If you’re looking for a way to increase overall muscular endurance, the Deck of Cards Workout could be exactly what you’re looking for. There are many variations of the deck of cards workout and once you know how it works, you can come up with your own. The basic regulations for the workout are to use a deck of cards and pick at least 2 exercises. If you want the most bang for your buck, you will choose exercises that use more than one muscle group. It’s also best to train the full body with this kind of workout.
So, for example, a common way to do this workout is to pick squats and pushups for your two exercises. Squats are Spades and Clubs. Pushups are Hearts and Diamonds, or however you want to do it. Setting up the workout is simple. Shuffle the cards and then draw one at a time. If you draw a 9 of Spades then you do nine squats. If you draw a queen of Hearts then you do 12 Pushups.
Of course, as I stated before, the workout can have many variations. If you wish to give Jacks the value of 15, Queens the value of 20, Kings the value of 25,, and Aces the value of 30 then so be it. Just be prepared to live with the consequences. I said before that setting up the workout is simple, but I didn’t say that performing it is easy. It can be if that’s what you’re looking for. Seriously, using low repetition numbers with the Deck of Cards Workout can make for a nice recovery workout.
However, I wouldn’t do that every time. The Deck of Cards Workout is meant to challenge us to become more physically and mentally fit. It provides great opportunity for us to improve the stamina of all our muscle groups including the heart and lungs. I personally like to include a few different exercises in my workouts so that I am training my body in a more balanced way.
Take for example this workout that I created using four simple exercises. The Pullups do require additional equipment, but it’s definitely worth it to get the equipment.
Hearts - Squats Cards 2 to 8 - Jumping Squats, and 9 to Ace - Regular
Diamonds - Pushups Cards 2 to 8 - Reverse Pushups, and 9 to Ace - Regular
Spades - Pullups Cards 2 to 8 - Regular, and 9 to Ace - Bent over Rows
Clubs - Butt Kick Jumps Cards 2 to Ace - Regular
The only equipment required is a pullup bar and a weight to use for the rows. If you want to tough it out on the pullup bar until you can do all of the reps that’s fine with me, but at least get the pullup bar. It is my favorite piece of workout equipment, especially because it is so difficult to get a good upper back workout without any equipment. As always, if this workout is too much or too little then adjust accordingly. Warm up with 1 to 5 minutes of jumping rope, or running in place and then jump right into the workout. By the end you’ll be sweaty and tired and somehow feeling good about it.
