This often underestimated movement will not only work your abdominal muscles but also strengthen your entire body while improving your coordination.
Repetition in strength training is important: regularly returning to exercises like squats and deadlifts is an excellent way to track your progress and see your strength gains. However, this doesn't mean you should lock yourself into a repetitive and monotonous exercise routine.
Introducing a new exercise can surprise your body and allow you to develop your muscles in a different way. Additionally, varying your core strengthening exercises and bodyweight sessions makes your workouts more stimulating. The next time you roll out your mat for a home workout, why not try this comprehensive movement recommended by Kelsey Wells, a coach at Sweat?
The "bear crawl" is one of the most underrated exercises, according to Wells. It engages the muscles in your legs, upper body, and of course, your core. Watch how she performs this exercise with perfect technique, then give it a try!
This movement is simple yet extremely effective and can be added to your usual routine. If you want to turn it into a short but intense workout, opt for 10 sets of "bear crawls" in a Tabata format (20 seconds of effort followed by 10 seconds of rest).
This exercise is a compound movement, meaning it targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously. For your legs, it strengthens the glutes, quadriceps (front of the thighs), and hamstrings (back of the thighs).
For the upper body, it works your chest, shoulders, and back muscles, while your abdominal muscles are engaged to stabilize and support your spine.
Because the "bear crawl" engages many muscles at once, it requires more energy than an exercise targeting a single muscle, like bicep curls, allowing you to burn more calories.
However, to reap all the benefits, it's crucial to execute the movement correctly. It's tempting to get on all fours and rush, but it's better to slow down. Keep your spine neutral (or flat) at all times. Avoid pushing your hips toward the sky; your back and legs should remain parallel to the ground.
Follow Wells' pace in her video, moving forward about one step per second. This will challenge your body's ability to maintain good positions and control your movements, thereby increasing the time under tension for your muscles and working them harder than if you performed the movement too quickly.
With this unique movement, you have everything you need for an effective workout in just five minutes. So, no more excuses!
