5 Mountain Climber Variation Exercises to Lose Weight and Get Sculpted Abs

Mountain climbers are a core strengthening and sculpting exercise that offers great weight loss benefits. Incorporating it into your workout routine can help you reduce fat and get sculpted abs.

A mix of strength training and cardio, mountain climbers primarily target the core muscles, including the back and front abdominals and obliques, and also tone the shoulders, thighs, glutes, triceps and biceps. This intense exercise improves endurance and agility and boosts overall cardio performance as well. Strength and endurance aside, this sweat-inducing core exercise offers plyometric training while also helping you develop a range of motion in those stiff muscles.

What more? There are several mountain climber variation exercises that you can do to get your abs working even harder and amp up your weight loss. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced gym-goer, here are the top 5 mountain climber variation exercises to add to your fitness routine.

Mountain climber variation exercises to try

Amp up your core strength with these mountain climber variation exercises:

1. Wide-arm mountain climbers

To do this exercise:

• Start the exercise by assuming a tabletop position on your knees and hands. Just make sure to position your hands slightly wider than your shoulder width distance.
• Extend both your legs straight behind you and engage your core throughout the exercise.
• Squeeze your glutes and bring your left knee close to your chest. Extend your left leg back to the start and hop on your right leg to repeat the same. Move your right leg towards your chest and bring it back, and continue to do the movement at a faster pace.
• Make sure to keep your abs engaged and your head straight throughout the exercise.

2. Spiderman mountain climbers

To perform this variation:

• Begin in a plank position with your legs and hands on the floor and your body in a straight line from your toe to your head. Squeeze your glutes and engage your core muscles.
• As you inhale, move your left knee, open your left leg, and slowly crunch towards your left side. Bring your leg back to the initial position and now repeat the same with your opposite leg.
• Move your right knee, open your right leg, and crunch towards your right.
• Continue it for a few reps and perform the exercise at a faster pace.

3. BOSU ball mountain climbers

To do this exercise:

• Put the BOSU’s dome-side down on the floor, and take a push-up position with your hands on the ball and your shoulders over your wrists.
• Make sure to keep your hips in place and slowly move your right knee towards your chest. Return your knee to its starting position and immediately move your other knee towards your chest.
• Continue alternating and increase your pace.

4. One-arm mountain climbers

To do this exercise:

• Take a plank position with your arms and feet on the floor and your spine straight.
• Lift your right hand and bring your left knee close to your chest. As you do this, make sure to keep your right elbow slightly flexed.
• Now hop on your right leg and bring your right knee towards your chest. At the same time, push your left leg back and extend your right hand behind you.
• Continue on this side for a few reps and then switch hands to repeat.

5. Cross-body mountain climbers

To perform this variation:

• Start in a plank position. Keep your body straight and your spine stable.
• As you inhale, bring your left knee close to your chest and slowly twist your body towards your right so that your knee gets close to the right side of your chest.
• Exhale and move your leg back to its starting position.
• Now bring your right knee towards your chest, twist your body towards the left and bring your left knee close to the left side of your chest.
• Extend your leg back to the start and repeat.
• Complete equal reps on both sides.

Takeaway

The aforementioned mountain climber variation exercises are sure to help you achieve full-body workout benefits. These variations will target all the major muscles in your upper and lower body, including your core, glutes, hamstrings, deltoids, hip flexors, triceps, biceps, and more. Moreover, they’ll help you develop endurance and strength, burn fat, and help you achieve sculpted abs.

While mountain climbers are easy and suitable for all fitness levels, keep in mind that they require a lot of core strength and balance. When doing this exercise or its variations, always perform each move slowly and in a controlled manner while also focusing on your posture and form.