your gym or backyard if possible. Spartan and Tough Mudder both feature versions, and practicing on the actual apparatus beats any simulation. If that’s not possible, a TRX or suspension trainer can help you practice the hand-to-hand grip pattern on a lower, safer setup.
The Rig Demands Controlled Strength
The rig is deceptively harder than monkey bars for most racers because it requires slow, controlled movement. You can’t swing across it. You have to tension your entire body, move one hand at a time, sometimes traverse bars that are further apart than your arm span, and maintain stability.
Start with assisted progressions. Hang from a bar with your feet lightly touching the ground. Walk your hands side to side, feeling the tension through your shoulders and core. Once that’s easy, remove your feet from the ground and walk your hands across a short distance—maybe 6 feet.
Next, practice the overhead carry: hold a light dumbbell or kettlebell overhead with one arm while engaging your core and shoulder stabilizers. This teaches your body the tension and balance required to maintain position on the rig.
Finally, practice on actual rig bars if available. The spacing will vary, so exposure to different widths teaches your body to adapt. Focus on controlled hand movements, not speed. Every rep should feel deliberate.
Combine Grip and Upper Body Strength
Pull-ups remain essential. Aim for 3–4 sets of 5–8 reps, 2–3 times per week. Add variety: wide-grip, narrow-grip, strict form, kipping. Once bodyweight pull-ups feel solid, add weight or resistance bands to build explosive power.
Rows (barbell and dumbbell) balance the pulling pattern and strengthen your back. Prone rows and face pulls target the rear shoulders and upper back, which stabilize your body during rig work.
Carries—whether farmer’s walks, suitcase carries, or overhead carries—build practical strength and grip endurance simultaneously. They’re unglamorous and effective.
Race-Specific Training
Two weeks before your event, add simulation work: combine grip hangs with fatigue. Do a set of burpees, then immediately hit a max dead hang. Or do a short sprint, then practice monkey bar transitions. This trains your nervous system to recruit grip strength when you’re already gassed—exactly what you’ll need on race day.
The Bottom Line
Monkey bars and the rig aren’t mysterious. They’re obstacles with specific demands: grip endurance, shoulder stability, and controlled tension. Train these qualities directly, with progression and consistency. By race day, you won’t hope you can do them. You’ll know you can, and you’ll move across them with confidence. That’s the difference between hoping and racing.