If you’ve ever seen any of the exhilarating and awe-inspiring obstacle course training shows on TV like American Ninja Warrior or Ultimate Beastmaster, you’ve probably had the same thought we all did the first time we saw it, “I wonder if I could do that”. You aren’t alone, anyone who has taken up ninja training as a hobby knows that feeling of uncertainty well, and most of them will probably tell you the same thing in response, “Yes, you can”. 

The second thing they will most likely tell you is “but it won’t be easy”. And they wouldn’t be wrong. Ninja warrior training and obstacle course training is a test of willpower, and determination. With every obstacle comes a group of muscles that can take hours and hours of training before you can master it, but the feeling that comes along with beating an obstacle for the first time is worth every drop of sweat. If that sounds exhausting, don’t worry, the chances are you will barely notice how much work you are putting in, because you’ll be having fun. After all, this isn’t a weight bench or a treadmill we’re talking about, this is the kind of training that you wake up in the morning looking forward to. 

Within the next few blog posts, we’re going to be taking a look at how to prepare yourself for and how to begin training for Ninja Warrior or any other obstacle course race. We’ll take a look at which muscle groups you need to strengthen for the best results, and where to start. But before we get started with any of that, we want to stress that you should only begin obstacle course training if you are healthy enough to do so. If you have any kind of heart condition, physical disability, are pregnant, or dealing with any major health issues, please consult your doctor before attempting any kind of ninja warrior training. 

Now that we have that out of the way, we can get into the first steps towards becoming a ninja warrior, and luckily for you, these are two steps that we very much have covered. The first two things you will need for your ninja training are a coach, and an obstacle course training gym. Not only will a coach help you stay motivated, but they will know the techniques you need to complete each obstacle. Training with a coach ensures that your time and efforts are going in the right direction towards your goals, and to spot any habits that may lead to future injury. As far as the need for an indoor obstacle course goes, it should be pretty obvious. If you want to learn how to run obstacle courses, you need obstacles! If you live near or find yourself in the Fenton Michigan area, stop in to Tri County Ninja to use our extensive obstacle course training gym, consult with our staff of talented and skilled coaches, or participate in one of our many guided fitness classes. No matter your skill or training level, we have been there, and we are here to show you how fun it can be to face new challenges and improve yourself. 

Check back soon for our next blog post, where we will discuss which muscle groups to start training, and which obstacles are best to start with. 

People have a tendency to think that working out has to be a grueling process. No pain, no gain, as they say. When most of us think of exercise we imagine a treadmill, a weight bench, a dumbbell, or maybe an elliptical bicycle. Don’t get us wrong, these are all great ways of exercising and conditioning your muscles, but when you’re running in place, there’s no finish line. Standard gym equipment is based on repetitive movement while most of your body remains stationary, usually isolating muscle use to a specific group of muscles. Along with this, the human mind is trained to expect a certain degree of travel when using certain muscle groups, this can lead to headaches and dizziness experienced at the gym. There has long been a response to this issue, and one that is loved the world over by billions: sports. 

Sports, whether team driven or challenge driven, make the body adapt and react to external influences. No two games are the same, and competition against others and yourself can be a huge motivator to continue. This isn’t news to any athlete or sports fan, sports are adored all over the world, from soccer to cricket, but one sport in particular is being brought up more and more often in conversation as a true test of skill and meddle. Whether you’ve participated in an obstacle course like Warrior Dash or Tough Mudder, or you’ve seen the spectacular displays of strength and agility on Ninja Warrior, it can no longer be denied that Obstacle Course Training is one of the best ways to train your body, improve your health, and prove your spirit. 

So why is it that Obstacle Course Training and Ninja Warrior Training is rising so quickly in the fitness world? As avid lovers of the sport ourselves, we think we can see a few of the reasons. One of them is motivation. While many sports are built around a point system where you are competing against another person or team over a predetermined time constraint, Obstacle Course Training has a set finish line. Just like in sprinting or marathon running, the finish line allows you to compete against others or yourself, and whether you are competing to beat someone else’s time, or your own, any obstacle course runner can tell you that the sweet rush of crossing that finish line or completing an obstacle for the first time can’t be beat.

Unlike sprinting or marathon running, ninja warrior training courses are varied, and the skills and muscles required to continue changes from obstacle to obstacle. While varied movement like this is absolutely amazing for muscle building, agility training, core strengthening, cardio, and so much more, we think there is one clear advantage that stands out above the rest; ninja warrior training is undeniably fun. 

