As a fitness editor, I often find myself casually talking to people about the exercises they love and the ones they could do without. Whether it’s right after a group fitness class, at the office, via Instagram, or when I’m just chatting about work and life with my friends, it comes up every now and then. What I’ve found is that we all have those moves that make us feel like we can conquer the world—for me, it’s pretty much any type of squat. And then, we all have those moves that make us seriously consider walking out in the middle of a workout class just to avoid doing them—for me, that move is the mountain climber.
My distaste is inconvenient, because pretty much every time I take a workout class, mountain climbers show up. And I’ll admit, there is indeed a good reason for that: The mountain climber is a really effective compound exercise that works so many muscles from your shoulders to your core and is great for cardio. As a fitness editor and certified trainer, I know that it makes total sense that trainers incorporate them into workouts. That doesn’t stop me from hating them.
After voicing my feelings recently to my coworkers, I learned I’m not the only one here at SELF who is anti–mountain climbers. I’ve even mentioned it on Instagram, and other people have replied in solidarity that they, too, can’t stand the damn things.
For further validation, I asked trainer Jess Sims, NASM-certified personal trainer and instructor at Classpass Live, Shadowbox, and Fhitting Room in New York City, if this is a common sentiment among her clients and other people in the fitness industry. “Yes! Most people have a love-hate relationship with mountain climbers,” she says. “It’s so funny because most people can’t say why [they dislike them] because there are so many things working that it’s hard to decipher what burns the most.”
There are many reasons why mountain climbers can feel so intense, says Sims. “You’re holding a plank position so your core is engaged, as well as your triceps, chest, and shoulders. Then you add in the cardio aspect of running your knees into your chest, which leaves you gasping for air. Folks with tight hip flexors also struggle to get their knees to their chest and end up bumping their feet on the floor on the way in.” Personally, I think the combo of triceps and chest work is what really throws me over the edge (neither my triceps nor my chest are very strong). Basically, there are plenty of reasons why you might find the move so daunting.
Since mountain climbers are undeniably great for building strength and core stability and revving up your heart rate, as Sims explains, I asked her to share some alternatives that can give all of us comparable benefits…so that we can avoid doing them as often as possible.
Here, five substitutes you can choose from the next time your workout calls for mountain climbers. Add these into your workout however you see fit. Swap them in for mountain climbers, or pick a set time, and go to town. Start with 30 seconds and adjust as necessary.
1. High knees
High knees “take pressure away from arms by eliminating plank position, but still get the heart rate up by driving the knees to the chest,” says Sims.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Keep your chest lifted and your abs tight as you quickly drive your knees toward your chest, one at a time.
- Swing your arms, focusing on taking your fingertips from hip height to chin height in rhythm with your knees. Go as fast as you can for a set amount of time.
2. Plank jack
“These still work the core and rev up the heart rate, but eliminating the knee drive can take some pressure off the hip flexors,” Sims explains. The leg movement also adds some extra quad-strengthening work.
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Jump your feet out and in (like jumping jacks). Try not to let your butt and hips bounce up and down as you jump your feet in and out. Continue for a set amount of time.
3. Plank tap
Just like mountain climbers, plank taps keep you in—you guessed it!—a plank. Similarly to mountain climbers, you have to work unilaterally, Sims says, which is great for working on core stability.
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Tap your right hand to your left shoulder while engaging your core and glutes to keep your hips as still as possible. Try not to let your body rock side to side.
- Do the same with your left hand to your right shoulder. Continue alternating sides for a set amount of time.
4. Frogger
This move “definitely gets the cardio in and requires hip flexor mobility, but you can take a break at either the jump in or jump out to plank so it’s not as constant as the mountain climber,” Sims explains.
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Jump your feet to your hands, landing in a low squat position with your feet outside your hands, and knees grazing your biceps.
- Jump back to high plank to return to start. Repeat this move for a set amount of time.
5. Plank up-down
Like mountain climbers, this move will get your heart rate up, and challenges your arms a bit more, says Sims. The biggest difference is that it doesn’t engage your hip flexors.
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Lower into a forearm plank, starting with your left arm, followed by your right.
- Then, come up in the same order—starting with your left arm and following with the right.
- For the next rep, start with the right arm. Continue alternating the arm you start with every time.
- As you move, keep your hips as still as possible so that they're not swaying from side to side.
