Bear Crawl

Crawl forward and back on your hands and toes with the knees hovering. Strange to look at, brutal after twenty seconds.

Level Intermediate
Equipment None
Sets and reps 3 sets x 30 sec
Works on Shoulders, core, legs

How to do it

  1. Get on all fours, then lift the knees a few centimetres off the floor.
  2. Move the opposite hand and foot forward together.
  3. Keep the back flat and the hips low - do not let the backside rise.
  4. Crawl forward a few steps, then crawl backwards to where you started.

Common mistakes

  • × Lifting the hips up into a downward dog shape.
  • × Moving the same side hand and foot together - it should be opposites.
  • × Taking huge steps - small steps keep the tension on.
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One thing that matters

Keep the knees no more than a fist above the floor. The lower they are, the harder it gets.

How much

Sets and reps for Bear Crawl

Where you are Aim for
Just starting 3 sets x 15 sec
The standard 3 sets x 30 sec
Once it is easy 3 sets x 45 sec
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Breathing

Steady and continuous. If you find yourself holding it, you are moving too fast.

Too hard, or too easy?

Where this sits

Questions

Bear Crawl, answered

What does a bear crawl actually train?

Coordination between opposite arm and leg, shoulder stability and a braced core all at once. It is closer to a whole-body skill than to a muscle exercise.

How much space do I need?

Two metres is enough - crawl forward a few steps, then backwards to where you started. It does not need a corridor.

Why does my back wobble side to side?

Knees too high, or moving too fast. Keep the knees an inch off the floor and move one limb at a time until the wobble stops.

One exercise is never the whole story

Which day to do Bear Crawl, how many sets, and what to pair it with - the AI builds the whole plan. Your first one is free.

Build My Free Plan
Full Body

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This is general information, not medical advice

Everything on this page is worked out from a formula or from published averages. It has never met you, and it cannot see your blood pressure, your medication or an old injury.

Talk to a doctor before you start if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, take regular medication, have or have had an eating disorder, are recovering from injury or surgery, or are under 18. Stop and get advice if any exercise causes pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.

More about where these numbers come from is on the about page.