A pyramid rep scheme is a workout format where you climb up and back down a ladder of reps — one of each exercise, then two, then three up to a peak like five or ten, then back down to one — so the rep count looks like a pyramid. Last week we covered the countdown workout; this week we ramp it up. In this Physical Friday I explain how to build a pyramid workout, how to match the rep range to the exercises you pick, and why these formats are the secret to staying consistent when training gets boring.
Watch now: press play in the player above and follow along.
A pyramid rep scheme is where you might do one of each exercise, then two of each, then three, climbing to a peak — say five or ten — and then come back down: four, three, two, one. The rep count looks like a pyramid. You can run it one to five, one to ten, or even one to twenty depending on the movements you choose.
The countdown, or 10 to 1 format, only goes one direction: 10 reps of each exercise, then 9, then 8, down to 1. A pyramid goes both ways — up and then back down — which roughly doubles the volume and ramps up the intensity. If the countdown felt manageable, the pyramid is the natural next step.
Match the range to the exercises. High-rep friendly movements like squats and push-ups can handle a one to ten or one to twenty pyramid. Heavier movements like clean and jerks paired with weighted squats or burpees fit a lower range, more like one to five and back down. The format flexes to whatever equipment and movements you have.
Because variety is what keeps you consistent. I keep a few go-to formats right on my phone, so if I have done a deck of cards workout three days in a row while traveling, the next day I can pull up a countdown, a pyramid, or an every minute on the minute workout and plan it the night before. Knowing exactly what you are going to do is half the battle.
Look around for natural or man-made features you can use: a staircase, pull-up bars, a playground, a swimming pool. Then pair what you find with a countdown or pyramid format to build an interesting workout that gets done. No equipment is required — just a format, a feature, and a plan made the night before.
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series covering the training, nutrition, and mindset that keep fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen strong enough to do what they love for life — built around workouts that need little or no equipment.
Here is how to put a pyramid together, exactly as I lay it out in the episode.
One to five, one to ten, one to twenty — the pyramid flexes to any movements you have. I walk through the variations in the episode above.
You have heard of pyramid schemes. This one is different as it applies to a workout — nobody is going to fall for it, and nobody gets rich. What you get instead is a simple way to ramp up the numbers and the intensity from last week's countdown format. I explain the difference, and when to reach for each one, in the episode above.
Consistency gets it done. Consistency gets the results. To be consistent, though, you have to be somewhat entertained, and everybody hits stretches where they are tired of doing the same thing. That is exactly when these formats — countdowns, pyramids, every minute on the minute — become amazing resources. I get into how I rotate them in the episode above.
We have talked about this many times: plan your workout the night before so you know exactly what you are going to do. When I travel, I also look around for what I can use — a staircase, pull-up bars, a playground, a swimming pool — and build the pyramid around it. I share how that planning habit keeps me on track in the episode above.
Listen or watch: the full breakdown, with every detail, is in the episode above.
The pyramid is the countdown's bigger brother — same simplicity, nearly double the work. Keep it saved on your phone next to your other go-to formats and boredom stops being an excuse.
If you build a pyramid workout that is really pretty dang good, I would love to hear about it and try it myself. Text me at (305) 930-7346 or email podcast@saltwaterexperience.com. Hope you kill it this weekend.
pyramid rep scheme · countdown workout · 10 to 1 format · every minute on the minute · squats and push-ups · clean and jerks · burpees · deck of cards workout · travel workouts · tomrowlandpodcast.com · Physical Friday · Saltwater Experience
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's Physical Friday series I share the training formats, nutrition habits, and mindset tools I use to stay strong enough to fish, hunt, hike, and keep up with my kids — short, practical episodes built for guides, anglers, and outdoorsmen who want to stay in the game for life.
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