Chest · Bodyweight
Push-up Mountain Climber
How to do the push-up mountain climber, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders. Perform a full push-up, then at the top drive one knee toward your chest, return it, and drive the other knee in like a mountain climber. Continue alternating a push-up with a pair of climbers, keeping your hips level throughout.
- 1Feel your chest and triceps work through each push-up
- 2Feel your abs and hip flexors fire as you drive each knee in
- 3Keep your core tight so your hips stay level
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips sag or pike up
- Don't flare your elbows wide on the push-up
- Avoid bouncing your hips; keep the climbers controlled
Muscles worked
The push-up mountain climber mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, lower abs, hip flexors, obliques, quads, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the push-up mountain climber 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 chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.