Be Well Workout of the Week: Body-Shredding Ladder Workout

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The workout this week will work like this: You’ll do five reps of the first exercise, 10 of the second, 15 of the next, and so on until you reach 50 reps of the last exercise on the list, mountain climbers (oof!). Once you’ve done all your mountain climbers, you’re going to work your way back down the ladder again, all the way back to the very first exercise, walk-out push-ups. Think of it like climbing a workout mountain! And I know, it’s going to be a tough climb — but you’re tough! You got this. Now, who’s ready to sweat?

Be Well Workout of the Week: Body-Shredding Ladder Workout

5 walk-out push-ups
10 squat thrusts
15 sit-ups
20 Alternating overhead presses (on the TRX, with bands, or weights)
25 Lunge rows (on the TRX, with bands, or weights)
30 squats
35 toe touches
40 alternating front raise
45 flutter kicks
50 mountain climbers

Explanation of exercises:

Walk-out push-up: Start standing. Bend at the waist, placing your hands on the ground, about about a foot in front of your feet. Walk your hands out to a push-up position, do a push-up, walk your hands back in and stand up.

Squat thrust: With your hands on the ground, jump your feet back to a strong high plank position. Don’t let your hips sag. Then jump your feet in and stand up.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Alternating overhead press: Holding free weights in each hand, stand with the weights at your shoulders (elbows forming 90 degrees beside your head), hips tucked under, and abs very strong. Pressing your left hand to the ceiling, straightening your arm, and return to the starting position. Repeat the motion on the right.

Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row a weight with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.

Squat: Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder widt and your toes slightly turned outward. Keeping your weight in your heels, bending at the knees and lower until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back as upright as possible. Straighten legs and come back to the starting position.

Toe touch: Lie on your back, with legs up, feet reaching to the ceiling. Reach up with your hands and touch your toes.

Alternating front raise: Stand with feet hip width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hands are resting on front of the quads with palms facing towards you. One at a time, raise the left arm to shoulder height and lower, then raise and lower the right arm.

Flutter kicks: Lying on the ground, lift your shoulders and legs off the ground. At a fast pace, alternate stacking your feet on top of each other.

Mountain climbers: Get in plank position. Alternating legs, bring your knee into the chest, keeping your upper body strong. Extend leg and switch.

» Want more sweaty workouts? Check out the BeWOW archive here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every week right here on Be Well Philly.

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