@bluejeff Hello, I hear a lot about ladder training on the forum, what does it mean? For example if my program is: Chin-ups, push-ups, Hanging knee raises, squat, lunge and straight bridges?
Finally, what does scale training mean?
It seems like you are on phase 2 of Get Strong with what you are describing.
The exercise selection is good, no need to necessarily change it unless it doesn't align with your goals. What you might want to work on to get stronger is technique, attention to detail and intensity/volume.
I followed Get Strong for a while and stopped making progress with the way it was programmed. I needed more volume per exercise and less reps per set.
The two things my SF instructor told me that made a huge difference were: stop when rep speed drops and only do my max number of total reps once per week.
Let me clarify, for rep speed, instead of doing sets of 8-10-12 (or less reps for pulls) reps or whatever the program prescribes, I would stop my sets as soon as my reps weren't as crisp and speedy. I also took a light pause at the bottom and lowered with control, rep speed was with the concentric part. So if my speed dropped at rep 6 then that is where I'd stop.
With regards to total reps, only once per week would I do my max number of sets, which was also my max number of total reps. One day I could do 75 reps of push-ups, the other days I'd do less, something like 30 to 60, which is more than what most days of Get Strong call for.
You could keep the Get Strong program but adapt it to Strong First principles. Instead of doing the prescribed sets and reps in the program, you keep the exercise selection, which isn't bad at all, but adapt it by varying the total volume and intensity of each session and also by doing less reps per set and more focus on tension/strength with each move.
Ladders work very well with calisthenics, instead of doing 3 sets of 10 reps for example, you would do 3 ladders of (1,2,3,4) reps. Ladders are less fatiguing and allow you to do more volume. If your max number of reps is close to 10, doing 3x10 will be hard, doing 3 ladders of (1,2,3,4) will be much easier and each rep will be of better quality. The amount of rest you take between ladder rungs (between the 1 and 2 and 3 and 4) will be up to you but if you follow the principle of keeping rep speed as good from the first rep to the last you should be good. If your speed decreases, you need more rest. You should take a few minutes and even longer between ladders.
I've used ladders to work my push-ups, which never got better just doing 3 sets of X reps. I'd do multiple ladders of (1,2,3,4,5) with long breaks in between them, 15 mins to 1hr+ and would do from 3 to 5-6 ladders per day. Paying particular attention to the set-up, tension and the tempo, taking a pause at the bottom, also keeping rep speed always the same.
If you are doing Get Strong, you could do a workout from phase 1, one from phase 2 and one from phase 3 to have variability and alternate. That way you have easier days and harder days. For example your push-ups would go from hands elevated to regular to feet elevated. Your pulls would be, flex and active hangs, chin-ups and pull-ups. Your squats would go from BW squats to split squats/step-ups to bench pistols. EDIT: it could be Phase 2 week 2 , Phase 1 week 3-4 and Phase 3 week 1 for example. Medium-light-heavy or something similar.
Just keep the reps/sets within your abilities and not go to failure. On harder days you do less total reps. On easier days you do more sets or ladders for more total reps of the easier exercises. Instead of 3x10 do maybe 5x6 or instead of 3x15 do 5x8 etc. Or instead of 3x3 do 2x (1,2,3) or 2x(1,2) etc.