The bear walkor bear crawl, or bear plank, just as its name is one of gymnastic exercises more fun to do while exercising. It is no coincidence that the movements to be performed during the bear plank are reminiscent of the deeds of a bear moving in the woods: yes, but to be exact, what is this bizarre exercise for? Its benefits are very serious and concern the well-being of the back, as it strengthens the muscles, which are essential even if only to maintain an upright position. Not only that: the bear walk also gives a big hand to the improvement of agility and motor coordination.
The bear walk in crossfit
Like most of the funniest physical exercises to perform in the gym or at home, it can be numbered the bear walk in crossfitthe famous training program high intensity that aims to strengthen and shape the physique. Introduce the bear walk in training fitness it doesn’t just mean moving and warming up, but making the muscle groups fundamental to the whole body work. In this regard, during the bear walk in training the muscles involved are the deltoids, the trapezius muscle, the triceps brachii, therefore also the lumbar bundles and the abdominal musclesfollowed by quadriceps, buttocks and iliopsoas: it can be deduced that, from the upper, central and lower part of the body, the activation is total, since to perform the exercise all the strength of the shoulders and legs is needed, especially of the so-called core, i.e. the median part of the body.
How to do the bear walk
Now is the time to get down to business: how do you do the bear walk? Well, replicating the movements of a bear, of course: first of all, the starting position is with the knees and the palms of the hands on the ground, in the bear plank the position of the feet remains flexed, with the fingers touching the floor: from here the pelvis is lifted, then the left knee (which must not touch the floor) and the right arm move forward in unison, then the gesture is repeated in reverse, with right knee and left arm: if there is space in front, for example while standing train outdoors, you can proceed with the bear crawl by “crawling” in a frontal direction, otherwise you can take a few steps forward and then backwards. The correct position to perform and make the bear walk effective involves bent knees, so as to allow the torso to remain parallel to the ground, and arms in line with the shoulders, so that they can give stability like a barbell.
The dumbbell bear walk
Between varianti del bear plank there is that known as the bear walk with dumbbells: what is it about? Compared to bear plank normalethe support on the ground with the hands takes place on gods dumbbells, which also serve as a load when lifting the arms. It is a version suitable for those who are already moderately trained and would like to know how to improve the plank.
Breathing in the plank
It always seems superfluous to mention it, yet the plank breathingas well as in all exercises to trainis essential: when you reach the correct position, fully extended with your arms and legs, you need to inhale through your nose. At this moment you should feel all the muscles of the body in activity, especially those of the shoulders, back, abdomen, buttocks and legs involved in the famous bear walk.
Bear plank: benefits and contraindications
It remains essential to also mention the bear plank with the benefits and contraindications towards the contributing organism. Among the positive aspects, linked to practicing the bear walk, there is the intense work to which the central area of the body (core) is subjected which takes place without too much effort: an area usually difficult to train, thanks to the concerted movements of the legs and arms, he will suffer less fatigue to the full advantage of oblique absbuttocks, paraspinal muscles and hips pelvic floor.
About the back muscles, focus of the bear crawl, with the continuous practice of the exercise they can strengthen themselves by improving the posture and preventing nagging back pain. Although the bear plank is an exercise for everyone, which allows you to vary the intensity, movement and loads, at the beginning you could get stuck with the alternation of arms and legs to raise: just the persistence of the practice will allow you to acquire a coordination increasingly loose, globally.
Chapter plank and benefits: after how long it takes effect? If you work assuming the correct positions, the action of the exercise is immediate, you realize this if during the plank muscle tremor is felt. On the other hand, regarding the contraindications of the bear plank, it could be an exercise that is not very suitable for those suffering from pain in the joints, especially those of the wrists and knees, that is, the support points in the bear walk. Even those who experience discomfort in the lumbar area, or have reduced mobility, should avoid practicing the bear plank.