How to do the Mountain Climbers
- Begin in a pushup position, with your weight supported by your hands and toes. Flexing the knee and hip, bring one leg until the knee is approximately under the hip. This will be your starting position.
- Explosively reverse the positions of your legs, extending the bent leg until the leg is straight and supported by the toe, and bringing the other foot up with the hip and knee flexed. Repeat in an alternating fashion for 20-30 seconds.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscles |
|---|---|
| Primary | quads |
| Secondary | chest, hamstrings, shoulders |
| Equipment | no equipment |
| Difficulty | beginner |
| Type | compound |
Train the same muscles a different way
6 alternatives for the same quads, with and without kit.
Harder than the Mountain Climbers
Common questions
What muscles does the Mountain Climbers work?
The Mountain Climbers primarily works the quads, with the chest, hamstrings, and shoulders as secondary movers. Tire Flip, Clean from Blocks, and Hang Clean train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.
What equipment do you need for the Mountain Climbers?
None — the Mountain Climbers is bodyweight, so it works at home, in a hotel room or outdoors. Tire Flip and Clean from Blocks also need nothing.
Is the Mountain Climbers suitable for beginners?
Yes, the Mountain Climbers is rated beginner. One-Arm Side Deadlift, Snatch from Blocks, and Iron Crosses (stretch) are the progressions from here.
Where should the Mountain Climbers go in a workout?
Early — the Mountain Climbers is compound, working 4 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh.
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