Wide Mountain Hop

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Engage your core and glutes to create a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Position your feet hip-width apart, balancing on the balls of your feet.

How to do it

1. Exhale and jump both feet forward and outward, landing softly with your feet just outside of your hands.
2. Inhale and immediately jump both feet back to the starting high plank position.
3. Maintain a fast, rhythmic tempo, ensuring your hips do not sag toward the floor during the transition.
4. Keep your weight centered over your hands throughout the entire movement.

Form checklist

• Keep your hands flat on the floor and shoulders stacked directly over your wrists.
• Land with your feet flat or on the balls of your feet to absorb impact.
• Avoid letting your lower back arch or your hips pike too high during the jump back.
• Maintain a neutral neck by looking at a point about 6 inches in front of your hands.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pulling' your knees toward your armpits using your lower abs to maximize core recruitment.
• Push actively away from the floor through your palms to keep your serratus and deltoids fully engaged.
• Try to minimize the time your feet spend on the ground to increase the plyometric demand.

Make it harder

• Add a push-up every time you jump your feet back to the plank position.
• Wear a weighted vest to increase the resistance on the hops and the load on the shoulders.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the wide mountain hop work?

The wide mountain hop primarily targets the abs, adductors, erector spinae, glutes, and quadriceps, and also works the biceps, deltoids, obliques, and triceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the wide mountain hop?

The wide mountain hop requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the wide mountain hop good for beginners?

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

Related exercises

• Kettlebell Hang CleanAdvanced · abs, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Kettlebell Sumo High PullIntermediate · adductors, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Hang Clean High PullAdvanced · erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Snatch PullAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, trapezius, and triceps