Mountain Climber

What is Mountain Climber:

The Mountain Climber is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens the core, particularly the rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis muscles. It mimics a climbing motion, engaging multiple muscle groups such as the rectus abdominis for maintaining spinal flexion, the transversus abdominis for core stability, the obliques for controlling excessive trunk rotation, and the hip flexors for bringing the legs closer to the torso. Although relatively easy and often done incorrectly, it can be beneficial when executed properly.

Key Benefits:

  • Size and Strength: Works the core muscles, particularly the rectus abdominis, along with the hip flexors, promoting muscle growth and strength improvement.
  • Enhanced Cardio and Endurance: As a relatively light exercise, it can be used as a means of cardio, effectively boosting cardiovascular endurance and enhancing overall fitness, such as increased stamina and improved work capacity.
  • Agility and Coordination: The alternating leg movement in the exercises challenges your body control and coordination, simultaneously enhancing both these skills.
  • Joint Stability: Enhances shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hip stability by engaging supporting muscles throughout the movement, contributing to joint health and injury prevention.
  • Functional Strength: Improves spinal flexion strength, core stability, hip mobility, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Convenience: This exercise can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment, making it accessible and convenient for most individuals.

Variations:

  • Regular Crunch: A classic spinal flexion exercise, working primarily rectus abdominis (also known as the six-pack).
  • Lateral Mountain Climber: Instead of bringing your knees straight forward, alternate bringing your knees in and out towards your elbows.
  • Cross-Body Mountain Climber: Engage the obliques more by bringing each knee towards the opposite elbow in a cross-body motion.

How to perform Mountain Climbers:

  • Starting Position: Begin in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Maintain scapular depression and retraction, and engage your core, especially your rectus abdominis—flexing your spine.
  • Execution: Initiate the movement by driving one knee toward your chest, then quickly switch legs, bringing the opposite knee towards the chest while extending the other leg back without breaking spinal flexion. After the second leg, either continue or return to the starting position.
  • Repetition: Continue alternating legs in a fluid, rhythmic motion, as if running in place with your hands fixed on the ground for your desired number of repetitions.

Breathing Technique:

Proper breathing is crucial for maximizing performance and maintaining stamina throughout the exercise. Experiment with what you're comfortable with and let you perform your best. For starters, you can try the following:

  • Inhale: Take a deep breath at the starting position and inhale lightly throughout the set.
  • Exhale: Exhale after every third-first repetition after taking a breath, gradually making the interval between exhalations shorter as the effort or challenge of the set increases.
  • Rectus Abdominis Isometrics: During the exercise, the rectus abdominis performs isometric contractions, resisting lengthening and maintaining spinal flexion between leg switches while aiding in hip flexion to bring the legs closer to your center. Therefore, keep core engagement, particularly spinal flexion, the whole time.
  • Isotonic Contraction: if you like, you can do dynamic spinal movement where you allow your abs to lengthen and lose some spinal flexion between leg switches, then contract when bringing the leg to the torso.
  • Don't Rush It: Begin at a slow to moderate pace and gradually ramp up speed as your strength and endurance progress.
  • Hand Position: From a pronated hand position, rotate your hand slightly outward to help reduce the strain on your wrists.
  • Scapular Engagement: Maintain scapular depression and protraction throughout the movement for optimal performance.
  • Shoulder Rotation: Maintain shoulder external rotation for better shoulder stability throughout the exercise.
    •

    Additional Information:

    Ways to make it easier:

    • Doing it at a slow pace
    • Regressing to an easier variation/exercise

    Ways to make it harder:

    • Playing with the Tempo & adding an Isometric phase (pause/hold)
    • Progressing to a harder variation/exercise