Carry / Developing
Bear Crawl
Train bracing, shoulder support, and coordinated locomotion without an external carry load.
01 / Set up
Build the position.
- Begin on hands and knees with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Brace lightly, spread the fingers, and lift the knees only a small distance from the floor.
02 / Execute
Do the work.
- Move one hand and the opposite foot forward a short distance together.
- Continue with small controlled steps while the trunk stays level.
- Stop and reset before speed or fatigue changes the hand, shoulder, or trunk position.
Useful cues
Keep the steps small
Carry a level tray
Push the floor away
03 / Troubleshoot
Common ways it drifts.
- Lifting the hips high above the shoulders
- Taking long steps that rotate the trunk
Exercise evidence field
What this page can claim.
Research can support a training category or expose a hazard without proving every stance, range, cue, or progression on this page.
3 evidence notes / 4 source linksResistance training is the supported category.
The 2026 ACSM position stand supports progressive resistance training for muscle function, hypertrophy, and physical performance in generally healthy adults, with multiple workable equipment and prescription choices.
- American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed CentralProfessional consensus
Range and cues remain adjustable.
A systematic review found that resistance-training range can affect strength and lower-limb hypertrophy, while a separate review found that attentional-focus effects vary across lifting tasks and populations.
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMedSystematic review
- Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMedSystematic review
Crawling evidence is narrow.
One randomized study of 42 active college-age adults found that an eight-week quadrupedal movement program improved selected movement-screen and range measures, but not dynamic balance or upper-body strength and endurance.
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research via PubMedPrimary research
Exercise source register
Inspect the instruction trail.
Sources support the notes above. They do not convert this editorial-review page into individualized coaching or medical clearance.
- 01Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults
American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed Central
Professional consensus / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 02Effects of Range of Motion on Resistance Training Adaptations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMed
Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 03A Systematic Review of Attentional Focus Strategies in Weightlifting
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMed
Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 04The Effects of a Novel Quadrupedal Movement Training Program on Functional Movement, Range of Motion, Muscular Strength, and Endurance
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research via PubMed
Primary research / Accessed 2026-07-26
Connected training
See where this movement works.
Read the decision