How could you not have fun on these obstacles? Yes, they can be very difficult, and yes, you will have to work at it to win, but who hasn’t watched shows like American Ninja Warrior and thought “I want to try that.” An indoor obstacle course or ninja training course is a lot like a standard gym, but a gym that has challenges instead of repetitive equipment, a gym where you can “beat” every machine, where you can set score times and compete against yourself or others, a gym you daydream about when you aren’t there, a gym not about pain, but about fun. 

You know it looks fun, you know it looks hard, but you also know that you have what it takes, and we know you do too. Our coaches are here to talk you through each challenge and help you celebrate each victory, we have challenges and training for all age groups, and all levels of physical ability, so what are you waiting for? Visit Tri County Ninja in Fenton, Michigan, and see the difference yourself. We can’t wait to see you cross that finish line. 

Families train like ‘warriors’ at Fenton gym

“FENTON, Mich. – Landen Dubry, 8, is a force to be reckoned with. He trains and competes doing exercises modeled after the American Ninja Warriors series.

Landen is one of more than a dozen kids who are on the competition team at Tri County Ninja in Fenton. The experience is about “having fun,” he said.

Mitchell Hamann, head coach of Tri County Ninja said that is a big part of getting families and kids interested.

“The kids that come in here, they’re not focused on getting exercise. They’re focused on having fun,” he explained.”

To read the full article, please click the link below.

In nature, when salmon make their way into a commercial hatchery to breed, they swim upstream, and leap over a series of gates to get to their destination. Today, we’re going to be taking an up close look at one of the most common obstacle course training obstacles, and one that borrows its name from the fish that swim against the current, and leap over gates. Let’s break down the best way to master the Salmon Ladder.

For those that have not yet visited our Fenton, Michigan location and have not yet seen the Salmon Ladder in person, a Salmon Ladder is pull up bar that rests on a vertical series of rungs. Much like the salmon swimming upstream, the athlete must pull themselves up on the pull up bar, while simultaneously moving the pull up bar up to the next set of rungs. The result is an impressive feat of upper body strength and coordination.

The key to mastering the Salmon Ladder is to practice both explosive leaping pull-ups, or alternatively, using a swinging technique with your legs and hips. We’ll take a closer look at each method, and the most efficient way to practice for this common Ninja Warrior obstacle.

1. The method that season 7 Ninja Warrior competitor JJ Woods finds easiest, and what seems to be the most common method of defeating the Salmon Ladder is the explosive pull up. By exploding your body upwards with each pull up, extending your arms and carrying your body weight with your knees, you can reach a small moment of zero gravity at the apex of the pull-up. During this time, snap the bar upwards, aiming for the base of the pegs above the next pegs to give yourself room for error. When done properly, it may look like you are doing ‘The Worm’ vertically.

2. An alternative way to approach the Salmon Ladder is by holding onto the bar with your arms wider than shoulder level, and swinging your legs and hips upwards to create upward momentum throughout your body, using this momentum, you snap the bar up to next set of rungs just as you would during the zero gravity moment of the first method. The main difference between the two methods is how you achieve the moment of zero gravity. The first method relies on your upper body strength, while the second relies more on core strength and hip momentum.

To practice for the Salmon Ladder, we recommend mastering pull-ups, and then training to do explosive pull-ups to achieve the moment of zero gravity necessary to snap the bar up to the next set of rungs. It helps to bend your arms slightly, rather than extending them fully, this way you don’t have to pull yourself all the way up with each explosive pull-up.

Come back soon for more Tri County Ninja news and a closer look at some of our most difficult obstacles. For more information, look here on our website or reach us by phone!

Earlier last week, Tri County Ninja was featured on NBC25 News for hosting our Spring Break Ninja Camp! The full report is as follows:

“GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – The next generation of American ninja warriors might come from Genesee County.

This week kids ages 6 and up are hitting the obstacle course at Tri County Ninja for Spring Break Ninja Camp.

The kiddos are trying to conquer the obstacle course one section at a time.

“Most people don’t run up walls in their spare time or swing around and do things so we try to give them just basic skills so when we do open it up for open gym later on in the day they actually have a basic understanding of how to do it and they don’t get intimidated “by some of the obstacles and they’ve practiced it with supervision,” said Tri County Ninja Owner Ed McNulty.

If you’re looking for a way to get the kids out of the house, camp runs through Thursday, March 28 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

One day is $35. The whole week is $125.”

To read the report on the NBC25 News website and view the image gallery included with the report, click the link below.