Crab Walk

Programming dynamic bodyweight exercises like the crab walk into your workout routine effectively improves full-body strength and stability.

This exercise targets your arms, core, and glutes, making it a valuable compound movement. The crab walk is also beneficial in leg workouts as it engages your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

Read on for guidance on programming this exercise into your routine for optimal results.

How To Do

  1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent in front of you and your feet flat on the floor. Your palms should be flat on the ground beneath your shoulders, with fingers facing out to the sides.
  2. Inhale to engage and lift your hips off the ground.
  3. Exhale as you begin the exercise by stepping back with one foot and the opposite hand.
  4. Continue this movement pattern, alternating each foot and hand to walk yourself backward. Focus on engaging your glutes, core, and triceps.
  5. Continue for the desired reps and sets.

Tips From Expert

  • Ensure you perform slow and controlled arm and leg movements throughout the walk. This helps to keep a stable body position and prevent injury risk.
  • Keep your palms out to your sides with your elbows extended. This helps to prevent excess elbow and wrist stress as you move.
  • Your head and chest should remain up and forward throughout the walk. This prevents lower back and neck strain. 
  • Make sure you engage your core throughout the movement. This helps to keep a stable body position.
  • Maintain a controlled breathing pattern as you perform the walk to ensure adequate oxygen supply.

Optimal Sets and Reps

The following table provides suggested sets and reps for optimizing the crab walk.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–12
Endurance Training 3–4 15–20
Power Training 3–5 1–3 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Crab Walk

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The crab walk is a versatile exercise that can be programmed into your workout in multiple ways. It provides a wide range of benefits depending on your fitness level and training goal.

  • Upper-Arm Workout — The crab walk is an effective tricep strengthener, especially as part of tricep workouts for beginners. It can be programmed at the end of an upper-arm routine to maximize tricep engagement. Pair it with tricep dips, bicep curls, and dumbbell skull crushers for an effective arm workout.
  • Warm-Up Activation — The crab walk can be a beneficial dynamic warm-up routine before a full-body workout. It targets all major muscle groups to prep and activate them before heavier or compound lifts. Perform 2–3 sets of 10 reps to successfully engage the muscles.
  • Cool-Down/Finisher — Crab walks are also an effective finisher for an upper-body or full-body workout. Incorporate them after a heavy lift as an added stimulus to maximal fatigue the triceps and glutes. This is a valuable method to induce muscle hypertrophy for optimal growth and strength gains.

Primary Muscle Groups

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

Triceps Lateral Heads

The triceps lateral head is one of three muscles that make up the triceps brachii. It originates from the back of the upper arm bone and is inserted into the forearm at the elbow.

It is very active in supporting the elbow joint during elbow straightening. This makes it invaluable during all daily activities involving lifting, pulling, and carrying.

The crab walk is beneficial for strengthening this muscle as your elbows are straight throughout the movement. The lateral head works isometrically (doesn’t change length) to maintain tension and stabilize the joint. This tension increases the muscle’s engagement.

Studies using electromyography data show the triceps reach 40%–50% of maximum voluntary contraction during elbow extension. This depicts how hard the muscle works during the crab walk.

Triceps Medial Heads

The triceps medial head originates from the back of the upper arm and inserts at the elbow joint. The crab walk engages the triceps medial head to maintain tension while supporting the upper body.

During the backward crawl, the triceps contract to maintain elbow joint stability and hold you upright. Keep the elbows steady with a slight bend to encourage tricep engagement and help reduce potential hyperextension injuries.

Triceps Long Heads

The triceps long head originates from the bottom part of the shoulder blade and, like the other tricep heads, inserts into the forearm.

The crab walk involves both shoulder and elbow extension, making it an effective long-head exercise. The muscle helps maintain stability in both joints as your body crawls backward. It maintains isometric tension throughout, which strengthens the muscle.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Gluteus

Large, superficial muscles located at your buttocks just below your lower back area.

Quadriceps

Muscles located at the front portion of your upper legs, below your pelvis and above your knees. Consists of four parts.

