Mountain Climbers Exercise: Benefits, Tips, and Common Mistakes
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Mountain climbers are a great exercise for a variety of athletes, gym-goers, and adults of any age. It burns fat, improves cardiovascular fitness, and targets the upper and lower body in one movement.
Mastering the mountain climber with proper form is a versatile addition to any workout regime. Whether you're aiming to trim belly fat for improved running performance or tone your entire body for aesthetic purposes, this exercise can cater to your fitness goals.
And the best part? You don't need any fancy equipment—just your body weight. This makes mountain climbers a convenient and safe exercise for both home and gym routines.
What Muscles Do Mountain Climbers Target?
The mountain climbers exercise develops the deltoids in your shoulders and tones your core, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, upper back, and chest.
What Are Mountain Climbers Good For?
Working the Cardiovascular System
One of the main perks of mountain climbers is their cardiovascular benefits. Since mountain climbers are a full-body workout, it is a compound cardio exercise that stresses the back, shoulders, core, chest, quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings, ensuring that the entire body is working simultaneously to do the movement correctly.
When mountain climbers are performed as a part of a regular exercise routine, they can help reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event and lower high blood pressure. For beginners, a slow and controlled motion can still provide benefits that mimic other cardio exercises, such as running, walking, or cycling.
Targets Multiple Muscle Groups
Mountain climbers are a whole-body exercise that works multiple muscle groups. This means they are an effective compound exercise that gives you more bang for your buck. Instead of isolating a single muscle group for muscle growth, they are an upper- and lower-body combination exercise that provides toning and cardio benefits to maximize your workout time.
Mountain climbers work the core, back, chest, shoulders, triceps, hips, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Since people normally do high repetitions or perform this exercise for a set amount of time, the high reps lead to increased muscle toning and cardio benefits that can burn fat and boost lean muscle mass.
Scalable For Beginners
The last benefit of mountain climbing is that it can be modified to adapt to different levels of fitness. Beginners can do slower mountain climbers that eliminate the ‘bounce’ in between reps that involves switching the feet. Although the movement is slower, it still works the entire body and boosts cardiovascular fitness. In addition, mountain climbers with hands on an elevated surface can help relieve some pressure for those with wrist or upper body injuries.
Once you become comfortable with the exercise, you can switch and move your feet faster to make the workout harder. You can also put your hands on pushup handles to change the grip, which challenges your forearms and wrists, and alternate the hand position to work your shoulder muscles to varying degrees.
For experts and frequent gym-goers, you can add a twist to stress the obliques on your core or use a decline plank, which taxes your deltoids and upper back more than on a flat surface.
Do Mountain Climbers Burn Belly Fat?
Mountain climbers are a compound and full-body exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, which can lead to more strain on the body, increased calorie burn, and a longer ‘afterburn’ post-workout. Plus, performing mountain climbers as a cardio exercise can increase heart rate and improve cardio endurance.
Unfortunately, you cannot target a specific area of your body to burn fat, so nothing can only burn belly fat. However, being consistent with mountain climbers will strengthen your core muscles and burn fat throughout the body.
This exercise is great because there is no break throughout the movement, as the ‘resting’ position is a plank position with your hands on the ground, braced core, and toes on the ground. The entire range of motion emphasizes core strength, stability, and coordination.
How to Perform Mountain Climbers
Follow these step-by-step instructions to safely and effectively perform mountain climbers in your next workout.
Instructions:
Start in a plank position.
Keep your shoulders over your wrists and remain on your toes throughout the exercise.
Bring one knee up to your chest — the speed will depend on your fitness level. Avoid rounding your back as you bring your knee up to your chest.
Switch from left leg to right leg (left knee to right knee). Once you become more comfortable, make the switch faster to mimic a running-in-place motion.
Repeat the movement for a set period of reps or time.
Recommended sets and reps:
Muscular strength or conditioning: 2-3 sets x 10-15 reps (controlled with your core engaged)
Endurance or HIIT: 6-8 sets x 20 seconds (fast) with minimal rest between sets (10-20 seconds)
Tips For Optimal Results
Avoid rounding your back: Keep your core engaged and hips in line while doing the movement.
Maintain a neutral spine: Maintain a neutral spine by keeping your back straight and not bending at the hips.
Breathe with the movement: Focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth as you change your legs.
Start slow: Start in a slow and controlled movement as you initially begin the exercise and pick up speed as you become more comfortable.
Have a plan: Choose the number of sets and reps before starting the exercise.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Unsafe Starting Position
One thing to avoid with mountain climbers is a poor or unstable starting position. Try to place your hands directly under your shoulders, avoiding having them too far forward or backward. Ensure your back is flat, your core is braced, and your toes are on the ground.
Arching Your Back
Keep your back in a neutral position the entire time. Even when you bring your knees up to your chest, keep your core tight and your back flat.
Moving Too Fast
One mistake beginners make that can lead to poor form and injuries is moving too fast in the beginning. Keep your knees and ‘switch’ in a slow and controlled motion to tax your core while still getting a cardio workout.
Final Thoughts
By incorporating mountain climbers into your regular workout routine, you're not just adding a simple and effective exercise but also boosting your cardiovascular fitness and toning your entire body. Plus, its scalability means you can tailor the intensity to your fitness level, making it a versatile and inspiring addition to your fitness journey.
Incorporating mountain climbers into a weightlifting routine, cardio program, or toning routine can help keep your workout fun and exciting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will 100 mountain climbers a day do?
100 mountain climbers every day can tone your entire body, boost your cardio fitness, and reduce your body fat percentage.
How many minutes of mountain climbing should I do?
Mountain climbers are very taxing on the entire body and cardio system. Start with less time and minimal rest. Aim to start with two to three rounds of 20 seconds with 20 seconds of rest in between. Once you build your fitness, try to do six to eight rounds.
How many reps of mountain climber exercise?
For those who want to tone their entire body, start with two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side. Aim for six to eight rounds of 20 seconds for cardiovascular benefits.
Main image credit: Li Sun / Pexels
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.
