I wasn’t planning to post a workout today, but after trying a new one yesterday, I had to share the wealth. It’s a different type of setup that switches things up. I thought it was a nice change of pace (though I’m still loving my 52 Cards to Fit workout).
I stumbled across Shawn [Johnson] East’s Instagram live yesterday morning, where she and her husband were doing a live workout. Considering she was an Olympic gymnast and her husband used to be in the NFL, I was intrigued with what they might do to workout. (Plus, watching them workout together was hilarious.)
I loved the combination of exercises incorporated in this “ladder” style of workout. This means you’re doing a certain number of reps for each exercise (10 in this case), then counting down as you keep repeating the circuit. So the first round, you do 10 reps; repeat with 9 reps; repeat with 8 reps; and so on until you reach your last set of 1 rep.
The goal is to finish this in 20 minutes. (I didn’t feel rushed with this time constraint, but it kept me focused and minimized unnecessary break time. You can add weights for more of a challenge, as well as modify exercises as needed. I decided not to use weights since I was really sore from my Deck of Cards-style workout from the day before. It felt great to get moving, though, even without the added resistance, and I was definitely tired after!
All of these exercises can be found in my exercise guide, except butterfly sit ups are a new addition. (They’re just sit ups with your knees butterflied out.)
I’ve done a few ladder workouts in the past, but it’s been a long time. This might be my go-to style of workout for awhile. I like the simplicity of it, but it’s also motivating because you get to do fewer reps with each new round. I encourage you to try it out—either this version or your own!
