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What Is a Crocodile Walk?

By Christina Edwards
Updated: Mar 03, 2024

A crocodile walk is a type of exercise that uses a person's body as resistance. To do these exercises, a person must get in a pushup position, with his torso close to the floor. He must then walk on all fours, just like a crocodile. This intense exercise can be difficult, and starting out with short distances is usually recommended.

Bodyweight exercises are exercises in which a person uses his own body weight as resistance. Unlike lifting weights, a person requires no special equipment to do these exercises. A crocodile walk is a type of bodyweight exercise, and as the names suggests, individuals walk like a crocodile when doing these exercises.

The starting position for a crocodile walk is similar to the starting position for pushups. The hands should be placed on the floor roughly shoulder width apart, and the elbows should be bent. The feet should be stretched out behind the body, with the toes against the floor, and these should also be shoulder width apart as well. During this exercise, the back should also be kept as straight as possible.

A crocodile walk may seem like a simple exercise, but it can be a bit difficult to master, especially for novices. To begin, a person must move one leg and the opposite arm forward at the same time, then repeat with the opposite side. This results in the person walking just like a crocodile.

It is generally recommended that a person start out slowly with this exercise at first. He can do a crocodile walk for several seconds before resting for a few seconds. After the exercise becomes easier for him, he can increase the amount of time that he does the walk. Some people also choose to walk a certain distance and increase that distance a little at a time.

Not only does a crocodile walk increase a person's endurance level, it also helps build and tone muscles. The muscles in the arms, legs, and shoulders will benefit from this exercise, since they must support the weight of the body. Abdominal and back muscles will also become stronger after performing this exercise.

Another major advantage of a crocodile walk is that it requires no equipment. All a person requires to this exercise is his own body. This means that he does not have to buy expensive weights or pay for a gym membership.

One crocodile walk variation is the alligator crawl. This exercise also starts out in the pushup position, but the arms should be straight. A person then pulls himself forward with his arms while dragging his feet behind him.

The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

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Discussion Comments
By Drentel — On Aug 14, 2014

It's amazing what you can do in terms of building muscle and getting in shape without ever lifting a weight. Look at how the military has conditioned troops for all of these years. They don't use weights and those men and women are strong and agile.

In the long run, calisthenics are much better for your body. They are less harmful to joints and you can build muscle just as well as you can by lifting all of those heavy weights. I think people, especially guys, see weights as more macho than working out using only their bodies as resistance. But if you get the same results who cares, right?

By Laotionne — On Aug 14, 2014

@Feryll - I think the alligator walk would be much easier for you. More than anything the position you have to maintain with the crocodile walk seems uncomfortable and strenuous. The movements with the crocodile walk also sound awkward. I guess it's fine for the crocodile, but not the ideal way for humans to get from one point to the next.

By Feryll — On Aug 13, 2014

I just got down on the floor and tried this crocodile walk as it was described in the article. That is really tough to do. I consider myself to be in decent shape and I'll need some time to work my way into this one. You are using muscles in ways that you don't normally use them with this exercise.

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