Home/core/Bear Crawl

Bear Crawl

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatecore

Home Setup

Clear a hallway or open room space of at least 10-15 feet. Use a yoga mat or towel for knee comfort if needed.

Clear floor spaceOptional yoga mat

💡 Pro tip: Practice on carpet first for more grip and comfort before progressing to hardwood or tile surfaces

Gym Setup

Open floor space, turf area, or designated functional training zone

Safety: Ensure the path is clear of obstacles and equipment; avoid slippery surfaces that could cause hands to slide

💪 Muscles Worked

CoreShouldersQuadricepsHip FlexorsTriceps

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Bear crawls develop full-body coordination, core stability, and cardiovascular endurance while building shoulder and hip strength. This primal movement pattern enhances proprioception and creates a metabolic demand that improves conditioning without requiring equipment.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Tabletop Hold

none

Builds static strength and position awareness without the coordination demand of movement

2. Elevated Bear Crawl

bench + step

Hands on a bench or step reduces load on shoulders and core while learning the movement pattern

3. Baby Crawl

none + optional mat

Knees on ground reduces intensity and allows focus on coordination without full bodyweight support

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Bear Crawl with Pause

none

Adding 2-3 second pauses increases time under tension and stability demands

2. Weighted Bear Crawl

weight vest + weight plate

Adding a weight vest or plate on back increases resistance and metabolic demand

3. Bear Crawl to Beast

none

Transitioning from bear to beast position (sitting back on heels) adds dynamic hip mobility and control

↕️ Similar Movements

Crab Walk
Complementary crawling pattern that targets posterior chain and opens the front body
Mountain Climbers
Similar plank-based core exercise with higher cardiovascular intensity
Inchworm
Another ground-based full-body movement that emphasizes hamstring flexibility and shoulder mobility
Plank Shoulder Taps
Develops similar anti-rotation core strength and shoulder stability in a static position
Quadruped Rocks
Shares the tabletop position and builds hip mobility and core control as a warm-up or regression

Form Checklist

✓Keep knees 1-2 inches off the ground throughout the movement
✓Maintain a flat back with hips level to shoulders, avoiding excessive hip elevation
✓Move opposite hand and foot together in a coordinated cross-body pattern
✓Keep core braced and avoid swaying hips side to side
✓Look slightly ahead rather than straight down to maintain neutral neck position

Common Mistakes

  • •Hiking hips too high, turning the movement into a downward dog walk instead of maintaining bear position
  • •Allowing knees to touch the ground, reducing the core and hip flexor engagement
  • •Moving same-side limbs together instead of using proper cross-body coordination
  • •Rushing the movement and losing control, sacrificing quality for speed
  • •Holding breath instead of maintaining steady breathing throughout the crawl

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can maintain proper form for 30-40 seconds of continuous crawling in multiple directions (forward, backward, lateral) without hip sagging, knee touching, or loss of coordination