Mountain climber
Log this in the trackerA plank with alternating knee drives, part core work and part conditioning.
What it is
From a push-up position you drive the knees toward the chest one at a time. Held slow it is a core exercise; done fast it becomes conditioning.
Muscles worked
Primary: Core, Hip flexors. Secondary: Front deltoids, Quadriceps, Obliques.
How to perform it
- Set a plank position with hands under the shoulders and the body in one line.
- Brace the trunk and keep the hips level with the shoulders.
- Drive one knee toward the chest without lifting the hips.
- Return it and switch legs, keeping the shoulders stacked over the hands.
Common form faults
- Hips bouncing up with every knee drive. Slow down and keep the hips at shoulder height; speed comes after control.
- Shoulders drifting behind the hands. Reset the plank; the wrists should stay under the shoulders throughout.
Programming
20 to 40 seconds, or 10 to 20 reps a side. Slow for core work, fast for conditioning; decide which before the set.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Are mountain climbers cardio or core?
- Either, set by the tempo. Slow and controlled trains the core; a fast pace for thirty seconds becomes conditioning.
- My wrists hurt.
- Use push-up handles or dumbbells to keep the wrists neutral, or do the movement with your hands on a bench.