Inspiration Trail: Hike + Workout

I recently visited Will Rogers National Park in the Pacific Palisades in LA. I must say, if you haven’t been to visit, its a must see. It has beautiful views and is a great place to have a picnic, hike and workout. When you visit, bring cash, you’ll need exactly $12 to donate in order to park inside of Will Rogers. 

I decided to hit up Inspiration Trail when I visited Will Rogers and I’m glad I did. The trail definitely lives up to its name as the views are ridiculous! On a clear day, it has panoramic views of Downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean. The trail is not the most challenging, its a little over a mile roundtrip and has a 5% average incline. If you are looking to have a casual hike and clear your mind, this is the one for you. Also, if you want to make it a little more challenging, throw a band in your pocket and run up the hill until you get to the top. Catch your breathe, soak in the landscape and get your workout on! Make sure to lather up in sunscreen and bring water, you’ll definitely need it! 

Here’s a series of exercises that needs no equipment other than a band. If you don’t have a band, no worries! You can either get a set here or do without. 

The Workout

3 Rounds

Lateral Lunges x 10 reps each leg

Pushups x 15 reps

Mountain Climbers x 30 reps each leg

Lateral Band Steps x 10 reps each leg

45 Degree Band Steps x 10 reps each leg

Tricep Dips x 15 reps

Crunches x 20 reps

I hope that you enjoyed the workout! Have an amazing weekend, get outside and enjoy the awesome weather! Check out how to do each exercise below.

All the Best,

Mike

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How to do Each Exercise - 

Lateral Lunges:

1. Start with your feet together.

2. Step laterally away from the body and plant your foot 

3. Drive your hips laterally as if you are trying to tap a wall with them and sink into a squat, pause and return the starting position. 

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Pushups:

1. Place your hands directly under the shoulders, when in doubt, move them closer to the chest. 

2. Drop your hips and keep a straight line from the feet to your head.

3. Keep your elbows in and pinch your shoulders blades together.

4. Control the speed down, pause and squeeze the chest and triceps on the way up.

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Mountain Climbers:

1. Place your hands under the shoulders, drop your hips and keep a straight line from the feet to your head.

2. Alternate your feet, pulling them in one at a time while squeezing your abs. 

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Band Steps:

1. Step into the band and place the band on your lower leg.

2. Make sure that the band is not rolled up but flush to your skin.

3. Place your feet between hip width and shoulder width apart.

4. Get into a quarter squat. 

5. Control your step away from your body and return to the starting position. 

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Tricep Dips:

1. Place your feet either straight out or bent, whichever feels more comfortable.

2. Pull the shoulders back and lift the chest to avoid using too much of your shoulders.

3. Control the movement down and squeeze the triceps on the way up.

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Crunches:

1. Find where you feel most balanced on your tail bone and place your hands on the bench for stability.

2. Lift the chest and bring your knees in close to the body to start.

3. Extend your feet out and slightly lean back. Go as far as you can while keeping tension on your abs. Once you feel it more in the back, thats your stopping point.