Hamstrings

Muscles located at the back of your upper leg, below your glutes and above your calves. Consists of three muscles.

Gastrocnemius

Muscles located at the back of your lower leg and consists of your calf. Starts just behind your knee and extends to your ankle.

Soleus

Muscles located behind your gastrocnemius sitting slightly deeper. Runs down your leg and connects with the gastrocnemius to make your Achilles tendon.

Erector Spinae

Muscles that span the entire length of your spine on either side.

Upper Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located just below the lower chest and above the lower abdominals. Between your ribs and pubic bone.

Lower Rectus Abdominis

Muscles located below your upper abs and above your public bone between your ribs.

Obliques

Muscles located on the sides of your rectus abdominals. Runs on the sides of your trunk.

Gluteus

The gluteus muscles consist of three muscles in the buttocks region. They are crucial for many daily movements involving the hips and thighs, like walking, lifting heavy objects, and climbing upstairs. They also actively support hip rotation and stabilization.

The gluteus activates during crab walk to stabilize the pelvis and keep the hips lifted. It also provides support to the hamstrings, ensuring they don’t take over too much of the load.

Studies on EMG data show the gluteus maximus reaches 50%–80% MVC during squat exercises like the crab walk. This demonstrates the effectiveness of this exercise in developing the gluteus maximus.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings are at the back of the thigh and play an active role in many lower-body movements. During the crab walk, the hamstrings assist the glutes in keeping the hips lifted. They also stabilize the pelvis throughout the exercise to maintain balance and control.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps are a group of muscles at the front of the thigh. They are the prime extensors of the knee and play an active role in movements involving straightening the knee.

The quadriceps provide support during the crab walk to stabilize the knees while the hips are lifted. They engage isometrically to keep the knees aligned with the hips as you step backward.

Gastrocnemius

The gastrocnemius forms a large part of your calf musculature and is highly active during lower limb movements. It plays a significant role during activities like walking, jumping, and climbing.

The gastrocnemius activates during the crab walk by supporting the lower legs to hold your hips steady. It also provides tension to maintain stability and an upright posture.

Soleus

The soleus forms another major part of your calf muscles along with the gastrocnemius. It runs down the back of the lower leg and attaches to the Achilles tendon. It assists with movements involving pushing off with your heels like walking, jumping, and running.

During the crab walk, the soleus works with the gastrocnemius to support the lower legs, hips, and spine. It also plays a role in maintaining dynamic balance during forward movement which contributes to optimal full-body alignment.

Lower Rectus Abdominis And Upper Rectus Abdominis

The lower rectus abdominis and upper rectus abdominis form the long frontal trunk muscle known as abs. These muscles contribute to spinal extension and core stabilization during the crab walk. They prevent the lower back from dropping out of alignment, preventing spinal strain during the exercise.

Obliques

The obliques are the outer part of the abdominal wall, extending from the bottom of the ribs down to the pelvis.

The obliques mainly work to stabilize the trunk during the crab walk. They also protect the spine, maintaining postural alignment and preventing lower back strain. The high level of trunk stabilization required during this movement makes it a great addition to oblique exercises.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae is a group of muscles that run along the spine, from the sacrum (lower back) up to the neck. During the crab walk, the erector spinae supports the spine and pelvis to prevent lower-back arching, which can cause strain. They also engage the trunk muscles for core stabilization throughout the movement.

Equipment

Bodyweight

Bodyweight

Requires bodyweight resistance and additional equipment for proper execution.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Diamond Push-Up

Overhead Triceps Stretch

Chair Tricep Dip

Close-Grip Push-Up

Knee Diamond Push-Up

Side Lying Tricep Press

Tricep Dip On Bench

Forearm Push-Up

Knee Close-Grip Push-Up

Wall Tricep Press

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Ez Bar Lying Triceps Extension

Triceps Dip

Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Cable Reverse Grip Tricep Pushdown

Ring Dip

Cable Tricep Pushdown

Overhead Cable Tricep Extension

Rope Tricep Extension

Dumbbell Close-Grip Press

Who Should Do?

