Inchworm
Walk out long, hips stay up. The inchworm hinges you to the floor, walks the hands out to a plank and back, so the hamstrings lengthen and the trunk switches on in the same rep. Bend the knees as much as you need on the way down. Letting the hips sag as the hands travel is the only real fault, and it needs no equipment at all.
Setup
- Stand tall, feet hip width.
- Soft knees.
How To Do It
- Hinge and place the hands on the floor, bending the knees as much as you need.
- Walk the hands out to a plank, keeping the hips from sagging.
- Walk the feet up to the hands and stand.
Breathing
Breathe steadily throughout.
Common Mistakes
- Letting the hips sag as the hands walk out.
- Forcing straight legs and rounding the back instead.
Programming It
Two to three sets of 5-8 reps.
Why This Exercise Works
Walking the hands out and back moves through a hamstring stretch, a plank, and a shoulder-loaded position in one rep. It is the most efficient warm-up movement available with no equipment, which is the whole reason it survives.
Where You Should Feel It
A hamstring stretch on the walk out, then shoulders and trunk in the plank position. It should feel like waking up rather than working out.
Where It Fits in a Program
A warm-up that mobilises the hamstrings and wakes the trunk in the same rep. Do it often and briefly. Range responds to repetition, not to long single sessions.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the inchworm: add a push-up at the end of each walk-out. To regress it: bend the knees on the walk-out, and shorten the reach.
Who It's For
Everyone, as a warm-up. It moves through three positions with no equipment, which is why it survives in almost every warm-up ever written.
Equipment and Substitutions
Nothing to buy and nowhere to be, which is the point. If it is too easy, the harder variations below are the progression, not added weight.
Related Exercises
- Leg Curl · Hamstrings
- Nordic Hamstring Curl · Hamstrings
- Nordic Curl (Assisted) · Hamstrings
- Jefferson Curl · Hamstrings, Spine
- Band Good Morning · Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back
- Band Deadlift · Hamstrings, Glutes, Back
- Good Morning · Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back
- Single-Leg RDL · Hamstrings, Glutes, Balance
Common Questions
What muscles does the inchworm work?
The inchworm primarily trains the hamstrings, core, shoulders.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Two to three sets of 5-8 reps.
What are the most common inchworm mistakes?
Most often: letting the hips sag as the hands walk out; forcing straight legs and rounding the back instead.
Can I do this without any equipment?
Yes. This version needs no equipment at all. It trains the hamstrings, core, shoulders using bodyweight alone, which is why it travels well and works as a warm-up, a substitute, or a full session on its own.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
The inchworm loads the knee, hip and lower back together, which means a problem in any one of them can surface here. If a rep reproduces the pain you already have, stop the set and get it looked at. Not medical advice.