Rail Walking: How to Build Ninja-like balance for your next OCR
A MovNat Inspired Guide
How would you like to reduce your chance of a sports related injury by 45% while increasing your general athleticism and improving longevity? And the best part? You get to learn how to move like a ninja. If you are an obstacle course racer, aspiring MovNatter, outdoorsy or just want to become a more capable human, this article is for you.
I’ll show you how I train balance starting with 2x4’s on the ground and working up to rail walking. I’m assuming most readers have no previous experience.
Here are links to each section of this post.
If you want to take a deeper dive, check out Erwan Le Corre’s “The Practice Of Natural Movement: Reclaim Power, Health, and Freedom”. It’s available on Amazon. Or you can check out MovNat’s certifications and online courses.
The Benefits & Limits of Balance Training
One of the travesties of modern fitness is the enormous amount of bunk. To clear the weeds, let’s make explicit what balance training is and isn’t good for.
Limits
First, although balance training can feel like strength training, it isn’t. Your muscles will not be getting bigger or stronger. Numerous studies have confirmed that the Central Nervous System (CNS) dampens down force output when it perceives instability. This is a safety feature to reduce injury risk, but it means you simply can’t generate enough force to develop your strength or muscle mass beyond a very basic level.
Second, if you already have a strong background in a sport, balance training is not going to make you better at that sport unless it’s directly tied to a known personal weakness related to that sport. For example, if you are an avid snowboarder, it’s unlikely that balanced walking is going to make you any better.
Benefits
Adventure-Ready: Whether it’s charging across an OCR balance obstacle, walking along a fallen tree to cross a stream, playing with your kids, or responding to an emergency on unstable terrain, MovNat-inspired balance training gets you ready for life’s adventures. This is the primary benefit and goal of the balance training in this article.
General Athleticism: Balance training makes you more athletic by providing a strong foundation of coordination, proprioception, joint stability and mind body awareness.
Durability: Sprained ankles and twisted knees can be anything from deeply annoying to borderline catastrophic. Fortunately, balance training can reduce your risks of sports injury. In fact, a systematic review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that balance training can reduce the risk of injury by 45%. The effect was strongest when combined with strength training.
Longevity: Falls are a common cause of premature death among the elderly. Maintaining your balance is a great way to reduce this risk. In fact, one study found that having bad balance as you enter your mid fifties significantly increases your risk of death compared to those with good balance.
All right, so those are the goals and limits of balance training. Let’s take a look at how you should practice.
How to Practice Balancing
Developing a skill like balancing probably has more in common with learning the piano than lifting weights or running. It’s a neurological adaptation that rewards patience and punishes physical intensity. So instead of focusing on sets or reps, set a goal of practicing for 5-15 minutes per session with a focus on developing specific skills.
As you practice, you’ll pass through three stages of development, requiring an evolving approach.
Cognitive stage: In this stage your movements are going to be slow and deliberate, requiring lots of conscious thought. Research suggests it helps to focus more on outcomes and less on internal cues or doing it “the right way”. For instance, try to walk the length of the 2x4 without worrying about form.
At this stage it also helps to break things down into simple steps, to make it less complicated and frustrating. Thus, if walking the length of a 2x4 is too much, try balancing on one leg.
Associative stage: In this stage, portions of the movement are becoming automatic, requiring less thinking. You’re able to focus on parts and cues while doing the whole movement. For instance, you can cross the 2x4 while also trying to minimize arm movement. By putting in the reps, your subconscious is able to build efficiency by trying tons of subtle variations and finding what works best. Research suggests you should avoid immediate feedback here. Try videotaping a few reps and then circle back to see how you looked after the session.
Autonomous stage: At this stage things have become second nature. You are again focused on outcomes. You are ready to progress to a more difficult variation or add stress, fatigue or complexity. For instance, you can add height, vary the balancing surface, practice while fatigued or practice as part of a difficult combo.
Lastly, it often helps to stop when performance quality deteriorates or you start to become frustrated. Sleep locks in your gains. Thus, shorter daily sessions are superior to 1 or 2 weekly marathon sessions. When it comes to movement training try to keep it playful and fresh.
For a deeper dive into movement skill development and stress inoculation training check out, “Building the Elite: The Complete Guide to Building Resilient Special Operators”.
How to Build a Training Plan
Training Volume: research suggests that training balance anywhere between 3 to 6 times per week for 10-15 minutes per session is plenty to make consistent progress. That definitely jives with my experience. So, if you’re in no hurry and have other interests, training 3x per week for 10-15 minutes is plenty to make progress. If you hit a plateau or are in a hurry, try 4-6x per week.
For reference, when I started training balance, I struggled to walk across a 2x4. It took 8 months of training 4-6x per week to master rail walking.
Maintenance Volume: to keep the movements fresh, I recommend training once a week for 5-10 minutes. There have been many periods, sometimes lasting many months, where I completely neglected balance training, and I’ve generally found it’s easy to step back into rail walking. But it isn’t pretty at the start.
When to train: there are three things to keep in mind. First, it’s pretty hard to train balance so intensely that it interferes with other training. So, under most circumstances you can put it early in your training session.
Second, whenever you are learning a new skill, you want to come at it pretty fresh. If you just ran 12 miles, it’s probably not a good learning environment.
Finally, if you’re building movement resilience, you can definitely practice something familiar after a long run or lifting session.
