
We arrived at the Parnell Inn in Auckland, New Zealand and were greeted by a nice, steep driveway. Perfect to really hit the legs. Oh, and it was Valentine’s Day, what better way to celebrate?
For this workout, find yourself a steady incline that is long enough for at least 20 long strides. Then, get ready to fire up the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. Here we go…
1. Warm-up: 3-5 minutes.
Jog up and down hill – 5 reps
Cross knees – alternate right elbow to left knee, left elbow to right knee – 20 reps
Side-to-side shuffle – 20 reps
2. Lunges
20-25 uphill lunges with RIGHT leg only
Alternating backward lunge coming down hill
Repeat 3 times, then switch to LEFT leg and repeat 3 times
Optional: increase difficulty by keeping arms outstretched like airplane wings.
3. Lateral Squat Lunge
Start at the bottom of the hill, standing sideways to the hill.
Step sideways up the hill, leading with your RIGHT leg and do a deep squat in between strides
Walk or jog down.
Repeat 2 times then switch to LEFT leg.
4. Cardio boost
Jog 3 times up and down hill.
For increased difficulty, sprint the uphill and jog down.
5. Stair climb
We had a fire escape to work with at this location so we did 3 trips up and down, taking two steps at a time. Keep your mind engaged by changing the lead leg (the one you start the climb with) each time.
6. Calf raises – 20 reps between trips up the stairs (total of 3 sets)
7. Abs – knee lifts
Hang from a bar (or steps in this case) and pull the knees up to the chest.
3 sets of 15 reps.
8. Stretch / cool down
Workout video!