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Workout I Did: A Quick Travel Workout You Can Do Anywhere (Leg Matrix!)

Credit: jonclegg, Flickr

LA Athletic Club: talk about a cool health club to work out in! Old-school sporty style at its best. Credit: jonclegg, Flickr

About a week before FBG Tish’s wedding, I was in Los Angeles for another friends’ wedding. (I know, I know — how crazy and how much fun is that?!) They got married on a rooftop in LA, and it was damn glorious. For the wedding, we stayed at the The Los Angeles Athletic Club, which is part hotel and part health club. One of the oldest gyms around, it’s got that old-fashioned charm and swankiness of dark wood and Gatsby-esque design.

A little tight on time with wedding responsibilities and logistics, we didn’t have time to work out in the club before the event, so, Ryan, two friends of ours Katrina and Tessa, and I did a little workout the morning after the wedding. Yes, it was an open bar and, yes, it was kind of painful. But it was short, and just what we needed to speed that slight hangover up and out of our systems.

We did this in an open area of the gym, but really this travel workout is great because you can do it anywhere. And it’s full-body. You’ll work your upper body, your lower body and your core. Not to mention that you’ll get your heart a pumpin’. The total two-part workout should take you anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how quickly you can do the leg matrix, how long you rest between the two parts and how much you really love burpees.

Travel Workout Part One: Leg Matrix

Set a timer and do the below moves as quickly as you can with good form. It can be tempting to speed through this without a full range of motion, be do your best to really get deep with those lunges and squats — not letting your knees go past your toes — and jump high! Also, to give full credit: I got the Leg Matrix from Sheryl at the Fit Pit. And it’s a life-changing leg burner! (Don’t be surprised if your legs are really, really wobbly after this!)

  • 24 squats
  • 24 lunges (left, right equals one)
  • 24 jumping lunges (left, right equals one)
  • 24 plyo squats

Travel Workout Part One: Burpee-Up

Legs wobbly, like Bambi in this scene? You did it right. Get a drink and recover until your heart comes down. Now it’s time for the Burpee-Up, a combo of the two below moves, performed back to back, a total of three times through. If you’re feeling saucy and have the time, go for five rounds.

  • 10 burpees (with jump and clap overhead, no push-up with the burpee)
  • 10 push-ups

There you have it! An equipment-free travel workout that delivers a serious burn and both cardio and strength benefits. Don’t be surprised if you’re sore the next day …

What’s your favorite equipment-free travel workout? Ever done anything like the leg matrix before? —Jenn

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