My Top 5 Balance Skills
Just as you need to learn how to walk before you run, it’s important to train balance progressively. Start with balancing walking on a 2x4 or painted line (or even just standing on one leg). From there, you can work your way down the list slowly adding skills. Every skill should start on the ground (a painted line or 2x4). Only add height or shrink the surface after you’ve demonstrated autonomous skill development.
Work progressively and ensure your safety. You will occasionally lose balance and fall.
1. Balance Walking
Balanced Walking on a 2x4 is one of my favorite ways to help clients start training their balance. Balanced walking provides an efficient means of crossing narrow objects while also improving general movement performance. It will make you an overall better mover, and many obstacle course races require balanced walking. Moreover, if you’re active or outdoorsy, balanced walking opens many doors.
Balanced Walking Tips
Forward & Backward: Practice walking both directions.
Slow & Steady: Avoid rushing across to hide your mistakes.
Control is Key: Aim to minimize arm and leg movement. Save the counterbalancing for rail walking.
Stand Tall: Stand tall with your eyes up. Feel the board with your feet.
Work progressively and ensure your safety. You will occasionally lose balance and fall.
How do you know you’re ready to progress?
Work up to two minutes of continuous balanced walking both forward and backward without any rest and without stepping off the board. You should be standing tall, and your arms should be relaxed. You should be able to do this even when fatigued, for instance after a run, after a strength training session or as part of a larger combo. Once you hit that, you’re ready to shrink the beam and/or add a little height.
If walking on a 2x4 is too much of a challenge, you can start by walking on a taped or painted line. You can also start by simply standing on one foot and practicing counterbalancing.
2. Cross Reverse
Once you can walk the length of a 2x4, it’s time to learn how to turn around. Enter the Cross Reverse. It’s a safe and versatile way to change direction, and it’s a great way to prepare for the other balance skills.
Cross Reverse Tips
Starting Position: With your body weight on your back foot, place the ball of your front foot across the board.
Transition: Now shift your weight to your front foot and rotate your back foot. Once rotated, you can finish the turn and commit your weight to your new front foot.
New position: It often helps to commit your body weight to your new lead foot. This allows your trail foot to counter balance, if needed.
Remember to switch which foot leads the reverse so you become well rounded.
Work progressively and ensure your safety. You will occasionally lose balance and fall.
How do you know you’re ready to progress?
Work your way up to 10 alternating reps. Again you should be able to do this even when fatigued, for instance after a run, during a strength training session or as part of a larger combo. Once you hit that, you’re ready to narrow the surface or add a little height!
3. Tripod Climb Up
Tripod Climb Ups are a great way to climb over, onto or down from an obstacle while also improving your balance and shoulder mobility. Once you can comfortably walk forward and back on a 2x4 you can try this on a painted line or 2x4.
Tripod Climb Up Tips
Start position: From a squatting position, place one hand on the board and push down strongly. Your shoulder should be well below your ear and your arm should be straight. From a standing position place one hand and the opposite foot on the board.
Transition: Lift your inside leg and pass it forward, backward or onto the board. Keep your hips up high.
Relaxed & Smooth: Reduce tension in the non-supporting limbs, and remember slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Work progressively and ensure your safety. You will occasionally lose balance and fall.
How do you know you’re ready to progress?
Work your way up to 10 alternating reps. Again you should be able to do this even when fatigued. Once you hit that, you’re ready to narrow the surface and add a little height!
4. Deep Split Squat Reverse
To reverse on unstable or difficult surfaces, it’s often a good idea to stay low. Not only can this be easier, it makes it possible to reach down and save yourself from falling. Plus it will help you practice changing elevation while balancing. Once you can comfortably walk forward and back on a 2x4 you can give this a try on a 2x4.
Deep Split Squat Reverse Tips
Starting Position: Start in a deep split squat. Keep your back straight, your chin up and minimize arm movement.
Transition: Lift both heels and rotate on the balls of your feet. Be sure to keep the balls of both feet centered on the board.
Work progressively and ensure your safety. You will occasionally lose balance and fall.
How do you know you’re ready to progress?
Work your way up to 10 alternating reps. Again you should be able to do this even when fatigued. Once you hit that, you’re ready to narrow the surface and add a little height!
5. Balanced Hand Carries
Balanced Hand Carries are a great tool to have in your movement tool kit. Whether you’re crossing a stream or racing an obstacle course, it’s possible that any balancing will require a carry. Plus it’s a killer way to train core stability and bracing, while dramatically improving your overall sense of balance. Once you can comfortably walk forward and back on a 2x4 you can try this on a 2x4.
Balanced Hand Carry Tips
Move slowly and steadily. Try to minimize arm movement.
Stand tall: Maintain a tall straight spine and keep your chin up and level. Feel the balance beam with your feet.
How do you know you’re ready to progress?
Work up to a 2-minute carry with 10-15% of your body weight. Once you hit that, you’re ready to shrink the beam and add a little height.
Closing thoughts
Are there other balance skills? Absolutely! There’s really no limit to the number of balance skills you can practice. Imagine standing on a narrow beam at height playing catch or practicing controlled falls on a metal rail. There’s no need to stop with just these five. But they’ll give you a broad foundation and they’re easy to maintain, making them ideal for fitness generalists and obstacle course racers.
So what do you think? Going to take a trip to Home Depot to find a 2x4? It doesn’t take much, and it’s well worth it!
Thanks for reading!
