Inchworm

Setup

1. 01Stand tall with feet hip width apart and legs nearly straight.
2. 02Clear a body length of floor space in front of you.
3. 03Keep a soft bend in the knees only as much as hamstring flexibility requires.
4. 04Brace lightly before hinging down.

Execution

1. 01Hinge at the hips and place both hands on the floor in front of the feet.
2. 02Walk the hands forward one at a time until you reach a full plank.
3. 03Pause briefly in the plank with a straight line from head to heels.
4. 04Walk the hands back toward the feet and stand up tall, or walk the feet to the hands to travel.

Checkpoints

• -Legs stay as straight as flexibility allows to load the hamstrings.
• -The plank position shows no sag or pike at the hips.
• -Hand steps are small and controlled, not lunging reaches.
• -A hamstring stretch is felt each time the hands walk back.

Common mistakes

• -Bending the knees deeply and losing the hamstring stretch.
• -Sagging the hips in the plank position.
• -Walking the hands far past the plank and straining the shoulders.
• -Rushing reps and skipping the plank pause.