Core · TRX
Ring Mountain Climber
How to do the ring mountain climber, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- TRX
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the TRX straps short and place both feet in the foot cradles, then assume a plank with your hands under your shoulders and body straight. Drive one knee toward your chest while the other leg stays extended, then quickly switch, mimicking a running motion. Keep your hips level and core braced as you alternate.
- 1Abs and hip flexors firing as the knee drives in
- 2Shoulders stacked over your wrists holding the plank
- 3Your core stabilizing the hips against the moving straps
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag or pike up
- Swinging your legs with momentum or slackening the straps
- Holding your breath or rounding the shoulders
Muscles worked
The ring mountain climber mainly works the lower abs, with the upper abs, quads, hip flexors, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and front delts assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- LatsMinor
Kovo programs the ring 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 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.