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The HIT MethodAn independent guide to high-intensity training

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

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The sprawl, sometimes called the sprawls exercise, is a high-impact, intermediate movement that requires no equipment. The movement consists of dropping your hips to the floor from standing and getting back up fast to build explosive power and agility.

This exercise targets your core, hip flexors, and quadriceps, while your shoulders and triceps work as supporting muscles to manage the rapid change in levels. Because it demands quick reflexes and solid body control, it requires strict form.

Exercise data

Impact
High
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
None
Main muscles
core, hip flexors, quadriceps
Also working
shoulders, triceps
Movement
Dropping the hips to the floor from standing and getting back up fast
Low-impact swap
walk-out to plank and back

How to do a sprawl

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and your hands held up near your face in a defensive posture.

  1. Drop your hands to the floor just in front of your feet.
  2. Jump both feet backward simultaneously while dropping your hips down toward the floor.
  3. Catch your body weight with your shoulders and triceps as your hips hover just above the ground.
  4. Push off the floor with your hands and jump your feet back up toward your hands.
  5. Stand up quickly to return to the starting position.

Form cues

  • Keep your core braced as your hips drop.
  • Move your feet fast on the way back up.
  • Look straight ahead when returning to the standing position.

Common mistakes

  • Sagging lower back. Brace your core tightly when your hips drop. Do not let your lower back arch excessively as you hit the bottom position.
  • Landing heavy on the toes. Jump your feet back up so they land flat. This protects your knees and prepares you to stand up powerfully.
  • Looking down. Keep your chest up and eyes forward as you stand. Looking at the floor rounds your upper back and slows your recovery.
  • Stiff arms. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as your hands hit the ground. This helps your triceps and shoulders absorb the impact safely.

Easier and harder versions

Easier

  • walk-out to plank and back
  • Sprawl to an elevated surface like a sturdy bench

Harder

  • Add a vertical jump at the end of the movement
  • Add a push-up at the bottom of the movement

Using it in intervals

The sprawl is a high-impact move that rapidly increases your heart rate, making it highly effective for short, intense interval blocks. Try performing it for twenty to thirty seconds of all-out effort, followed by a strict rest period. As you get tired, your hips may start to sag excessively at the bottom of the movement. If you cannot maintain a braced core and quick hip flexor engagement, slow your pace or switch to the low-impact alternative to protect your lower back.

Formats that suit this move: Tabata Workout, 30/30 Intervals.

Impact note. This move involves jumping. If impact bothers your knees, ankles, back or pelvic floor, use the low-impact swap: walk-out to plank and back.

Similar moves

When to stop and see a doctor

  • Sharp pain in your lower back when dropping your hips
  • Sudden, pinching sensations in your shoulders or wrists
  • Knee joint pain when jumping your feet forward

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.