How many reps of the crab kickthrough should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 4 to 5 kickthroughs per side, resetting to a full four-point crab between reps instead of chaining them together. Once the hips stay level for the whole set, link reps into a slow, continuous alternating flow.

How do I make the crab kickthrough easier or harder?

To make it easier, keep both hands down and just tap the kicking foot across without lifting the supporting arm, building the hip rotation first. To make it harder, pause with the hips lifted and the free arm reaching overhead at the top of each kick.

What is the crab kickthrough good for and when should I skip it?

It trains posterior-chain and triceps strength through hip extension and shoulder work in one rotary pattern, a good counterbalance to a practice full of face-down crawling. Skip it if your wrists ache in extension under load, since the whole drill bears weight through bent-back wrists.

Intermediate

Crab Kickthrough

The crab kickthrough works the flip side of the beast switch, driving rotation from a face-up crab base. Holding the hips off the floor loads the glutes and triceps hard while you thread one leg across the body and rotate. It is a superb posterior-chain and shoulder-extension drill that balances all the face-down crawling in a flow practice.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs, Glutes
Type: Balance, Functional
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Abdominal External Oblique
Browse by movement: Hinge, Rotation

How to do it

1
Sit with knees bent, feet flat, and hands planted behind you, fingers pointing back.
2
Press the hips up into a crab, keeping them lifted throughout the drill.
3
Lift the right hand and kick the left leg across and under the body toward the right.
4
Rotate the hips to follow the leg while the supporting arm and legs hold you up.
5
Thread the leg back and replace the hand to return to the crab.
6
Alternate sides for the prescribed reps.

Tips

Keep the hips high the entire time; letting them sag turns the triceps and glute work off.
Point the supporting hand's fingers slightly outward to spare the wrist and shoulder.
Drive the kick from the core, not by flinging the leg, so you stay balanced on the plant.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips sag the instant one hand lifts, because balancing the crab on three points demands far more from the glutes than the four-point hold does.
As the kick gets bigger, the supporting shoulder rolls forward and loses its stack over the wrist.
The kicking foot drags along the floor instead of clearing it, catching under the hips mid-thread.
The supporting elbow softens and bends under the shifted weight, right when the base needs to stay rigid.
Holding the breath through the whole kickthrough stiffens the trunk and makes the rotation jerkier than it should be.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the crab kickthrough should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 4 to 5 kickthroughs per side, resetting to a full four-point crab between reps instead of chaining them together. Once the hips stay level for the whole set, link reps into a slow, continuous alternating flow.
How do I make the crab kickthrough easier or harder?: To make it easier, keep both hands down and just tap the kicking foot across without lifting the supporting arm, building the hip rotation first. To make it harder, pause with the hips lifted and the free arm reaching overhead at the top of each kick.
What is the crab kickthrough good for and when should I skip it?: It trains posterior-chain and triceps strength through hip extension and shoulder work in one rotary pattern, a good counterbalance to a practice full of face-down crawling. Skip it if your wrists ache in extension under load, since the whole drill bears weight through bent-back wrists.

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