Skip to content
PRICES RISE JULY 31ST
REGISTER NOW
2022/08/01 03:00:00
Tough Mudder Logo
Find An Event
  • Find an Event
  • What Is Tough Mudder
    • Tough Mudder 5K
    • Tough Mudder 10K
    • Tough Mudder 15K
    • Endurance Events
    • Kids Events
  • Obstacles
  • Group Packages
  • Programs
    • Volunteer & Run Free
    • Adaptive Athlete Program
    • Train With Us
    • Become an Ambassador
    • Discounts
  • Mudder Legion Rewards
  • Gear
  • Photos and Results
    • Photos
    • Endurance Results
  • Learn More
    • Podcast
    • Blog
    • Share Your Story
    • FAQ
    • Get In Touch
Fitness

10 Tips to Conquer the New 2017 Obstacle: Kong

Author: Jadebelzberg January 23, 2017
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

30 feet up, and nowhere to go but down. Just keep those sights set on the next ring and keep swinging – if you want to earn that headband.

This swinging-based obstacle might remind you of King Kong, and its named just so. Why? Because you’re going to have to learn how to swing like a gorilla–or, more accurately, like a chimpanzee. To begin, you’ll climb up to a platform where you’ll find yourself 30 feet off the ground and five rings away from the platform on the other side. From here, swing from rope to rope until you reach the other side. Once safely on the opposite platform, climb down. Be careful not to slip–you’ll be cushioned by a soft landing pad, but the fall will still bruise your ego. To avoid slipping, ensure you swing confidently. The rings can, at times, get muddy so be sure to wipe your hands before grabbing on.

How to train: Practice makes perfect, so now is a good time to start swinging. Head to your local playground to practice swinging from monkey bar to monkey bar, or try climbing at your local gym. Having the grip strength to hold onto the rings is an important aspect, so test your grip at the local gym by working on your dead hangs. Be sure to watch the training video at the bottom of this post.

Harder than it sounds? We asked World’s Toughest Mudders Stefanie Bishop, Ryan Atkins, and Nickademus Hollon how they completed Kong each lap:

Atkins: “Keep your arms straight and use a swinging momentum to go through. Try to use as little muscle engagement as possible.”

Bishop: “Try to keep your movement fluid when you grab onto another ring. If you have good momentum you will be able to grab each ring with both hands, which is a lot more secure than one. It helps when the rings get muddy. If you do this, keep moving or else you may get stuck hanging from a ring.”

Hollon: “I preferred the one-handed transfers to use the momentum to get from ring to ring. Don’t rush on this: just focus on back-forth-transfer.”


You might like

  • Event

    Tough Mudder Ottawa: Top 5 Things To Do

  • Explore

    Level Up Your Colorado Tough Mudder Adventure

  • News

    TOUGH MUDDER MYTHS BUSTED

  • Explore

    BTS: Inside the Winning 2021 Obstacle Design

Our Partners

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    • Connect
      • Partnership Inquiries
      • Licensing Opportunities
      • Media Requests
      • Host a Tough Mudder
      • Contact Us
    • Explore
      • Endurance Results
      • 100X Hall of Fame
      • Community Guidelines
      • Become an Ambassadors
      • FAQ
    • About
      • What is Tough Mudder?
      • TM in the News
      • Meet Our Partners
      • Join Our Team
      • Legal & Privacy Policies
    • Follow Us
    Select Region
    • US & Canada
    • United Kingdom

        Left Arrow Created with Sketch.
        Right Arrow Created with Sketch.