Be Well Workout of the Week: The Mountain-Climb Workout

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Ready for this week’s workout? It goes like this: You’re going to start with five reps of pull-ups, then you’ll follow those with 10 burpees, then 15 sit-ups, then 20 push-ups — are you getting the idea? You’ll keep counting up by five until you get to 50 reps of mountain climbers, doing a different exercise at each five-rep interval.

After you’ve done your 50 mountain climbers, you’ll work your way back to the top of the list, counting down by five reps until you’re all the way back to five pull-ups. And then you’re done! Think of it like you’re climbing a repetition mountain: You go up, then come back down. Good luck!

Be Well Workout of the Week: Killer Mountain-Climb Workout

Do all the exercises on the list from top to bottom. Then, once you’ve done 50 mountain climbers, work your way back up the list in opposite order.

5 pull-ups
10 burpees
15 sit ups
20 push-ups
25 lunge rows
30 ab twists
35 kettlebell swings
40 alternating overhead press
45 crunches
50 mountain climbers

Explanation of exercises

Pull-ups: Suspend yourself on the pull-up bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up, keeping your body as straight as possible, until your chest reaches the bar. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Burpee: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, lower to the ground, bring your feet back in, and stand up.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Push-up: Start lying face down with your chest on the floor, with hands facing forward and palms down in line with your shoulders; elbows should be pointing back. Push up until arms are extended (the inside of the elbow should be facing forward) and drop back down.

Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row a weight with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.

Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly and use your abs to twist side to side.

Kettlebell swings: Standing with feet about hip-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of you both both hands. Bend your knees into a squat, swinging the kettlebell back through your legs as you drop down and forward to about shoulder height as you stand. Repeat in a fluid motion.

Alternating overhead press: Holding free weights in each hand, stand with the weights at your shoulders (elbows forming 90 degrees beside your head), hips tucked under, and abs very strong. Pressing your left hand to the ceiling, straightening your arm, and return to the starting position. Repeat the motion on the right.

Crunches: Get in sit-up position, with knees bent and hands behind the head. Without pulling the neck, squeeze your abs and sit halfway up. Hold for a beat, and return to starting position.

Mountain climbers: Get in plank position. Alternating legs, bring your knee into the chest, keeping your upper body strong. Extend leg and switch.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

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