Core · Bodyweight
Mountain Climber Walk
How to do the mountain climber walk, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Walk one knee in toward your chest, return it, then walk the other knee in, moving at a steady, controlled pace rather than driving fast. Keep your hips level throughout.
- 1Your abs and hip flexors engaging as each knee draws toward your chest
- 2Your shoulders stacked over your wrists with a strong plank line
- 3Your core working to keep your hips level as you alternate legs
Common mistakes
- Do not let your hips sag or pike up as you bring each knee in
- Do not bounce or use momentum; keep the walk slow and controlled
- Do not let your shoulders drift past or behind your wrists
Muscles worked
The mountain climber walk mainly works the lower abs, with the upper abs, hip flexors, obliques, quads, glutes, and front delts assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the mountain climber walk for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.