ExercisesPrimal / Animal Movement
Crocodile Walk — Elevated: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Crocodile Walk — Elevated is an animal-movement crawling exercise performed from a higher plank, roughly the height of a standard bear-crawl position, advancing the same-side hand and foot together as in the Crocodile Walk but without its near-prone hover. That extra height off the floor is the one change, and it makes this a more approachable way into the same-side crawling pattern.
Equipment Needed
No equipment is required. Some padding under the hands, a mat or towel, is a comfort option on a hard floor.
Why It Matters
Raising the plank height takes a good share of the sustained shoulder and core load out of the pattern and leaves the same-side sequencing as the main thing being learned. The chest muscle (pectoralis major) still bears weight through the higher plank on every step, and a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset (transverse abdominis) keeps the trunk stable. The deep hip flexor (hip flexors, iliopsoas) drives the leg forward, and the front of the shoulder cap (deltoid, anterior) supports the shoulder through the position.
When to Do It
This version works well as a first step into same-side crawling, whether learning the pattern for the first time or building back toward it after a break. Most people build this base comfortably on two or three sessions a week.
Anyone with a current shoulder, wrist or hip issue should still get individual guidance before starting, since holding any plank height while advancing still loads all three.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of shoulder circles and a plank hold at this higher height prepare the shoulders before adding travel. A few isolated same-side reaches previews the pattern before covering any distance.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Lie face down, then push up into a plank at roughly bear-crawl height.
2. The first step. Drive the right arm and right leg forward together, keeping the plank height steady.
3. The second step. Drive the left arm and left leg forward together, matching the height and rhythm of the first step.
4. The repeat. Keep alternating same-side steps, holding the plank height steady the whole way.
How Many, How Often
Crocodile Walk — Elevated is dosed by distance, since the goal is learning the same-side stepping pattern over ground covered.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to same-side crawling patterns | 3 sets of 6 to 8 feet, keeping the plank height steady throughout |
| Intermediate | The same-side stepping feels reliable | 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 feet |
| Advanced | Comfortable sustaining this height over longer distances | 4 sets of 15 to 20 feet, or lower toward the Crocodile Walk for the added shoulder demand |
Getting the same-side hand-and-leg pairing right on each step matters more here than how far the set covers, since this version exists to let that pairing settle in before a lower, more demanding height gets added.
Modifications and Variations
As the harder version, Crocodile Walk drops the body into a low, near-prone plank throughout, adding a shoulder and core demand once this pattern feels reliable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Moving the opposite-side arm and leg together. Pairing the right arm with the left leg swaps in the cross-body pattern this version is meant to avoid at this stage. Checking that the same-side arm and leg move as a unit on each step is the purpose of the practice.
Letting the plank height creep even higher. Rising further than a comfortable bear-crawl height to make the position easier starts to remove the plank quality this pattern depends on. Holding a steady, moderate height keeps it a plank crawl.
Rushing through each step. Moving quickly to cover ground skips the chance to check which limbs are pairing up. Slowing down enough to confirm the same-side pairing builds a pattern that holds up as the height drops later.
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 crawling. A few gentle chest openers finish easing the shoulders.
Going Deeper
This version is the starting point for same-side crawling, since building the pattern at a manageable height first lets the coordination become reliable before the lower, more shoulder-demanding position is added. The same-side pairing is unfamiliar to most people at first, so it is easy to default back to a more natural opposite-limb pattern without noticing. Naming each step, right arm with right leg, out loud for the first several sets tends to catch a wrong pairing faster than watching alone.
Someone new to same-side crawling typically nails the pairing within the first session or two, then lowers the plank height step by step toward the Crocodile Walk over two to three weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A same-side arm-and-leg pairing that stays correct without conscious checking
- A plank height that holds steady
- A trunk that stays stable while only the limbs move
- Comfort sustaining the pattern over a longer distance
When the same-side pairing holds up without thinking about it, the plank is ready to come lower, whatever the distance covered.
Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis Major (the chest muscle, bearing weight through the plank)
- Transverse Abdominis (a deep core muscle that wraps around the torso like a corset, holding the trunk rigid from a higher plank position)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, driving the leg forward from the higher hip position)
- Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder cap, supporting the shoulder through the position)
FAQ
Is this a different exercise from Crocodile Walk? No, it is the identical same-side crawling pattern as Crocodile Walk. The only change is the plank height, elevated here to roughly bear-crawl level instead of the much lower, near-prone hover.
Why is a higher plank considered easier? With the hips higher, less bodyweight rides on the shoulders and the core has an easier hold, which lets the same-side sequencing be learned without also fighting a demanding position.
When is it time to lower the plank height? Once the same-side pairing stays reliable over a full set without drifting into an opposite-limb pattern, gradually lowering the plank toward the height of the Crocodile Walk is a reasonable next step.
Should the shoulders and wrists feel worked after a set? Yes, a mild fatigue through both after several sets is expected from sustaining any plank height. Anything sharper in either joint deserves a doctor or physical therapist’s opinion rather than pushing on.
How often should the elevated version be trained? A couple of sessions a week suits most people well while the same-side pattern is still being built up.
Related to Crocodile Walk, the harder version performed from a much lower, near-prone plank.