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All abs & core exercisesAbs & Core · Calisthenic

Bear Crawl

Quadruped crawl with knees hovering. Builds core stability and coordination.

BeginnerBodyweight4 × 20–30 m
Bear Crawl demonstration thumbnail — Bear Crawl | Proper Form Tutorial for Core & Full-Body Strength
CoreBodyweight

Bear Crawl

Demo · FIT.nl

Verified Bear Crawl demonstration by FIT.nl. Click to play.

How to do the Bear Crawl

  1. 1Knees 1 inch off floor
  2. 2Opposite arm and leg
  3. 3Flat back

Benefits of the Bear Crawl

  • Builds strength and size in the core through a full, controlled range of motion
  • Also trains shoulders, quads as supporting movers
  • Needs no equipment — trainable at home, outdoors or while traveling
  • Low skill demand — safe to learn early and useful for high-rep volume

Sources

Educational information only — not medical advice. Exercise technique, sets and reps are general guidance and may need adjusting for your experience, equipment and health history. Talk to a qualified clinician before starting or changing a training program if you have an injury or medical condition.

  1. 1Behm et al. (2016) — Acute effects of stretching on range of motion and performanceApplied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
  2. 2McGill (2010) — Core training: evidence translating to better performance and injury preventionStrength and Conditioning Journal
  3. 3Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017) — Dose-response of resistance training volume on hypertrophyJournal of Sports Sciences
  4. 4ACSM position stand (2009) — Progression models in resistance training for healthy adultsMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
  5. 5Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd editionU.S. Department of Health and Human Services