Prowler Pyramids

 By 

Rob King 

I have a love/hate relationship with the prowler.

I don’t think there is one other piece of fitness equipment in a gym that can offer so many benefits in terms of strength, conditioning, and fat loss.

You already know that the prowler is awesome, but what if I could take your prowler training and workouts to another level?  What if I could give you a simple training system based around the prowler that could take all of the things it’s already known for up a notch?

Enter pyramid training.

What Is Pyramid Training?

With pyramid training, the concept is simple and motivating.  Take an exercise of your choice, based on your training goals, and start with ten reps. From there, work your way down in reps.  Your first set is ten reps, your second is nine reps, and you continue all the way down until you finish the pyramid with  one rep. I know it sounds pretty simple, and it is.  That’s the beauty of pyramid training.  That said, don’t underestimate its value as a training system because of the simple format.  Sometimes “simple” is the most effective way to get the job done!

Physically and mentally, pyramid training is a stand-out.  Seeing your number of reps going down after each set can give you a feeling of being more in control of your workout.  It’s intrinsically motivating, and can allow you to complete a very hard, intense workout while still keeping your mental edge.  Staying mentally focused becomes easier near the end of your exercise, as you count down to those lower numbers of reps.  The workload diminishes, and the last set becomes more attainable. For mental fortitude and physical results, pyramid training kicks ass.  Combine that with the known benefits of prowler training and you could get results like never before.

Putting Prowler & Pyramid Training Into Action

Let’s take two upper-body exercises and put them into a pyramid using a prowler. I will use a push and pull exercise in combination, so let’s use the bench press and bent over row.  I love pairing opposing muscle groups together in training for a myriad of reasons. Although when it comes to using a prowler for pyramids, I don’t like to use leg exercises as they can wear you down incredibly quickly.  The prowler is grueling enough on the lower body.

After you have done your warm-up, take a weight on the bench press and a weight on bent rows that you can use for ten solid reps.

The pyramid workout goes like this:

Set 1:

A. 10 Reps on Bench Press

B. Prowler Push

C. 10 Reps on Bent Rows

*In between you can rest as needed, but I like to complete the set first then rest as needed before continuing on to Set 2.

Set 2:

A. 9 Reps on Bench Press

B. Prowler Push

C. 9 Reps on Bent Rows

*Rest and continue to Set 3.

Set 3:

A. 8 Reps on Bench Press

B. Prowler Push

C. 8 Reps on Bent Rows

*Continue this pyramid all the way down until the pyramid is finished.  The last set is for 1 rep of each exercise.

In 30 minutes or less you will have completed:

• 55 Reps of Bench Press (ideally with the same weight)
• 55 Reps Of Bent Over Rows (ideally with the same weight)
• 20 Sled Pushes on Prowler

That’s an intense full-body workout in a short amount of time.  The prowler is amazingly diverse, and could work in combination with a variety of exercises, depending on your needs and goals.  Plus, if time is an issue for you, the benefits of getting this type of workout in under an hour are huge.

Benefits Of Pyramid Training Combined With the Prowler:

• The prowler will improve your recovery between sets (active recovery).

• The prowler will give you a full-body workout without any negatives.

• The pairing of the push/pull muscle groups will improve strength, blood flow, and overall recovery.

• The prowler plus the pyramid will increase fat loss, conditioning, general strength, and mental fortitude.

The sheer variety of what you can accomplish by combining pyramid training with the prowler means there are plenty of ways to keep your workout fresh. You can do anything from going really heavy and boosting strength to combining bodyweight exercises with the prowler and making it more of a light and fast workout. As well, you could use kettlebells for a full-body strength workout, combining prowler work with kettlebell swings and kettlbell glute bridges for intense lower body training.

Love the prowler or hate it, you already know it makes for a demanding workload.  Putting the prowler into your pyramid will definitely get your heart rate up, and challenge both your body and mind.  The options are damn-near endless, and are up to you.  All you need is a prowler, some imagination, and the mental fortitude to get it done.

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