Inchworm
How to do the Inchworm
- 1
Stand with your feet close together. Keeping your legs straight, stretch down and put your hands on the floor directly in front of you. This will be your starting position.
- 2
Begin by walking your hands forward slowly, alternating your left and your right. As you do so, bend only at the hip, keeping your legs straight.
- 3
Keep going until your body is parallel to the ground in a pushup position.
- 4
Now, keep your hands in place and slowly take short steps with your feet, moving only a few inches at a time.
- 5
Continue walking until your feet are by hour hands, keeping your legs straight as you do so.
How to program the Inchworm
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Inchworm responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Inchworm is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Put the Inchworm into a plan
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Inchworm work?
The Inchworm primarily targets the Hamstrings.
What equipment do I need for the Inchworm?
You need Body Only. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Inchworm should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
