Take your workout outdoors with this 420-rep jump and dumbbell challenge

Combining a race against the clock and 420 total reps, this workout results in a quad pump like no other. Better yet, all you’ll need is a dumbbell and a jump rope for strengthening lower-body muscles and cardiovascular efforts.

The workout planned by Rich Froning and the Mayhem Athlete team, in preparation for the Battle Cancer events, is in their own words “a race between the shoulders and the legs to see which one hurts the most.” Battle Cancer events aim to make a difference in the fight against cancer and take place in cities around the world.

Grab a dumbbell and do your reps with as little rest as possible.

The workout

In time:

100 Singles or Double Unders
50 aerial squats
80 Singles or Double Unders
40 Goblet Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
60 Singles or Double Unders
30 goblet squats with dumbbells
40 Singles or Double Unders

20 Dumbbell Goblet Reverse Lunge + Squat (L+R+Squat =1)

Singles or Double Unders

If you haven’t nailed your double unders, you can complete single unders for this portion of the workout. For double unders, start by jumping higher than you normally would and swing the rope twice underfoot before landing. Keep your arms bent close to your torso and make sure most of the work is coming from your wrists.

Mayhem Athlete Recommends: “We aim to do 2 sets at 100, 2 sets at 80 and then if your shoulders allow, no breaks at 60 and 40. This is my recommended strategy for saving your shoulders early by planning breaks.”

Air squats

Standing tall, keep your chest up and lower your hips back, before bending your knees to drop your thighs until they’re at least parallel to the floor.

Mayhem Athlete Recommends: “Get them out. It’s the best your legs will feel for the rest of the workout.’

Dumbbell Goblet Reverse Lunges

Keep the dumbbell close to your chest. Still keeping your chest lifted, step back with one leg, bending your front knee until your back knee touches the ground. Explosively stand up, stop and repeat with the other leg.

Mayhem Athlete Recommends: ‘These should be alternated! Kiss that back knee on the ground. Every single lunge counts as one rep. Four sets of 10 is a good idea.’

Goblet Dumbbell Squat

Keep the dumbbell close to your chest. Lower your hips back and come down into a squat. Your elbows should go between your knees at the bottom. Go back, stretching the buttocks up. Repeat.

Mayhem Athlete Recommends: ‘Even if you can at this point, I don’t recommend going on uninterrupted on these. Save your shoulders for the last round where you lunge and squat together.’

Reverse Lunge and Squat Dumbbell Goblet

Keep the dumbbell close to your chest. Step back with one leg, bending your front knee until your back knee touches the ground. Explosively stand up, stop and repeat with the other leg. Once you’ve completed the lunge to each side, step back with your feet a little wider than your hips and sink into a low squat to finish the rep.

Mayhem Athlete Recommends: ‘Aim for big sets here. We’re almost done for good. one rep is a reverse lunge of the left leg, a reverse lunge of the right leg, and then a squat.’

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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health in the UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a postgraduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and prior to joining Mens Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5,000 hours of coaching in the gym. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she’s not lifting weights in her backyard, she can be found walking her rescue dog.