Crab Walk (Lateral)

AnimalBW

Crab walk performed sideways in the tabletop position, crossing or stepping limbs laterally. Adds a frontal-plane hip and shoulder demand to the standard crab walk pattern.

Demo: Various / General S&C Demo

Sets

3

Reps

15-20 ft each direction

Rest

45s

Contraindications

Avoid with wrist or shoulder pain.

Setup

Start in the crab walk tabletop position, oriented to move sideways.

Execution

  1. 1Step the leading hand and foot out to the side together
  2. 2Follow with the trailing hand and foot to close the stance or cross over
  3. 3Keep hips lifted and level throughout the lateral travel
  4. 4Avoid twisting the torso toward the direction of travel
  5. 5Travel a set distance, then reverse direction

Key cues

  • Lead with the same-side hand and foot
  • Keep the hips lifted and square
  • Move deliberately, don't rush the crossover steps
  • Keep the chest open throughout

Common faults

  • Hips sagging during the lateral steps
  • Twisting the torso toward the direction of travel
  • Losing balance on the crossover step
  • Head dropping back and straining the neck

Tweaks

  • Combine with lateral bear crawl for a full-body lateral circuit
  • Add a Crab Reach at intervals
  • Increase speed once the pattern is clean

Regressions

Crab Walk (Forward)

Progressions

Traveling Crab

Muscles

Primary: Glutes, Hip Abductors, Shoulders

Secondary: Core, Triceps

Notes

Less common than forward/backward crab walk, but useful for frontal-plane hip stability work.

Sources

Attribution: GMB Fitness / General S&C