Name: Playbook - Brad and Jess Gouthro - Day 4: Descending Ladder Training Workout #1
Uploaded: 2023-03-01T04:35:43.180Z
Duration: 40 min
Description: Day 4: Descending Ladder Training Workout #1

Hawa

Start by completing the warm up. Today’s workout style is a descending ladder. You’ll complete each set using a descending number of reps. For example, complete the indicated reps, then without stopping, immediately drop the reps by 1, and complete all those reps. Continue moving down the rep ladder, without stopping, until you hit 1 rep. After the ladder is complete, rest for the indicated time. Finish with the cool down.

Complete this warm up before every workout. Complete each exercise with no rest in between. Complete 2 circuits for a total of a 4 minute warm up, then proceed immediately to the workout.

1. Start with your feet hip width apart and your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder level.
2. Hop to spread your feet wide while clapping your hands with extended arms in front of your chest.
3. Immediately return to the beginning position and repeat for reps.
4. If you have difficulty with the coordination, an easier modification is spreading your legs and arms at the same time.

Seal Jacks

Tempo: X0X0
1. With a shoulder width stance begin the squat by first bending at the hips by descending back and down until your hips drop below your knees while keeping the natural arch in your back.
2. The entire bottom of your foot, especially your heels, should remain in contact with the floor at all times with your knees in line with your toes.
3. Now press your feet through the ground to rise back up, fully extending your knees and hips and contracting your glutes at the top of the air squat.
4. Repeat.

Air Squats

Tempo: 1010
1. Get down on the floor with your arms straight, hands just outside shoulder width and directly below your shoulders.
2. Ensure your body maintains a straight line from your feet all the way up to your head. To keep your body rigid in a straight line, and reduce any sagging, keep your abs, your glutes, your quads, and hamstrings tight throughout the movement.
3. To lower your body to the ground, bend your elbows until your chest hovers just above the ground.
4. Contract your chest and triceps to push yourself back up to the beginning position.
5. Repeat.

Push Up

5 reps/leg
Tempo: 1010
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart then step back with one leg and lower yourself into a reverse lunge, until your back leg almost touches the floor. 
2. Press through the ground with your feet, lifting yourself up while immediately transitioning into a forward lunge. 
3. Try to maintain balance during the transition, without touching your moving foot during the middle of the movement.
4. Continue all the reps on one leg, then switch legs and repeat.

Pendulum Lunge

Afterburn 1.0 Warm Up

5-4-3-2-1 Reps/Leg
Tempo: 1010
1. While standing, take one step forward with one leg.
2. As you make the descent into the lunge, your front thigh should reach parallel to the ground or as close as your mobility allows.
3. Your back knee should be bent at a 90 degree angle hovering just a few inches above the floor.
4. Ensure your upper body is upright and perpendicular to the ground.  
5. Press your feet through the floor to return to the starting position.
6. Complete all the reps on one leg, then switch legs and repeat.

Forward Lunge

Complete each superset using a descending number of reps. For example, complete 6 reps of the first exercise then immediately complete 6 reps of the next exercise. Without stopping, go back and complete 5 reps of the first exercise, then 5 reps of the second exercise, and so on, until you reach 1 rep. After the ladder is complete, rest for the indicated time and repeat one more time for a total of 2 sets.

Tempo: 3030
Reps: 6-5-4-3-2-1
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart and bend at the waist to place your hands on the floor. If you can’t keep your legs straight, bend them so you can reach the floor with your hands.
2. With your legs as straight as possible, walk your hands forward while keeping your core contracted.
3. Once you get into a plank position, hold for a moment, then walk your hands back towards your feet. 
4. Repeat.

Hand Walkout

Tempo: 1010
Reps: 6-5-4-3-2-1
1. Get down on the floor with your arms straight, hands just outside shoulder width and directly below your shoulders.
2. Ensure your body maintains a straight line from your feet all the way up to your head. To keep your body rigid in a straight line, and reduce any sagging, keep your abs, your glutes, your quads, and hamstrings tight throughout the movement.
3. To lower your body to the ground, bend your elbows until your chest hovers just above the ground.
4. Contract your chest and triceps to push yourself back up to the beginning position.
5. Repeat.

Descending Ladder Superset

Complete each superset using a descending number of reps. For example, complete 6 reps of the first exercise then immediately complete 6 reps of the second exercise, then 6 reps of the third exercise. Without stopping, immediately go back to the first exercise and complete 5 reps, and so on, until you reach 1 rep. After the ladder is complete, rest for the indicated time and repeat one more time for a total of 2 sets.

Tempo: 3010
Reps: 6-5-4-3-2-1
1. Stand with a shoulder width stance with a pair of dumbbells on the floor.
2. To pick up the dumbbells, start by bending at your hips, followed by bending your knees. Grab the dumbbells with an overhand grip, arms straight, and focus on keeping the natural arch in your lower back throughout the movement.
3. Press your feet through the ground to stand up, pull your torso back, and thrust your hips forward to really contract your glutes.
4. Lower the dumbbells to the ground and repeat.

Dumbbell Deadlift

Tempo: 2011
Reps: 6-5-4-3-2-1
1. Hold a set of dumbbells down by your sides with a palms facing forward grip.
2. Contract your abs and glutes to stabilize your body and remove any momentum during the lift. 
3. While keeping your upper arms tucked to your sides, bend your elbows and contract your biceps to curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. 
4. Feel a strong contraction at the top of the movement, then under control, slowly extend your arm to lower the dumbbells back to your sides, keeping your palms facing forward. Think about taking twice as long to lower the dumbbells as it takes to lift them.
5. At the bottom of the lift, fully flex your triceps to ensure you’re at the end of the range of motion, then curl the dumbbells back up, and repeat.

