Bear crawls

Category

Calisthenics

Difficulty

Beginner

Equipment

Bodyweight

Primary muscles

Deltoids, Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Quadriceps Femoris

Secondary muscles

Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii, Gluteus Maximus, Erector Spinae

How to do it

1. Start on all fours with your knees hovering just off the floor, hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your back flat and head in a neutral position.
2. Move your right hand and left foot forward at the same time, keeping your hips low and your knees off the ground.
3. Follow with your left hand and right foot, maintaining the opposite-limb pattern.
4. Continue crawling forward for the desired distance or time, then reverse the pattern to crawl backward.

Form tips

• Keep your hips low and level with your shoulders — avoid letting them rise into a pike position.
• Engage your core throughout to prevent your lower back from sagging.
• Move slowly and deliberately; control and full-body tension matter more than speed.