ExercisesPrimal / Animal Movement
Commando Crawl: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
The Commando Crawl is an animal-movement crawling exercise performed lying face down, propelling the body forward using alternating elbow pulls and opposite-side toe pushes while the belly stays close to, but not dragging on, the floor. It is the military low crawl adapted as a fitness drill, and because the arms pull where most crawls press up onto the palms, it tests the pulling endurance of the back and shoulders.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A yoga mat is optional to soften contact under the elbows and forearms.
Why It Matters
This crawl takes sustained pulling stamina from the whole body at once, enough to raise the heart rate over a short distance. A muscle covering the middle and lower back that draws the arm down and in (latissimus dorsi) drives the pulling action through each elbow reach, and the chest muscle (pectoralis major) and the front of the shoulder cap (deltoid, anterior) help control the arm through the pull. A deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset (transverse abdominis) and the muscles along the sides of the waist (obliques) keep the trunk from twisting as opposite limbs move, and the deep hip flexor (hip flexors, iliopsoas) drives the toe push that advances the legs.
When to Do It
The Commando Crawl works well as a demanding pulling-endurance drill inside a primal movement session, or as a change of pace from crawling patterns that press up onto the palms. Two or three sessions a week, with rest days for the back and shoulders between them, suits most people building this pattern.
Anyone with a current shoulder, elbow or lower back issue should still get individual guidance before starting, since the repeated pulling action loads all three.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of prone back extensions and gentle shoulder rolls prepare the back and shoulders for repeated pulling before adding travel. A few isolated elbow-pull reps, staying in one spot without traveling, previews the pattern before covering any distance.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Lie face down with the elbows bent and the body close to the floor.
2. The pull. Pull with one forearm while pushing with the opposite-side toes, advancing the opposite elbow and knee together.
3. The switch. Pull with the other forearm while pushing with the opposite toes to continue the advance.
4. The repeat. Continue the same alternating pull-and-push pattern, keeping the head low and the hips and chest just off the floor.
How Many, How Often
The Commando Crawl is dosed by distance, since the goal is sustaining the pulling pattern over ground covered.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to a pulling-dominant crawl | 3 sets of 8 to 10 feet, moving slowly and keeping the hips off the floor |
| Intermediate | The pull-push rhythm feels smooth and continuous | 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 18 feet |
| Advanced | Comfortable sustaining the pattern over longer distances | 4 sets of 18 to 25 feet, or add the weighted version below for extra resistance through the pull |
A pull centered in the forearms matters more here than how far the crawl covers, since letting the hands press up into a push-up style crawl abandons the pulling demand this pattern is built around.
Modifications and Variations
As the easier version, Commando Crawl — Elevated raises the body slightly off the floor, reducing the sustained pulling demand while the alternating elbow-and-knee pattern is learned.
As the harder version, Commando Crawl — Weighted Vest adds external load across the torso, increasing the pulling demand on the back and shoulders through the same pattern.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Pressing up onto the palms. Pushing the hands flat against the floor to help propel forward turns this into a pressing pattern instead of the intended pulling one. Keeping the pull centered in the forearms and elbows preserves the pulling demand.
Letting the hips or chest drag on the floor. Losing tension through the trunk and letting the body sink down between pulls removes the core bracing this exercise depends on. Holding the trunk in a slight, deliberate hover off the ground keeps the core braced.
Moving the same-side elbow and knee together. Advancing the right elbow and right knee forward at the same time abandons the intended opposite-side pattern. Deliberately moving opposite limbs together keeps the cross-body pattern.
After Your Set
Sitting back into a child’s pose style stretch, hips toward the heels and arms extended forward, releases the back and shoulders after a set of pulling work. A few doorway chest stretches, one arm braced against a frame while rotating gently away, finish opening the chest and front of the shoulders.
Going Deeper
The Commando Crawl is a demanding pulling-endurance drill for anyone already comfortable with crawling patterns that press up onto the palms, since driving the movement through a forearm pull works the lats and the pulling muscles of the shoulder that most crawls leave alone. Pulling the body forward is more tiring than pressing it, so the hands tend to start pressing down onto the floor without meaning to as fatigue sets in, which turns the pattern back into a pressing crawl. Keeping the palms open and the pull centered in the forearms, even when tired, preserves the intended demand longer than letting the hands take over.
Someone new to this pattern typically manages a slow, controlled pull-push rhythm within the first few sessions, then works toward a longer, smoother set over three to five weeks as pulling endurance builds.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A pull that stays centered in the forearms
- Hips and chest that stay lifted slightly off the floor throughout
- An opposite-side elbow-and-knee pairing that stays correct
- A distance that keeps growing while the pulling pattern holds
A pull that stays centered in the forearms to the end of the set shows more progress than extra distance.
Muscles Worked
- Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder cap, reaching the elbow forward along the floor)
- Pectoralis Major (the chest muscle, dragging the body up toward the planted elbow)
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, holding the belly off the floor without arching the back)
- Iliopsoas (the hip flexor group at the front of the hip, drawing each knee up the side of the body)
- Latissimus Dorsi (a large back muscle, pulling the torso past the elbow on each stroke)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, stopping the hips rolling as opposite limbs advance)
- Rectus Abdominis (the abdominal muscles running down the front of the stomach, keeping the body flat and low to the ground)
FAQ
Is the Commando Crawl the same as a bear crawl or a standard army crawl? Not quite. This version deliberately stays a pulling-dominant pattern, driven through the forearms and elbows with the belly close to the floor, unlike a higher crawling pattern that presses up onto open palms.
Why does this feel so much harder on the back than other crawls? Because the forward motion comes from pulling with the arms rather than pressing with them, the back and shoulder muscles that draw the arm down and in have to do far more sustained work than they would in a pressing-based crawl.
What’s the difference between this and Commando Crawl — Weighted Vest? Commando Crawl — Weighted Vest adds external load across the torso, asking the same pulling muscles to work against more resistance than bodyweight provides.
Is some back or shoulder fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, a worked feeling through the back, shoulders and forearms after several sets is expected. A sharp pain in the shoulder or lower back is different and worth having a doctor or physical therapist look at.
How often should the Commando Crawl be trained? A couple of sessions a week suits most people well, given how demanding the sustained pulling action is on the back and shoulders.
Related to Commando Crawl — Elevated as the easier version and Commando Crawl — Weighted Vest as the harder one.