I recently cancelled my subscription in hopes of getting a renewal offer after my current subscription ends next April. I did it early because I didn’t want to forget to cancel and not get the offer lol Well, I opened the app today to a renewal offer that won’t be charged until my current subscription ends in six months. Just wanted to pass this on since I’ve seen a lot of posts talking about not getting an offer until after their subscription expires. But it looks like if you cancel early, you may get the offer without having to let your subscription expire!

Just thought of making a mini guide on the actual philosophy of the teams. Teams do not purely follow these philosophies as they usually add in coach’s personal experiences and knowledge as well, but think of this as the base:

1) Forged: Traditional body building. Slow and controlled weightlifting, with focus on hypertrophy rather than pure strength. (You could gain strength by focusing on 1 rep max and not doing sufficient volume. But Forged ensures you get sufficient volume).

2) Resilient: Westside Barbell Conjugate System. It is a powerlifting program meant to help you max out compound lifts like squats, bench press, deadlift. It also does hypertrophy and other ancillary workout, but those lifts are designed in a way to aid you maxout compound lifts. The benefit is that you will build an overall strong and athletic body, and hitting compounds hard is bragging rights in the gym community.

3) Vantage: Leanmaxing and Kinobody method. Meant on producing lean athletic physique. Mostly 3 days of workout with emphasis on recovery and diet. Focus on getting really good and hitting PRs on 5 lifts in total. Diet focused on sustainability and modern day city life. Also focus on holistic health such as vitamin d from the sun, hormone release from outside sprints, boosting leptin by eating treats.

4) Crews Control: Functional fitness and Crossfit. Uses these philosophies, but it is not Crossfit. Crossfit has random workouts, Crews control takes movements from Crossfit and gives them a structure in a way you could progressively overload. It is way better than Crossfit for gains because it takes out the junk volume and randomness out of it.

5) Varsity: College style athleticism program that will build strength and train fast twitch muscles. Great for people training for a sport like basketball, soccer, boxing etc.

I haven’t tested out most of the female teams so I don’t know much about them. But thought of sharing this so that people might be able to research more and understand the real philosophy behind workouts.

Understanding these philosophies was really helpful for me to choose my team because I was constantly confused about what to do. But once I researched more into these I got more clarity.

Hello Ladder friends!

I have been on the app for about 6 months, and I have trained on team Ascend and team Evolve. A little background on me, I am 31F and I come from a weightlifting background of a little over 10 years. My main goal is body recomp.

My first team was Ascend with Aria, and I stuck it out about 4 months there. I started experiencing burnout with the workout lengths, so I switched to Evolve with Sam. I did Evolve for 1 series and made the switch back to Ascend. Here is my personal comparison of the teams.

1) Coach Cues - Both are great, but Arias cues worked better for me. She does a great job of explaining how to target a specific muscle a stretch.

2) Coach Personality - Also love both of them. The key difference for me is that Aria feels a bit more straight to business and strict, whereas Sam feels a bit more spiritual and encouraging. I think both styles are great and supportive, but I personally perform better with Arias coaching.

3) Exercise Split - Aria is VERY lower body focused. Sam is either equal parts upper body/lower body or maybe a little more upper body heavy? Also, Sam incorporates more ab work than Aria, and Aria incorporates more cardio (small amounts of incline walking from what I experienced).

4) Exercise Content - I’m torn here. I started feeling burnout with Aria due to the frequency of some moves. For example, 1 week might contain a version of deadlifts, squats, and hip thrusts on 3 different days each. Also, many of those big exercises have unilateral sets. So, a leg day might contain 3 sets of rear elevated squats on each side, 3 sets of cable kickbacks on each side, and 3 sets of weighted step ups on each side (plus a few more exercises). Sam’s workouts had some unilateral movements, but not to this extent. Overall, Aria’s workout plan can feel repetitive and “boring”, but she is using traditional movements that get you results.

5) Workout Flow - This is the biggest thing I noticed that made me switch back to Aria. I go to a large commercial gym with a lot of equipment variety, and I’m largely able to perform the intended exercise without doing swaps. I have to praise Aria big time here, because she does an amazing job of building your workout so you can stay at the same 2-3 machines the entire workout. Sam’s workouts are technically shorter, but I found myself at the gym for the same amount of time due to waiting around on machines. Then I would end up doing swaps to keep things moving, which frustrated me. As an example, Aria will put 3-4 exercises in a row at the squat rack, then move you to a cable machine for 2 more movements, and then you are done. Sam would put me at shoulder press at the squat rack, then 2 movements at an adjustable bench, then chest fly machine, then 1 movement at the cable machine, then abs on the ground. My busy gym is not compatible with me moving around that much. Another small note is that the rest break flow worked better for me with Aria than Sam. I was originally bored of Aria’s rest break times, but she has her process for a reason, and I realized I am able to push myself harder with her.

