How to get a full body workout with mountain climbers

The Mountain Climber is a bodyweight exercise that serves not only to tone or strengthen your abs, it is also a great full-body workout. It is a killer exercise that gets your heart rate up fast, then engages multiple muscle groups at once helping to improve your balance, agility, coordination, strength, flexibility and blood circulation. The best part? You don't need any equipment at all--you can do mountain climbers anywhere and at any time.

Benefits:

• Builds cardio endurance;
• Strengthens the core and agility;
• Supports heart health;
• Works on several muscle groups at the same time;
• Improves mobility;
• Promotes functional fitness.

How to do it:

1. Get into a plank position by facing down with your hands and toes on the floor.
2. Distribute your weight evenly between your hands and your toes.
3. With your back flat, hips down, abs engaged, and head in alignment, bring your left leg close to your chest.
4. Switch legs, bring your right leg close to your chest.
5. Alternate your knees in and out as far and as fast as you can. Keep your abs tight.
6. Breathe. Inhale and exhale with each leg change.

This should be a fast movement so try pick your feet as fast as you can but if you're new to mountain climbers, take it slowly, and increase your leg speed as you get more confident and experienced at the exercise.

Hilda Amaral--Portuguese World Natural Bodybuilding Federation President, nutritionist, and personal trainer--shows us how to do this killer exercise in this video: