If you want to be a better runner, be a mountain climber. There’s no need for an axe and crampons – in fact, the beauty of this exercise is it can be done from the comfort of your living room.
A common element of many strength and conditioning workouts, the mountain climber exercise works your chest, arms, glutes, core and hip flexors.
Do the move quickly, and you’ll get a great cardio workout. Even when performed slowly, however, the mountain climber will help your coordination, balance and stability.
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What makes it so good? The combination of keeping your upper body stable while moving your lower half quickly, engages so many different muscle groups.
‘They can be used to hit different targets according to what the athlete needs,’ explains Graeme Woodward, a UK Athletics Level 3 performance coach, UKSCA accredited S&C coach and We Run coach for West Yorkshire.
‘Like the plank, mountain climbers require strength in the upper body but more dynamically in stabilisation as the legs move fast. The muscles used most are the hip flexors and lower abs, depending on how far the knees are brought up.
‘If done fast, this exercise can contribute to a workout and will train explosive power and coordination. But, if done slowly and with control, mountain climbers can be an effective way of developing range of motion.’
Word of warning: those with lower-back pain should be careful when doing this exercise. ‘The hip flexors originate from the lumbar spine and pelvis, so, if these tighten through use, this exercise can make symptoms worse,’ says Woodward.
How to do mountain climbers correctly
Do two sets of 15-20 reps:
- Start in a press-up position with your hands wide.
- Engage your abs and bring your right knee to your chest. As you push the leg back to
the start position, bring your left knee in. - Continue, alternating legs.
