The Next Best Exercise You’re Not Doing

by Andy Dutra, Clemente Center Personal Trainer

Every Friday The F.I.T. Life will be sharing a great exercise that most people often overlook.  This week our highlighted exercise will be Mountain Climbers.

Mountain Climbers are a fantastic functional exercise that is perfect for people of Intermediate to Advanced fitness levels.  This exercise strengthens and targets the abdominals, gluteus, lower back, hips, quads, hamstrings, calves, shins, and ankles.  The best part of this exercise is that it requires no additional equipment other than a solid floor and your own body.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggests that there are 3 main steps to successfully and safety perform Mountain Climbers:

1.  Begin on a hands and knees position on the floor with your toes pointed toward the floor.  Your hands should be slightly ahead of your shoulders and your fingers pointing forward.  Bring your left foot forward and place it on the floor under your chest.  Your knee and hip are bent and your thigh is in toward your chest.  Lift your right knee off the ground, making your right leg straight and strong.  Brace your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine.

2.  Keeping your hands firmly on the ground, your abdominals engaged and shoulders strong, jump to switch leg positions. Both feet leave the ground as your drive your right knee forward and reach your left leg back. Now your left leg is fully extended behind you and your right knee and hip are bent with your right foot on the floor.

3.  The greater speed that is used to perform this exercise, the greater the calorie burn you will experience.  Repeat continuously for 60-75 seconds or until fatigued.  Repeat 3-4 times.  The speed of Be sure to keep your weight evenly distributed on both legs. Do not shift all your weight forward into your front foot.

If you have any more questions about Mountain Climbers (or any other exercise), please stop by The Clemente Center to speak with a Certified Personal Trainer.