How to Do the Bear Crawl
Beginner full body exercise — bodyweight.
The Bear Crawl is a beginner-level full body exercise that works several muscles together, led by the full body, using no equipment. As a compound movement it lets you handle heavier loads and trains coordination across multiple joints, which makes it a strong anchor for a training day. You can do it at home or while travelling — no gym required — which makes it easy to keep in your routine consistently.
Exercise details
- Muscle group
- Full Body
- Primary muscle
- Full Body
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
How to perform it
- 1Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- 2Lift your knees slightly off the ground, keeping your back flat and your core engaged.
- 3Move your right hand and left foot forward simultaneously, followed by your left hand and right foot.
- 4Continue crawling forward, alternating your hand and foot movements.
- 5Maintain a steady pace and keep your core tight throughout the exercise.
- 6Continue for the desired distance or time.
How to program the Bear Crawl
- Do the Bear Crawl early in your session while you're fresh — compound lifts deserve your best energy.
- Warm up with one or two lighter sets before your working sets to prime the movement.
- As a compound lift, 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps builds strength, while 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps favours muscle growth. Rest 90–180 seconds between sets so you can move quality load.
- To progress, add reps, slow the lowering phase, or move to a harder variation once the current version feels easy.
Bear Crawl alternatives
No space? These train the same full body, grouped by what you have available.
No equipment
Dumbbell or kettlebell
Easier and harder variations
The Bear Crawl is rated beginner. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.
Harder — progress from it
Where it fits in your weekly plan
When the free routine generator builds your week, the Bear Crawl can land on:
Included when your equipment is set to: No equipment, Dumbbells, Full gym.
Free tools for this exercise
Put it in your plan
SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Bear Crawl automatically — then tracks every set.
Build my free planFrequently asked questions
What muscles does the Bear Crawl work?
The Bear Crawl primarily targets the full body within the full body muscle group, and recruits several supporting muscles as a compound movement.
What equipment do I need for the Bear Crawl?
None — the Bear Crawl is a bodyweight exercise you can do anywhere, no gym required.
Is the Bear Crawl a compound or isolation exercise?
The Bear Crawl is a compound exercise, working multiple joints and muscle groups at once. It's well suited to beginner trainees.
How many sets and reps of the Bear Crawl should I do?
As a compound lift, 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps builds strength, while 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps favours muscle growth. Rest 90–180 seconds between sets so you can move quality load.
Is the Bear Crawl good for beginners?
Yes — the Bear Crawl is beginner-friendly. Start light, focus on clean technique, and add difficulty gradually as it becomes comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Bear Crawl?
Good substitutes that train the same full body include the Burpee (bodyweight), the Farmer's Walk (dumbbell), the Turkish Get-Up (kettlebell). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.
Can I do the Bear Crawl at home?
Yes — it needs no equipment, so it works at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere you have a bit of space.
