If you’ve ever sat down to really watch American Ninja Warrior, you probably have thought to yourself, “Man, these guys make this stuff look easy!” But in reality, even though most competitors make the courses look easy, especially the qualifier rounds, an American Ninja Warrior course is exceptionally difficult. The courses are a testament to power, stamina, and agility in the individuals who give them a shot. It takes many hours of dedication, practice, and pain to make a Ninja Warrior Course look easy. If it’s your dream, or your child’s dream, to someday take on the American Ninja Warrior course, then there are some fun sports that you can cross train with in order to get the most out of your preparation. Consider some of the following activities that many competitors are even involved in for your own workout regimen.

Rock Climbing

If you watch the sensational show American Ninja Warriors, you’re sure to know that many of the competitors are actually regular rock climbers. Rock climbing is truly the perfect activity to train just the right muscles for a Ninja Warrior Course. Rock climbing helps to strengthen both your upper body and your core. And most importantly, rock climbing greatly improves your grip. This is critical, as so many Ninja Warrior Courses have obstacles that heavily rely on you having a superior grip strength.

Short Distance Sprinting

You may wonder what running and training for running would have to do with a Ninja Warrior Course, and you may be surprised to find out that it can have a lot to do with running. Sprinting in particular helps to train the lower body muscles and improves both your agility and your overall strength. You will find that this agility can be exceptionally beneficial for many of the long leaps that you will have to make and some of the crazy jumps that are on the course.

Pole Vaulting

Much like sprinting can help your agility and strength, pole vaulting can help your core and your body awareness. There are many times on a Ninja Warrior Course that you may find yourself flying through the air in order to make it from one obstacle to another. It’s important to get the right momentum and have the right form in order to successfully finish the course. Pole vaulting can help fine tune your form and muscles so you’re in peak condition.

Gymnastics

One of the best female competitors on American Ninja Warrior was actually a college gymnast before she challenged herself to the difficult task of Ninja Warrior. Standing only 4’11”, Kacy Catanzaro is the only woman to ever complete a city finals of American Ninja Warrior. Her background in gymnastics helped her immensely and gave her the strength and technique needed to traverse many of the obstacles put in front of her. Gymnastics is a full-body workout that emphasizes upper-body strength and the core muscles. It also has strong elements of balance and power that are key on a Ninja Warrior Course.

Rowing

In order to even think about taking on a truly challenging Ninja Warrior Course, you have to work hard on your upper-body strength and your stamina. Rowing could help you do just that. If you don’t mind torturing yourself with crunches and pull-ups for your whole workout, then you’ll probably love rowing. It can build muscles that many other sports simply can’t. And if you don’t particularly want to get out in a boat, you can always just hit up the rowing machine at the gym for a bit to mix up your workout.

Tennis

Okay, tennis may seem leagues away from a Ninja Warrior Course, but hear us out. Tennis is actually rated very high in terms of the power needed to play the sport well. The more tennis you play, the more you will improve both your power and agility. And if you take nothing else away from tennis, know that tennis players grunt when they hit the tennis ball with the racket because it gives them three percent more power. So next time you need a little extra power on a Ninja Warrior Course, don’t be afraid to let out a grunt.

To get in some Ninja Warrior Course practice, come to Rebounderz of Edison! For more information about our facilities, give us a call or stop on by today!