Mountain Climber
Also known as: mountain climbers, mountain climber exercise
Everyone chases speed here, but rising hips are what actually end the set: slow climbers with a flat back beat fast ones with a piked hip.
How to do Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Engage your core and bring your right knee towards your chest, then quickly switch and bring your left knee towards your chest.
- Continue alternating legs in a running motion, keeping your hips low and your core engaged.
- Maintain a steady pace and breathe evenly throughout the exercise.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Mountain Climber Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
Not a loading exercise. 4 sets of 10 slow, paused reps per side with 60 seconds rest builds more shoulder and core control than speed.
Hypertrophy
This will not add size. Use 3 sets of 30 seconds as a warm-up or finisher and train the abs with loaded flexion work instead.
Endurance
6-8 rounds of 30-40 seconds at a hard pace with 20-30 seconds rest, keeping the shoulders stacked over the wrists throughout.
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- Days
- 7
- Meals / day
- 3-6
- Diet types
- 5
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- 6
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Common Mountain Climber Mistakes
Letting the hips pike up toward the ceiling as the legs speed up.
Set the shoulders directly over the wrists and keep the hips level with them, slowing the tempo the moment they start climbing.
Bouncing the toes on the floor rather than driving each knee toward the chest.
Pull each knee in far enough that the thigh reaches roughly under the ribs, then place the foot back rather than letting it drop.
Letting the hands creep forward so the shoulders end up behind the wrists.
Reset the plank every 20 seconds and check that the wrist, elbow, and shoulder sit in one vertical line.
Easier and Harder Than Mountain Climber
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Mountain Climber — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Mountain Climber?
Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Engage your core and bring your right knee towards your chest, then quickly switch and bring your left knee towards your chest. Continue alternating legs in a running motion, keeping your hips low and your core engaged. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Mountain Climber work?
The Mountain Climber primarily targets the cardiovascular system. It is classified as a cardio exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Mountain Climber should I do?
For muscle growth: this will not add size. Use 3 sets of 30 seconds as a warm-up or finisher and train the abs with loaded flexion work instead. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Mountain Climber good for beginners?
Not usually. The Mountain Climber is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier cardio progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Mountain Climber?
Try the Dumbbell Burpee, Stationary Bike Walk or the Walk Elliptical Cross Trainer. Each trains the cardiovascular system with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Mountain Climber the same as the mountain climbers?
Yes. The Mountain Climber is also commonly called the mountain climbers or the mountain climber exercise. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "mountain climbers" and "mountain climber exercise" refer to this same movement.
Routines that program Mountain Climber
Bodyweight Workout Plan
A complete training week that needs no equipment at all. Progress comes from harder variations and higher reps rather than heavier loads, so it keeps working long past the first month.
3 days / week
Weight Loss Workout Plan
Losing weight is decided by your diet. What training decides is whether the weight you lose is fat or muscle. This plan keeps heavy compound lifting at the centre and adds conditioning around it, which is the arrangement that protects muscle in a calorie deficit.
4 days / week
