Are mountain climbers part of your workout routine? If not, it’s time to change that! This movement, where you “climb a mountain” without getting anywhere is an exercise that works almost every muscle, including your core, while elevating your heart rate. So, you get a cardiovascular workout while boosting muscle endurance. This move will get the sweat rolling quickly and get results too. Plus, you’re working multiple muscle groups, including your core.
Here are the muscles you work when you do a standard mountain climber:
Core Muscles:
- Rectus Abdominis
- Obliques
Upper Body:
- Deltoids (Shoulders)
- Triceps
Lower Body:
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Hip Flexors
Additional Muscles:
- Calves (to a lesser extent)
- Lower Back (for stabilization) and to maintain healthy posture when you do the exercise.
But after you’ve done mountain climbers for a while, you might find they feel less challenging, and you want to take this bodyweight exercise up a level. One way to do that is to move your feet faster. Doing this boost your heart rate more. But there are more advanced variations you can do to enhance the benefits of mountain climbers. Here are some to try:
Add Resistance:
When you add resistance to mountain climbers, you force your body to work harder. The solution? Grab some resistance bands. These bands add more of a load, so you must work harder. First, attach the resistance band to a firm object, like a post. Put your feet into each band and get into a position you would use to break into a sprint. Now, move your knees, alternating each one, toward your chest in the same manner as you do with a non-banded mountain climber. You’ll feel the added resistance and know that you’re working your legs and glutes harder. Plus, you’re elevating your heart rate more. Be sure to tighten your core and keep your back flat.
Use Sliders or Towels:
Here’s another unique way to take mountain climbers up a notch. Place sliders or towels under your feet when you do mountain climbers. Doing this reduces the stability and forces your core to engage more to keep your body’s stable. It also creates a balance challenge and can improve your coordination. If you try this variation, slow down so you can keep your core engaged and avoid sagging hips. You get a deeper core workout with more oblique action when you do this variation.
Elevate Your Feet:
Want to add to the challenge even more? Place your feet on a sturdy bench when you do the exercise. With both feet on the bench and your body in a pushup position, bring one knee to your chest and plant it back on the bench. Then do the same with the other, alternating back and forth. Keep your body in a straight line throughout, like you’re doing a plank. If you let your hips drop, you increase pressure on your lower back.
When your feet are elevated, you shift more weight to your upper body. This works your arms and shoulders more. Plus, you’re in a less stable position, so your core must work harder too. This elevated position not only increases the intensity of the exercise but also recruits additional muscle groups, leading to a more comprehensive full-body workout. Also note that the higher you place your feet, the more strain you’ll place on your shoulders. Keep that in mind if you have shoulder issues.
Cross-Body Mountain Climbers:
Another way to increase the muscles you target is to add a rotation to a basic mountain climber. To do this rather than bringing your knee in a straight path toward your chest, you drive your knee to your opposite elbow. Hence the name cross-body mountain climber. This variation is ideal for targeting your core, particularly your oblique muscles. Developing your obliques helps you become more efficient with exercises that involve bending to the side or twisting your body.
Add a Push-Up:
Although standard mountain climbers work your upper body, your lower body and core do most of the work. Would you like to add more upper body work to mountain climbers? Include a push-up between every four or five mountain climbers. This variation targets your triceps and chest more than standard mountain climbers. It’s one of the best ways to get your upper body in on the action.
Wear a Weight Vest
If you’re an old pro with mountain climbers are you ready to take the exercise to next level, wear a weight vest when you do mountain climbers. The added weight of the weight vest forces your body to engage your core muscles more, as you stabilize your body with each repetition. Extra core work, right? The added weight also improves functional fitness, as many of the movements you do daily you do with added load. Ensure you can do a standard mountain climber with excellent form before adding a weight vest and start light.
Slow It Down:
Can slowing down a mountain climber give you more benefits? Yes! Especially when you slow the pace during the return phase. Start with 3 seconds pulling your knee in, 3 seconds returning to the start position. Doing this creates more tension in your muscles and help you control the movement better. With this approach, you’re building greater muscle strength and endurance. It’s an excellent way to improve your form too.
Conclusion:
So now you know how to make mountain climbers even more challenging than they already are. So, once you’ve mastered the basic move, take it up a notch. When you try these variations, focus on your form, and make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly, as they’re more challenging. But by challenging yourself, you’ll take your fitness to new levels – and have fun doing it. Be sure to track your progress, and don’t forget that you can use mountain climbers to keep your heart rate up between strength training exercises.
References:
- Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010). “The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2857-2872. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
- Behm, D. G., & Anderson, K. (2006). “The role of instability with resistance training.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(3), 716-722. doi:10.1519/R-18495.1
- Swank, A. M., & Hagerman, F. C. (2002). “The effects of incline and level-grade running on VO2max and running economy.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16(4), 586-590.
- McGill, S. M. (2010). “Core training: Evidence translating to better performance and injury prevention.” Strength and Conditioning Journal, 32(3), 33-46. doi:10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181df4521
- Markovic, G. (2007). “Does plyometric training improve vertical jump height? A meta-analytical review.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41(6), 349-355. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2007.035113
- Burd, N. A., et al. (2012). “Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men.” Journal of Physiology,
- 590(2), 351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
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