Tutorials
Climbing
Traversing
Lesson Level : 5
Lumbar Traverse
Traversing 5
lesson
3m 27s
Video Details

The lumbar Traverse is an exercise specifically focused on strengthening the lumbar spine, which is the lower part of the back. This exercise aims to engage the core muscles, including the abdominal muscles and glutes, to provide stability to the spine and hips. Positioning is key, as practitioners effectively utilize their hands and feet against a wall or rail to initiate the movement, which involves pushing off and maintaining proper alignment throughout.

Performing the lumbar Traverse involves careful maneuvering while maintaining tension in the core to prevent arching or collapsing of the back. The technique includes getting one foot up while pushing off with the hands and traversing along the rail in both directions. An additional advanced maneuver involves transitioning from this position into a "cat leap," requiring a quick and precise kick away from the wall to land in a stable position.

Although the movement can be challenging, it offers significant benefits for overall strength and balance, particularly in the arms and core. It's important for practitioners to adapt to the pressure on their arms and to understand that the fall from the traverse is minimal, offering a safe avenue to practice and perfect the skills needed. Trying out this exercise in appropriate conditions can enhance body awareness and strength with consistent practice.

Key points:

  1. The lumbar Traverse strengthens the lower back and core muscles while promoting stability in the hips and spine.
  2. Proper positioning and technique are crucial for executing the traverse and preventing injury or loss of form.
  3. The exercise provides physical benefits, including increased arm strength and improved body awareness, making it a valuable addition to a fitness routine.
Note: This video summary is generated by AI from the video transcript and may not always be accurate.
The Lesson

Using two parallel walls/obstacles/railings, use your feet on the one wall and your hands on the second wall. Create a stable structure using your abs and traverse to your side for over ten-steps (heel-to-toe)

Return back in the opposite direction. You can rest between directions.

The walls must be over six-steps from each other. You must be facing the floor.

You must not touch the ground.

Repeat twice.

Challenge Details
Guidelines to successfully accomplish the challenge.
distance.
Must be more than x10 times the distance of a Foot-Step (toe-to-heel)
+ / -
You can use any distance that is more than specified.
Multiplier
x10 times the specified amount.
Details
Completely cover 10 full steps (heel-to-toe) in each direction.
distance.
Must be more than x6 times the distance of a Foot-Step (toe-to-heel)
+ / -
You can use any distance that is more than specified.
Multiplier
x6 times the specified amount.
Details
Both walls must be over 6-steps apart.
sides.
You must complete and demonstrate on Left then Right Sides
Details
Both sides must be performed.
repetitions.
You must complete 2 repetitions
+ / -
You can repeat more than specified.
Details
Two repetitions on each side (4 reps in total).
orientation.
Your orientation must be Facing downwards
Details
Facing downwards towards the floor.
Transcript
																									

														
5.92

														
let's talk about the lumbar Traverse the

													

																									

														
9.84

														
uh lumbar part of your back is the lower

													

																									

														
13.04

														
section of your spine and what this

													

																									

														
16.52

														
Traverse is trying to promote is

													

																									

														
19.88

														
enforcing that lumbar spine with the two

													

																									

														
23.279

														
muscle tubes on the side and your abs so

													

																									

														
26.599

														
you're trying to support the core your

													

																									

														
28.519

														
lumbar spine and your um your hips uh

													

																									

														
31.72

														
with core muscles so abs and top of the

													

																									

														
35.44

														
glutes and these are called your

													

																									

														
37.64

														
Erectors um so this type of traversing

													

																									

														
42.239

														
is where you span across two walls or

													

																									

														
45.36

														
rail in a wall uh with your feet on one

													

																									

														
48.199

														
side and your hands on the other so that

													

																									

														
51.879

														
would be so the tricky tricky part would

													

																									

														
54.44

														
be getting on um so start with both

													

																									

														
57.64

														
hands on the wall or the rail or

													

																									

														
59.359

														
whatever get one foot up and the the

													

																									

														
63.719

														
kind of thing you need to do is push and

													

