Mountain Climbers
Core exercise that also works your shoulders and legs.
High Intensity
- Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward, and your chest up. You can keep your arms bent with hands in front of your shoulders, or at your sides for balance.
- Lower into a Squat: Begin by pushing your hips back as if you're going to sit down in a chair. Bend your knees, keeping them in line with your toes and not letting them cave inward. Lower your body until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor, or slightly lower if comfortable.
- Explode Upwards: From the bottom of the squat, press down through your feet (especially your heels) and powerfully extend your hips and knees to propel yourself straight up into a jump. You can swing your arms down and then forward/upward for extra momentum.
- Land Softly: As you descend, bend your knees to absorb the impact. Land softly on the balls of your feet, then allow your heels to come down, immediately transitioning back into the squat position.
- Repeat: Without pausing, immediately go into the next jump from the squat position.
Important Considerations:
- Warm-up: Always warm up your muscles before performing jump squats to prevent injury.
- Controlled Landing: Focus on landing softly and absorbing the impact through your knees and hips to protect your joints.
- Surface: It's best to perform jump squats on a soft, flat surface like a mat, especially if you're a beginner.
- Listen to Your Body: Only squat down to a level that feels comfortable and doesn't cause pain in your knees or hips.