Selecting the right obstacles for a backyard ninja warrior course.

It is likely that you have watched a ninja warrior competition and thought how much you would want to do that at home. More and more people are making their backyards into spaces that they can train. It is very efficient to have a setup in your backyard as you are able to train on your own time. You can also work on specific skills and even get the whole family to join in.

However, building a backyard ninja course is not as simple as picking up a few obstacles and placing them on the grass. You have to consider space, skill levels, safety, and how everything works together. Choose the wrong pieces and you could end up with a setup that is too easy to not enjoy using, or too difficult to keep you from being challenged. Let me help you figure out how to select obstacles to build a course that you want to use.

Start with your space and your goals

Before you get to any of the obstacle ideas, consider your yard first. How much space do you actually have? You have to think about how big your yard is and how much of it you think you could cover.

For smaller yards, concentrate on building obstacles which are vertical. Climbing walls, salmon ladders, and peg boards are obstacles that workout your entire yard. If you have a yard with a big, long grass area, think of building long (and big) obstacles like traverse walls, cargo nets, and warped walls.

Also think about who is going to use the course. Are you building it just for yourself? Or do you have kids who want to play on it too? Many obstacles can cater for younger children or you could design it for it to evolve with older children. It’s clearer to have goals which helps you selecting obstacles that of your needs instead of just grabbing whatever looks cool.

Include a variety of obstacles

It is important for ninja courses to remain exciting and interesting by testing a large number of skills. With a large number of skills integrated into them you can avoid having obstacles that solely rely on a single skill like upper body strength or just one form or body movement like balance. This keeps the obstacles from being repetitive and boring.

Some other great ideas for your ninja obstacle course are hanging rings or a cliffhanger for gripping obstacles; balance beams or floating steps for balance challenges; and jumping platforms or miniature warp walls for challenges that develop and test explosive power. Mixing it all up is a full body workout and keeps the training interesting. You can switch up the obstacles and always have something new to practice.

If you are building a course for younger audiences or children make sure that some obstacles can be completed with less stress than others. For children, obstacles with lower overall heights and wider grips are a large difference in terms of being approachable. It is a fine line between frustration and challenge, and if children are able to make noticeable progress, they will want to return to the course.

Consider adjustability

Choosing easily adjustable obstacles in your backyard ninja course is one of the most practical decisions you can make. As your strength and skills build, some obstacles may become easier. Fixed obstacles that are designed to remain the same will be quickly outgrown by your abilities.

Choose adjustable obstacles to best manage your growing skill level. Some rock climbing holds can be changed to create routes of various difficulties. And some horizontal bars can be configured in different positions to increase the challenge. Adjustable rings, for example, can be set to create more work.

If you have kids, these same principles will apply. Set things easier for them now, and then make it harder as they get stronger. Your investment will last for more than one growing season. You will get the most out your course by being able to continue growing and improving.

Prioritize quality and safety

I can’t emphasize this enough. When constructing something for people to swing, jump, and climb on, it should be rock solid. Cutting corners here is not an option.

Look for long-lasting materials. If your course is outside, it needs to be weatherproof. Frames should be rust-proof. Grips should be secure and durable. Elements that are wooden should be treated to avoid warping and rotting. You should be able to put your weight on something and feel that it is solid.

What about the ground under your obstacles? If someone falls from even a small height, grass won’t be enough. Consider using rubber mats, wood chips, or other layers of material to create a soft landing. Investing a bit more in safety goes a long way. You want to be able to train hard without the risk of injury.

Think about customization for your unique space

Every backyard is different. Sometimes the online obstacles are designed for standard spaces, and they might not fit your yard. That’s where customization is useful.

Working with a supplier who offers design alterations is invaluable if you have unique space requirements or a specific theme in mind. For example, you might need a warped wall that avoids a tree obstruction. Or a set of monkey bars that goes with two other pieces of equipment. Custom design features will maximize available space without the need to retrofit or eliminate obstacles.

Good vendors understand what you need and how to best claim the space. They can move you toward helpful solutions tailored to your backyard and your ability. That input is invaluable.

Plan for future expansion

It’s understandable that you might want to do everything at once when building a backyard ninja course. Starting small and building out the course over time is also a valid approach, and may give you the time to work out the best plan.

Consider your setup as something you can advance. Start with a few fundamental obstacles that can provide good variety. Maybe a climbing wall, a set of rings, and a balance element. Once you adapt to those, you can complement with more items. A salmon ladder here, a peg board there. Before you know it, you have a full course that you constructed piece by piece.

This method also helps with the cost. You do not need to spend a huge amount of dollars all at once. You can spend money over time and deal with the financial burden gradually. Plus, later adding new obstacles keeps the course feeling new and gives you new goals to anticipate.

Putting it all together

Building a ninja course in your backyard is one of those things that makes sense every time you go outside. Training is more enjoyable when you know you have your own personal training facility to do whatever you want, and to whatever workouts you want. You also get to see your skills development over the course of time.

Your specific yard ninja course will stand out if you do not hesitate to personalize your own yard, mix out your own skills, look for obstacles that will fit your space, challenge you, and adjust to your own yard. Safety should always come before anything else. A home ninja course can be made for just you, for kids or for the whole family. The obstacles you select will determine that home ninja course will be made for just you.

Building the course will take many hours for you to spend. Make sure that the course will take the hours out of your day to make sure that the course will be the parts you will be the best parts.