																									

														
66.479

														
then squeeze your balm up here and that

													

																									

														
70.24

														
would be the starting position of the

													

																									

														
72.759

														
lumbar Traverse and now we're going to

													

																									

														
75.56

														
actually

													

																									

														
76.64

														
Traverse along the rail so this would be

													

																									

														
80.6

														
the lumbar Traverse and going both

													

																									

														
83.92

														
directions and going for distance so

													

																									

														
87.2

														
this yeah is a a good exercise for the

													

																									

														
90.64

														
ABS squeezing um the the lower abs to

													

																									

														
94.04

														
kind of maintain that your back isn't

													

																									

														
96.439

														
going to Arch and collapse and uh make

													

																									

														
99.079

														
you drop there is an additional part to

													

																									

														
102.079

														
the lumbar Traverse and that is um

													

																									

														
104.88

														
trying to get into a arm jump or cat

													

																									

														
108.04

														
leap position from that uh lumbar

													

																									

														
111.52

														
Traverse position so this requires kind

													

																									

														
114.64

														
of kicking away from the wall and

													

																									

														
117

														
landing in the cap position so let's

													

																									

														
119.32

														
let's do that so again push up and from

													

																									

														
123.039

														
here you're going to swing the one foot

													

																									

														
126.759

														
down and land in that cap position um

													

																									

														
131.039

														
this is again a little bit tricky

													

																									

														
132.68

														
because your head is quite down you your

													

																									

														
136.16

														
hips are up and uh sort of bringing

													

																									

														
138.959

														
those legs through you have to be fairly

													

																									

														
141.599

														
quick to to do so and in fact actually

													

																									

														
144.56

														
you're kind of hovering in the air for

													

																									

														
146.8

														
half a second before your feet then

													

																									

														
149.28

														
drive in um this is also another good

													

																									

														
154.519

														
exercise for people to get used to sort

													

																									

														
157.72

														
of strengthening the arms and getting

													

																									

														
159.84

														
your head over the top of your um your

													

																									

														
163.04

														
arms and your hands so from here this

													

																									

														
166.28

														
position is something that a lot of

													

																									

														
169.239

														
people are uncomfortable with because

													

																									

														
171.159

														
they're not used to putting all that

													

																									

														
172.48

														
pressure on the arms um but there's sort

													

																									

														
174.959

														
of less uh to worry about of falling

													

																									

														
178.239

														
because it's literally just a little

													

																									

														
180.519

														
drop down onto the ground so yep there's

													

																									

														
183.76

														
lots of benefit the lumbar traversing

													

																									

														
185.879

														
sometimes a bit tricky to find this

													

																									

														
187.44

														
setup where the distance is just right

													

																									

														
190.64

														
to um get your hands and your feet but

													

																									

														
193.799

														
you know they do pop up every now and

													

																									

														
195.519

														
again that there is a scenario you can

													

																									

														
197.28

														
do that uh give it a go see how you feel

													

																									

														
199.92

														
and yeah keep training
Subtitles (SRT) 
1
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:12,000
let's talk about the lumbar Traverse the

2
00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:15,000
uh lumbar part of your back is the lower

3
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:19,000
section of your spine and what this

4
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:22,000
Traverse is trying to promote is

5
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:25,000
enforcing that lumbar spine with the two

6
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,000
muscle tubes on the side and your abs so

7
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:31,000
you're trying to support the core your

8
00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:34,000
lumbar spine and your um your hips uh

9
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,000
with core muscles so abs and top of the

10
00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:41,000
glutes and these are called your

11
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:44,000
Erectors um so this type of traversing

12
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:47,000
is where you span across two walls or

13
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:51,000
rail in a wall uh with your feet on one

14
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:54,000
side and your hands on the other so that

15
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:56,000
would be so the tricky tricky part would

16
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000
be getting on um so start with both

17
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:03,000
hands on the wall or the rail or

18
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:06,000
whatever get one foot up and the the

