If you’re looking for an engine push that’s a little harder than your average living room workout, taking inspiration from the Royal Marines can certainly deliver. Ex-Royal Marine and performance coach Tom Holloway shares a ‘Triple Threat’ 10-round workout you can use to improve your cardio, using nothing more than a hill.
As Holloway puts it, ‘Round one feels powerful, round six feels different, round 10 shows you who you are.’ The challenge isn’t where most expect it, either. ‘Most people blame their lungs. It’s their legs that quit first,’ he says, framing the session as a test of lower-body resilience as much as engine.
Holloway describes it simply: ‘Explosive strength under fatigue. Power when the burn sets in. Drive when you’d rather slow down.’ The aim is to maintain output as fatigue builds. ‘If your legs break, your standard breaks. Record your time. Be honest about it.’
The Workout
A. Squat x 20 reps
B. Jumping Lunge x 20 reps
C. Squat Jump x 20 reps
D. Hill Sprint x 100m
How to Do the Moves
Squat
Standing tall, keep your chest up and sink your hips back, before bending your knees to drop your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor. Drive up back to standing, ready to repeat.
Jumping Lunge
Step one foot backward and sink into a deep lunge, with your rear knee slightly above the floor. Jump upward, switching legs mid-air to land in a lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat the movement back and forth and stick to a good rhythm.
What to read next
Squat Jump
Stand tall, core engaged and chest lifted. Squat down, keeping your back straight, until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Jump upwards explosively as high as you can, let your arms travel slightly behind you. As you descend, continue into your next rep, directly into the squat position ready to repeat.
Hill Sprint
Find an incline and sprint for the full 100 metres. Hit a slight forward lean, drive your knees and arms forward.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
