Sounds a bit daunting, right? Well if you’re after a great cardio workout and full bodyweight toning exercises, this is the training session you need! This will likely take around 45 minutes depending on your fitness level.
Mark out a 10 metre length with cones (if you can’t measure it, take 10 medium-sized strides and place your markers at each end; if you have no cones, use your drink bottle and a workout towel or similar instead – just as long as you can see where you’re running to!). Take short water drink breaks when needed – preferably between rounds.
The mountains workout
WARMUP
Go to the second cone and back with each of the following:
- Jogging lightly
- Side skipping (stay facing same way to ensure you do both sides)
- Grapevine (step one foot to side, next step with other foot behind it, step out to side with original foot, step other foot in front. Start off slow until you get the hang of it! Other foot leads on way back)
- Walking twists (try to touch opposite knee to opposite elbow, walk to do the opposite side and keep going. Try to keep chest up as much as possible)
- Walking lunges
ROUND ONE (ARMS)
Starting at the first cone, do one push up. Run to the second cone and back to your starting point, then do two push ups. Do the same run of both lengths and do three push ups. Keep going adding on one extra push up each time until you hit 20! This is why it’s called mountains, because you’re gradually stepping it up as you progress through your workout. If you run out of breath running between cones, take it down to a walk instead and go back to running once you get your breath back. Running isn’t necessary, but keeping on moving is compulsory!
ROUND TWO (LEGS)
Mountains doing touchdown squats. Stand with feet little wider than hip distance apart, toes turned out. Sink your butt down to do a deep squat while keeping your chest up and try to touch the ground with both hands in the middle of the gap between your feet.
ROUND THREE (ABS)
Mountains doing C-crunches. Lying on your back in sit-up position, hover your feet in the air with knees at 90 degrees. Reach forward around the outsides of your legs and try to touch your heels with your hands, then take your fingertips behind your ears or lightly behind your neck to support as you come back down (legs stay hovering in air!). Really try and crunch in to touch your toes by lifting your butt off the ground a little as you come forward.
COOLDOWN
5-10 minutes of stretching
Images / Flickr – Gareth Williams (gareth1953)