The mountain climber exercise is a full-body workout that may help improve your strength, stability, cardiovascular endurance and agility.1 If you're thinking of adding this exercise into your workout routine, read this article to learn how to perform it correctly, what its different variations are and how it may improve your fitness goals.
What Is a Mountain Climber Exercise?
The mountain climber exercise is a type of bodyweight workout that is time- and space-efficient, and can be performed without equipment. It's also very versatile and easy to integrate into your workout routine.
Mountain climbers are a great way to warm up your body and speed up your heart rate prior to working out. They can be included in your regular routine too, performed in between sets of strength-training routines to serve as a cardio. Mountain climbers may also be used as a finishing exercise when you're winding down.2
What Muscles Does the Mountain Climber Exercise Work?
The mountain climber exercise is a dynamic workout that targets multiple muscles in your upper and lower body. When correctly performed, it primarily works your core muscles, promoting fat loss around the abdominal area and helping you develop abs. The muscles around your hips, legs, shoulders and arms are also used when doing this exercise.3,4,
5
Benefits of Mountain Climber Exercise
Mountain climbers are among the most efficient exercises you can add into your routine, as they target multiple muscles all at once while simultaneously giving you a cardio workout. This exercise is also low-impact, as it's much easier on the spine compared to ab workouts that require you to lie on your back.6
Moreover, the lower body motions involved in the mountain climbers help loosen up the joints in your hips and knees, improving your flexibility and mobility. This exercise also teaches how you to stabilize your shoulder muscles to maintain proper posture.7
How to Perform the Mountain Climber Exercise
Whether you're aiming to build abs or to improve your cardio, mountain climbers are a worthy addition to your workout routine. Here's how to do them correctly:8,9,10
![mountain climber]()
1. Kneel on the mat with your knees and feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing toward your body (dorsi-flexed).
2. Lean forward and place your hands on the floor, directly beneath your shoulders.
3. Straighten your arms to assume a high plank starting position. Keep your elbows locked to form a straight line from the wrist to the shoulder joints.
4. Lift one foot off the floor then bring your knee up toward your chest, keeping your body as straight as possible.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your other leg.
Try These Mountain Climber Variations
Once you've perfected standard mountain climbers, try the following advanced variations of this exercise to spice up your workout routine:
Cross Body Mountain Climbers
This exercise specifically targets your oblique muscles. Here's how it's done:11
![cross body mountain climber]()
1. Assume a high plank starting position. Keep your core braced and your body as straight as possible.
2. Bring one knee up and move it toward the opposite shoulder, twisting your torso a little.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your opposite leg.
Gym Ball Mountain Climbers
This variation will challenge your core, as it's more difficult to support your body on an unstable surface. Follow these steps to execute it properly:12
![gym ball mountain climber]()
1. Do a high plank with your hands resting on top of a gym ball.
2. Engage your core and bring one of your knees up toward your chest, keeping your body as straight and stable as possible.
3. Return to your starting position and repeat the pattern with your other leg.
Spider-Man Mountain Climbers
This exercise helps improve your balance and flexibility, and engages your oblique and lower abdominal muscles. Here's how to do it:13
![spider man mountain climber]()
1. Start with a high plank position. Make sure to squeeze your abs.
2. Lift one foot off the floor, bringing it up and planting it on the outer side of your right hand, letting your hip drop a little as needed.
3. Bring your right foot back to its starting position and repeat the movement with your left leg.
Modified Mountain Climber and Extension
This variation is good for improving hip mobility and strengthening the upper body, especially the triceps and shoulders. Follow these steps:14
![modified mountain climber and extension]()
1. From a high plank starting position, plant your knees to the ground. Be sure to distribute your weight evenly on your hands.
2. Lift one of your legs up and straighten it out behind you, keeping the other knee planted on the floor.
3. Bend the extended leg and bring it up toward your shoulder. Make sure that it's parallel to the floor.
4. With your leg still elevated, straighten it behind you, and repeat the steps with the opposite leg.
Mountain Climber Exercise Alternatives
If you're looking for other exercises that provide the same fitness gains as mountain climbers, try one of these workouts during your next training session:
High Knees
This simple cardio-intensive exercise engages the core and leg muscles and helps improve flexibility. Follow these steps to perform it:15
1. Stand with your arms at your sides and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lift your left knee up as high as possible toward your chest and lower it back down.
