TRX Crossing Mountain Climber

Setup

Feet in the foot cradles at mid-calf, hands under shoulders in a strong plank.

Execution

1. 1Drive one knee across the body toward the opposite elbow
2. 2Extend that leg back to plank with control
3. 3Immediately drive the other knee across to the opposite side
4. 4Maintain a stable, low hip position throughout

Key cues

• Rotate from the hips/core, not just swing the leg sideways
• Keep hips low and stable between reps
• Control the tempo — don't sacrifice rotation quality for speed
• Shoulders stay stacked over the wrists

Common faults

• Hips rising too high, losing the plank line
• Insufficient rotation, turning it into a standard mountain climber
• Rushing so fast that control is lost
• Straps swinging from uneven foot loading

Tweaks

• Slow the tempo for a strength-focused version
• Use short work/rest intervals for a conditioning finisher
• Regress to the standard mountain climber if rotation control breaks down

Muscles

Notes

TRX-specific. Angle = intensity: the more horizontal the body relative to the floor, the harder pressing/pulling/plank-style TRX moves become. For pulling movements (rows, face pulls), walking feet toward the anchor and leaning back further increases load. For pressing movements (push-ups, chest press), walking feet away from the anchor and standing more upright decreases load; moving feet closer to directly under the anchor point increases load. Foot position in the straps (heel vs. midfoot vs. toe) also changes leverage and load for lower-body moves. Rotation range and tempo are the dual intensity levers — a fuller cross-body rotation at a controlled tempo is significantly harder than a quick, shallow one.

Sources

• Suspension Trainer Ab Exercises — Sundried (Mountain Climbers and rotational ab variations)
• 100 Exercises with TRX Part 1 — Abdominals

Attribution: TRX Training