Standing Dumbbell Bicep Curl

Tempo: 2010
Reps: 6-5-4-3-2-1
1. With a palm facing forward grip, hold a pair of dumbbells at ear level.
2. Press the dumbbells straight up over your head, then lower them back down to ear level in a slow and controlled manner.
3. Ensure you contract your core and avoid leaning back when lifting the dumbbells.
4. Repeat.

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Descending Ladder Tri-Set

Complete each superset using a descending number of reps. For example, complete 7 reps of the first exercise then immediately complete 7 reps of the next exercise in the superset. Then without stopping, complete 6 reps of each exercise, and so on, until you reach 1 rep. Complete 1 set.

Tempo: 10X0
Reps: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1
1. With your feet hip width apart and chest up, lower your body into a squat by first bending at the hips, followed by the knees, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. 
2. Then explosively push your feet through the floor to jump as high as you can.
3. Land softly to cushion to your joints and immediately lower your body into another squat. 
4. Repeat for reps.

Jump Squat

Tempo: 10X0
Reps: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1/leg
1. While standing, take one step forward with one leg.
2. As you make the descent into the lunge, your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with your back knee at a 90 degree angle hovering just above the floor.
3. Ensure your upper body is upright and perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement without allowing your front knee to go past your toes in the lunge position.
4. Now explode up into a jump by pressing both of your feet through the ground, bringing your back foot forward and your forward foot back, and driving your arms as if you’re sprinting.
5. Cushion your joints by landing softly back into the lunge position and repeat.

Jump Lunges

At the end of the workout, complete each cool down exercise one time.

30 seconds per side
1. Take a large step forward with one leg and lunge forward, keeping your front knee bent at a 90 degree angle, with your back leg straight.
2. Bring both hands to down to the floor on the inside of your front foot. 
3. You should feel a deep stretch in the hip flexor on the front of your back thigh.
4. If you don’t feel it, focus on contracting the glute muscle on the back leg.
5. Hold for the desired time, then switch sides and repeat.

Runner’s Lunge

30 seconds per side
1. Bring one knee forward and place your ankle in front of the opposite hip. The closer your knee is bent at a 90 degree angle, the more intense the stretch. Bring your heel closer towards your body if you’re not as mobile.
2. Extend your opposite extended leg back behind your body with your toes pointed and your heel pointing straight up.
3. Try to pull your legs into each other to keep your hips square and the glute of your bent leg touching the floor.
4. Lower your upper body down to your hands, elbows, or all the way to the floor, depending on your mobility.

Pigeon Pose

30 seconds per side
1. Lie down on your side, support your upper body with your forearm on the ground, and place the outside of your thigh on top of the foam roller.
2. Cross one leg over the knee of your extended leg and place the foot on the ground.
3. Lift the extended leg off the ground, contract your abs and glutes, and slowly roll up and down the foam roller from your knee to your hip.
4. Switch sides and repeat.

Foam Roller IT Band (Outer Thigh) Massage

30 seconds per side
1. Sit on the ground with your legs extended and hands behind you to support your body.
2. Place the foam roller underneath your calves while crossing one leg over top of the other.
3. Use your arms to slowly move your calves forward and backward over the foam roller.
4. If you roll over a particular spot that feels extra tight and tender, hold it on that spot for 5-10 seconds to try and work it out.
5. Switch legs and repeat.

Foam Roller Calf Massage

30 seconds per side
1. Lie face down on the ground, with your quadriceps on top of the foam roller.
2. Cross one ankle over the other to provide more pressure on the quadricep.
3. Use your arms to slowly move your body forward and backward over the foam roller from your hip to your knee to hit all areas of the quadriceps.
4. If you roll over a particular spot that feels extra tight and tender, hold it on that spot for 5-10 seconds to try and work it out.
5. Cross the opposite ankle over the other ankle and repeat on the other quadricep.

Foam Roller Quadriceps Massage

1. Sit down on the floor with a foam roller behind you.
2. Place your hands interlocked behind your head, knees bent, feet planted into the floor, with your upper back back on top of the foam roller.
3. Press your feet through the floor and contract your glutes and abs to raise your butt so your upper torso is parallel to the floor.
4. Use your feet to slowly roll forward and backward on top of the foam roller over your upper back then stop rolling once you reach your middle back as you want to be careful rolling over your lower back to prevent injury.
5. Once you find a tight spot, hold the pressure on the trigger point, then release.

Foam Roller Upper Back Massage

Afterburn Cool Down

Day 4: Descending Ladder Training Workout #1

Day 1: Circuit Training Workout #1

Day 2: Complex Training Circuit Workout #1

Day 3: 10,000 Steps (Active Recovery)

Day 5: Strength Training Circuit Workout #1

Day 6: Treadmill HIIT Cardio

Day 7: 10,000 Steps (Active Recovery)

Great training feeling exhausted but great!

Day 8: Descending Ladder Training Workout #2

First time doing plyo push ups and thought I would never be able 👏👏

Roisin

Day 9: Circuit Training Workout #2

Day 10: 10,000 Steps (Active Recovery)

This was my favorite, the work out was 2 complexes and I completed in 40 min, which is ideal since I’m short on time, it was strengthening plus kept my HR up.

Day 4: Descending Ladder Training Workout #1

Community

More workouts from Brad and Jess Gouthro