Athletes Involved In Endurance Sports

Athletes involved in sports like running and track require strong glutes and hamstrings to power them forward. They require core strength and hip mobility to avoid injury while increasing power and speed.

Crab walks benefit these athletes by stimulating glute and hamstring activation during movements like running and jumping. They also strengthen the core and pelvic muscles to reduce lower back strain that can cause pain and injury.

As an athlete, try incorporating crab walks into a warmup or cooldown. They will strengthen your glutes and core and improve hip mobility for enhanced performance and injury prevention.

General Fitness Enthusiasts

General fitness enthusiasts often focus on improving functional strength while developing a more aesthetically pleasing physique. The glutes and upper arms muscles are essential for performing everyday movements like standing, walking, and lifting. 

They are also key musculature for a defined and sculpted physique. Crab walks strengthen the triceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core. This makes them a well-rounded workout to sculpt your entire body.

Who Should Not Do?

Individuals With Lower Back Pain

Individuals with lower back injuries may have difficulty engaging the spinal muscles and are prone to pain in that area. The crab walk requires support from these muscles to stabilize the spine and keep the hips lifted and aligned. This could exacerbate existing injuries, causing discomfort or delaying recovery.

Individuals With Wrist Or Elbow Issues

Individuals with elbow and wrist injuries often have difficulty placing tension on these areas. They may also have a reduced range of motion.

During the crab walk, the wrists and elbows work against tension to stabilize the forearms and support the upper body. The wrists flex and the elbows extend to maintain stability throughout the movement.

As a result, performing this exercise can create added stress to existing wrist or elbow injuries. If you have a preexisting injury, you should refrain from attempting it until after consulting a fitness professional.

Benefits Of The Crab Walk

Builds Strength

The crab walk is very effective as a strength-building exercise. It primarily targets the triceps and effectively activates the hamstrings, core, and calf muscles. It promotes muscle strengthening and activation to maintain controlled movements while the hips are lifted.

The crab walk utilizes compound muscle engagement and targeted intensity to build strength. Using the mind-muscle connection to maximize focus on the working muscles will enhance activation for the best results. Incorporating this exercise into your routine can effectively build full-body strength. 

Improves Coordination And Balance

The crab walk improves coordination by encouraging focused stability while walking backward with your hips lifted. This activates your hip and spinal stabilizers and challenges your balance to remain upright and in control. 

The crab walk also activates the core to stabilize the lower back, improving spinal mobility. It resembles the movement pattern of the squat and targets similar lower-body muscles. This supports an upright posture and helps prevent lower back strain. 

Tones Muscle

The crab walk effectively targets all major muscle groups for balanced development, especially the triceps, glutes, and core. It engages these muscles to maintain stability under tension throughout the movement. The exercise also works the hamstrings to support the glutes, further contributing to lower body development. 

Programming the crab walk into a full-body functional routine will help define and sculpt your upper and lower body. This will result in a well-balanced and defined physique. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to do the crab walk correctly?

Begin the crab walk crouching with your knees bent, feet on the ground, and palms on the floor behind you. Lift your hips and step backward with one foot and the opposite hand. Repeat this, alternating sides to crawl backward.

What is crab walking good for?

Crab walking has many benefits, some of the main ones being full-body strength building and muscle toning. It also effectively improves balance and coordination by engaging the core and spine to enhance pelvic and lower back stability.

How many reps should I do for the crab walk?

The number of reps to do for the crab walk depends on your goals and fitness level. A general recommendation for strength training is 3–5 sets of 4–6 reps. For endurance training, aim for 3–4 sets of 15–20 reps.

Do crab walks build glutes?

Crab walks target the glutes as secondary movers. Although they primarily focus on activating the triceps, the glutes engage to keep the hips lifted and stabilize the spine. By squeezing the glutes throughout the exercise, you will maximize muscle growth.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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