Spider Crawl
How to do the Spider Crawl
- 1
Begin in a prone position on the floor. Support your weight on your hands and toes, with your feet together and your body straight. Your arms should be bent to 90 degrees. This will be your starting position.
- 2
Initiate the movement by raising one foot off of the ground. Externally rotate the leg and bring the knee toward your elbow, as far forward as possible.
- 3
Return this leg to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
How to program the Spider Crawl
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Spider Crawl 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 Spider Crawl 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.
Secondary muscles worked
Put the Spider Crawl into a plan
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Spider Crawl work?
The Spider Crawl primarily targets the Abdominals. It also recruits the Chest, Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Spider Crawl?
You need Body Only. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Spider Crawl 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.
