Mountain Climber Exercises For A Strong And Toned Body

Mountain climbers exercise is a core strengthening and toning exercise. Adding it to your fitness routines can help you get closer to your functional fitness goals quicker.

It’s a floor exercise with a starting position similar to a plank. It’s a mix of cardio and strength training. Mountain climbers target the abs, thighs, glutes, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. The exercise also improves posture, burns calories, sheds belly fat, and improves balance and coordination.

This post tells you how to do mountain climbers, its 5 variations, and the ways to incorporate them into your exercise routine. Perform them regularly and see the benefits for yourself. Continue reading to know more.

Mountain Climber Exercise

• Frequency: Daily
• Benefits: Improves posture, balance, coordination, and endurance.
• Equipment Needed: Exercise mat
• Space Required: Small area
• Assistance Required: No
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with lower back, knee, shoulder, or wrist issues.

How To Do Mountain Climber Exercise (Beginner Level)

Doing the mountain climber exercise is simpler than actually climbing a mountain.

However, if you engage the right muscles and do it with precision, you will be able to see results in just a few days’ time. I have broken down each step of this exercise for you. This is a beginner’s mountain climber exercise. Take a look.

Trivia

Giacomo De Lorenzi holds the world record for completing the most mountain climbers in one minute. He did it 155 times and set the record in 2021.

Step 1

Assume a table position or come on all fours. Keep your toes pointed, palms flat on the floor, and elbows directly below your shoulders.

Step 2

Extend your left leg behind you and then the right leg and come to a plank pose. This is your starting position.

Step 3

Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, exhale, and flex your right knee and bring it straight up close to your chest.

Step 4

Inhale and get your right leg back to the starting position. Keep your core engaged and glutes squeezed.

Step 5

Exhale, flex your left knee and bring it straight up close to your chest.

Step 6

Inhale and get your left leg back to the starting position.

This completes one rep.

Tip: Make sure your back is in line with your neck. Also, your back should not be not piked up or stooping down.

Sets And Reps – 2 sets of 10 reps.

Now, if you have successfully completed the sets and reps and feel confident about it, let’s shift to more dynamic movements with the intermediate level of the mountain climber exercise.

Quick Tip

Always let your toes touch the floor as you bring your legs to the chest. Otherwise, it may cause muscle injury.

Mountain Climber Exercise (Intermediate Level)

Sets And Reps

– 3 sets of 15 reps.

Feeling the burn now? No? Good! Indulge in fitness challenges with yourself and increase the reps to 25 and more to get sweating. I promise you, you will feel amazing.

Alright, apart from just these exercises, there are a few variations of the mountain climber that acts as cross-training exercises and will cause a total body conditioning and recruit all the small muscles to improve your posture and balance. Here you go!

6 Mountain Climber Exercise Variations

1. Wide Arm Mountain Climber

Level – Intermediate

Target – Core, glutes, deltoids, pectorals, quads, hamstrings, and biceps.

How To Do

1. Get on all your fours or assume a table pose. But this time, place your palms wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend your right leg and left leg behind you, one after the other. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes. This is the starting position.
3. Flex your right knee and bring it close to your chest.
4. Inhale and extend your right leg back to the starting position.
5. Hop on your left leg, flex your left knee and bring it close to your chest. Exhale as you do so.
6. Inhale and extend your left leg back to the starting position.
7. Do this at a faster pace.

Sets And Reps

– 2 sets of 15 reps.

2. Cross Body Mountain Climber

Level – Beginner to Intermediate

Target – Obliques, glutes, abs, deltoids, biceps, hip flexors, quads, and hamstrings.

How To Do

1. Get into a plank pose.
2. Inhale, flex your right knee and bring it close to your chest. But this time, twist your body to the left so that your knee is close to the left side of your chest.
3. Exhale and extend your right leg back to the starting position.
4. Inhale, flex your left knee, twist your body to the right, and bring your right knee close to the right side of your chest.
5. Exhale and extend your left leg back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps

– 3 sets of 15 reps.

3. Spiderman Mountain Climber

Level – Beginner to Intermediate

Target – Obliques, hip flexors, adductors, abductors, abs, deltoids, lats, biceps, and triceps.

How To Do

1. Get into a plank pose.
2. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes. Inhale and flex your right knee, open up your right leg, and crunch to your right side.
3. Inhale and bring your right leg back to the starting position.
4. Flex your left knee, open up your left leg, and crunch to your left side.
5. Do it at a faster pace.

