Training - 10-100 with Spartan spear and grenade toss

With the CO Spartan Military Sprint just a few short weeks away, we are trying to get ramped up and ready. 2 of the trickier obstacles last year were the grenade toss and the spear throw. Either (or both) of these can easily cost you 30 burpees, so practice while you can!

We've developed an easy to use race training regimen we call the 10-100. This essentially works out to running 2.5 miles (10 1/4 mile laps) and doing 100 burpees. Then you can mix in an obstacle you'd like to practice. We chose both the grenade toss and the spear throw for our latest session.



Here's how it shakes out:

Run one lap. This first one we took pretty easy, as more of a warm-up run.

Toss the grenade (or spear). Sprint to recover the object and bring it back to the line for the next guy.

Throw the spear (or grenade). Sprint and return.

Do 10 burpees.

Repeat 9 more times. For a total of 10 laps and 100 burpees.

Such form!

For targets, since we didn't have a hay bale or a 55 gallon drum to haul around, we used a fleece jacket for the grenade and just aimed between 2 lines on the field, that were graciously chalked out when we got there, for the spear.
The jacket helped deaden the bounce of the grenade, if you overshot it, you had a decent sprint penalty ahead of you.

Kellan demonstrates how not to throw a spear.

The exercise is more about feel and form, through repetition, and testing your throwing under stress, rather than a full simulation of battlefield conditions.

Kellan lapped me on the 8th round, to finish first at 32 minutes and change (he didn't pay attention to the second hand).
I came in at 38:30
Billy couldn't remember his time, so we'll call it an even 2 hours. (OK, he finished somewhere around 35:00).

Billy takes aim with the 'nade.

Grenade used was an inert M10 with the spoon and "fuse" removed. Found at most Army Surplus stores for around $7 or so. Spear was a shovel handle with a 10 penny nail driven in the end and ground to a dull point. Here's a link to our DIY version: Spartan spear for about $10.