Wall Walks

How to Do Wall Walks

Wall walks are a challenging exercise that helps build shoulder strength, core stability, and improve balance. Popular in both handstand training and CrossFit workouts, the movement involves walking your feet up a wall while maintaining a strong plank position, eventually reaching a supported handstand against the wall.

Step-by-Step guide towards Wall Walks

Wall walks help build strength in your shoulders, arms, and core. They are used in CrossFit, calisthenics, and handstand training because they teach you how to control your body and stay tight while upside down. This makes them great for building balance and improving all kinds of bodyweight exercises. Here’s how to do them one step at a time, in a simple way.

1. Start in a Diagonal Wall Hold

Place your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart, with your feet already on the wall behind you. Your body should form a diagonal line, like in a plank that leans up against the wall. Keep your core tight and shoulders active.

2. Walk Your Hands Closer to the Wall

Slowly begin walking your hands toward the wall while your feet climb higher up. Move with control. Go only as close as you feel comfortable — your goal is to get your chest near the wall without losing tension.

3. Reach the Handstand Position

Once your hands are near the wall and your body is vertical, stop and hold the position. Your arms should be straight, your core tight, and your legs together. Focus on stacking your hips above your shoulders.

4. Walk Your Hands Back Out

Carefully reverse the movement. Walk your hands back away from the wall while your feet lower down, returning to the diagonal wall plank you started in. Stay controlled — no falling or rushing.

This variation skips the push-up start and keeps the whole movement focused on core control, shoulder strength, and building comfort with the handstand shape.

Benefits of Wall Walks

Wall walks might look simple, but they give you a lot of value in one exercise. They help you build strength, body control, and confidence — especially for people who want to get better at bodyweight training, CrossFit, or handstands. Here's a deeper look at why wall walks are so useful:

Full Upper Body Strength

Wall walks target almost every muscle in your upper body. Your shoulders, chest, and arms do the hard work of pushing you off the floor and keeping you stable as you walk up the wall. Your triceps help you lock out your arms, and your delts (shoulders) work nonstop to hold you up. Even your upper back gets involved to keep you from collapsing inward.

This kind of strength helps with movements like push-ups, handstand push-ups, and other straight-arm holds or presses where pushing strength and control are key.

Core Control and Stability

Your core is the secret hero during wall walks. Your abs, obliques (side abs), and lower back work to keep your body in a straight line — no arching or sagging. This makes your whole body move as one tight unit.

This control helps in so many areas: from planks and L-sits in calisthenics to toes-to-bar and wall ball shots in CrossFit. A strong core also protects your lower back and helps improve balance in almost any sport or activity.

Builds Handstand Strength and Confidence

Practicing handstands can be scary if you’re not used to being upside down. Wall walks are a perfect stepping stone. They let you work on the shape and strength of a handstand without having to worry about balance yet.

You build straight-arm strength in your shoulders and upper traps, which is important for handstands, planches, and presses to handstand. You also get used to the pressure on your wrists and the feeling of being vertical. Over time, this builds confidence and makes balancing in a freestanding handstand feel way less intimidating.

Improves Body Awareness and Control

Wall walks force you to move slowly and with intention. That teaches you how to feel your body in space — something called proprioception. You get better at noticing if your hips are too low, or if your core is loose, and correcting it mid-movement.

This skill helps with freestanding handstands, gymnastics holds, and even just moving better in daily life — like keeping good posture when sitting or standing.

Why Wall Walks Are Great in Calisthenics

In calisthenics, control and clean form are everything. Wall walks build the shoulder and core strength needed for tough skills like:

• Planche holds (where your whole body floats forward above the ground)
• Handstand push-ups
• Elbow levers
• Press to handstand

They also teach you how to keep your arms straight under load, which is a must for advanced calisthenics strength. Wall walks let you build these qualities in a safe, scalable way — no need to start upside down in the middle of the room. You can also use them as a warm-up or skill drill before more advanced holds or transitions.

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Why Wall Walks Are Great for CrossFit

Wall walks are often used in CrossFit workouts because they combine strength, control, and endurance all in one. In fact, they’ve been featured in high-level competitions like the CrossFit Open, where athletes had to complete multiple reps under fatigue.

They help build:

• Strength for handstand push-ups
• Control for gymnastic kipping skills
• Endurance and shoulder stability for long WODs (workouts of the day)

Wall walks also teach you how to stay tight and move efficiently — two key skills in CrossFit, where being fast and controlled matters. Plus, they require no equipment, so they’re easy to add into any workout whether you're at home or in a box.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Wall Walks

Wall walks are only effective when done with good form. Here are the five most important mistakes to watch out for:

1. Letting the Core Go Loose

If your belly sags or your back arches, you're putting stress on your lower back and losing control. Keep your abs tight and your body in a straight line from head to toe.

2. Moving Too Fast

Rushing through the movement makes it sloppy and harder to control. Take your time going up and down to build strength and awareness.

3. Walking Hands Too Close Too Soon

Trying to get your chest too close to the wall before you're ready can throw off your balance. Only go as close as you can while staying stable and in control.

4. Not Locking Out the Arms

Bending your elbows takes the work away from your shoulders and makes it harder to hold the position. Keep your arms straight to build the right kind of strength.

5. Letting the Feet Slide on the Wall

Dragging your feet or letting them slide down the wall takes away control and creates bad habits. Step with purpose and keep your feet light and active during the whole movement.