3. Repeat the movement with your right knee.
Plank Jack
Just like the mountain climber exercise, the plank jack works your core muscles and helps improve your shoulder stability while acting as a cardio workout. Here's how it's done:16
1. Start with a standard plank position, keeping your arms underneath your shoulder and your feet together.
2. While keeping your core braced and your body as straight as possible, jump and spread your legs to form a wide V.
3. Jump again to bring your legs together, back to their original position.
4. Repeat the movements as many times as you can within a minute, taking 20 seconds break in between.
Frogger
This is another full-body workout that targets the arms, glutes and legs. It's best suited for individuals with a strong upper body. Here's how it's done:17
![frogger]()
1. Adopt a standard plank position, keeping your legs shoulder-width apart.
2. With your hands firmly planted on the ground, jump forward into a squat position, making sure that your feet land outside of your elbows.
3. Jump back to your starting position and repeat.
Mountain Climber Exercise for Beginners
The mountain climber is usually categorized as an exercise for intermediate to advanced fitness levels.18,19 However, you can perform this workout even if you're a beginner, as it can be easily modified to match your skills. If it's your first time doing this exercise, here's a guide to help you out:20
1. Start with a high plank position. Make sure that your hands are underneath your shoulder joints. You should be able to form a straight line from your wrist to your shoulder.
2. Check your form. Your hips should be lower than your shoulders and your feet should be hip-width apart for a stable posture.
3. Lift one leg up and bring your knees toward your chest. Don't lift your hips too high and keep your body straight. Go slowly and be sure to maintain a tight core.
4. Stretch your leg behind you to return to the starting position. Repeat the movements with your other leg to complete one rep. Once you get the hang of it, you can gradually quicken your pace.
If you find the standard mountain climber difficult, try starting with the elevated mountain climber first. This variation involves leaning your hands on a raised stable surface, usually a bench, so that your lower body supports more of your weight.21
Safety Tips When Doing the Mountain Climber Exercise
Keep the following safety tips in mind ensure that mountain climbers are a safe and effective part of your workout routine:
• Check your form — Be sure to keep tabs on your form while doing this exercise. Always position your hands directly underneath your shoulders to keep your joints from burning out.
When holding the planking position, squeeze your abs to keep your back straight and flat. When you allow your back to curve downward, it will put too much strain on your lower back, which can result in back pain.22
• Time your sets — Doing mountain climbers for too long can put excessive strain on your hip flexor and result in injury. It's usually enough to do 20 seconds of this exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest.23,24
• Avoid this exercise if you're injured — Since mountain climbers are a full-body workout that requires shoulder and pelvic strength, individuals with injuries in these regions should avoid doing this exercise, as it could exacerbate their condition.25
Remember: Technique Is More Important Than Speed
One of the most common mistakes people make when doing mountain climbers is not driving their knees up properly for the sake of completing more reps.
Keep in mind that the goal of this exercise is to engage your core as you pump your knees up powerfully toward your chest. It's better to go through the full range of motion instead of performing reps with incorrect motion so as not to sacrifice the full benefits of this workout . Increase your speed only when you've mastered your technique.26,27
Frequently Asked Questions About Mountain Climbers
Q: What is the mountain climber exercise good for?
A: Mountain climbers are a full-body exercise that may help improve your cardiovascular endurance, strengthen your core and work the muscles in your hips, legs, shoulders and arms.28
Q: Do mountain climbers help lose belly fat?
A: Yes. Mountain climbers target your core, so they may help burn your belly fat, tone the muscles in your abdomen and even give you abs.29
Q: How many sets of mountain climbers should you do a day?
A: The number of mountain climber sets that you can do per day depends on your fitness level. Start with the number of reps and sets that's most comfortable for you. If you're a beginner, aim for 10 to 15 reps per leg for three to four sets. Gradually increase your number until you can perform eight sets of this workout for 20 seconds each.
Q: How many calories does the mountain climber exercise burn?
A: The amount of calories you can burn while doing mountain climbers depends on a variety of factors, including the number of reps you did and whether or not you maintained proper form while doing them. To give you a better idea of how efficient this workout is, a person weighing 130 pounds may be able to lose approximately 8 calories per minute of doing mountain climbers with proper form.30,
31
Q: Is the mountain climber a cardio exercise?
A: Yes. Mountain climbers can act as a cardio exercise, especially when done at a fast pace, as they help increase your heart rate.32
Q: Are mountain climbers bad for your back or knees?
A: No. Mountain climbers are a low-impact workout. When performed correctly, they're even less stressful on your spine compared to exercises that require you to lie on your back.33
Q: Why do mountain climbers hurt my hip?
A: If you feel a sharp pain on your hip when doing mountain climbers, then it's likely that you've overworked the muscles in your hip instead of using your core muscles. Avoid doing mountain climbers for two to three weeks. If the pain hasn't improved after that period, contact a medical professional.34,35,36
Q: What can I do instead of mountain climbers?
A: Some alternative exercises that provide similar benefits to mountain climbers include high knees,37,38 and frogger.39