Leopard Crawl

AnimalBW

A low, prone crawl with the body kept close to the floor, head above the hips, moving contralateral limbs. Original Strength considers this the 'best' crawling variant for reinforcing optimal gait mechanics and posture.

Demo: Original Strength

Sets

3

Reps

20-40 ft or 1-2 min

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Avoid with wrist pain; work up gradually to build crawling endurance.

Setup

Start prone, propped on hands and feet, hips low, body close to the floor, head up.

Execution

  1. 1Move the opposite hand and foot forward together while staying low
  2. 2Keep the head above the hips throughout — never let the butt rise above the head
  3. 3Slide or drag the feet as needed for a smooth pattern
  4. 4Keep the core braced to avoid excessive hip sway
  5. 5Continue for distance or time, then reverse direction

Key cues

  • Head up, butt down — never higher than the head
  • Contralateral limbs move together
  • Stay low and close to the ground
  • Smooth, continuous movement, no bouncing

Common faults

  • Butt rising higher than the head (turns it into a bear crawl)
  • Sagging hips and losing core tension
  • Same-side limbs moving together instead of contralateral
  • Moving too fast before earning quality reps

Tweaks

  • Try backward leopard crawl for an advanced challenge
  • Add a weighted vest for loaded crawling
  • Crawl uphill for increased posterior chain demand

Regressions

Bear Crawl (Forward)

Progressions

Spider Crawl

Muscles

Primary: Core, Shoulders, Hip Flexors

Secondary: Quadriceps, Forearms

Notes

Original Strength's stated standard: be able to leopard or spider crawl continuously for at least 1 minute before progressing to loaded crawling.

Sources

Attribution: Original Strength / Tim Anderson