Home/push/Crab Walk

Crab Walk

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerpush

Home Setup

Clear a hallway or open floor space of at least 10-15 feet. Use a yoga mat or carpet for wrist comfort if needed.

Open floor spaceYoga mat (optional)

💡 Pro tip: Practice in front of a mirror initially to ensure hips stay elevated and movement stays controlled

Gym Setup

Open floor space or turf area with adequate room to move forward and backward

Safety: Ensure wrists are warmed up before starting; avoid if experiencing wrist pain or recent shoulder injuries

💪 Muscles Worked

TricepsShouldersGlutesHamstringsCore

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Crab walks develop shoulder stability and tricep endurance while building posterior chain strength and cardiovascular conditioning. This full-body movement improves coordination, spatial awareness, and functional strength in an inverted position, making it excellent for metabolic conditioning circuits and warm-ups.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Static Crab Hold

none

Builds strength and position awareness without the coordination challenge of movement

2. Tabletop Bridge Hold

none

Similar position with knees bent at 90 degrees, reducing shoulder and core demand

3. Crab Walk with Bent Knees

none

Shorter lever arm reduces load on shoulders and makes movement easier to control

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Elevated Crab Walk

box + bench

Placing feet on a box increases shoulder load and core engagement

2. Weighted Crab Walk

weight plate + dumbbell

Adding a weight plate on hips increases resistance for glutes and shoulders

3. Crab Walk with Leg Lift

none

Lifting alternating legs while moving challenges balance and unilateral stability

↕️ Similar Movements

Bear Crawl
Complementary quadrupedal movement in prone position, trains opposite movement pattern
Reverse Table Top
Static version of the crab position, foundational strength builder
Inchworm
Another full-body conditioning movement combining push and locomotion patterns
Tricep Dips
Isolates the primary pushing muscles used in crab walk
Glute Bridge
Trains hip extension pattern crucial for maintaining elevated hips during crab walk

Form Checklist

✓Keep hips elevated in line with shoulders and knees throughout movement
✓Fingers point toward feet with hands placed directly under shoulders
✓Look slightly upward or forward, not down at feet
✓Push through heels and palms equally to maintain balance
✓Keep core engaged to prevent hips from sagging

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing hips to drop below knee level, reducing glute engagement and increasing shoulder strain
  • •Moving too quickly and losing control of position and form
  • •Placing hands too far from body, creating excessive shoulder strain
  • •Looking down at feet, which collapses chest and compromises shoulder position

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can maintain perfect hip height for 30+ seconds of continuous movement in any direction without form breakdown, and can complete 3-4 sets of 20-30 feet without excessive fatigue