Why this full-body move deserves a place in your strength training warm up

Fitness

Welcome to our weekly Move of the Week series. Every Monday, we’ll be sharing with you one of our favourite exercises – how to do them, what muscles they work and why they should be a regular part of your workout regime. This week: inchworms. 

A pre-strength training routine should involve both stretching and activating of the muscles. That’s because you need to be able to hit a deep range of motion in your exercises but also engage with the correct muscles at the right time. 

With a move like inchworm, you can kill two birds with one stone. It elongates pretty much every body in the body while also working the muscles so you are ready to squat, press and lift in the rest of your session without worry. 

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What is inchworm?

An inchworm involves rolling through your upper body to the floor, then walking out to a plank position. 

This exercise is great because:

It stretches the posterior chain: loosening commonly tight muscles at the back of the body such as your hamstrings and back of your shoulders. 

It activates the core: that includes the abdominals, chest and back to get you ready for lifting. 

It’s dynamic: also helping to raise the heart rate a little and get the blood flowing around the body before working out.  

What muscles do inchworms work?

The inchworm works the whole body, including:

  • Neck 
  • Read delts
  • Erector spinae 
  • Lats 
  • Glutes 
  • Hamstrings
  • Calves
  • Anterior delts
  • Pecs
  • Abdominals

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    How to do an inchworm

    1. Begin in a standing position with your shoulders rolled back and down and your belly button drawn towards your spine
    2. Begin to roll down the body, starting at the end and lowering one vertebra at a time until your hands can reach the floor 
    3. Walk your hands forwards one at a time, keeping your legs straight to feel a stretch down the back of the hamstrings and calves
    4. Walk all the way out into a plank position and pause at the top 
    5. Reverse the movement by walking your hands back in to your feet then rolling all the way up 

    Images: Stylist

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