Cross Body Mountain Climber Hop Over Bench

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand to the left side of a flat bench and place both hands shoulder-width apart on the center of the bench.
2. Extend your legs back into a high plank position, so your body is diagonal to the bench.
3. Engage your core and ensure your shoulders are stacked directly over your wrists.

How to do it

1. Drive your right knee across your body toward your left elbow, exhaling forcefully to engage the obliques.
2. Quickly switch legs, driving your left knee toward your right elbow.
3. With your hands firmly planted on the bench, jump both feet together over the bench to the right side, landing softly on the balls of your feet.
4. Immediately repeat the cross-body mountain climbers from the right side, then hop back over to the left.
5. Maintain a brisk, rhythmic tempo, inhaling during the transitions and exhaling on the knee drives and jumps.

Form checklist

• Keep your hips at or below shoulder height; avoid piking your glutes into the air during the hop.
• Ensure your hands remain centered on the bench to prevent it from tipping.
• Land with 'quiet feet' to ensure you are using your muscles, not your joints, to absorb the impact.
• Maintain a neutral spine by looking at the space between your hands rather than at your feet.

Pro tips

• Think about pulling your belly button toward your spine during the cross-body drive to maximize deep transverse abdominis activation.
• To increase oblique recruitment, try to touch your knee to the opposite elbow on every climber rep.
• Keep your weight shifted forward over your hands during the hop to make the leg transition faster and more fluid.

Make it harder

• Add a 'bench push-up' after each lateral hop before starting the mountain climbers.
• Increase the pace to a sprint, minimizing the contact time your feet have with the floor.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the cross body mountain climber hop over bench work?

The cross body mountain climber hop over bench primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the glutes and hip flexors as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the cross body mountain climber hop over bench?

The cross body mountain climber hop over bench requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the cross body mountain climber hop over bench good for beginners?

The cross body mountain climber hop over bench is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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