Exercise technique guide
How to Do a Bear Crawl
The bear crawl has you move on your hands and feet with your knees just off the floor. It builds full-body strength, core stability and coordination in one move, needs no equipment, and doubles as a challenging warm-up or conditioning drill for any level.
The bear crawl looks playful but humbles Many people fast. On your hands and feet with knees hovering just off the floor, you crawl forward while keeping your core braced and hips low, which lights up your whole body.
You need a bit of floor to travel, so it fits a corridor, void deck or our Putra Heights centre. It builds coordination, core control and shoulder strength at once, and works well as a warm-up or a conditioning finisher.
What it trains and who it suits
It trains the core, shoulders and legs together while demanding coordination between opposite limbs. It suits anyone wanting full-body strength and movement skill in a small space.
Because it keeps your knees off the floor and your core braced, it builds serious stability while feeling more like a skill than a grind.
Step-by-step cues
- Start on hands and knees, hands under shoulders
- Lift your knees just off the floor, back flat
- Move one hand and the opposite foot forward together
- Keep your hips low and core braced as you crawl
- Continue for a set distance, then crawl back
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Hips swaying side to side, keep them low and stable
- Butt sticking up high, flatten the back and lower the hips
- Same-side hand and foot, move opposite limbs together
- Rushing and losing control, slow down to stay coordinated
Regressions, progressions and when to stop
Too hard? Crawl in place, moving limbs without travelling far. Too easy? Crawl further, add a sled or slow the tempo. At home a hallway is enough; at our centre we add distance and pair it with carries for conditioning.
- Stop if you feel sharp wrist, shoulder or back pain rather than effort
- See a professional if your wrists cannot tolerate weight on the hands