TETSUBear Crawl vs Rowing Machine
The Bear Crawl and the Rowing Machine are both conditioning exercises: they raise your heart rate and burn calories rather than building one specific muscle. Here is how they compare and when each makes sense.
Side-by-side comparison
| Bear Crawl | Rowing Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | conditioning | conditioning |
| Body part | cardio | cardiovascular system |
| Supporting muscles | core, shoulders and triceps | — |
| Equipment | bodyweight | machine |
| Steps in our guide | 6 | 6 |
How each one starts
Bear Crawl — first steps
- Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
- Lift your knees slightly off the ground, keeping your back flat and your core engaged.
Rowing Machine — first steps
- Set the damper between 3 and 5, strap in your feet, and take the handle.
- Start at the catch: shins vertical, arms straight, back neutral.
Full step-by-step guides are linked below.
Which should you choose?
Both work as steady-state or interval tools. Pick the Bear Crawl or the Rowing Machine based on impact tolerance and what your gym has — then let effort, not the machine, drive the result. For fat loss and conditioning, total effort matters far more than which tool you use. Rotate them across the week if you like variety.
Full form guides
Common questions
Is the Bear Crawl better than the Rowing Machine?
Neither is universally better — both condition the heart and lungs. The better one is whichever you can work hardest on consistently; joint comfort and access decide more than the machine itself.
Can I do both the Bear Crawl and the Rowing Machine in the same week?
Yes — alternating conditioning tools across the week is common and spreads the impact across different joints and patterns.
Do the Bear Crawl and the Rowing Machine burn similar calories?
At matched effort and duration, yes. Intensity and time drive calorie burn far more than the specific tool.
Track it in Tetsu
Tetsu tracks both movements separately, keeps your PRs per exercise, and tells you which one is actually progressing. Free to start.