When you're traveling, or if you don't want to pay for a gym membership, body weight exercises fit well in a workout routine. A crab walk is a body weight exercise performed from a face-up position. You walk on your hands and feet with your hips raised in the air. This causes you to work multiple muscles simultaneously.
Triceps
The triceps are the major muscles on the back of the upper arms. When you extend your elbows, you have to engage your triceps. During crab walks, your elbows are held in extension for a long period so your triceps get a lot of activation. In anatomical terms, the triceps are often referred to as the triceps brachii. They consist of a long, medial and lateral head, says ExRx.
Deltoids
The deltoids consist of a posterior, lateral and anterior portion. The posterior part is on the back of the shoulder, the lateral part is on the side of the shoulder and the anterior is on the front. When you do crab walks, your posterior delts get the most recruitment.
Latissimus Dorsi
The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle that starts in the lower back and runs up to the top, right underneath the shoulder blades. The main part of the lats that get worked during crab walks is the middle to upper portion.
Rhomboids
The rhomboids major and minor sit between the shoulder blades in the upper back. Any time you squeeze your shoulder blades together, you perform scapular retraction, which activates these muscles. This takes place throughout a crab walk.
Trapezius
The trapezius is a large muscle found right above the rhomboids. The middle and lower segment get strengthened when you perform crab walks.
Erector Spinae
The erector spinae is a strip of muscle that starts at the base of the skull and runs down the spinal column to the lower back. When you do crab walks, you need to engage this muscle to keep your hips elevated so it becomes stronger.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings consist of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. This muscle group is located on the back of the upper thighs. These muscles get activated during hip extension. During crab walks, you perform hip extension to keep your buttocks lifted in the air.
Rectus Abdominis
The rectus abdominis is the large muscle in the stomach. When it's well defined and you have a low amount of body, you notice a six pack. During crab walks, contract your abs to maintain good postural alignment.
