The Spiderman Exercises

Dr. Terry Zachary

This article is designed to clarify the different exercises that are referred to as 'Spiderman
exercises.' There are four quite different exercises that are commonly referred to as such
and they will be described below:

1. The Spiderman Exercise for the Hand, Wrist & Forearm

The first of the Spiderman exercises refers to an exercise that strengthens finger flexion,
finger extension, wrist extension and forearm supination. The latter three of the four
exercises are specifically designed to offset RSI circumstances whereby many people (due
to computers, production lines, and various grip related workplaces and hobbies) create
harmful imbalances due to imbalanced daily habits. In other words, it is quite common for
various sports, musical pursuits, hobbies and workplace environments to cause an
imbalance towards chronic finger flexion, wrist flexion and pronation that lead to imbalances
in the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow.

This Spiderman exercise is designed to be used in the prevention or in the rehabilitation of

RSI injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, and
DeQuarvain's syndrome, to name a few. The exercise utilizes the Handmaster Plus hand
exerciser and conveniently combines four exercises into one continuous motion. The user is
aided in memorizing the exercise as it mimics the action of Spiderman creating a spider
web.

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2. Spiderman Exercise For the Core Muscles (Active Crawl)

The second exercise referred to as a Spiderman exercise is designed to strengthen and
stabilize core muscles and can be also used as an aerobic and flexibility workout. This
exercise requires no equipment and simply an area where the user has space to move (at
least 5 yards). It can be done anywhere and is a great activity when outdoors.

The exercise starts placing the user on 'all fours' in a crawling position. The user starts by
advancing the shin of the trailing leg towards the lead forearm on the same side and
balances by placing the arm and trailing leg of the opposite side in a spread position. The
user then advances forward by opposing the arm and leg positions of each side. In other
words, if the user starts with the left leg and left forearm in approximation, they will
advance forward bringing the right leg in the right forearm into approximation by the next
step.

The degree that the ipsilateral (same side) forearm and leg approximate each other
determines the degree of difficulty of the exercise. More advanced users may be able to
touch leg forearm on the ipsilateral side.

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There is also a reverse Spiderman Crawl - more advanced; in reverse.

3. Spiderman Lunge Exercise (Static)

The third exercise commonly referred to as a Spiderman exercise also addresses core
musculature. It is more of a static exercise than exercise 2 above. The user starts in a push-
up position with arms and legs spread comfortably apart. The user then lifts one leg, bends
the knee and approximates the shin of that leg towards the arm of the ipsilateral arm. Again
as in exercise 2 above, the closer that the shin and arm can be approximated more
advanced is the exercise. The user would then return to the starting position and repeat
with the opposite side. The user would repeat as many repetitions as desired.
Find more info on Spiderman Static Core Exercises here

4. The Spiderman Climb or Push-Up

The fourth and last of the exercises commonly referred to as a Spiderman exercise is the
Spiderman climb or push-up. This exercise is performed like a regular push-up except that
when the user lowers the body towards the floor they will bend one leg such that the thigh
of that leg approximates forward arm. The active leg is not to touch the ground. The user
then pushes up and re-extends the bent knee into its original position and repeat on the
opposite side. Again the Spiderman push-ups are repeated as many repetitions as desired
by the user.
Find more info on the Spiderman Climb or Push-Ups