Spiderman Mountain Climbers – Bodyweight Cardio Exercise Guide

Muscles Targeted: Spiderman mountain climbers are ideal if you need an exercise that targets your lower abdominals along with the obliques which are also referred to as “love handles”. This movement is excellent for your overall core along with hitting secondary muscle groups including the chest, shoulders and triceps which work as stabilizer muscles during this exercise. Your legs also get a great workout since your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes are all engaged when you bring your legs up into the classic “Spiderman” pose!

Spiderman Mountain Climbers

Exercise Instructions: Start out this exercise in a regular push-up position with your hands placed flat on the ground at about shoulder width. Begin by raising your right leg up and outward so your right knee ends up a few inches outside of your right elbow. Really try to crunch your abs in this position in order to put maximum tension on the core muscles of your midsection. From the top position, slowly lower your right leg back down to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Raising and lowering both legs equals one complete repetition. It’s important to keep your back flat and your hands firmly on the ground to provide the balance and support your body needs during the entire range of motion.

Why This Exercise is Important: Spiderman mountain climbers are beneficial as both a resistance training exercise using your own bodyweight while also being a great cardiovascular movement that strengthens your heart and lungs which help to improve stamina and endurance. For people who need to work on their stomachs and want to lose excess fat from around their midsection, this exercise targets all of the key muscles around the core which includes the lower and middle abs, obliques (love handles) and lower back. Spiderman mountain climbers also help to strengthen your upper body by placing yourself in the push-up position and holding your own bodyweight up for the duration of the exercise. Another great advantage of this exercise is that since you’re using your own bodyweight for resistance, it’s truly portable and you don’t need any type of equipment or machines. This allows you to perform Spiderman mountain climbers in the convenience of your own home or even in a hotel room while you’re traveling on the road.

Things To Avoid: Technique is critical when doing Spiderman mountain climbers so make sure your form is spot-on at all times. You want to avoid rounding your back too much when bringing your legs up and down. As you raise your leg upward, make sure to bring it outward enough to maximize the tension on your oblique muscles. If you simply bring your leg straight up toward your chest then you will be basically performing the regular mountain climbers. Flexibility is needed with this exercise so try your best to get your leading leg up and outside of your knee at the top position.

Reps and Sets: Spiderman mountain climbers are advanced so beginners may want to skip this exercise if their flexibility is limited and opt for the regular version of the mountain climbers exercise. For advanced individuals, shoot for either 15-20 repetitions for 4-5 total sets or do timed interval sets where you do as many reps as possible in 60-90 seconds. If you want a high intensity cardio workout that targets your entire physique then combine a few other exercises like those listed below:

• Burpees: 10 reps
• Spiderman Mountain Climbers: 60 seconds
• Speed Squats: 60 seconds

If you’re flexible and ready to take on a challenge, then implementing Spiderman mountain climbers into either your abdominal workout routine or your cardio bodyweight training session will work wonders for burning excess calories and fat while helping to tone and tighten your midsection so you can finally achieve those ripped washboard 6-pack abs! Check out our entire exercise guides database for exclusive access to over 500 muscle building and fat burning exercises!

1. Prev:Speed Squats – Bodyweight Cardio Exercise Guide with Photos
2. Next:Bodyweight Cardio Exercises – Instructional Guides with Photos