Legs / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Mountain Climbers

An explosive bodyweight exercise for the quads, with the chest, hamstrings and rear delts assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Chest, Hamstrings, Rear delts, Hip flexors

Equipment

Bodyweight

Movement pattern

Anti-extension (brace), Hip flexion, Jump / plyometric

Level

Beginner

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint), Explosive

How to do it

1. 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.
2. 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.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Hips bouncing high and shoulders behind the hands.

  Why it hurts: The wrists and shoulders take uneven loads and the core stops stabilising.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the shoulders stacked over the wrists and the hips level; speed up only when the form holds.

Open in the appGet started