Walking backwards with heavy weight is hard enough. Doing so while reverse lunging is even more challenging. But to do so while going uphill too? For most people, that’s probably a step too far.

Not for Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey player Kris Letang. In a recent Instagram video shared by trainer Ben Bruno, Letang makes it look effortless, grabbing two 40kg dumbbells and performing 12 total reverse walking lunges uphill, maintaining a strong balance as he powers himself backwards.

‘I’m convinced that Kris Letang isn’t human because this is INSANE,’ Bruno says. ‘You’d have to try this exercise to fully appreciate just how hard it is, but trust me, this is crazy.

‘What’s more, he did this at the end of our full-body workout and actually requested to do it because he saw me post myself doing it. Like, who requests reverse uphill walking lunges when you’ve already finished a hard workout?! I’m telling you, he’s not human.’

If you’re new to the movement, start without using any weights. Once you’re comfortable, start to use dumbbells to challenge yourself further.

• Facing down the hill with your back pointing up the slope, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, engage your glutes and keep your gaze neutral, directed towards a point straight ahead.
• Step one leg back, landing with your toe first. Work to avoid slamming your knee into the ground. Keep your chest in an upright position. Lower until both knees are bent, keeping your front knee aligned with your toes.
• Drive off the ground with your front foot, pushing yourself back to meet your back foot in a standing position.
• Alternate legs as you travel backwards up the hill. Move slowly to keep the movement under control.

1. Builds Leg Strength

As Bruno points out, the exercise provides a huge quad burn. As you drive yourself backwards and uphill, more force is required to propel you up the slope, demanding more from your quads.

While your quads are activated more, your calves, glutes, hamstrings and hips all have to work harder going uphill than on a flat surface, providing an even larger stimulus than you would have otherwise.

The muscles around your core, hips and pelvis also have to work especially hard to keep you upright, stable and balanced as you step backward unilaterally.

2. Less Impact

As a result of going backwards and uphill, you also reduce the impact placed on your knees. This is because there isn’t the same braking force required to stabilise your joints as when you go forward or downhill. It’s also an exercise that helps to strengthen the tendons around the knee, too.

3. Conditioning

The exercise also increases cardiovascular and muscular endurance demand. Rather than a simple reverse lunge in a fixed position, both your heart and your muscles have to work harder to match the demands of the exercise.

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