19
00:00:63,000 --> 00:01:09,000
kind of thing you need to do is push and

20
00:00:66,000 --> 00:01:12,000
then squeeze your balm up here and that

21
00:00:70,000 --> 00:01:15,000
would be the starting position of the

22
00:00:72,000 --> 00:01:15,000
lumbar Traverse and now we're going to

23
00:00:75,000 --> 00:01:20,000
actually

24
00:00:76,000 --> 00:01:23,000
Traverse along the rail so this would be

25
00:00:80,000 --> 00:01:26,000
the lumbar Traverse and going both

26
00:00:83,000 --> 00:01:29,000
directions and going for distance so

27
00:00:87,000 --> 00:01:33,000
this yeah is a a good exercise for the

28
00:00:90,000 --> 00:01:35,000
ABS squeezing um the the lower abs to

29
00:00:94,000 --> 00:01:39,000
kind of maintain that your back isn't

30
00:00:96,000 --> 00:01:41,000
going to Arch and collapse and uh make

31
00:00:99,000 --> 00:01:44,000
you drop there is an additional part to

32
00:00:102,000 --> 00:01:47,000
the lumbar Traverse and that is um

33
00:00:104,000 --> 00:01:50,000
trying to get into a arm jump or cat

34
00:00:108,000 --> 00:01:54,000
leap position from that uh lumbar

35
00:00:111,000 --> 00:01:56,000
Traverse position so this requires kind

36
00:00:114,000 --> 00:01:58,000
of kicking away from the wall and

37
00:00:117,000 --> 00:01:63,000
landing in the cap position so let's

38
00:00:119,000 --> 00:01:66,000
let's do that so again push up and from

39
00:00:123,000 --> 00:01:71,000
here you're going to swing the one foot

40
00:00:126,000 --> 00:01:71,000
down and land in that cap position um

41
00:00:131,000 --> 00:01:76,000
this is again a little bit tricky

42
00:00:132,000 --> 00:01:78,000
because your head is quite down you your

43
00:00:136,000 --> 00:01:81,000
hips are up and uh sort of bringing

44
00:00:138,000 --> 00:01:83,000
those legs through you have to be fairly

45
00:00:141,000 --> 00:01:86,000
quick to to do so and in fact actually

46
00:00:144,000 --> 00:01:88,000
you're kind of hovering in the air for

47
00:00:146,000 --> 00:01:93,000
half a second before your feet then

48
00:00:149,000 --> 00:01:97,000
drive in um this is also another good

49
00:00:154,000 --> 00:01:99,000
exercise for people to get used to sort

50
00:00:157,000 --> 00:01:102,000
of strengthening the arms and getting

51
00:00:159,000 --> 00:01:105,000
your head over the top of your um your

52
00:00:163,000 --> 00:01:109,000
arms and your hands so from here this

53
00:00:166,000 --> 00:01:110,000
position is something that a lot of

54
00:00:169,000 --> 00:01:112,000
people are uncomfortable with because

55
00:00:171,000 --> 00:01:114,000
they're not used to putting all that

56
00:00:172,000 --> 00:01:117,000
pressure on the arms um but there's sort

57
00:00:174,000 --> 00:01:119,000
of less uh to worry about of falling

58
00:00:178,000 --> 00:01:123,000
because it's literally just a little

59
00:00:180,000 --> 00:01:125,000
drop down onto the ground so yep there's

60
00:00:183,000 --> 00:01:126,000
lots of benefit the lumbar traversing

61
00:00:185,000 --> 00:01:129,000
sometimes a bit tricky to find this

62
00:00:187,000 --> 00:01:133,000
setup where the distance is just right

63
00:00:190,000 --> 00:01:134,000
to um get your hands and your feet but

64
00:00:193,000 --> 00:01:136,000
you know they do pop up every now and

65
00:00:195,000 --> 00:01:139,000
again that there is a scenario you can

66
00:00:197,000 --> 00:01:143,000
do that uh give it a go see how you feel

67
00:00:199,000 --> 00:01:142,000
and yeah keep training