Bear Crawl Variations
How to Do It
From the bear position (knees hovering an inch off the floor, back flat, hips at shoulder height), perform crawling variations — moving laterally, backward, or adding a shoulder tap or reach between steps. Keep the knees low, hips level, and resist any twisting. Move slowly and controlled through each pattern for the prescribed distance or time.
Why It Works
Challenges anti-rotation core control and shoulder/hip coordination across multiple directions; varying the direction and adding reaches forces the trunk to stabilize against different rotary and shifting loads, broadening full-body stability.
Hockey Transfer
Builds the multi-directional coordination and trunk control that transfer to the varied directional demands of skating — forward, lateral, and backward — while keeping a strong, stable core in low contested positions.
Coaching Cues
- "Knees hover, back flat"
- "hips quiet in every direction"
- "slow, controlled, no twist"
Common Mistakes
Hips swaying or rotating; knees popping up high; rushing and losing the brace
Progression / Regression
add load, longer distance, or harder direction patterns
forward crawl only, slower, shorter distance
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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