If your idea of a complete ab workout is to camp out in a corner of the gym, roll out a mat, and stick to that spot like glue as you run through reps of situps and planks, your go-to core training is too static. Level up your ab day by adding some movement—and channel your inner beast—with the bear crawl.
“The bear crawl is a super-underrated move that’s ultra-versatile,” says Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. Another perk: you’re not just focused on one single muscle, making the bear crawl a prime candidate for full-body routines and even warmup sessions. “We can hit our glutes and our quads with it too, if we’re smart,” Samuel continues.
Whether you want to use the bear crawl for warmups or as a go-to locomotor core move, there’s much more to it than might meet the eye. For the best results, you’ll need to pay attention to Samuel’s guidance, as modeled by MH fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM-CPT.
How to Do the Bear Plank
But before you’re ready to move, you need to understand the more basic bear plank position. This elevated plank variation gets you into the right stance and primed for movement, but it’s also a valuable tool for core engagement on its own merit. “This is going to teach us to maintain core tension, understand what our shoulder blades are doing, and understand how active our glutes need to be in this position, too,” says Samuel.
●Start by getting on your hands and knees on the ground in an all-fours/tabletop position. Your hands should be stacked directly beneath your shoulders.
●Turn the pits of your elbows forward, creating mid-back tension.
●Move your knees so that they’re under your hips, and slightly wider than hip width. They should be in line with your wrists.
●Lift your knees off the ground, tighten you abs and squeeze your glutes. Your back should be completely level. Keep your gaze on the ground, keeping your neck in a neutral position.
●Perform for 3 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Once you can hold with good form, you’re ready for bear crawls.
How to Do the Bear Crawl
Men’s Health
You’ve got the bear plank down, so it’s time to crawl. There’s more to it than just getting a move on if you want to reap the core-training benefits, so pay close attention to Samuel’s guidance.
●Get into your bear plank position.
●Raise your left foot and right hand simultaneously. Move them forward, putting them down on the ground at the same time.
●Repeat the movement with the right foot and left hand.
●When you move, make sure to keep your torso still and your head down. The focus should be on keeping your back level and your core engaged. This isn’t for aerobic conditioning; speed is not the goal. Stay focused and keep your butt from raising up too high.
●Depending on space, move 3 steps forward, then reverse the movement for 3 steps back.
●Perform bear crawls for time, with a format like 3 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off.
Want to master even more moves? Check out our entire Form Check series.
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