MovementsConditioning
Mountain Climber
Also known as: Mountain Climbers
A plank with the knees driving alternately toward the chest. It keeps the midline under load while the heart rate climbs, and it needs nothing but a patch of floor.
Mountain ClimberConditioning
The standard
A valid rep drives one knee toward the chest and returns it while the hands stay planted and the hips stay level with the shoulders.
How to do it
- 01Set up in a high plank with the hands under the shoulders.
- 02Brace the midline so the hips sit level, not high and not sagging.
- 03Drive one knee toward the chest without letting the hips rise.
- 04Return that foot and drive the other knee through.
- 05Keep the shoulders stacked over the hands the whole time.
Common faults
- · Hips bouncing up and down so the movement comes from the back rather than the legs.
- · Hands creeping forward until the shoulders are behind them.
- · Feet slapping the floor rather than moving under control.
- · Speeding up until the knees stop travelling anywhere near the chest.
Scaling & progressions
- · Slow the tempo right down and treat it as a moving plank.
- · Raise the hands onto a box or bench to reduce the load on the shoulders.
- · Step the feet rather than driving them for a lower-impact version.
- · Shorten the intervals and rest properly between them.
Coaching tips
- · If the hips are pumping, you are doing a hip flexor drill rather than a core one.
- · Watch the hands: everything falls apart once they drift forward.
- · A good bridge between a plank hold and full metcon conditioning.
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