The spiderman crawl is also goes by different names like the spider crawl or spiderman walk. This exercise is loved by many because it works multiple muscles ranging from the shoulders to the back and lower legs.
This is not exactly an exercise that would be recommended for beginners, it is more intermediate. However, it is not that difficult to learn and you should be ready to do it once you have sufficiently warmed you for it.
Not only does the spiderman crawl raise your heart rate, but it also works your abs and brings you as close to a full-body exercise as you can be. It also does not require any equipment!
HOW TO DO SPIDERMAN CRAWL
Get down on the floor and arrange yourself into a plank position. The feet should be hip-width apart while your arms should be shoulder-width apart.
Drive the toes of the left foot into the floor while you lift the right foot and externally rotate the leg. Squeeze your butt and engage your core. As the knee draws near the elbow, squeeze the ab muscles to further bring them together.
Stretch your left arm in front of you, with the palms facing down as you bring your right knee towards your right elbow.
Crawl forward as you do the same for the other knee and keep alternating legs as you crawl forward until you cover the required distance.
SPIDERMAN CRAWL MUSCLES WORKED
Some of the muscles this exercise works include the chest, arms, core and hamstrings.
SPIDERMAN CRAWL BENEFITS
COMPOUND EXERCISE
If there is an exercise that deserves the name ‘compound exercise’ it is definitely this. Think about it, this exercise engages the muscles on the shoulders, chest and arms.
It also trickles down to the lower body and works the glutes, hip flexors, core, hamstrings and calves.
WORKS ON THE CORE
This exercise is heaven-sent if you want to give your core some good work. One of the things you should aspire to is having a good core, and this goes well beyond being a fitness enthusiast.
A strong core helps you do the day-to-day activities with so much ease. It also keeps back pain at bay and helps you do other exercises easily.
Good balance is also associated with a strong core, so is a good posture.
GREAT WARM-UP
One of the greatest mistakes that people usually make is heading straight into working out without allowing themselves to warm up.
Do not allow yourself to repeat this rookie mistake, no matter how good you are.
Warm-up is a must before any intensive exercise and the spiderman crawl makes for one of the best warm-up exercises there ever can be.
It is one of those exercises that gets the blood pumping and makes you feel like you really have achieved something after a session.
This gives you the psyche and drive to even do more and head into more workouts with so much psyche.
It improves your flexibility and makes your body so much stronger.
IMPROVES COORDINATION
This exercise is a true test of coordination. The placement of your hands and body has to be to in perfect tandem in order for it to qualify as a spiderman crawl.
You also have to stretch different parts of your body at different stages. The result of this is an improvement of the coordination of your body.
COUNTS AS CARDIO
There are two main ways that you actually do the spiderman crawl. You can either do it in a slow and calculated way or, do it very fast.
The former type will work on and test on your endurance, the former will count as a cardio exercise. So this a very diverse exercise that you can approach in any direction.
SPIDERMAN CRAWL MISTAKES TO AVOID
The most common mistakes that you might make when performing the spider walk involves technique, form, and posture.
DROPPING YOUR HEAD
When doing the spider walk exercise focus on keeping your head in a neutral position in line with your spine. You want to avoid dropping your head, which puts pressure on your upper back and neck.
ALLOWING YOUR HIPS TO SAG
The key to the spider walk’s effectiveness is keeping your back flat and your core tight. When you drop your hips, the core muscles stop doing their job, and you add pressure to your lower back. This can cause discomfort and pain.
PUTTING YOUR BUTT IN THE AIR
Think of this as the opposite of sagging your hips. As you walk across the floor, avoid putting your butt in the air. Again, when you don’t keep your core engaged and your back flat, you risk injury. Plus, it takes away from the effectiveness of the exercise because your upper body is not required to work as hard since you shift the load to your lower body, letting your upper body off the hook.
CONCLUSION
Spiderman places high on the table of strangeness, without a doubt. You may initially find it ridiculous when you first start doing it, but here is the thing: the gains you will make are much greater than spending a few minutes looking awkward.
So, by all means, do this exercise and by so doing, earn yourself a great core and overall body strength.
While this is a safe exercise, for the most part, keeping your core engaged will keep back pain at bay.
A tight core will also keep your hips in a good position and help with the general form of the exercise.
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