The bear crawl is a full-body movement that targets the cardiovascular system while also engaging the core, shoulders, and triceps. It involves crawling on all fours with knees off the ground, requiring coordination and endurance.
Quick Facts
How to Do Bear Crawl
Follow these step-by-step instructions to perform Bear Crawl with proper form and technique.
- Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- Lift your knees slightly off the ground, keeping your back flat and your core engaged.
- Move your right hand and left foot forward simultaneously, followed by your left hand and right foot.
- Continue crawling forward, alternating your hand and foot movements.
- Maintain a steady pace and keep your core tight throughout the exercise.
- Continue for the desired distance or time.
Muscles Worked
Understanding which muscles Bear Crawl targets helps you integrate it effectively into your training program.
Target Muscles
These are the main muscles responsible for performing the movement and receive the greatest training stimulus.
Secondary Muscles
These muscles assist in the movement and receive secondary training benefits.
Benefits of Bear Crawl
Incorporating Bear Crawl into your workout routine offers numerous advantages for strength, muscle development, and overall fitness.
- Cardiovascular System Development: Bear Crawl directly targets and strengthens the Cardiovascular System, promoting muscle growth and improved functional strength.
- Secondary Muscle Engagement: This exercise also works the Core, Shoulders, and Triceps, providing additional training stimulus without extra exercises.
- Convenience and Accessibility: This exercise requires no equipment, making it perfect for home workouts, travel, or when gym access is limited.
- Cardiovascular Health: This exercise elevates heart rate, improving cardiovascular endurance and helping with calorie burn.
- Corrects Imbalances: As a unilateral exercise, it helps identify and correct strength imbalances between sides of the body.
Safety Tips and Precautions
Performing Bear Crawl safely is essential for preventing injuries and ensuring long-term progress.
- Warm Up Properly: Before performing Bear Crawl, complete 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches targeting the Cardiovascular System and surrounding muscles.
- Prioritize Form Over Weight: Never sacrifice proper technique for heavier weights. Poor form significantly increases injury risk and reduces the exercise's effectiveness.
- Progress Gradually: Master easier progressions before attempting advanced variations. Ensure your supporting surface is stable.
- Respect Your Range of Motion: Work within your current mobility limits. Gradually improve flexibility over time rather than forcing deeper positions.
- Don't Hold Your Breath: Maintain consistent breathing throughout the exercise. Exhale during the exertion phase and inhale during the easier phase.
- Know When to Stop: End your set when you can no longer maintain proper form. Training to absolute failure on every set increases injury risk.
- Allow Adequate Recovery: The Cardiovascular System typically need 48-72 hours to recover after intense training. Avoid training the same muscle group on consecutive days.
Tracking Your Progress
To make consistent gains with Bear Crawl, track these metrics during your workouts:
Track the number of sets you complete. Most training programs recommend 3-5 sets per exercise.
Record your repetitions per set. Adjust rep ranges based on your goals: 1-5 for strength, 6-12 for hypertrophy, 12+ for endurance.
Track duration for time-based sets. Focus on maintaining quality form throughout the entire time period.