The Horizontal Wall Traverse is a mainstay at Spartan Races of all distances. It uses upper body, lower body, and core strength with a good dose of coordination to cross and tap the bell at the end without doing burpees. My first time doing the traverse left me a bit confused because of how simple it looked but my inability to stay on. I did some thinking on what I had done wrong and came up with a few pointers that should help most people cross the wall with success. I’d also like to note that since my first wall traverse I haven’t fallen off once.
1. Always maintain 3 points of contact – Wether it is two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand, this should be considered more of a requirement and less of a suggestion or tip. With the two hands you should be able to transition your feet while only supporting your weight with your upper body for a short while; and the same concept goes when making it two feet. Here is a gif of how I usually go about it:
2. Get Flat – Imagine you are flat on your stomach and you need to get as flat as possible. You will want to open your legs into a slight V shape and point your feet outwards so that your arches are flat to the ground. And the obvious part with your hands is to spread your arm and put your palms facing down.
3. Make sure your hands are ready – You should count your hands as your main safety from falling. The most feeling your have is in your hands since your feet are covered in shoes and well, they aren’t your hands. Also the feet holds will be covered in mud some what and so will your shoes. This can make for a problem if you think they will keep you stuck to the wall without your hands.
4. Jog away with a smile and no burpees.
[spartanobstacle]