Swimming Crawl Style

Body WeightIntermediate

The swimming crawl style mimics the movements of swimming while on land. It engages multiple muscle groups and improves coordination.

  1. Start in a bear crawl position with your hands and knees on the ground.
  2. Extend your right arm forward while simultaneously extending your left leg back.
  3. Return to the starting position and switch sides, extending your left arm and right leg.
  4. Continue alternating sides in a smooth, controlled motion.

How to perform the Swimming Crawl Style

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Swimming Crawl Style using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your primary working muscles.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your working muscles rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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