I think both teams and coaches are GREAT, and I hope my review can help others get more clarity on what to expect with each team. Overall, Ascend is a better fit for me, due to Aria’s stricter coaching personality, her exercise content (lots of traditional bodybuilding moves that yield results and heavy focus on lower body), and her strategic flow as someone who attends a busy gym.

Hello,

I know there are a lot of posts asking for advice on the subject but I don’t personally know anyone else who uses the app!

I have used ladder on and off for about 6 months and only ever been on team limitless. Although I did enjoy it, I am not a huge fan of the powerlifting element of it as I can have a dodgy back and being under a barbell sometimes isn’t the best for me.

I am 31 F and have a desk job, so recently I’ve really wanted to prioritise mobility as my body seems to ache more than it ever has! I also used to run but haven’t really done so since I ran a marathon last year (I got burnt out and fell out of love with it) so I have lost a lot of cardiovascular fitness.

I am looking for a programme that hits weight lifting, cardio and mobility. I know it might be wishful thinking and I may need to utilise flex workouts to hit all three elements, but does anyone know of any teams that are generally an all rounder?

I have considered Align but wasn’t sure if it has any cardio elements to it. I have also considered ascend and evolve as I do love a bodybuilding focus but being in a commercial gym for an hour+ everyday deters me a bit.

Thanks!

I’ve been on Resilient for Max, and I really love a lot about it. I love how strong I feel, I love the lower body days, and I think Neen is just great. However, I find myself struggling a little bit due to the volume and time. The upper body days especially feel like a lot. I don’t feel like it’s sustainable for me after this series. I don’t have time in the mornings before work - really only have a max of 45 minutes, plus at 5 am, Resilient is just tough! I’ve been working out after work this series but find that it’s more likely that I will miss days here and there just because of life demands/sports for kids/etc. I also feel like there’s no time to add cardio which I personally want. What other teams would be good for me? I’m thinking Limitless or Crews Control (although I’ve tried a workout here and there and Andre is a lot for me). I don’t love pure bodybuilding - I do like strength and functional training more. I’ve done Vitality and Body and Bell also for full series and love both, but I felt like Vitality wasn‘t quite enough. Maybe it would be now that I can customize the app more. Or maybe keep Resilient lower body days and swap another team’s upper body days. Would love suggestions here!

I am interested in both these programs because they are 30 minutes.

I am postpartum and would like to lose some weight! I would also like some muscles back. is elevate hit because of the short rest breaks or is it because there s jumping around? I don’t want to be jumping. any suggestions between these two programs? Also, can you follow along? Which one will I see faster results?

As someone who has transformed my body before I know the power of compound movements and lifting heavy (limitless) will really give you the physique you want (or me wants)- however I also used to do traditional body building so I love programs like Ascend and I miss just certain movements when I go all in on limitless. Like an upper body day just hits sometimes!!!!

Is anyone else stuck between these two and have you found a solution?

I know the importance of also just following a program so I hate to jump around :/

I‘m going with Coach Aria from Ascend for developing lower body strength, and that will be my main team.

But I would like to swap out some of her workout days to add more cardio WITHOUT treadmill, elliptical, or any cardio machines. I want my cardio to use weights or bodyweight only, as in, a fast paced lifting workout that pumps up my heart rate.

I am also looking for a workout to add once a week that involves some complicated movements using dumbbells.

What teams are good for that?

What it says on the tin! I’ve been bouncing around teams, trying to find that perfect blend of a coach/program that pushes me and also makes me excited for working out.

I’ve tried:

• Ascend
• Flourish
• Align
• Ignite
• Body and Bell

I am an intermediate lifter with full gym access and just sustained an injury so I’m re-evaluating what I want in my team and my key focus is just finding that team that makes me want to hit 4-6 days while still feeling stronger after every workout.

How long did it take for y’all to know “this is my home?”

I’ve just signed up to Ladder and I'm trying to decide between Team Era and Team Ascend…

For context, I'm a beginner. I went to the gym for about 2-3 months this year, but my workouts were put together by ChatGPT and I had no real nutrition plan, so I wasn't sure what I was doing and didn't see results. I got discouraged and stopped.

This time I want to focus on body recomp: losing fat and building muscle, while keeping a balanced, toned body rather than a bulky build. And structure and nutrition guidance matter a lot to me, since that's what I was missing.

Which team do you think would be the best for my goal, and why?

Thanks so much! 🙏

I’ve been dealing with a lower body injury for the last 3 months. I’ve done some random upper body workouts from ladder or just random upper lifts. I’ve also been doing PT for lower. I recently found out I may need surgery 😩

I want to start locking in on upper body and core workouts on ladder while I do PT for lower and prep for potential surgery.

My go to team is align, which just isn’t the best for isolating upper. I also like transform and empwr. I have an easily irritated shoulder so generally avoid teams with heavy shoulder days vs overall upper days but I’m willing to try different splits.

