“Good MORNinnnnng!” calls out the voice of trainer Jenna Phillips in the Tuesday sunshine. It’s my first Mission: Possible training session and I’m meeting her, along with several other “agents” at the intersection of Vista and Franklin Avenues in Hollywood for a 90-minute group workout in Runyon Canyon.

Phillips has been taking advantage of the Southern California landscape and using it as her gym for the past year. Besides Runyon Canyon, sessions also occur on the Westside at the Santa Monica stairs. Her workouts already have a legion of fans, with people driving from all over Los Angeles to attend.

We place our keys in a backpack that holds jump ropes and resistance bands. Volunteers (or agents who are late) take turns schlepping the bag for the duration of the class. We begin by hiking from the street to the park and then up the hills in the canyon. With all of the recent rain we’ve had, wildflowers and vegetation are flourishing everywhere. The sun is out and the air is still cool. It’s a beautiful day.

There’s another woman who is joining the class for the first time. When Phillips explains we’ll be hiking to the top of the tallest hill, her face drops and she looks terrified.

“There’s no way!” she says.

“You can do it,” Phillips assures her. She holds her fingers up and pretends to pinch what looks like a daunting peak in the distance. “See how small that is? It’s a tiny hill. The only boundaries that exist are in your mind. Just move forward, pick up your feet and go.”

The woman puts her head down and takes some steps, and then some more. It takes a little encouragement, but the woman does it. When she reaches the top, her demeanor changes. She’s not frowning anymore and she unexpectedly volunteers to carry the backpack on the next leg. We all high-five each other.

“I’m not a drill sergeant, I’m a workout buddy,” explains Phillips. “It’s not a boot camp. It’s a fun thing to do outside. You’re in the sunshine, you meet friends, you create bonds with people. It’s refreshing for people to come because I’m not screaming at them, I’m encouraging them. It stops becoming a workout, it becomes a fun activity that you do with friends.”

At certain points along the canyon, we stop and do some light stretching along with calisthenic exercises like squats, lunges and standing crunches. After a series of squats, my muscles are screaming. Just when I’m about to give up, it’s time to move on further up the hill. The pace is brisk but not overwhelming. The class is a mix of people from all fitness levels: the faster agents lead the way or run ahead, while the slower ones round off the back end. No one seems to be dragged down by others.

Despite the cloud of low-hanging fog, the view of Los Angeles from Runyon Canyon is breathtaking. It’s a great alternative to working out in a stale gym. Instead of staring at a TV while running on the treadmill, you’re spotting hummingbirds, small lizards, flowers and goofy dogs along the trail.

Says Phillips, “Gyms are so boring and monotonous. You see the same people, the same mirrors and fluorescent lighting. Taking it outdoors really is a better workout. Because the ground is uneven, it’s better for your muscular-skeletal system. The whole structure of your body has to adapt while your stabilizing muscles get worked as opposed to being on a manmade, flat surface. You really have to use a lot of different muscles and it’s never the same. That is why people’s bodies are always changing, they are always a little sore because a different muscle gets attention every time. And that’s why people don’t ever get bored with Mission: Possible.”

Phillips is definitely in shape, but not so ripped that she looks intimidating. She’s toned, slender and thankfully, not stick thin – the very picture of health you’d want in a trainer. She's extremely friendly and rather than grinding you down into exercise submission, she keeps the activity level fun yet challenging. While we’re hiking, people chat and gossip, some pick her brain about nutrition. She tells me she used to be 30 pounds heavier and has Type 1 Diabetes. Through eating right and exercise, she lost weight and was able to decrease her insulin by 75%. Everyone's impressed with her ability to motivate and her knowledge of diet and fitness. She manages to cover the gamut of mind, body and soul without the holistic kookiness.

I get the feeling Phillips is not an actress/trainer.

“I’m just a trainer, a work out buddy,” the Northern California native says. “This is my life and why I’m on this planet.”

For one stretch along the trail, we run sideways, galloping on each side. A passerby starts clapping. “Get ready for bikini weather, ladies!” she says.

You feel like a kid, skipping in the sunshine. We come to a stop and do a series of karate kicks to the front, side and back before proceeding down the hill. Once at the bottom, we come upon an abandoned tennis court where the jump ropes and resistance bands are taken out. We work out our triceps and biceps with the bands, bounce around with the ropes, then do a series of sprints back and forth on the court. Phillips gathers us in a circle where we put our hands together. Sweaty and tired, yet feeling fulfilled, I’ve come to the end.

Mission: Accomplished.

Overall Workout: 9
Hobby-Developing Potential: High, if you like being outside and group exercise without the competition
Next-Day Pain: Moderate
Cost: $25 a session

All photos by An Tran for LAist