Mountain climbers have proven to be a great way to improve core strength, as well as add definition to your upper body muscles.
And yet, in all my time training over the past decade or so, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve tried them. Never one to focus on abs, I was challenged by TechRadar’s fitness editor to integrate them into one week of exercise.
Never one to turn down a challenge, I started working with 100 climbers every day. To set expectations, for the most part, these were split into two or three sets, with a total of fifty per side.
This is combined with a rough bodybuilding routine featuring four full-body workouts. The great thing about mountain climbers is that they don’t require any equipment, so whether you put on your best running shoes or hit the gym, you can book your workout with quick bodyweight exercises. Here’s what happened when I added a hundred climbers a day to my routine, no mountains needed.
How to be mountaineers
1. Small visual changes
It’s highly unlikely you’ll see any visual changes in a week, but I may have convinced myself that something has changed.
I found that my rectus abdominis (upper abs) was a little more defined and actually protruded a bit from my sternum. As a large man with a barrel chest, it was surprising, but they definitely feel more toned to the touch.
I also found that my obliques were a little more defined, although this could also be due to eating less during a heat wave. Either way, consistent results are likely to follow if I keep this up, but the old adage “abs are made in the kitchen” (with recipes like our air-fried crispy chickpeas, of course) means it’s going to take more than mountain climbers any day to help show those abs.
2. Improved Weightlifting Base
As I said before, I like to lift weights. This is mostly because of the way I can “gamify” things the same way the best Apple Watch does with the motion and exercise ring achievements or Peloton’s Lanebreak game. The new BPs and increased weights feel a bit like leveling up.
To stick with this analogy, I’ve found that my regular climbers have started to feel a bit like a cheat code for one particular exercise or two.
For one thing, the standing dumbbell shoulder press felt safer, like I had a sturdier base to lift off of. Those obliques undoubtedly helped to help me push up, but I also felt I had a stronger core to also help lower the weights more carefully.
On the other hand, I found that those obliques felt more engaged during a dumbbell row on a standard bench press. Leaning forward, I was able to feel my core contracting just a little more as I lifted each side, and it acted as a good barometer of how much I could lift as the set went on – when that side has started hurting, I realized I was getting close to max reps. Sounds obvious, but it was appreciated to have another way of saying when I was nearing the end.
3. Better cardiovascular health
This is likely to affect everyone differently, but during the current hot weather I’ve chosen to avoid running or any cardio, really. This is because I have bradycardia which means my heart beats slower than it should.
A large part of this is probably the amount of exercise I get, and while many will strive to get my heart rate down, I was pleased to see that my regular daily climbers actually got my resting heart rate down to a respectable 42-43 BPM according to my best smartwatch.
Given that I’d previously been in the thirties, it’s a solid leap and one that might keep me going even once this same article has been submitted.
4. Makes other abs workouts easier
Of course, one of the reasons we humans like to train is to measure how far we’ve come, and I’ve found that mountain climbers have helped make other exercises that target your abs easier.
I found that building core strength helped with crunches, sit-ups, and leg pull-ins — three workouts that work the core of the abs (mountain climbers feel geared more toward their upper and lower abs).
It should be noted, however, that what worked for me may not work for you. With that in mind, I should note that there was increased discomfort when tacking on a hundred climbers on an already ab-centric day – proceed with caution.
The big question: Will I continue like this?
I was struck by not only how useful mountain climbers were, but how much I grew to enjoy them. The more I did, the faster I became, and I can see myself coming back to them now that I can get over them in minutes.
It’s probably not the sort of thing I can find time for every day, with work, family and more to juggle, but I can see myself setting time aside to add some to my week, maybe every other day.
#climbs #day #week #learned
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