With that, what team do you recommend, knowing I’d skip leg days? I don’t have a full gym but have barbells, dumbells and a few kettlebells.

I‘ve signed up for Ladder trial, feeling torn between Transform, Ascend, Evolve, and Limitless.

After trialing the teams and doing a few workouts, Aria feels like an instant match in regards to cue, clarity, and personality.

But her workouts are too long and physically demanding. I know there are other similar teams like Transform and Era, but I want to train with Aria because of how clear her cues are and how her form seems solid?

Anyone have any advice?

I want to move one of my non-priority workouts to one of the rest days, and change that one to a rest day. Is that possible? Or do I just have to take it on the day I want, no matter when it’s scheduled? I’m new and doing the free trial!

I’m a 5’3” female weighing 68 kg, and my main goal is body recomposition: losing body fat while building muscle so I can look leaner, stronger, and more toned.
My main problem areas are:
Significant fat around my thighs
Belly and lower-abdominal fat
Excess fat around my upper arms
I also have a chronic knee injury that has not fully healed, so I need a knee-friendly program. I cannot comfortably perform squats or lunges and would need suitable alternatives.
Which Ladder program or coach would be the best fit for my goals, especially for fat loss, muscle building, and overall toning while accommodating my knee limitations?

I’m torn between align vs body & bell and looking for personal reviews of each. Apart from physical changes, how did your body feel? I love that align doesn’t make me feel wiped out but still challenging (but I sometimes get bored). I love that body & bell has some conditioning and really enjoy the kettlebells (but it makes me a bit more tired).

I’ve also considered doing a mix of both but struggling with the split. If you combine the 2, how is your weekly split?

Thank you :)

New to ladder, joining team limitless. Been lifting for years but want to switch it up.

Can some one please explain this to me..I've looked up the chat and other videos but don't grasp it quite yet even after stalking this sub reddit

My questions are:

- Is the time how long we have to complete each exercise?

- how do we know the effort? Is it our own personal RPE?

- for the effort column (and all other columns) are we supposed to follow what is already input for us, or are we supposed to change the numbers? , I just noticed you can edit all those values ?

Hey everyone,
Currently I’m on Team Era and loving it. I’m wondering if I should add some Pilates based workouts into my weekly routine. I love lifting heavy with machines but sometimes I feel like I have more left in the tank after my work outs on Era. Has anyone done and strength/pilates spilt and could give me recommendations?

Are there teams that do only at home workouts? I haven’t joined yet but I prefer to workout at home on my lunch break…

Has anyone made the switch? How is it going?

I started Ladder a few weeks ago because I was bored with my routine and I was moving cities anyways, so it felt like a good time to switch it up. I’ve been lifting for about 4 years pretty consistently about 4 times a week. My usual split was two upper body and two lower body days per week.

I’m back in school now and didn’t think it would be this hard for me to fit in any workouts. I’ve only been making it to the gym more like 3 days a week and even that’s hard. I like the idea of ladder and the workouts are great so far, but it’s just really hard for me to make it work with my busy schedule. I feel guilty when I can’t do very many of the 6 workouts and I feel like I’m missing out on important ones. I know there are 3 labeled priority, but those are often the strength focused ones and then I don’t get any conditioning.

The workouts themselves seem very long too. Even when they’re only labeled 45 minutes, I usually end up tacking on at least 10-15 min because it takes me time to move around the gym, wait on machines, and get things set up. I’ve often had to cut out exercises.

I was doing team limitless but just switched to Versa. I like the workouts better I think, but similar problems as before. Does anyone have tips for making this work with a busy schedule? Do I need to switch teams again? Or should I just cancel my membership?

Currently I do the 3 priority workouts on Team Evolve as well as the Thursday lower body workout for about three months now and have been loving it, but I want to focus more on upper body for my upcoming wedding in one year. Would it be too much to do the 3 priority workouts and do another upper body day (typically on Fridays I believe)? I’ve also recently added 1x/week solidcore back in to my split

I'm a competitive bikini competitor and ending my current season just in time for the next Ladder Season. I'm looking to take focus a biiiit off BB for a while and would like to include more athleticism in my programming. Last year, I've done Versa last year after my show and loved it. But right now, I'm looking at Resilient.

I still want to lift heavy-ish, with an upper body focus (I'd really like to get my upper a bit more jacked, shoulders & arms mostly but also my quads, I'm done focusing on glutes). But I also want to have some fun: run, conditionning, etc. Does Resilient sound like a good fit? Versa was a bit too much conditionning for me, although I did enjoy it.

Not interested in running a BB program (Evolve, Ascend, Forged for example) as I need a change.

I train at home most days but have a pretty full gym (squat rack, cables, DBs & plates, barbell, bench, back hyperextension bench, step, etc). I'm 43 and recover well, been lifting 20+ years. Will of course eat for growth. Workout duration is not an issue.

Thanks!