Mountain Climber Exercise

A Must-Have Exercise For Body Weight Workouts

The mountain climber exercise is a high power full body workout.  The perfect combination of cardio and core training.  It’s good for the legs and hip flexors.  You’re upper body is being held up by your arms, chest, and shoulders so it’s good for them too.  It’s great for your back.  Heck, it’s even good for the muscles in your feet!  Ever think of them?

You get all of that wrapped up in an outstanding cardio exercise that requires no equipment and no gym.

As you can imagine working all of those muscles and getting your heart rate going at the same time makes mountain climbers an excellent fat burning exercise.    

Technique

• Get in the pushup position with arms directly under your shoulders. 
• Contract your abs.
• Pull your right knee toward your right arm.
• Extend your right leg back to the starting position and bring your left leg toward your left arm.
• Your feet only touch the ground at the starting position.
• Do this as quickly as you can.
• To start with, do 15 to 20 reps per leg.  Hold the plank position for 15 seconds.  Do 3 to 5 sets.

Keep In Mind...

• Keep your back as straight as you can.  Stay close to the pushup position while your legs are moving.
• That means don’t let your butt rise up into the air too far and definitely don't let it sag down.
• Again, your feet only touch the ground at the starting position.  Keep them up and keep them moving.
  

Modifiers

Raise the Upper Body

To make the mountain climber exercise easier, put your hands on a raised platform or step. 

Twist or Cross Body Mountain Climber

Raise your right leg toward your left arm.  Return to the starting position and raise your left leg toward your right arm.  This variation of the mountain climber exercise brings a lot more core muscles into play.  You should really feel the twist in your obliques.

Full Cross Body Mountain Climber

Similar to the twist, but you extend your leg outside of the opposite arm.  Raise your left leg toward your right arm.  Continue to twist and extend your left foot outside of your right arm.  Bring it back to the starting position and repeat with the right leg.

Excellent for core strength and flexibility.

Hip Mobility Mountain Climber

This variation gives you (and kind of requires) Spider Man-like hip flexibility.  Bring your right foot as close as possible to the right hand and plant it on the ground.  Snap back to the starting position and switch legs. 

This one is a lot of work.  Concentrate on bringing that foot as close to the hand as possible. 

Workout Tip

Try incorporating the mountain climber exercise into a set of other plank related exercises.  You'll feel the stress on the shoulders, across the back, and through your core before you know it. 

For example:

• 20 mountain climbers (20 on each side)
• Plank for 15 seconds - A good straight arm plank!  Get your butt down.  And if you're butt is sagging, get it up.
• 15 pushups
• Plank for 15 seconds
• 20 cross body mountain climbers - really bring the knee to the opposite elbow.
• Plank for 15 seconds.
• Raise the right arm and hold the side plank for 15 seconds.
• Put the arm down and hold the regular plank for 15 seconds.
• Raise the left arm and hold the side plank for 15 seconds.
• Put the arm down and hold the regular plank for 15 seconds.
• Repeat.