Legs · Bodyweight
Mountain Climbers
How to do the mountain climbers, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Timed hold
- Movement
- Gait
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a high plank position. Alternately drive knees towards chest as if running in place. Keep hands planted and core tight throughout the movement.
- 1Feel your core, shoulders, and legs working as you alternate driving knees toward your chest
- 2Maintain a plank position with your hips steady
- 3Keep a quick but controlled pace to elevate heart rate
Common mistakes
- Avoid bouncing your hips up and down
- Don't sag through your shoulders; keep them strong
- Avoid letting your feet drag; lift and place them
Muscles worked
The mountain climbers works the quads, glutes, hamstrings, upper abs, and calves.
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the mountain climbers 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 quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed April 2026.