16 Calorie-Blasting Workouts to Do Outside

Speed Racer

Warm up with a light jog and some light stretching. Run each interval for 1 minute, taking 2 minutes to recover between each run. Repeat for 4 sets.

• Mark your start with some kind of landmark (light pole, mailbox, water bottle). Run at 85 to 90% effort for 1 minute. Recover for 2 minutes.
• Run for 1 minute back toward the start at the same intensity. Your goal is to get back to where you began in the given time.
• During your recovery period, make your way back to your original start. This will always be your starting mark. Repeat for a total of 4 sets there and back, then cool down and stretch.

Workout by Julian Reynolds, former U.S. national champion, track and field; Pan-American gold medalist.

Beach Party

Do the exercises in the order given, completing as many circuits as you have time for. (Aim for at least 3.)

• Burpee (10x)
• Air Squat (20x)
• Walking Lunge (80 feet)
• Bear Crawl (80 feet)
• Plank (1-2 min.)

Workout by Trent Bender, trainer, Los Angeles.

Hit the Stairs

Find a set of stairs (ideally 2 to 3 flights) and a flat surface. Warm up before getting into the main workout, doing as many rounds as possible (AMRAP). Finish with the cooldown.

WARMUP (3 min.)

Do each exercise for 30 seconds.

• Jumping Jack Walkout: Hinge forward from hips, placing hands on ground; walk your hands out to a full plank; walk hands back to feet.
• Plank Lunge: From plank, bring right foot outside right hand; rotate chest to the right, lifting left arm toward sky. Return to plank and repeat on opposite side. Repeat for time.
• Reverse Lunge (30 sec. per leg)
• High Knee

MAIN WORKOUT (20 min./AMRAP)

• Stair Run: Run up and down 3 flights of stairs; don’t skip any steps.
• Air Squat (30x)
• Power Stairs: Run up and down 3 flights of stairs, skipping 1 to 2 stairs, depending on your level of comfort.
• Squat Plank Thrust (10x)

​COOLDOWN (5-10 min.)

• Stair Walk: Slowly walk up and down 1 flight of stairs or until your heart rate has returned to normal.
• Cat/Cow: From all fours, alternate rounding head and tail bone down toward the ground and up toward the sky.
• Plank Lunge: Slow pace; hold at any tight spots.

Workout by Kathryn Connors, trainer, Chelsea Piers Sports Club, New York.

Circuit Maker

Complete the circuit 2 times. Rest 10 seconds between each set and 1 minute between circuits.

• Full Plank (30 sec.)
• Prone Superman (20x)
• Forearm Side Plank (30 sec. per side)
• Pushup (20x)
• Glute Bridge (40x)
• Plie Squat (15x)
• Pushup to Squat Thrust (8x)
• Mountain Climber (60x)

Workout by Monique Crous, trainer, Bodē NYC.

The Deep End

Complete the series of exercises below 3 times, for 30 to 60 seconds each. Rest 1 to 2 minutes between rounds.

Whole Body: Swim

• Swim, using any stroke, as many lengths of the pool as you can within the time.

Upper Body: Muscle-Up

• Begin with your palms on the pool deck, facing the pool wall.
• Drop your body below the water, then explode up, extending your shoulders above your elbows.
• Push through, with the focus on being “tall” before lowering yourself back down.

Lower Body: Lateral Lunge

• Keeping your toes pointed forward, step out wide under water with your right foot.
• Sink your hips back and down over your right side while keeping your left leg straight.
• Step back to center, then repeat on the other side.

Core: Leg Lift

• Stand with your back to the pool wall, resting your elbows and forearms on the edge of the pool.
• Keeping your legs straight and zipped together, lift them until they are parallel to the pool floor.
• Lower legs with control until they almost touch the pool floor. Repeat.

Workout by Alex Islay, Lifetime Fitness.

Step It Up

Find a flight of stairs and a flat surface at the bottom where you can do the intervals. Begin with the brief warmup before moving into the main workout.

WARMUP

• Jog in Place (30 sec.)
• “X” Hop (30 sec.): Start with feet together, then take a small hop forward, jumping feet hip-width apart. Jump back to starting position, bringing feet together, then hop backward, feet hip-width apart. Stay on the balls of your feet.
• Knee-up (30 sec.): Alternating pulling knees toward chest with both hands while pushing hips forward.
• Sumo Squat Opening (30 sec.): Do a low sumo squat, placing elbows inside thighs to press knees wide, then stand up and extend arms above head.

