Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers is a conditioning - fast alternating knee drives in a plank exercise involving Quadriceps. Use these steps to learn the movement and work with your coach to choose a suitable level.

Last updated: 2026-10-31 · DynPerformance

Primary muscles: Quadriceps
Secondary muscles: Pectoralis major, Hamstrings, Deltoid
Exercise type: Conditioning - fast alternating knee drives in a plank

Exercise technique

Support
Place your hands and toes on the floor and establish a high plank.
First leg
Draw one knee underneath your hips.
Upper body
Keep your shoulders over your hands and your elbows extended.
Switch
As you extend the bent leg back, quickly drive the other knee forward.
Pelvis
Limit hip lift and torso rotation.
Contact
Switch feet rhythmically without striking the floor hard.
Finish
At the end of a short interval, slow down first, then lower your knees to the floor.

Key technique points

Maintain shoulder support over your hands.
Keep your abdominals engaged.
Drive your knees underneath your torso.
Do not let your lower back sag.
Limit your speed to what allows a stable pelvis.
Keep breathing throughout the interval.

Common mistakes

Inverted-V position

Do not lift your hips and shift the load out of the plank.

Sagging lower back

Do not relax the middle of your torso during leg changes.

Shifting the shoulders back

Do not sit back toward your feet and disrupt your balance over your hands.

Hard foot strikes

Do not strike your toes against the floor with every switch.

Crossing the knees

Do not turn the straight knee drive into unplanned rotation.

Uncontrolled final repetition

Do not accelerate simply to finish the interval once your pelvis starts swaying.

Frequently asked questions