How to do a Cross-Body Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank with hands under your shoulders and body straight.
- Brace your core and keep your hips low and level.
- Drive one knee across your body toward the opposite elbow.
- Return it and quickly switch, pulling the other knee across.
- Keep the shoulders stacked over the wrists and pick up the pace.
Keep in mind
- Drive the knee toward the opposite elbow, across the body.
- Let the hips rotate a little — that rotation is the point.
- Keep the shoulders over the wrists.
- Keep the hips low; don't pike up between reps.
Common mistakes
- The hips bouncing up with each drive — slow the tempo and keep the plank.
- The knee going straight forward instead of across — aim it at the opposite elbow.
- Going so fast the movement shrinks — a smaller, faster rep trains nothing extra.
Breathing
Breathe in a quick, steady rhythm rather than syncing it to the legs.
Take care
Rotating under a plank asks a lot of the lower back — stop when the hips start bouncing, not when the legs give out.
Easier and harder
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