MAIN WORKOUT

• Toe Tap (30 sec.): Alternate tapping toes quickly off the first step.
• Lunge-up (1 min. each): Every 2 steps, drop into a low lunge walking up the stairs. Lightly jog down the stairs. Repeat.
• Jumping Jack (30 sec.)
• Sprint (1 min.): Run up stairs, skipping every other step. Slowly walk back down.
• 2-to-1 Jump (1 min.): Starting at the bottom of the stairs, jump up 1 to 2 steps, land on one foot. Continue for time, alternating feet. Walk down and rest 30 seconds.
• Sprint (30 sec.): Sprint up stairs. At the top, squat and hold for 30 seconds. Walk down. Repeat 2-to-1 jump/sprint series.
• Lateral Squat: Stand with left side of your body facing stairs and left foot on second or third step. Squat up the stairs, skipping every 2 to 3 steps (depending on fitness level and stair height).
• 180 Squat Jump (30 sec.): Do these at top of stairs; walk down.
• Lateral Squat: Right side.
• 180 Squat Jump (30 sec.): Do these at top of stairs; walk down.

Finisher

Repeat sequence 4x:

• Lateral Shuffle: 5 low shuffles to the right, touch down with left hand, 5 low shuffles to the left, touch down with right hand.
• Sprint: Sprint up stairs.

Workout by Astrid Swan, trainer, Los Angeles.

In the Swim

Complete 1 to 5 rounds of the circuit, depending on your fitness level and time allowed. Do workout in water that’s chest deep.

• Mountain Climber (30 sec.): With hands on the pool edge, alternate raising your knees toward the surface of the water. Push your toes toward your shin, extending your heel. As the heel of your foot lands, immediately drive opposite knee up.
• Wall Tap (45 sec.): Hold onto pool ledge with legs behind you. Let go of the wall and tuck your knees into your body, rolling back to bring your feet forward to tap the wall. Roll back and reach your hands back to the wall. That’s 1 rep.
• Kickboard Push Pull (45 sec.): Hold a kickboard vertically in front of you, feet staggered. Push and pull the board in front of you, using as much power as you can while remaining stationary.
• Push Off and Swim Back (1 min.): Holding onto the lip of the wall, bring both feet onto the wall in front of you. Push off the wall, letting the momentum carry you 1 to 2 seconds. As you start to slow down, quickly tuck your knees in and flip forward into a freestyle swimming position, swimming back to starting point.

Workout by Chris LaCour, swim coach and instructor, New York Health & Racquet Club.

Road Cycling Circuit

You can do this workout on any bike—just adapt the drills based on how many gears your bike may have. Warm up by cycling at a moderate intensity for a few minutes, then integrate the drills when you have some open road to play with.

DRILL 1: ADD-ONS

Goal: Build endurance.

• Push hard for 10 strokes; recover for 10 strokes.
• Push hard for 20 strokes; recover for 10 strokes.
• Push hard for 30 strokes; recover for 10 strokes.
• Repeat as terrain permits.

Note: Keep a minimum of a medium gear for recovery and a heavy gear for your pushes. Choose one leg to count your pedal strokes.

DRILL 2: EVERY FIFTH

Goal: Improve muscle balance between legs and hips.

• When riding up a hill, change the leg you use to accelerate every 5 pedal strokes. Example: Push hard with right leg for 5 strokes, then push hard with left leg for 5 strokes; continue to alternate until you reach the top of the hill. Use a medium-heavy gear.

DRILL 3: DOUBLE TIME

Goal: Gain speed and athletic training.

• Light gear; cadence 65 to 75 rpm (15 sec.).
• Medium gear; double your cadence to 110 to 150 rpm (45 sec.).
• Repeat 3 times, then recover in a lower gear for 1 minute. You can do this drill on a hill or a flat road.

DRILL 4: HILL SPRINT

Goal: Increase power and strength.

• Every time you hit a hill, use all your explosive power to go as fast as you can on the way up. Once you get to the top, drop your speed by 50%; repeat. In a perfect world, you’ll alternate exerting full power up to 30 seconds at a time with about 1 minute of recovery at 50%. For an even bigger challenge, increase the gear with each sprint.

