As seen in some of our posts, you can create your own gym from the comfort of your home or outdoors in a nearby park. You just need to use your existing furniture! Whereas in the previous weeks we tried chair workout, now we have to do ladder exercises, which offer many more options than you might think. In this article, we’ll show you some of the best ones that mainly work on the lower body, especially the gluteus muscles, but also cover other muscle groups in the upper body.
6 ladder exercises
From the simplest and most obvious to the most original and surprising. There are many ladder exercises within anyone’s reach. This is our list of six:
- Step : This is no different from the classic step exercise we can do in the gym with a step. That is, basically, going up and down to the rhythm of the music, using only the first rung of the ladder. Gluten is the muscles that work the most, as well as the quadriceps and twins. And if you choose to equip yourself with dumbbells, you will also train your arms
- Jump with your feet together . This is another exercise that also extrapolates to step-by-step workouts. Due to this, strength increases in the quadriceps, especially if it is performed with a waist much lower than normal, with bent knees. It will be easier to do and also more complete if the movement is accompanied by a rhythmic swing of the arms
- Up and down the entire staircase . This is the most obvious but also the best option for the lower body. It’s also an interesting cardio exercise that burns a lot of fat. This can be done in different rhythms, depending on physical ability, or two by two to increase demand
- High flexion of the legs from the front or from the side : one of the feet rises to a certain height, for example to the third step, and in this position the knee is repeatedly bent. You have to alternate one leg and the other. The movement can be performed from the front, but also in a more lateral position, always in the same step.
- Elbow Flexion . As we said, step exercises can also be used for upper body exercises, in this case for the biceps, pecs and shoulder muscles. In this case, make classic elbow curls. The higher we lower our hands, the less demanding the exercise will be. For example, it will be easier to do this with your hands in the fifth step than if we take them in the second or first step, since in these latter cases the body takes a much more horizontal and parallel position relative to the ground
- Climbing on all fours . As if it were a four-legged animal, you have to walk up and down the stairs with your hands and feet
- Tips to keep in mind
As with any workout, you must apply a progressive requirement to step exercises, both in the length of each set and in the number of repetitions. Typically, the average number of these series is 30 to 60 seconds per leg and 10 to 20 reps.
And when it comes to equipment, you can use the sportswear in our online sports store whichever you find best: leggings or shorts and a loose fit, breathable, long-sleeved, long-sleeved or top. In terms of footwear, you should refine your choice by looking for one with good cushioning, as many of these ladder exercises consist of repetitive jumping, as you’ve seen. You will find a lot in our Fitness section. And as accessories you can add dumbbells, vests or weighted anklets to increase the demand of each series.