Climbers appear three times on this card, once in every row, and they set the tone for the whole workout. The top row is 20 high knees, 20 climbers and 20 high knees. The middle row runs a 10-count plank hold, 20 climbers and a second 10-count plank hold. The bottom row is 20 flutter kicks, 20 climbers and 20 flutter kicks. That is 60 climbers per set, counted as a total, so thirty drives with each leg.
The climber is the bridge between the two halves of this program: it is a running movement performed in a plank, so your legs work at speed while your shoulders and core hold the position steady. Using it as the middle tile of all three rows means the plank position keeps coming back from three different directions - after standing work, between two holds, and between two sets of flutter kicks. That middle row is the hardest thing here, because 20 climbers arriving between two holds means your shoulders carry you for the entire row with no break at all.
Keep your hips low and level in the climbers - the moment they rise, the exercise turns into a jog and the core stops working. Hands under the shoulders, weight forward, and drive the knee toward your chest rather than just picking the foot up. In the plank holds, hold the same line you use in the climbers so the transition costs nothing. Flutter kicks stay small and controlled with the lower back pressed to the floor.
Climbers in all three rows - the running day and the plank day, folded into one card.
Make it Harder: Drive the knees all the way to your chest and pick up the tempo on the final climbers tile.
Make it Easier: Slow the climbers to a walking pace and keep your hips low and steady throughout.
