How far should a beginner crab walk each set?

Start with 3 rounds of 10 to 15 meters forward and the same distance back, resting as needed between rounds. Add a round before you add distance, and keep the hips at the same height for the whole trip rather than letting them dip near the end.

How do I make the crab walk easier or harder?

Keep the hips a little lower and the distance shorter to make it easier while the shoulders and wrists adapt. To make it harder, travel further, add a sideways or backward direction, or hold the hips higher for the whole distance.

What is the crab walk good for, and who might skip it?

It builds triceps, rear-shoulder, and glute endurance along with coordination, all from a fun, equipment-free move that doubles as a warm-up or conditioning filler. It is a poor fit for wrist pain or shoulder impingement, since the whole drill is spent weight-bearing on extended wrists behind the body.

Beginner

Crab Walk

The crab walk flips you face-up on your hands and feet, so the triceps and rear shoulders press you off the floor while the glutes hold the hips high. Keeping the trunk lifted turns it into a surprising posterior-chain and triceps burner as well as a coordination challenge. It is a fun, equipment-free conditioning and warm-up move that opens the shoulders and chest as it works.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Triceps
Type: Cardio, Functional
Browse by muscle: Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head, Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Sit on the floor with your feet flat and your hands behind you, fingers pointing toward your heels.
2
Press through your hands and feet to lift your hips off the floor until the torso is roughly level.
3
Keep the hips up and move one hand and the opposite foot forward together.
4
Follow with the other hand and foot, keeping the trunk lifted throughout.
5
Travel forward, backward, or sideways for the set distance.
6
Keep breathing and hold the hips high rather than letting the seat sag toward the floor.

Tips

Squeeze the glutes to keep the hips lifted; letting them drop turns the drill into a slow, strained shuffle.
Point the fingers toward your feet to keep the wrists and shoulders in a comfortable position.
Move opposite hand and foot together for a stable, coordinated crawl.

Variations

Common mistakes

The head drops back to look at the ceiling instead of staying level, which strains the neck on a drill that should feel like a controlled crawl.
The steps get too big for the hip height being held, so the hips dip toward the floor with every long reach forward.
The breath gets shallow and held because the position feels awkward, even though nothing about crab walking should require holding it.
Rushing the pace turns the crawl into a scramble where the hands and feet stop moving in the same rhythm as the hips.
The wrists bear weight at an extreme angle because the hands land too close to the hips instead of out to the sides for support.

Frequently asked

How far should a beginner crab walk each set?: Start with 3 rounds of 10 to 15 meters forward and the same distance back, resting as needed between rounds. Add a round before you add distance, and keep the hips at the same height for the whole trip rather than letting them dip near the end.
How do I make the crab walk easier or harder?: Keep the hips a little lower and the distance shorter to make it easier while the shoulders and wrists adapt. To make it harder, travel further, add a sideways or backward direction, or hold the hips higher for the whole distance.
What is the crab walk good for, and who might skip it?: It builds triceps, rear-shoulder, and glute endurance along with coordination, all from a fun, equipment-free move that doubles as a warm-up or conditioning filler. It is a poor fit for wrist pain or shoulder impingement, since the whole drill is spent weight-bearing on extended wrists behind the body.

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