TRX Mountain Climber
Putting the feet in the straps turns the familiar mountain climber into a far greater core and shoulder challenge, because the unstable base forces the trunk to resist twisting with every knee drive. It doubles as conditioning and anti-rotation core work, spiking the heart rate while the abs and hip flexors do steady work. Use it as a metabolic finisher or as part of a circuit once your TRX plank is solid.
- Equipment
- TRX
- Body part
- Abs
- Type
- Cardio, Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Lower Rectus Abdominals, Upper Rectus Abdominals
- Browse by movement
- Anti-Rotation, Core Brace
- Target
- Lower Rectus Abdominals, Upper Rectus Abdominals
- Secondary
- Abdominal External Oblique, Rectus Femoris
- Tertiary
- Deltoid Anterior, Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Triceps Brachii Long Head
How to do it
- 1
Set the straps short and secure both feet in the foot cradles.
- 2
Walk your hands out into a strong push-up plank with wrists under shoulders.
- 3
Brace the core and set the shoulders down and back.
- 4
Drive one knee toward your chest while the other leg stays extended.
- 5
Return that leg and immediately drive the opposite knee in.
- 6
Continue alternating at a controlled, steady pace while keeping the hips low.
Tips
- Keep the hips level with the shoulders; do not let them pike up as you speed up.
- Push the floor away the whole time to protect and stabilize the shoulders.
- Keep the reps rhythmic rather than frantic so the core stays in control.
- Square the hips to the floor and resist the urge to rotate with each drive.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Leaving the straps long so the feet hang close to the floor, which drops the hips and makes the low back hold the position; set the cradles around mid-shin height.
- Resting the arches of the feet in the cradles instead of seating the tops of the feet firmly, which is how a foot pops out mid-set.
- Riding the swing of the straps, so each knee drive is a pendulum coming back rather than the hip flexor pulling.
- Walking the hands too far forward of the anchor, which pulls the body backward and turns the set into a fight to stay in place.
- Setting up under an anchor you have not checked; your whole weight hangs from it while your hands are on the floor.
Frequently asked
- How long should a TRX mountain climber set be?
- Three to four sets of 20 to 30 seconds, resting a full minute between them. Before starting, hold a TRX plank for 30 to 45 seconds with the hips level; if that hold sags, the knee drives will only speed it up. Add ten seconds at a time up to about a minute, then slow the tempo and pause with the knee in. This is a finisher rather than an opener, so put it near the end of the session.
- What can I do instead of a TRX mountain climber?
- Furniture sliders or a folded towel under the feet on a smooth floor give you almost the same thing: the feet never leave the ground, so the core has to control the return. Feet on a stability ball is the closest unstable match, and feet on a low bench takes the instability out but keeps the position. A plain floor mountain climber is the fallback and is not far behind if you slow it down.
- What does putting the feet in straps add to a mountain climber?
- The suspended feet remove the friction that normally helps you hold position, so the trunk has to resist rotation on every knee drive while the shoulders stabilize a load that keeps trying to shift. You get anti-rotation core work and conditioning in one piece. It is a poor choice if your TRX plank is not solid yet, and a poor choice on a day when the shoulders are already worked, since they support most of you throughout.
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