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The HIT MethodAn independent guide to high-intensity training

Inchworm: How to Do It, Muscles Worked and Easier Options

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The inchworm is a low-impact, beginner-level bodyweight movement that builds strength and mobility. By walking your hands out to a plank and back to your feet, you target your core and shoulders while actively lengthening your hamstrings. Your triceps and chest also assist as supporting muscles during the plank phase.

Because it requires no equipment, this exercise is highly versatile for home workouts or gym warm-ups. It helps prepare your body for more intense intervals by engaging multiple muscle groups at once. Focus on control rather than speed to get the most out of the movement.

Exercise data

Impact
Low
Level
Beginner
Equipment
None
Main muscles
core, shoulders, hamstrings (lengthening)
Also working
triceps, chest
Movement
Walking the hands out to a plank and back to the feet
Low-impact swap
walk-out with bent knees

How to do a inchworm

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms resting at your sides. Keep your core braced and your gaze forward.

  1. Hinge at your hips and reach your hands toward the floor, keeping your legs as straight as comfortable.
  2. Place your palms flat on the ground just in front of your feet.
  3. Walk your hands forward one at a time until you reach a high plank position.
  4. Pause briefly with your shoulders stacked directly over your wrists and your body in a straight line.
  5. Walk your hands back toward your feet, keeping your core tight.
  6. Stand back up to the starting position by extending your hips.

Form cues

  • Keep your legs straight but do not lock your knees.
  • Squeeze your glutes at the bottom of the plank.
  • Take small, controlled steps with your hands.
  • Brace your core to prevent your lower back from sagging.

Common mistakes

  • Sagging hips. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core as you reach the extended position. Stop walking your hands forward before your lower back arches.
  • Rushing the movement. Move your hands deliberately and pause in the high plank. Speeding through reduces muscle tension and compromises your form.
  • Bending the knees too much. Keep your legs as straight as your flexibility allows to stretch the hamstrings. If you lack mobility, widen your stance slightly.
  • Shifting hips side to side. Keep your torso stable as you walk your hands out. Engage your obliques and take smaller steps with your hands.
  • Looking up at the ceiling. Keep your neck neutral by gazing slightly ahead of your hands on the floor. This prevents unnecessary neck strain.

Easier and harder versions

Easier

  • walk-out with bent knees

Harder

  • Add a push-up at the bottom of the plank position.
  • Walk your hands past your shoulders into an extended plank before walking back.

Using it in intervals

During high-intensity intervals, use the inchworm as an active recovery phase or a steady-state core challenge. Because fatigue often sets in quickly, you must pay close attention to your lower back as the timer ticks down. If you feel your hips dropping, slow your pace and reset your core at the top of each repetition. Prioritize strict movement over logging a high number of reps, ensuring your shoulders and core do the work safely.

Formats that suit this move: 40/20 Intervals, EMOM Workout, Low-Impact HIIT Workout.

Similar moves

When to stop and see a doctor

  • Sharp pain in your lower back during the plank phase.
  • Pinching sensations in your shoulder joints.
  • Tingling or numbness radiating down your arms.
  • Sudden dizziness when standing back up.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems, are pregnant or have been inactive for a long time, talk to your doctor before starting vigorous exercise.

How this page was made. Exercise data (impact, level, equipment, muscles) was compiled by our editors as a general anatomy and coaching guide. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Training Desk; see how we write. Last checked October 2026.