Workout by Corey Schadeck, instructor, New York Health & Racquet Club.

Run and Squat

This workout alternates a steady base pace (one where you should be able to hold a conversation while jogging) with a burn pace (much faster but not an all-out sprint).

• Warmup (3 min.): Jog at an easy pace.
• Base Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (30 sec.) Tip: Keep your chest up, feet flat on the ground, and knees tracked over toes.
• Burn Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (1 min.)
• Base Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (30 sec.)
• Burn Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (1 min.)
• Base Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (30 sec.)
• Burn Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (1 min.)
• Base Pace Run (2 min.)
• Body-weight Squat (30 sec.)
• Cooldown (3 min.): Do a brisk walk to help bring down your heart rate.

Workout by Ally McKinney, Gold’s Studio and Gold’s Amp coach, Austin, TX.

Cardio Connection

Do each circuit 3 times through. You can sprint outdoors or on a treadmill.

Repeat 3x:

• Pushup (20x, rest 30 sec.)
• Lunge Jump (20x, rest 1 min.)
• Sprint (1 min., rest 1 min.)

Repeat 3x:

• Dip (20x, rest 30 sec.)
• Plank (1 min., rest 30 sec.)
• Jump Rope (1 min., rest 1 min.)
• Pike Pushup (20x, rest 30 sec.)

Workout by Lacey Stone, celebrity trainer, Los Angeles.

Hot Body Workout

Start with the warmup, then do 1 circuit of the main workout.

WARMUP

• Squat (20x)
• Walking Lunge (20x)
• Walkout (10x)
• Bridge Hip Lift (20x)
• Plank Hold (30 sec.)

MAIN WORKOUT

• 180 Squat Jump (20x): Squat down and then, as you come up, jump and turn 180 degrees, landing in squat.
• Diamond Pushup (10x): Get into a pushup position with hands under chest in a diamond shape. Lower chest to floor, then press back up.
• Single-leg Bridge (20x per side): Lie faceup on floor with knees bent and feet flat on floor, hip-distance apart. Extend right leg toward ceiling. Engaging glutes, lift hips toward ceiling, pressing left heel into floor. Lower hips just above floor and repeat.
• Side Plank Toe Touch (15x per side): Begin in side plank, right hand on the floor directly below right shoulder, feet stacked. Bring right leg in front of your body while extending left arm toward ceiling. Engaging the core, lift right leg off floor, touching right foot with left hand. Lower right leg just above floor and repeat.
• Burpee to Broad Jump (10x): Jump down into a plank position, do 1 pushup, then hop back up to your feet. Jump forward as far as you can. That’s 1 rep.
• Break Dancer Pushup (10x): Begin in a full pushup position, then bend elbows to hover chest just above floor. Press back to starting position, hopping both feet forward so knees are just above floor and directly under hips. Rotate to right side, bringing left knee to meet right elbow in a crunch. Return to center and repeat on opposite side. That’s 1 rep.
• Single-leg Squat (15x per side): Stand tall with left foot off floor. Bring both arms forward and extend left leg straight in front as you slowly squat down with right leg. Go as deeply as you can while keeping left leg lifted; press through right heel to return to start and repeat.
• Plank Shake (5x per side): Begin in a forearm plank position, forming a straight line from head to heels. Gazing down, reach right arm forward as if you were going to shake someone’s hand. Hold here for 5 seconds,
  then return to start before repeating on opposite side.

Workout by Katie Dunlop, creator of Love Sweat Fitness.

Get Jacqd

Perform 3 to 4 full rounds of this circuit. You’ll need a mini band and a longer resistance band, plus a set of dumbbells or a kettlebell.

