Programming bridge wall walks for an iron girder of a back!

Guys!

I've been practicing a couple of these Bridge Wall Walks recently, to be honest i found them hard - after doing one I gassed a bit (that was embarrassing, had make sure no one was watching :wink: ) I can go all the way down to the bottom of the wall but can't quite place my hands on the floor yet infront of the wall. I don't think my technique is quite textbook material haha....My shoulders are not quite there flexibility wise.

would be great for someone with good technique to publish how they should look - any offers? Mr Zrike?

Can someone please tell me reps and how i should program them in? I'm not doing the WOD's just yet as i don't think i'm strong enough for them. Can i do them twice a week? How many sets and reps?

To be honest talking about sets and reps - i did 3 on sunday and was begging for mercy!

And don't be winding me up saying that I could have seen them at the seminars in Mallorca because i'm not going :cry:

It seems this has been coming up lately.

Remember that SCALING is always in effect, that includes the bridge wall walks.

I'm on the conservative side of the spectrum, largely because i've seen people wreck themselves being too aggressive with backbends. In truth backbends are one of the ultimate full body exercises, and they work everything in the direction we normally don't want to go in modern life, backwards, or more correctly into extension.

I don't want to attempt to give a tutorial on how to get an open backbend, i can tell you i worked VERY hard at it, and am reasonably satisfied. I used to do a lot of very deep backbends, but as i get older, i've backed off quite a bit. Oddly enough my technique has improved and continues to at 47 years old.

I am considering trying to make some 'Slizzardman' style clips on backbending, lumbar care, and shoulder opening to help folks like you out. Assuming there is interest.

In the mean time, remember, scaling, work on the basics first, get a decent backbend on the floor, open shoulders, and hips that will extend. Don't think you have to get all the way down the wall, feel out the movement, find your sticking points, and don't jump over them on the way down.

I'll be vocal about my interest here. I couldn't do a back bridge to save my life.

Mr Brady said:

.....I am considering trying to make some 'Slizzardman' style clips on backbending, lumbar care, and shoulder opening to help folks like you out. Assuming there is interest.

This would be valuable, thanks for offering.

With the wall walks I've found that I can only do them in sets of 3 before I "gas out". I can get all the way down to the floor but I know my shoulders aren't all the way open so I have to compensate. It's one of those movements that calls into use totally underused muscle groups. As such, I try as much as possible to work the pull back out, taking my hands off the wall as soon as I can when coming back to vertical.

This is one of my weakest areas so i'd also be interested in videos Mr Brady

I'm one of those that have been putting a few bridge wall walks into my warmup.

I don't attempt to get to the floor, because I can't do so comfortably. I only lower as far as I am stable and comfortable, and even in the 4 or so weeks I've been doing it I'm seeing progress. As Mr Brady said, it's just like every other movement; patient consistency will see results.

Ditto to the vids; is often hard to visualise what we're all talking about.

Imo, it's ok to just work walking down the wall in a bridge and skipping the up part. Of course, I want both and I want them with straight arms but many beginners bend their arms; sometimes so much they can barely walk down as their head nearly hits the wall.

In one of my youtube videos on bridging, there is a poorly shot rendition of a bridge wall walk.

STRAIGHT ARMS!!??? :shock: ohhh dear....I think i need to change my pants :wink:

Right I'm going to have a go at these, but it's not going to be pretty......best I make sure I have an ambulance ready to pick me up straight away.

Mr Brady that would be awesome if you could film that from a side profile 'SlizzardStyle', covering all the things you mentioned - lumbar care etc.

Yeah, I agree a video about lumbar conditioning would be great.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Tygrus#p/u/23/Sj-wtflDZ_0

I made this a long time ago, it needs better camera work though on the angles and full view (it cuts out about half of the bridge wall walk).

What Mr Brady says about scaling is GOOD ADVICE. Doesn't matter if all you can do is one or two steps, it will come. Practice them, do them often, but don't push too hard and you'll get them. And another good tip, arms go down first, THEN head follows. If the arms start to stay behind and you just bend your head more to the back, you've gone too far.

That is a common problem with most people doing backbends, Christian. All too often they lead with the head, which means their head is sticking out.

I prefer to lead with the fingers, look to the wrists, chin, chest, belly, hips.

Blairbob said:

Imo, it's ok to just work walking down the wall in a bridge and skipping the up part. Of course, I want both and I want them with straight arms but many beginners bend their arms; sometimes so much they can barely walk down as their head nearly hits the wall.

How about straight legs? I've been getting some pretty gnarly lower back pain doing my bridge wall walks lately because I've been focussing so hard on keeping my feet planted but I'm not sure if I should really be keeping my legs straight.

I know a perfect bridge is going to have fully extended arms and legs but I'm using the wall walk as a preparatory element for back limbers. AFAIK those involve bent legs, but I just wanted to clarify with everyone what the correct form should be.

The legs will bend as you walk down, they should be straight as you reach back for the bar and the the first step(s) down. 

However you do want to remain strong in the legs.