Ladder Workout: How Pyramid Sets Work, Plus 6 to Try
Updated November 12, 2026 ยท 6 minute read
A ladder is the easiest way to do more reps than you think you can. Instead of the same set over and over, every set is a little bigger than the last, and often you come back down again. The small sets feel like a warm up, the big ones test you, and by the end you have done a lot of work without ever going to failure. Here is how ladders work, how to build one for your level, and six to try.
What is a ladder workout?
A ladder changes the number of reps from one set to the next, step by step. You rest briefly between steps, or switch to a second exercise. People call the same idea a pyramid when it goes up and then back down.
| Going up | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Start easy, finish on your hardest set. |
|---|---|
| Going down | 10, 9, 8 ... 1. Hardest set first, while you are fresh. |
| Pyramid | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Up to a peak and back down. |
| Repeated | 1, 2, 3, then start again at 1. Several short ladders in a row. |
Why ladders work
- More reps, less failure. Most of your sets are well below your max, so your form stays clean and you can keep going far longer than with straight sets.
- A built in warm up. The first steps are tiny. By the time the big sets come, your muscles and joints are ready.
- Easy to keep going. There is always a next step, and on the way down every set is smaller than the one you just did. That is a big help mentally.
- Easy to progress. Next time, add one step at the top. The whole ladder grows with it.
How to pick your top step
Take your best single set of the exercise and halve it. That is a good top step for a pyramid. If your best is 20 push-ups, climb to 10. If it is 6 pull-ups, climb to 3.
Start lower than you think. A ladder you finish with clean reps beats one you have to abandon halfway. If the last steps still feel easy, add a step next time, or run the whole ladder twice.
The quick ladder math
Two shortcuts tell you the total before you start:
- Going up from 1 to N: N times (N + 1), divided by 2. A ladder from 1 to 10 is 10 x 11 / 2 = 55 reps.
- Pyramid from 1 up to N and back down to 1: N times N. A pyramid to 10 is 100 reps. A pyramid to 5 is 25.
| 1 to 5 | 15 reps |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 to 1 | 25 reps |
| 1 to 10 | 55 reps |
| 1 to 10 to 1 | 100 reps |
Six ladders to try
The push-up pyramid, 100 reps
1, 2, 3 ... 10, then 9, 8 ... 1. Rest 10 to 20 seconds between steps. Exactly 100 push-ups, and the big sets sit in the middle where you are warm but not yet tired. A great way to reach your first 100 push-ups.
Pull-up ladders, 3 times 1 to 5
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pull-ups, rest a minute, then start again at 1. Three ladders make 45 pull-ups. If 5 is too many, stop each ladder at 3 or 4. Stop the ladder as soon as a rep slows down. More in the pull-up guide.
Squat climb, 150 reps
10, 20, 30, 40, 50 squats, with a minute of rest between steps. The last step is the test: keep your heels down and your chest up the whole way. See 100 squats a day for form.
Burpee ladder, 55 reps
1 burpee, rest 10 seconds, 2 burpees, rest 10 seconds, all the way up to 10. It starts easy and ends hard. More in the burpee guide.
The 10 to 1 couplet
10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups, then 9 and 9, all the way down to 1 and 1. That is 55 of each with no planned rest: one exercise is the rest for the other. Time it and try to beat it next week.
Time ladder, 20 to 50 seconds
Work for 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest between. Pick jumping jacks, squats or lunges and keep a steady pace. It is a good change from fixed HIIT intervals, because the work keeps changing.
Tips for ladders
- Keep the rest short and fixed. 10 to 30 seconds, or the same count as your reps. Long rests turn a ladder into just a set of sets.
- Stop at the first bad rep. If a rep near the top slows down or your form breaks, come back down from there.
- Write down where you peaked. Next time, add one step. That is the whole plan.
- Two or three a week. Ladders add up to a lot of reps. Leave a day between them for the same exercise.
How to do a ladder workout with RankTime
RankTime has ladders built in. You type the steps once, and the app runs them for you, one step per set or round, with the camera counting your reps.
- Pick a mode. REPS for rep ladders like the push-up pyramid, TIME for a time ladder. Ladders are not available in AMRAP, which repeats the same sets until time is up.
- Turn on Ladder. Tap the first circle along the bottom (reps per set in REPS, work time in TIME), then the stairs button to switch it from Normal to Ladder.
- Type your steps, like 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1. Dashes, spaces or commas all work. In REPS each step is a set of reps, up to 999. In TIME each step is seconds, from 5 seconds to 10 minutes. A ladder can have 2 to 40 steps.
- Check the ring. It redraws with one segment per step, so you see the whole climb before you start. The rounds follow the steps on their own.
- Prop the phone up and press play. Stand about 2 meters (6 feet) away with your whole body in the frame. In REPS the rest starts on its own as soon as you finish a step.
Save the ladder with the plus button and give it a name. It gets its own page, one swipe away next time.
Climb your ladders with RankTime
Ladders and pyramids built in, camera rep counting, heart rate, and a military rank that grows with every rep.
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