Contrary to what many people may think, CrossFit is a lot more fun than it sounds, so much so that it becomes addictive. The wall climb is one of those exercises that motivates Cross Fitters the most and which may just explain the constant desire to train.
This may seem like a simple exercise, but it involves many muscle groups. Here, we explain what the wall climb is, how to do it, and which muscles are involved.
What is the wall climb?
The wall climb, also known as the wall walk, is an exercise that consists of climbing the wall backwards. To do it, you need to stand close to a wall. Lying face down perpendicularly, place your hands on the floor and walk up the wall with your feet.
No, we haven’t lost our minds. Although CrossFit is a very demanding sport, it is also a lot of fun, as you can see. The Wall Climb often appears in the most popular CrossFit workout routines, generally because it helps to strengthen the abdominal area, back, and arms.
Also, if your weak point is arm coordination, then the Wall Climb is the solution, as it not only improves your coordination but also your agility and flexibility.
To do this exercise, you don't need much equipment: just a wall nearby, so there’s no excuse to put it off. If you have any questions, remember that you can always ask your coach for help and advice on how to avoid injury.
How to do a wall climb
Here’s how to do a wall climb step by step in order to get a back of steel:
Steps to follow:
- First, lie face down perpendicular to the wall with your hands (at chest level) flat on the floor. The feet must touch the wall you are going to use.
- Then, with your hands flat on the ground, kneel and place your feet on the wall while gathering momentum to start walking upwards. As your feet move up the wall, your hands and arms should move proportionally closer to the wall.
- Gradually raise your feet until your torso and abdomen touch the wall. When these are under pressure, start to lower them little by little.
- And then start again. This exercise requires a lot of arm strength, so if you're a beginner, don't worry; practice and you'll get the hang of it in no time!
When you do this exercise, whether at home or in the Box, remember to clear the space and surroundings in order to avoid damage if you fall.
In the following video, you can see the technique for doing a wall climb in detail:
What muscles are involved when you do a wall climb?
As we mentioned right at the beginning of this article, the wall climb is a very simple exercise that strengthens the upper body while also improving coordination and flexibility.
However, this exercise involves more muscle groups. These are the main ones:
- Upper trapezius
- Mid trapezius
- Latissimus dorsi
- Lumbars
- Front deltoids
- Rear deltoids
- Serratus
- Triceps brachii
- Brachioradialis
- Oblique abs
- Gluteus maximus
- Quads
One of the tricks to improve your wall climb technique is doing exercises that strengthen your upper body. By activating the core, you improve its strength as well as the endurance of the muscles involved in this movement (arms, back, and abdomen). For example, you can do sets of burpees, sit-ups, and even sumo deadlifts.
Remember to always exercise with extra protection to prevent injuries such as, for example, knee pads, wrist wraps, and hand grips.
There are no excuses to not train; the wall climb is the perfect option for training at home.
