I’ve been strengthening my lower core with bear hold variations—here’s how to give them a go

Torso and legs of a woman seen in bear hold position — (Image credit: Getty Images / Catherine Falls Commercial)

Something that keeps me wanting to exercise is acquiring and developing fitness skills. I first really experienced how satisfying it is during my years at a CrossFit gym, where my training built towards achieving certain skills or addressing weaknesses.

While not everyone is like me—some people just want to work out occasionally for general fitness or weight management—few are completely immune to the satisfaction of achieving a physical feat that was once beyond them. I’ve seen it firsthand with the people I train.

I’ve recently gone through a really satisfying deep core progression that I wanted to share with Fit&Well readers.

My bear hold progression plan

Start by mastering the bear hold, working on it until you can comfortably maintain stability for three sets of 30 to 40 seconds.

After that, I recommend progressing to bear hold shoulder taps as an intermediate step, which introduces three points of contact and teaches your body to resist rotation.

From there, you can move onto a unilateral variation. These variations force your core to fight rotational forces—so if you lift your left arm, you’ll feel your right obliques fire up to keep your hips level.

The ultimate test is lifting opposite limbs simultaneously, not only requiring strength and hip stability but neural coordination too—that’s synchronized coordination between your brain, nervous system and muscles for smooth, controlled movement.

1. Bear hold

Sets: 2-3 Time: 30-40sec

How to do it:

Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
Tuck your toes and raise your knees a few inches off the floor.
Press your palms into the floor activating your upper back, and engage your deep core.
Hold this position for time, maintaining stable hips and a neutral neck throughout.

2. Bear hold shoulder tap

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 12 each side

How to do it:

Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
Tuck your toes and raise your knees a few inches off the floor.
Press your palms into the floor activating your upper back, and engage your deep core.
Raise your right hand to tap your left shoulder, then return it to the floor.
Repeat on the other side.
Continue alternating shoulder taps while maintaining control and stability through your hips and back.

3. Single arm/leg bear hold

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 each side Hold: 3-5sec

Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
Tuck your toes and raise your knees a few inches off the floor.
Engage your lower core and press your palms into the floor to keep your back and hips stable and level.
Raise your left arm and extend it in front of you, aiming toward shoulder height.
Hold briefly, then lower and repeat on the other side.
Repeat the sequence with your legs, extending each leg behind with control.

Trainer tip: Keep your shoulders directly above your palms—as they tend to slip back—for maximum core and back engagement.

4. Opposite limb bear reach

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 each side Hold: 2-3sec

Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
Tuck your toes and raise your knees a few inches off the floor.
Engage your lower core and press your palms into the floor to keep your back and hips stable and level.
Once stable, slowly extend your left arm forward and your right leg back.
Hold for a few seconds.
Lower with control and repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: If your hips start swaying, return to the single arm/leg bear hold.

Yanar Alkayat is a health and fitness editor, registered yoga therapist and level 3 personal trainer. She founded Yanar Mind & Movement alongside her journalism to offer specialist yoga therapy for people living with long-term health conditions, movement disorders and marginalised communities. Her chair yoga classes are funded by Parkinson's UK and she regularly runs yoga and fitness for refugee and asylum seeker groups in London. Formerly a content editor and fitness product testing manager at Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Runner's World, she continues to write for national print and digital media.