Resistance Band Spider Crawls

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place a mini-band around your wrists or forearms.
2. Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
3. Place your forearms against the wall at shoulder height, ensuring your elbows and hands are aligned vertically.
4. Pull your hands apart to create tension in the band, keeping your forearms parallel to each other.

How to do it

1. Maintain outward tension on the band and 'crawl' your hands up the wall by taking small, alternating steps with your forearms.
2. Exhale as you climb upward until your arms are nearly fully extended, ensuring your ribs stay tucked and your back doesn't arch.
3. Inhale as you reverse the movement, crawling back down to the starting shoulder-height position with the same controlled, alternating steps.
4. Move at a slow, deliberate tempo, focusing on keeping the forearms parallel and the band taut throughout the entire range.

Form checklist

• Keep constant outward pressure on the band; do not let your hands cave inward.
• Maintain a neutral spine and engaged core to prevent lower back arching.
• Keep your shoulders pressed down and away from your ears to avoid excessive shrugging.
• Ensure your forearms stay in contact with the wall at all times.
• Keep your elbows tucked in line with your wrists rather than flaring them out.

Pro tips

• Focus on pushing your shoulder blades forward (protraction) into the wall to maximize serratus anterior activation.
• Think about 'pulling the wall apart' with your forearms to maintain peak tension in the lateral deltoids.
• Maintain a slight lean into the wall to increase the weight-bearing load on the shoulder complex.

Make it harder

• Use a heavier resistance band to increase the tension required to keep the arms parallel.
• Increase the range of motion by crawling all the way down to waist height before returning upward.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the resistance band spider crawls work?

The resistance band spider crawls primarily targets the trapezius, and also works the biceps, forearms, and rhomboids as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the resistance band spider crawls?

The resistance band spider crawls uses resistance band.

Is the resistance band spider crawls good for beginners?

The resistance band spider crawls is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Alternating Dead HangAdvanced · lats and trapezius
• Archer Pull-UpAdvanced · lats and trapezius
• Back LeverAdvanced · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, pectorals, and trapezius
• Band Assisted Chin Up From KneeIntermediate · biceps, lats, and trapezius