mountain climbers

Mountain Climbers are a bodyweight exercise that builds physical strength, cardiovascular strength and endurance. On top of all of that, this is also an excellent fat burning exercise.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform Mountain Climbers, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Doing Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers recruit several muscle groups, making them a full-body exercise:

Quads: Mountain climbers predominantly work your quads.

Hip Flexors: While performing the “climbing” part of the exercise, the hip flexors are consistently engaged.

Calves: As you “climb” with both legs your calves are getting a good workout.

Core: Like many exercises, this one also requires core engagement for stability.

Anterior Deltoids: The front shoulder muscles are engaged throughout this exercise as you use them to maintain the plank push up position.

Pectorals: The chest muscles are engaged from a secondary perspective during this exercise and are used for upper body stability.

Triceps: Again, from a secondary perspective, for the purpose of keeping you upright, the triceps are engaged.

Cardiovascular System: Mountain Climbers are excellent for cardiovascular conditioning, resulting in better heart health and faster fat burning.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

Become an exclusive member and get complete workout plans with video demonstrations of all exercises, plus dedicated online support to help you reach your goals faster. Tell me more >>>

How to Perform Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers are pretty straight forward, just follow the steps below:

1. Start Position: Begin in a plank push-up position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.

2. Leg Movement: Bring one knee toward your chest, and then immediately take it back to the start position, maintaining a strong plank all the way through.

3. Switch Sides: Take the first leg back, and then immediately bring the other knee in toward your chest through the same exact range of motion.

4. Alternate Legs: Continue alternating from one leg to the other, resembling the action of climbing a mountain. Get some rhythm going and then start to pick up the pace. Speed is good.

5. Core Tight: While climbing your make believe mountain, don’t neglect your core, make sure it is tight and engaged throughout.

6. Go for reps.

Benefits of Mountain Climbers

Cardiovascular Endurance: Mountain Climbers are a great cardio workout, which will help you build more cardiovascular endurance and burn fat.

Full-Body Workout: This exercise works your upper body, lower body and core, making it an almost full body workout.

Core Strength: Mountain Climbers strengthen your core, which in turn literally makes everything easier, from exercises in the gym, to your everyday physical life.

Fat Burning: This is an excellent fat burning exercise.

High Intensity: Mountain climbers offer an intense workout in a short amount of time, ideal for those who are short on time.

Mountain Climbers: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Sagging Hips: The plank position should be held strong from start to finish, so don’t let your hips sag as you work through this exercise.

Poor Rhythm: Maintain a consistent rhythm throughout this exercise. You should definitely pick up speed, but make sure you are working at a speed that you can consistently maintain.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise. With this type of exercise, you first need to determine how you will measure your reps and sets.

You can either count the individual steps for so many reps, for example; 10 each leg, or you can mountain climb for an amount of time, for example, 20 seconds as fast as you can for one set.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, as much as you can manage is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of Mountain Climbers you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets. If it’s time you’re going for, figure out your time and add 5 more seconds.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make Mountain Climbers More Challenging

Speed and length of time is the best way to make this exercise more challenging. Really push yourself, don’t give up when it gets tough, squeeze out another few more seconds at least.

How to Incorporate Mountain Climbers into Your Workouts

Mountain Climbers are an excellent addition to a Fat Burning Workout, they can be part of your warm up, part of a circuit or in your finisher plan.

While they are a compound exercise, they are still a bodyweight exercise, that means, unless they are part of your warm up or a more intense circuit, you should perform this exercise as part of your finisher.

You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises That Target Similar Muscle Groups to Mountain Climbers

To complement your Mountain Climbers, consider plank variations such as Spiderman Planks or Plank Switches, you can also try Burpees, or classic Jumping Jacks. These movements engage comparable muscle groups, adding diversity to your routine and contributing to a well-rounded fitness program.

There are more Leg Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

Get Complete Workouts

Our exercise database is here to teach you the fundamentals of some key exercises in weightlifting. It is by no means an exhaustive list of exercises and each category is certainly not a workout plan in itself. In order to turn these exercises into a workout plan, you need to know how to combine the right exercises to achieve the best possible results.

Knowing how to put together an efficient and effective workout plan is the cornerstone of achieving your fitness goals. It's the difference between merely working out and truly transforming your body.

That’s why Lipstick Lifters' Members Zone exists. Our goal is to teach you how to build your own workout plans so that you can be gym independent. All of this is possible with our Members Zone portal.

Members Zone annual subscribers have a unique advantage. They don’t need to puzzle over piecing together a workout plan, because we've done the hard work for them. Inside our Members Zone Portal, you'll find full workout plans tailored for women, complete with video demonstrations of each exercise.

Why Choose Members Zone

Members Zone is your one stop shop for weightlifting workout plans, delivered conveniently through our mobile friendly web app.

Here's what you're about to unlock...

Variety: Over 130 individual workout plans to suit a wide range of goals, available for your grab and go convenience.

Targeted muscle building: All plans come with a muscle highlighted image so you know exactly which muscles you’re building. - Simply choose the plan that suits your needs.

Video demonstrations: Form matters, that’s why each exercise in our portal is accompanied by a video demonstration of 3-5 full clean reps. You can watch this through as many times as you need to master the move.

Get started and progress: Plans offer beginner & advanced execution options so you can start with the basics and progress using the same plan.

Learn on the go: Our mobile friendly web portal means you can access plans, and video demonstrations of each exercise, to help you master the correct form, right from the gym floor.

Puts you in control: Our goal is to teach you gym independence, that's why the bulk of our portal is broken down into warm ups, workouts, and finisher plans.

Mix and match these to build a complete workout that fits your own personal preferences and goals.

Pre-built plans: These pre-built plans were put together by our team to demonstrate how the portal works. They are made up of warm ups, workouts, and finishers directly from the portal. Use them to get results, but also notice how the plan comes together. So that next time you can build your own plan from the wide range of options in the main portal!

Workout packs: Do you just want something that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it? These workout packs are ready to go when you are.

Evergreen: For the most part in weightlifting the exercises are the same, it is the execution of the exercises that turns amateurs into pros.

That means that all of our workout plans, featuring 200 different exercises, can be revamped, no end, simply by switching up the exercises and changing the rep/set execution.

All you need to do is get started, everything else comes with experience.

Dedicated online support: We want you to succeed in the world of weightlifting on your own merit. Without the need for an expensive trainer or coach, because few people these days can afford this luxury.

Lipstick Lifters Members Zone is your DIY solution and we are here to support you, for as long as you need, as part of your annual subscription.

Sample our plans for free: Sign up to access a selection of free workout plans to get you started.

Your journey to strength and confidence begins here.

Get in touch: If you have any questions or need guidance, our team at Members@lipsticklifters.com is here to guide you. So don’t hesitate to get in touch.