Bear Crawl

Crawling on hands and feet with the knees hovering just off the floor. It loads the shoulders, trunk and hips together, and stands in for the sled push whenever there is floor space but no sled.

Standard: A valid effort keeps only hands and feet on the floor, knees bent and hovering low, hips no higher than the shoulders, moving the prescribed distance without collapsing to the knees.

How to do the Bear Crawl

1. Set up on hands and feet, hands under shoulders, knees under hips and an inch off the floor.
2. Pull the ribs down and flatten the back like a table top.
3. Move the opposite hand and foot together in small, quiet steps.
4. Keep the hips low and level: no swaying side to side.
5. Breathe steadily and keep the pace even over the full distance.

Common faults

• Hips piked high to make the crawl easier.
• Big lunging steps that rock the trunk side to side.
• Knees dragging or resting on the floor mid-effort.
• Holding the breath as the shoulders fatigue.

Scaling & progressions

• Crawl shorter segments with rests, keeping the knees low on every step.
• Raise the hips slightly if the shoulders give out before the distance is done.
• Progress with a slower tempo or a heavier surface (grass, carpet) for more drag.