Sets And Reps

– 3 sets of 15 reps.

4. One Arm Mountain Climber

Level – Advanced

Target – Core, pectorals, glutes, deltoids, biceps, triceps, quads, and hamstrings.

How To Do

1. Get into a plank pose.
2. Lift your left hand, hop, and bring your right knee close to your chest. Keep your left elbow slightly flexed. This is the starting position.
3. Hop on your left leg, flex your left knee and bring it close to your chest. Simultaneously, push your right leg back and extend your left hand behind you.
4. Do this 10 times before switching the hands and repeating the exercise.

Tip:

Keep breathing and keep your core engaged.

Sets And Reps – 2 sets of 10 reps on each hand.

5. Semicircle Mountain Climber

Level – Advanced

Target – Obliques, abs, quads, hamstrings, deltoids, and biceps.

How To Do

1. Assume a plank pose and start doing mountain climbers.
2. After 5 reps, keep your upper body stationary and start moving toward your right while doing mountain climbers.
3. Then, without stopping, move to your left.

Sets And Reps

– 3 sets of 2 semicircles.

6. Mountain Climber With Push-Up

Level

– Advanced

Target – Chest, pecs, shoulders, triceps, and legs

Steps To Do
1. Assume a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Keep the left foot on the floor, bend the right knee, and bring it in towards the chest.
3. Extend the right leg and return to the starting position.
4. Keep the right foot on the floor, bend the left knee, and bring it in towards the chest.
5. Extend your left leg and return to the starting position.
6. Bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the floor.
7. Maintain a straight back and stabilize through the core.
8. Lift your body back to the starting position.
9. Continue alternating between mountain climbers and push ups for the specified number of repetitions.

Sets And Reps – 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions

These were the mountain climber variations that you could do. But how to incorporate them into your workout routine? Find out next.

Mountain Climber Workout Routine

This fat blasting and body toning exercise will keep you gasping for air, but it is worth the pain. Why? Check out the list of benefits below!

Benefits Of Mountain Climber Exercise

• It is a full-body workout that will help you burn calories and shed fat.
• Improves endurance training and athletic performance.
• Tones the body by building lean muscle mass.
• Improves posture and balance.
• Helps you shed fat from the belly region.
• Helps you get that slight hint of chiseled abs that look so good on anyone!
• Gives your shoulders a defined look to help your boatneck or off-shoulder tops and dresses sit perfectly.
• Great exercise for toned glutes.
• Low impact on knees as compared to running.
• Helps you get slender and toned legs.
• Keeps your heart and lungs healthy.
• Amazing exercise for strength and conditioning.

Disha, a vlogger, spoke about her experience of doing 100 mountain climbers for 7 days and shared the results in her video. She said, “Before starting the workout, I obviously knew that I was going to lose at least half an inch and that is exactly how much I lost (i).”

Frequently Asked Questions

Are mountain climbers good for cardio?

Yes, mountain climbers are amazing fat-burning cardio exercises for weight loss. Especially if you have been struggling to lose the stubborn belly and lower body fat. You can try Tabata workouts for effective results.

How many calories do you burn in mountain climbers?

It depends on your current weight and the intensity and duration of the exercise. You may burn up to 100 calories if you do high-intensity workout with intermediate to advanced level mountain climbers.

Are mountain climbers better than sit-ups?

Possibly. Mountain climbers, if performed correctly, are effective abdominal workouts which cause muscle toning and reduce any love handles. Sit-ups work on a limited muscle group and may strain your back. The muscles on the body’s front, obliques, and rear are better balanced while performing mountain climbers.

Do mountain climbers boost metabolism?

While there is a lack of scientific research on the effectiveness of mountain climbers on metabolic conditioning, this exercise can get your heart rate racing and boost your circulation and can be considered a metabolic workouts.

Illustration: Mountain Climber Exercises For A Strong And Toned Body

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Unleash your inner athlete with the mountain climber exercise. Click on this video to learn the correct technique and the multiple benefits it provides for your health.

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Dr. Sudhansu Singh is a Physiotherapist, Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, and Neuro Physiotherapist with 8 years of experience. He is a member of the Federation of Indian Manual Therapists (FIMT) and an active member of the Delhi Council of Physiotherapy and FIMT Australia Association.

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