Skip to content
>> MEMORIAL DAY SALE <<
SAVE 25%. USE CODE: MDW25
ENDS MAY 31 AT 11:59PM
2023/06/01 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
  • Mudder Passes
    • Season Passes
  • Group Packages
  • Programs
    • Innovation Lab
    • Volunteer & Run Free
    • Adaptive Athlete Program
    • Train With Us
    • Become an Ambassador
    • Discounts
  • Mudder Legion Rewards
  • Shop Gear
    • Shop All
    • Men’s
    • Women’s
    • Headwear
    • Accessories
    • Sale
  • Photos and Results
    • Photos
    • Endurance Results
  • Learn More
    • Podcast
    • Blog
    • Share Your Story
    • FAQ
    • Get In Touch
Fitness

TMHQ Obstacle Insights: Top 5 Tips for Surmounting Pyramid Scheme

Author: Tough Mudder April 10, 2017
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

You’re running. Maybe it’s mile seven. You see Mudders climbing on top of and over each other  as you approach what looks like Everest turned inside-out. Mud is splattered everywhere, and people are slipping and gripping each other trying to get to the top. It looks like a pile of giant ants.

This is Pyramid Scheme, one of our new 2014 obstacles, where your teammates and other Mudders are the most important asset you’ve got. Like the unsustainable business model it was named after, you’re going to have to take advantage of those around you to succeed.

With that in mind, here are our top five tips to conquer Tough Mudder’s Pyramid Scheme:

Don’t be shy

Let’s not mince words here: you will be touching people – more so than with other obstacles. You’ll be climbing them, grabbing them (appropriately, of course) and generally interacting with your fellow Mudders in ways you’d normally never do with a stranger. Just make your peace with it now. We’d actually argue that this is one of the most team-centric obstacles out there, and Mudders like this one because it’s so primal and raw. However, remember to grab but not grope. No one likes a creeper.

Form a solid base

The same rule that applies to drinking applies to Pyramid Scheme: you’d better prepare a good, solid base before you start. You want your biggest, strongest teammates standing at the bottom; they need shoulders that can take the weight of two or more people. Then you want a person standing on top of them, pulling people up. Think of the base as the first rung of a ladder and the second person as the step on the top of the ladder. Use one really strong person or two people standing shoulder to shoulder so the next person up can stand on one of each of their shoulders.

Get creative

Whether you form a human chain, a human tower or a human pyramid, your Pyramid Scheme-conquering method is up to you and your teammates. One thing that’s not up for discussion: when you get to the top, help another Mudder if you see one who needs a pull up. What will your Pyramid Scheme strategy be? Plan ahead and start thinking about who on your team should be the base and who will climb up first. (Fun fact: Pyramid Scheme’s original name was Human Pyramid.)

Get a grip

Like overcoming Everest, this obstacle is just as much about Mudders pulling you up as it is about you using your own strength to get up and over. Make eye contact with the person or people whose hands you’re reaching for. A good solid grip under the armpits also works. And unlike Everest, you have the added advantage of being able to push off the shoulders of the person you’re standing on. Lucky for you, not so lucky for them. But hey, that’s what they signed up for. You’ll buy them a beer later.  

Don’t be a hero

If there’s one obstacle that screams “there’s no ‘I’ in Mudder,” it’s Pyramid Scheme. Of course you could try to run up it and claw your way to the top on your own. But that’s exactly what you’d be doing – clawing your way to the top – and there’s no glory in that. On the contrary, this obstacle is about bringing you and your team together. Some of your most memorable Mudder memories are bound to happen at Pyramid Scheme.

The bottom line: Pyramid Scheme is the ultimate team-building obstacle that requires as much strength as it does strategy. Get the whole team up it, and you’ve got a bar story that’ll never get old.


You might like

  • stocking stuffer ideas
    Featured

    Tough Mudder Stocking Stuffers

  • group jump into obstacle summer
    Explore

    4 Ways To Get Outside This Summer

  • worlds toughest mudder 24 hour men running
    News

    Tough Mudder to Host First-Ever 24-Hour OCR World Championships

  • Where to Get Shoes for Tough Mudder
    Gear

    Where to Get Shoes for Tough Mudder

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 Ambassador
      • 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
    • Germany

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