Exercise guide
Lying Spiderman Crawl
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Lower legs
- Upper legs
- Waist
This dynamic core exercise builds exceptional oblique strength and hip mobility by mimicking a crawling motion. It challenges the entire posterior chain to stabilize the torso while the core drives the unilateral leg movement.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and feet hip-width apart.
- Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to lock your legs straight and stabilize your pelvis.
- Engage your core to maintain a flat back and neutral neck alignment.
How to do it
- Exhale and drive your right knee toward the outside of your right elbow, keeping the leg parallel to the ground.
- Inhale as you step the right foot back to the starting position, immediately re-engaging the glute.
- Alternate by driving the left knee toward the left elbow in a fluid, controlled motion.
- Maintain a slow and steady tempo, focusing on the contraction of the obliques rather than speed.
Form checklist
- Keep your hips square to the floor; do not let them rotate as the knee moves.
- Prevent the lower back from arching by keeping the navel pulled toward the spine.
- Ensure the moving foot stays hovering just above the floor throughout the repetition.
- Keep your gaze fixed between your hands to maintain a neutral cervical spine.
Pro tips
- Focus on 'crunching' the space between your ribcage and hip bone on the active side to maximize oblique recruitment.
- Actively push the floor away with your hands to engage the serratus anterior and stabilize the shoulder girdle.
Make it harder
- Slow the tempo to a 3-second hold at the peak of the contraction to increase time under tension.
- Perform the movement from a low plank (forearms) to further challenge core stability and hip range of motion.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the lying spiderman crawl work?
- The lying spiderman crawl primarily targets the abs, hamstrings, and obliques, and also works the hip flexors and quadriceps as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the lying spiderman crawl?
- The lying spiderman crawl requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the lying spiderman crawl good for beginners?
- The lying spiderman crawl is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Alternate Single Leg Raise PlankIntermediate · abs, deltoids, hamstrings, and obliques
- Back Leg Lift JackBeginner · abs, glutes, hamstrings, and obliques
- Barbell Diagonal Leg Lift RolloutAdvanced · abs, hamstrings, lats, and obliques
- Barbell Lunge TwistIntermediate · abs, glutes, hamstrings, obliques, and quadriceps