RKC News - April 2017

Crawling has been one of the most underestimated exercises until now - but not anymore. We now know that crawling has extremely positive effects on our athletic performance: It strengthens our core, it strengthens the entire body, it significantly improves our endurance and all other movement patterns. Additionally, crawling can be healing for the shoulders, hips, and knees.

Problem: What comes after crawling? How do I progress without having to increase the time? Solution: "Loaded Crawling." I "load" the movement either through weight, resistance, or by changing the surface.

The starting position of the movement remains the same when loading: The 6-point position (Baby Crawl) is assumed - palms, knees, and feet (the tops of the feet are resting) are in contact with the ground, or the 4-point position (Leopard Crawl) - palms and feet (toes are raised) are in contact with the ground, knees are lifted about 1-2 cm. The gaze is directed forward and upward, and the head is lifted. The "arched back" position is assumed, the chest is "proudly" extended (the "arched back" refers to the natural S-curve of the spine).

And this is how I load: In the directions forward, backward, sideways, in place, and around one's own axis, the simplest way is to wear a weighted vest. Another option is to use minibands on the feet and/or wrists. When crawling in place, it is advisable to create resistance with strength bands. For example, using a harness (I use the OS Infinity Strap) or simply attaching one side to the head and the other to a wall bar. Here, lateral movement against resistance also works. When crawling forward, backward, or sideways, one can also pull a sandbag, a kettlebell, or a heavy branch - here too, the object can be attached to a harness. Another way to load is by changing the surface - crawling on sand is more difficult than on grass. Crawling up and down a hill also opens up new aspects. Additionally, there is the option to consciously slow down the movement, the so-called "slow motion crawling" - crawling in slow motion. There are no limits to variation and combination.

… when you breathe through your nose during your training sessions and have your tongue on the roof of your mouth (the position is achieved after a natural swallowing motion), you connect the front and back of your body into a functioning unit and at the same time you always train at about 80%? If you have to "gasp" for air through your mouth, your body signals: "Over 80%!"