The options for workouts and exercises are numerous. You're not just limited to using dumbbells, barbells, fancy cable machines, stationary bikes, elliptical, or the treadmill for cardiovascular training and fitness workouts.
Those are just a few of the many exercise equipment options. If you think about it, all exercise equipment are really "tools" for achieving your physical fitness goals.
photo credit: Lord Ferguson
A chair can be a tool or piece of exercise equipment for doing bench dips, full ROM handstand pushups, assisted single legged squats, and other body weight exercises. Use it to elevate the legs for elevated pushups. Put another chair back-to-back and you can even do dips. You can do the same with a large stack of books. Basically, if you take something that’s versatile, sturdy, tough, durable, or static, you can use them in a variety of ways for workouts.
One of the most simple and highly effective “tool” is a deck of 52 cards (throw out the Jokers). Use a full deck of cards to replace or substitute boring LSD (long slow speed distance) cardiovascular workouts on the treadmill. A card deck offers variety to target different strength qualities while improving cardiovascular and conditioning fitness in a more fun, productive, and efficient manner.
Old school boxers and wrestlers often complemented their training programs with bodyweight conditioning using a deck of cards. The concept isn’t exactly new.
Assign one exercise to each color and/or figure card. Then perform the assigned exercise for each card. The amount of reps per exercise will match the card number. The Kings, Queens, Jacks are counted as 10 reps. The Aces can either be counted as 1 or 11 reps as you see fit. You can also throw in the Jokers for 20 reps.
For example, the 4 of hearts could be 4 reps on pushups, the 8 of clubs could be 8 reps of pullups, the 2 of spades could be 2 reps of dumbbell squats, the King of diamond could be 10 reps of burpees. The selection and assignment of exercise to each card is up to you.
You’ll move from one exercise and one card to the next resting as little as possible in between each exercise. This keeps the work rate and work capacity high for an added interval benefit. Throw in both body weight movements with weighted exercises for a more balanced approach. This leaves your heart pumping forcing you to breathe hard. It’s a lung coughing workout that’s productive and fun.
Here are 4 example routines using a deck of cards:
1) Red cards – pushups (can be done on rings), burp, burpees, or up downs (choose one as you see fit)
Black cards – sit-ups, crunches, and handstand pushups (choose one as you see fit)
2) Red hearts- pull-ups, bench rows, db deadlift (choose one as you see fit)
Red diamonds – pushups or burpees
Black spades – crunches or V-ups
Black clubs – single legged squats (assisted or unassisted)
3) Red hearts- bench press; close or regular shoulder-width apart grip
Red diamonds- barbell row
Black spades- db front squats
Black clubs- barbell or band good mornings, back extensions
4) Red cards- db front squat thrusters
Black cards- barbell bent presses (each arm)
To make these workouts more challenging reduce the rest periods between each exercise/card. When starting, the rest periods might be 30 seconds per card/exercise. As you improve fitness and conditiniong, move from one exercise to another with 20s, 10s, or 5s of rest. If you finish the entire deck in less than 15 minutes, go through the entire deck again.
If you have a training partner, take turns with each card. The only rest allowed is during your partner’s turn with the cards. If the exercise starts becoming too easy , increase the number of repetitions by multiplying the card number by a certain value.
For example, if you can go through the entire deck doing crunches for each card without experiencing much of a challenge, increase the number by a value of 2. If you come across a 9, multiply that by 2 and do 18. If the next card is a Queen, multiply that by 2 and do 20 reps of crunches. You can do this for any exercise you want.
The routine becomes a lot more challenging when you do pullups or pushups with this method. You’ll have to do 20 reps of pullups with a King using a multiplication factor of 2 (10 x 2). Be creative with this.
As you can see, the 52 cards deck workouts uses different types of exercises for a full body workout that’s productive and efficient over the long term. It looks good on paper but only you can experience it’s effectiveness by doing.
Train Hard. Train Safely. Train Smart.
If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or email me at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail.com
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