While our shoulders are considered “ball and socket” joints, shoulders sacrifice stability for mobility. That’s why keeping the four muscles that make up your rotator cuff strong is so important. Enter: the banded spider crawl.
The banded spider craw is a little “pre-hab” exercise I love to throw into my warm-up any day I am doing upper body in the gym!
While spider crawls for rotator cuff health are fairly common. I call them banded spider crawls because – well I use a band- and I always sing the “Itsy-bitsy Spider” when I am doing them! Like I mentioned earlier, the spider crawl exercise strengthens the muscles in your shoulder, prepping them to stabilize lift. Keeping you safe while lifting overhead, crushing your load goals, or even when doing inversions in yoga or dance classes.
All you need is a small looped resistance band (with light resistance) and a wall!
How to the Banded Spider Crawl
To perform the spider crawl, loop your small, light-weight, resistance band around your wrists and face a wall so your finger tips can touch it.
Lift your arms up so they are even with your shoulders width wise and at the height of your belly button.
Now, engage your shoulders and lats. Keeping your shoulders down, slowly crawl your hands up the wall (yes, like a spider!).
Keep the resistance on the band all the way up and all the way back down. Up and down like this is “one rep.”
One set should be about 3 reps.
For an optimal warm-up, perform 2-3 sets!
Want a visual? Check out this video!
Did you like today’s blog? Here are a few other quick reads that you might like: Eight Ways to Promote Faster Recovery, 10 Exercises For Dancers That Will Transform Your Technique, Stay Alive For 25 (minutes!): Workouts For Dancers