What Are Animal Crawls?

Animal crawls are exercises that mimic the movements of different animals, though some variations may not closely resemble the animal they are named after. The most well-known example is the bear crawl, but other variations include duck walks, lizard crawls, and monkey walks.

These exercises were heavily popularised by Ido Portal and other figures from the movement culture. When used correctly, they can be extremely beneficial training tools; however, when used incorrectly, they may have drawbacks that negatively impact your training.

Why Are They Beneficial?

Organic Movements

In physical training, we often become stuck in very specific movement patterns. Animal crawls introduce variety into our movement practice and help us break free from poor positions that we may adopt throughout the day.

Core Strength

For many individuals, exercises like bear crawls or lizard crawls place sufficient stress on the core muscles to promote adaptation. This makes them effective core exercises in resistance training sessions. However, for more advanced individuals, these exercises may not provide enough stimulus to drive further adaptation.

Full-Body Awareness & Coordination

Animal crawls require the body to move as a single, coordinated system through space. Many people struggle with this due to a lack of body awareness and coordination. Regularly practicing animal crawls can improve these attributes, leading to better overall movement control.

Overall Movement Capacity

If you've read my article on physical health and how we define it at Programme, you’ll know how crucial movement capacity is for optimal physical health. Animal crawls can help improve movement capacity by enhancing mobility, especially when combined with stretching and strength training. For this reason, they should play at least a minor role in most training programs.

What Are Their Drawbacks?

Not Effective for Strength Training

Strength training is a crucial component of overall physical health. It’s important to recognize both what an exercise does and what it doesn’t do. Animal crawls should never replace strength training.

For most individuals, animal crawls will not significantly impact strength metrics because they do not provide enough stimulus. While they may offer some benefits to beginners, they are far less effective than traditional strength training exercises.

This is why a well-rounded program includes both strength training and movement-based training. The notion that you cannot be both strong and a good mover is false—the ideal is to develop both qualities.

Not Effective for Conditioning

Just as some people mistakenly replace strength training with animal crawls, others use them in conditioning circuits. While they can play a minor role in mixed-model conditioning (such as in CrossFit), they are not the most effective tool for improving conditioning.

I occasionally include animal crawls in conditioning circuits when I don’t want a client to reach high levels of intensity. However, they should not be a staple in your conditioning routine.

When Should They Be Programmed?

Warm-Ups

I personally love incorporating animal crawls into my own and my clients’ warm-ups. They are an excellent way to increase core temperature while moving through natural positions.

Core Circuits

As mentioned earlier, animal crawls can be beneficial for core development in certain individuals. This makes them a useful addition to core circuits.

Cool-Downs

Animal crawls can also be effective in cool-downs, but they should match the ability level of the individual. If a bear crawl is a challenging exercise, it shouldn’t be included in a cool-down. However, if it’s easy for the individual, then it can be a useful addition. The same applies to monkey walks and duck walks.

Final Thoughts

Remember, building muscle strength, muscle mass, and VO₂ max will do far more to help you climb a mountain at 80 than bear crawls or duck walks alone.