Crawling back to the foundations of human movement.

By Rob Williams
Photography by Ian Sheh

In my two decades of professional training fitness has come full-circle. The focus on muscle isolation with exercise equipment has come and gone, returning us to an emphasis on functional patterns with free weights and bodyweight resistance, training movement rather than specific muscles.

I always approach the body as an integrated unit functioning together from end to end, rather than as a collection of body parts. I appreciate this positive evolution within the industry and further forward the idea that long before we could walk, lift or lunge, most of us crawled.

Research has revealed the extensive benefits of crawling for human development. Crawling patterns establish core support, functional strength and full-body co-ordination. The cross-body action required also benefits brain function by strengthening communication between the two hemispheres of the brain improving the ability of your nervous system to handle multiple tasks.

Sprawl training, a crawl variation appropriate for exercisers of all ages, provides an excellent way to identify functional weaknesses in the body’s core stabilization system as well as being a killer workout.

The magic is in the ability of the exerciser to establish true inner-unit core activation for effective stability and spinal alignment as the level of difficulty is increased and ineffective if the pelvis and spine are allowed to twist or swing wildly from side to side.

Warm Up
3 sets of 10-15 reps squats, walking lunges, pushups and chin-ups, increasing the movement speed each set, from slow to medium to fast.

1. Sprawl/Crawl Position
Start sideways to a mirror on hands and knees, hands directly underneath shoulders, knees beneath hips. Align spine into its neutral curves, head in line and parallel to the floor. Shoulders, hips and knees should be at roughly 90 degree angles. Envision an X-shape on the floor connecting right hand to left foot and left hand to right foot with light tension. Slowly lift knees off the floor, supporting weight on your hands and toes, and maintaining perfect spinal, pelvic, head alignment with equal weight distribution between hands and feet.

2. Sprawl Static Lifts
Assume sprawl position. Lift one foot slightly off the floor, no movement of pelvis, spine or head. Set this foot down and lift the other foot without allowing any other part of the body to move. Once you can raise each foot, try raising a hand. Then lift opposing hand and foot at the same time keeping your pelvis, spine and head still.

3. Floor Crawl
Assume sprawl position with a flat object placed on lower back and sacrum. Crawl moving one hand and the opposite foot 3-4 inches forward at the same time while moving ahead in a straight line. Maintain neutral spinal, pelvic and head position at all times. Keep the object on your lower back from moving or tilting. After 8-10 steps forward, turn and crawl back again.

4. Two-Ball Crawl
Place two exercise balls the same size close together in front of you. Assume the sprawl position with one hand on each ball with balls far enough from your feet that you can feel moderate core tension. Maintain a completely stable spine and pelvis as you roll one ball forward by reaching ahead with one arm. Draw one ball back toward you as you extend the other away from you.

5. Sprawl Dynamic
Assume sprawl position centered over a line of tape or skipping rope. Maintain core engagement and move whole body as a unit, perform this series of movements:
Wider: move one hand and the same foot four to six inches sideways, widening your position, then return. Always initiate the movement from your center, with the limbs moving to support.
X-man: sprawl longer and wider at the same time in an X-pattern. Return.
Twist: quickly perform a 45 degree turn to the left or right. Return.
Side-Slide: quickly pop to the left or right over the line. Return.
Perform each movement independently, gradually tying them together in a rhythmic, continuous workout stopping before you lose stability.

6. Ball-to Ball-Sprawl
Assume sprawl position knees on one ball and hands on another. Maintain core engagement while slowly pushing the two balls away from each other. Keep equal extension at the hip and shoulder joints. Pause in the extended position then draw the balls back together. Gradually increase the speed of movement and the travel distance of the balls.

7. Sprawl Eccentric
Assume athletic position hips, knees and ankles flexed, arms ready in front of you and core engaged. Fall forward and absorb the fall with your arms. Keep core engaged to prevent any shifting or twisting through the spine or pelvis as you land. Quickly press yourself back to the start position and repeat. (Note: Wearing the CoreX as shown can help promote co-contraction of your core support musculature and provide end-range tethering for safety during all sprawl and crawl movements.)

Rob Williams of Williams Health Group is a kinesiologist, medical exercise specialist and posture expert in Vancouver. He is the owner of Mixx Fitness Studio and Performance Posture Clinic in Coal Harbour.

September/October 2011