Core · Bodyweight
Crocodile Crawl
How to do the crocodile crawl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a low push-up position with your body close to the floor and elbows bent. Crawl forward by reaching one arm out while driving the opposite knee toward the same elbow, staying low and flat the entire time. Keep alternating sides as you travel across the floor.
- 1Shoulders, triceps, and chest working hard to keep you low
- 2Core bracing to keep your hips from rocking side to side
- 3Opposite arm and leg moving together in a smooth rhythm
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips pike up or hang low
- Rushing and losing the cross-body coordination
- Holding your breath; keep breathing as you crawl
Muscles worked
The crocodile crawl mainly works the upper abs and lower abs, with the triceps, mid chest, obliques, front delts, hip flexors, forearms, upper traps, quads, and glutes assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Mid ChestSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the crocodile crawl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.