Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Spider Crawl Push Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The spider crawl push up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that combines a push-up with a dynamic knee drive, targeting the glutes, core, chest, and shoulders. It requires coordination, strength, and stability.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the spider crawl push up
Front view: muscles worked by the spider crawl push up. Primary: glutes. Secondary: abs, obliques, chest and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the spider crawl push up. Primary: glutes. Secondary: abs, obliques, chest and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the spider crawl push up

  1. Step 1: Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
  2. Step 2: Bring your right knee towards your right elbow, keeping it off the ground.
  3. Step 3: As you bring your right knee back, simultaneously lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows.
  4. Step 4: Push back up to the starting position and repeat with your left knee towards your left elbow.
  5. Step 5: Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the spider crawl push up by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Spider Crawl Push Up alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.