Inchworm
A beginner compound movement that trains the hamstrings with just bodyweight.
Force Type
Mixed
direction of effort
Difficulty
Beginner
training level
Variations
0
equipment swaps
Muscles
1
primary + secondary
The verdict
Inchworm has 5-step instructions, among the most thoroughly documented of the 79 hamstrings exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 79 hamstrings exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#245 of 868
More thorough than most
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#430 of 868
Typical documentation depth
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
Inchworm vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
608 430th of 873 higher than 443 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
Inchworm is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the Inchworm Data Reveals · DOC · MIXED/COMPOUND
Inchworm stands out on mechanic class: joint involvement separates this page from isolation peers.
Longer step lists usually mean finer setup cues, not a harder movement by themselves.
Across 79 catalogued hamstrings movements, the average instruction record is 621 characters and 3.9 steps; 41 of those (51.9%) clear the same ≥500-character rich bar used here. This page ranks #28 of 79 by instruction-character length (97.9% of the cohort average).
Among the 111 exercises that also use just bodyweight, average instruction length is 581 characters; 43 of those peers are longer than this record. Equipment-matched peers are the honest comparison when you are choosing a substitute implement for the same pattern.
Other well-documented hamstrings movements (same ≥500-character bar):
- Power Clean (24 steps, 3,264 chars)
- Clean (6 steps, 1,688 chars)
- Power Clean from Blocks (5 steps, 1,423 chars)
- Split Snatch (6 steps, 1,289 chars)
- Power Snatch (5 steps, 1,116 chars)
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
Inchworm catalog footprint
Among 79 exercises whose primary muscle is hamstrings, Inchworm ranks #29 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for hamstrings for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. Inchworm does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet close together. Keeping your legs straight, stretch down and put your hands on the floor directly in front of you. This will be your starting position.
- Begin by walking your hands forward slowly, alternating your left and your right. As you do so, bend only at the hip, keeping your legs straight.
- Keep going until your body is parallel to the ground in a pushup position.
- Now, keep your hands in place and slowly take short steps with your feet, moving only a few inches at a time.
- Continue walking until your feet are by hour hands, keeping your legs straight as you do so.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps before the pattern is grooved - at this stage, a slow, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) on Inchworm teaches the nervous system the movement far faster than speed does.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the hamstrings through its full safe range on Inchworm is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Treating a compound lift like an isolation movement - Inchworm recruits multiple joints; bracing the core and engaging stabilizers matters as much as the prime movers.
- Loading before grooving the pattern, practice the movement with light resistance until the path feels automatic, then add load.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on Inchworm - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with just bodyweight where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People new to resistance training who want to build a foundation in the movement pattern
- People who want to train the Hamstrings
- People training at home without equipment
Who this is NOT for
- People hunting equipment swaps, this record has none to offer; browse the peer hamstrings exercises for alternate patterns instead.
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once Inchworm feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to intermediate-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · BODY-ONLY · MIXED/COMPOUND · FLOOR
- On MIXED/COMPOUND hamstrings work, warm up 5–10 minutes before loading Inchworm; keep first sets light until the path feels automatic.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Beginners on BODY-ONLY gear: cut volume before cutting form, drop a set rather than rush reps.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Curated workout appearances
Inchworm appears in 5 of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Inchworm, drawn across all muscles (not the hamstrings-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Related exercises
Other exercises that target the Hamstrings.
See all Hamstrings exercises.
Using the inchworm
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the hamstrings 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other hamstrings movements for balanced development. All hamstrings exercises
- Match the load and rep range to your goal, strength, size, or endurance each call for a different scheme. Strength vs hypertrophy
- As a compound lift, this trains several muscles at once, anchor your session around it before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.