You may be looking for a way to get in a few more miles during a training week, and this optional run before a strength workout is a safe and sane way of doing just that. It won’t be for everyone, and you don’t need to do it every week. Pay attention to how well your body is recovering day-to-day before deciding to add more mileage.

If you choose to do this optional run, run easy for about 5 minutes, then stop and do some air squats, leg swings, and hip circles before finishing this warm up. Your body will thank you.

Duration:

Beginner: 10 minutes
Intermediate: 10 – 20 minutes
Advanced: 20 – 30 minutes

Instructions:

All Levels: Easy Run

Effort Level:

All Levels: RPE 3 out of 10

60 seconds Jumping Jacks
10 Boot Strappers
20 Plank Shifts
20 Leg Swings per side
15 Arm Circles forward and backward

If there’s any secret to surviving and thriving with ladder workouts, it’s pacing. Don’t go fast and hard on the first rung. Give an even effort throughout and you’ll be readier for the next set.

We said last week that these would get easier once you got the hang of them. Well, they’re only easier in the sense that understanding how they work makes focusing on the pain that much easier. We’re raising the stakes a bit this week, adding more intervals to each rung of the ladder. Today we’re doing a 15-12-9-6-3 ladder.

If this seems too daunting, do last week’s ladder of 10-8-6-4-2.

To recap last week’s primer, a ladder is a type of repetitive workout where the number of times you perform a group of exercises changes as you ‘step’ down the ladder. We still generously give you three groups of exercises and give you a 60-second to 90-second break between ladders.

On the first ‘rung’ of the ladder, you perform 15 reps of each of the three exercises in Group One. Then you step down a rung in the ladder and do 12 reps of each of the three Group One exercises. You continue down the ladder performing 9 reps, then 6 reps and finally 3 reps of each of the three Group One exercises. Since you’re stronger than you were last week, collapsing in a heap on the floor is optional. Take your 90-second break.

Once you’re ready to go again, climb onto ladder two and repeat the same sequence as before, but use Group Two’s exercises instead of Group One’s. You’ll like the second group better. Coach Holly’s still the nice one, but she IS the one doing burpees. So maybe Coach Nate’s not so bad. When you’re done, take your second 60-second to 90-second break. Into-a-heap collapsing is now OK.

Because we know you love all of the pains, there’s one final ladder of only two exercises. It will seem like a holiday compared to the first two sets. Not really, but maybe. Peel your panting self off the floor and soldier on by kicking ass on the Group Three exercises!

Group One with Coach Nate:
Alternating Lunges, Mountain Climbers and Bicycles

Alternating Lunges

Mountain Climbers

Bicycles

Group Two with Coach Holly:
Push Ups, Burpee Broad Jumps, and Sit Ups

Push Up to Downward Dog with a Shin Tap

Burpee Broad Jumps

Sit Ups

Group Three with Coach Nate:
Single Leg Hops and Glute Bridge March

Single Leg Hops

Glute Bridge March

Still confused about ladders? Don’t worry, we’ll provide a more detailed example.

Start

Do 15 Alternating Lunges
Do 15 Mountain Climbers
Do 15 Bicycles

Do 12 Alternating Lunges
Do 12 Mountain Climbers
Do 12 Bicycles

Do 9 Alternating Lunges
Do 9 Mountain Climbers
Do 9 Bicycles

Do 6 Alternating Lunges
Do 6 Mountain Climbers
Do 6 Bicycles

Do 3 Alternating Lunges
Do 3 Mountain Climbers
Do 3 Bicycles

Stop

Recover 60 to 90 seconds.
Restart the above sequence, substituting Group Two exercises for Group One.

Stop

Recover 60 to 90 seconds.
Restart the above sequence, substituting Group Three exercises for Group Two.

Enjoy your mobility with your favorite beverage!

Improve your posture and breathing by rolling your thoracic spine

Improve your arm swing by rolling out your lats