Kaley Cuoco's Trainer Shares the Details On Her Intense Stair Climbing Workout

Kaley Cuoco against pink red background
Kaley Cuoco against pink red background
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When it comes to working out, Kaley Cuoco doesn't miss a beat. Recently, the Flight Attendant actress crushed a stair workout with her trainer, Ryan Sorensen, and other friends Anna Marie Kupp and Monette Moio on Instagram. "Steps are no joke - ladies worked hard - fun to get outside- hot as sh*t - lots of bugs," read Sorensen's caption on Instagram, where he shared clips from the session.

In the video, the group climbs the Santa Monica Mountains, but that's just the start of the workout, Sorensen tells Shape. Cuoco and the group climb a little less than a mile until they reach the Calabasas stairs, which Sorensen says offers a great opportunity to get outside, "keep things fresh, and switch it up."

Once they reach the staircase, which has 375 stairs, Sorenson incorporates a variety of exercises intended to increase muscular strength and cardiovascular health. "We do different movements, like skip a stair, every stair, lateral stair climb, [and] plyo movements five to six times, then we hike back. All in all, it's about an hour workout," he says. (Related: Kaley Cuoco Just Crushed This Seriously Intense Pre-Emmys Workout)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults engage in 150 minutes of physical activity a week, and climbing the stairs is an easy way to get that activity into your daily routine. ICYDK, stair climbing is an effective workout with plenty of health benefits. "The stairs are a great way to condition, strengthen the legs, and use muscles that haven't been tapped in a while," says Sorensen. "[It's a] great way to get a big calorie burn and an even bigger sweat." Best of all, it's accessible to just about anyone since all you need is a staircase — no fancy gym membership or stair-stepping machine required.

If you're wondering, Cuoco isn't completing back-to-back stair workouts. "We tend to do the stairs every once in a while," says Sorensen. "They are very taxing on your legs, so when we do hit them, I plan a recovery day post stairs, which includes ice baths, some sort of sauna, and lots of foam rolling and stretching." (Related: Watch Nastia Liukin Crush This Intense Lower-Body Stair Circuit)

Even so, completing such intense workouts requires motivation, and Sorensen says it's all about getting clear on Cuoco's goals. "The biggest thing is setting a goal and checking in on your goal periodically," he says.

Cuoco adjusts her goals for the different roles she's playing. For instance, for season two of Flight Attendant, Sorensen says it was all about high-intensity workouts. "Her training regimen consisted of high-intensity circuit full-body training, like cardio, strength training, and lots of core twice a week," he says. "Hot yoga once a week, and a couple of days a week she would ride (cycling), which is a beast of a workout."

As her stair workout suggests, Cuoco has no intentions of slowing down, according to Sorensen. "We are currently training for an action role later this year, so we have really ramped up her training. Basically, she takes one day off a week and trains six days a week," he says. "My job is to always be in communication with her, keep her motivated with result-driven targets, and always listen to her body to make sure we are doing what her body can handle at any given point."

Even if you're not training to star in an action movie, adding a stair workout to your routine is a great way to switch things up and improve muscular strength and cardio health. If you're game, try hitting some different movements on the stairs, as outlined by Sorensen, next time you're at the gym, the park, or even at home.