• Sprint (5x): Find a large hill and sprint up it.
• Turkish Getup (5x per side): Lie faceup on floor, right knee bent with foot flat on floor and right arm straight above head. Bring left arm 45 degrees to your side. Using your core, roll up onto left elbow and then to left hand, lifting hips to the sky with full hip extension. Sweep left leg behind you into a resting lunge position, then stand up, keeping right arm above head. Reverse the movement, getting into lunge and then lowering to floor.
• Lateral Band Walk: Place small resistance band around your ankles. Stand in an athletic stance and laterally step hip-width apart, maintaining tension with the band. Take 20 steps in each direction; reverse and repeat.
• Renegade Row With Rotation (10x per side): Start in a plank with dumbbells in your hands underneath your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart. Row one bell and then turn your torso, extend your arm, and heave the weight overhead. Simultaneously, pivot both feet so you’re on the inside and outside of your sneakers. Use your core to control the same movement descending back down to your plank. Alternate side to side.
• Isolated Rear-delt Flye With Reverse Lunge (20x): Hold long resistance band with arms extended in front of chest, palms up. Pull the band apart, keeping your arms straight. At the same time, step right foot back in a reverse lunge. Step back to start and lunge back with left foot, keeping band pressed out to side in a static hold.
• Rotating Pushup (8x): Begin in a full pushup position. Lower chest toward floor. Extend elbows out to 45 degrees, then push up. Maintaining this position, lower back to a pushup and then bring elbows in toward your body and push up again.

Workout by Jacqueline Kasen, trainer, Miami.

All in the Timing

Alternate between both circuits; do each full circuit 2 times. Do each exercise for 40 seconds, resting 20 seconds before continuing to the next move.

ROUND A

• Squat
• High Knees
• Mountain Climber
• Speed Skater

ROUND B

• Alternating Step-back Lunge
• Pushup
• Single-leg Deadlift
• Front Kick

​Workout by Alexis Craig, trainer, Gixo.

The Run Up

Do the full warmup 1 time before getting into the sprinting section. Finish with the bonus ab moves if time allows.

WARMUP

You should feel both exercises in your back and hamstrings.

• Walkout (10x): Lean forward to touch your toes, then walk your hands out to a plank; walk hands back to feet.
• Hip Hinge (10x): Place hands behind head. Pull elbows back and hinge forward from hips until chest is parallel to floor. Keep back straight and knees slightly bent.

2 rounds:

• High Knees (20x)
• Air Squat (20x)
• Lunge (10x per leg)

2 rounds:

• Butt Kick in Place (20x)
• Lateral Lunge (10x per leg)
• Pushup to Downward Dog (10x)

MAIN WORKOUT

• Sprint: Sprint 400 meters or whatever distance you can cover in 2 to 3 minutes.
• Jump Lunge (40x)
• Pushup (20x)
• Elbow Plank (1 min.)
• Sprint: Sprint 200 meters or whatever distance you can cover in 1 minute.
• Jump Lunge (20x)
• Pushup (10x)
• Elbow Plank (1 min.)

2 rounds:

• Sprint: Sprint 100 meters or whatever distance you can cover in 20 seconds.
  Burpee (15x)
• Jump Squat (15x)
• Sprint (100 meters)
• Burpee (10x)
• Jump Squat (10x)
• Sprint (100 meters)
• Burpee (5x)
• Jump Squat (5x)
• Sprint (100 meters)

BONUS AB MOVES

• Hollow Body Hold (1 min.)
• Situp (50x)
• Hollow Body Hold (30 sec.)
• Situp (25x)
• Mountain Climber (1 min. max effort)
• Full Plank (1 min.)

Workout by Sam Capogrosso, Trainer, Burn 60.

Double TIme

Do each move for 40 seconds, resting 20 seconds between each exercise. Complete 5 rounds supersetting the moves. You’ll need a step or a bench.

• Incline Pushup to T: Begin in a full pushup position with your hands on a step and your legs extended behind you. Do 1 pushup, then raise left hand while rotating body to left side. Repeat pushup, then raise right hand while rotating body to right. Continue, alternating sides for time.
• Stepup Balance: Stand tall with right foot on a bench and arms at sides or clasped in front. Step up onto bench, pushing through right foot, while lifting right knee forward to hip height. Step down with left foot and repeat on opposite side. Continue, alternating sides for time.

Workout by Rachel Prairie, Anytime Fitness.

Minute by Minute

Do each of the moves below for 1 minute each, resting as little as possible between each move. If time allows, repeat the circuit.

• Inchworm
• Mountain Climber
• Burpee
• Pushup
• Side Plank (right side)
• Bear Crawl
• Side Plank (left side)
• Bridge
• Crunch

​Workout by Jamie McFaden, trainer, Aaptiv Person Trainer App.