ExercisesPrimal / Animal Movement
Crocodile Walk: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
The Crocodile Walk is an animal-movement crawling exercise performed lying face down with the chest and hips near the floor, pushing into a low plank on the hands and advancing by driving the same-side arm and leg forward together. Keeping the body nearly grazing the floor on each step makes this same-side (ipsilateral) pattern demanding on the shoulders and hip flexors.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. A yoga mat is optional to soften contact under the hands and torso.
Why It Matters
Sustaining a low, near-prone plank while advancing the same-side limbs takes shoulder endurance, considerable hip mobility and enough effort to raise the heart rate. The chest muscle (pectoralis major) and the back of the upper arm (triceps brachii) bear weight through the low plank on every step, and 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 stable as the body stays close to the floor. The deep hip flexor (hip flexors, iliopsoas) drives the leg forward on each step, and the front of the shoulder cap (deltoid, anterior) supports the shoulder through the sustained low position.
When to Do It
The Crocodile Walk works well as a shoulder and hip-mobility drill inside a primal movement session, or as a demanding conditioning piece on its own given how much endurance the low plank position asks for. Building tolerance for the low plank position usually takes two or three sessions a week.
Anyone with a current shoulder, wrist or hip issue should still get individual guidance before starting, since sustaining a near-prone plank while advancing loads all three.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of shoulder circles and a low plank hold prepare the shoulders for sustained near-prone weight-bearing before adding travel. A few isolated same-side reaches, checking that the body stays low, previews the pattern before covering any distance.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Lie face down, then push up into a low plank on the hands, chest and hips staying close to the floor.
2. The first step. Drive the right arm and right leg forward together, keeping the body low.
3. The second step. Drive the left arm and left leg forward together to continue the advance.
4. The repeat. Continue the same same-side stepping pattern forward.
How Many, How Often
The Crocodile Walk is dosed by distance, since the goal is sustaining the low plank and the same-side stepping over ground covered.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to the low, same-side crawling pattern | 3 sets of 8 to 10 feet, keeping the body as low as comfortably possible |
| Intermediate | The same-side stepping feels smooth at a low height | 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 18 feet |
| Advanced | Comfortable sustaining a low position over distance | 4 sets of 18 to 25 feet, keeping the hips barely above knee height throughout |
Keeping the hips low, close to knee height, matters more here than how far the walk covers, since letting the hips rise into a higher plank turns this into an easier crawl.
Modifications and Variations
As the easier version, Crocodile Walk — Elevated raises the body into a higher plank position, reducing the shoulder and core demand while the same-side sequencing is learned.
As the harder version, Crocodile Walk — Ground Touch adds a deliberate touch of the chest or hips to the floor on each step, increasing the range and control demand.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting the hips rise into a higher plank. Raising the hips to make the position easier removes the low, near-prone quality this pattern is built around. Keeping the hips close to knee height on each step keeps the load on the shoulders and core.
Moving the opposite-side arm and leg together. Driving the right arm and left leg forward at the same time turns this into a contralateral pattern instead of the intended same-side one. Deliberately moving matching-side limbs together keeps this distinct from other crawling patterns.
Letting the belly drag on the floor. Losing tension through the trunk and letting the stomach touch down between steps removes the core bracing this exercise depends on. Keeping a small, controlled gap off the floor preserves the benefit.
After Your Set
Pushing back into a child’s pose style stretch, hips toward the heels and arms extended forward, releases the shoulders and hips after a set of low crawling. A few gentle chest openers finish easing the shoulders that supported the low plank.
Going Deeper
The Crocodile Walk is a demanding shoulder and hip-mobility drill for anyone comfortable with more upright crawling patterns, since a low, near-prone position shifts the sustained load onto the chest, triceps and shoulders. Staying this low is far more tiring on the shoulders than a standard plank crawl, so the hips tend to creep upward well before the arms give out, which removes the intended demand while the walk still covers ground. Putting a consistently low position ahead of distance builds the intended strength faster than pushing on with rising hips.
Someone new to this pattern typically learns the same-side stepping order within the first few sessions, then works toward a longer set at a low height over three to five weeks as shoulder endurance builds.
How to Know You’re Improving
- Hips that stay close to knee height from the first step to the last
- A same-side arm-and-leg pairing that stays correct without reverting to the opposite pattern
- A trunk that stays lifted slightly off the floor rather than dragging
- A distance that keeps growing while the low position holds
Judge progress by a consistently low position with the correct stepping pattern before counting distance.
Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis Major (the chest muscle, bearing weight through the low plank)
- Triceps Brachii (the back of the upper arm, supporting the low plank on every step)
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, holding the trunk rigid while the chest stays low to the floor)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, driving the leg forward on each low, flat step)
- Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder cap, supporting the shoulder through the low position)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, keeping the trunk stable as the body stays low)
FAQ
Is the Crocodile Walk the same as the Spider Walk? No. Both are same-side crawling patterns, but the Crocodile Walk stays in a much lower, near-prone plank close to the floor, while the Spider Walk holds a higher, more rigid plank position.
Why does staying this low feel so much harder on the shoulders? A near-prone plank keeps the shoulders under sustained load for far longer than a standard higher plank crawl, since there’s much less room to shift weight or briefly rest between steps.
What’s the difference between this and Crocodile Walk — Ground Touch? Crocodile Walk — Ground Touch adds a deliberate touch of the chest or hips to the floor on each step, asking for more range and control than this version’s sustained low hover.
Is some shoulder or hip fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, fatigue through the shoulders, hips and core after a set of low crawling is expected. A sharp pain in the shoulder or wrist is different and worth having a doctor or physical therapist look at.
How often should the Crocodile Walk be trained? Two or three sessions a week suits most people, given how demanding a sustained low position is on the shoulders.
Related to Crocodile Walk — Elevated as the easier version and Crocodile Walk — Ground Touch as the harder one.