Get in a full-body workout from the comfort of your own home or while traveling. All you need is a deck of cards.
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If you have never heard of the Deck of Cards Workout, you are in for a treat. It’s by far one of my favorite ways to get in a full-body workout when I’m bored with my current routine.
All you need is a deck of cards and the will to push through. However, you may also want an exercise mat for the floor exercises. But, this is optional.
So, let’s break it down.
This workout combines 4 different exercises, each targeting a different part of the body. Each exercise is assigned to a specific suit within the deck. You draw 4 cards at a time and then perform the exercises specified by the suits for the given reps. Then rest for 15-30 seconds before drawing 4 more cards.
Ace=1 rep. 2=2 reps. Etc, etc. Jack, Queen, and King are all worth 10 reps.
However, I didn’t like the original deck of cards workout that was floating around with specific exercises predetermined for each suit. Instead, I like to have a few options for each body focus and suit. I will provide a list of possible exercise moves to choose from below.
Also, this workout is designed for all levels of fitness. Whether you are an experienced gym-goer or you’re just dipping your toes in the water of workouts. You can easily modify or change out the moves in this workout.
If you enjoy this at-home workout, I would love for you to share it with your friends on social media.
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Deck of Cards Full-Body Workout
How to Modify This Workout
For Beginners or Those Who Require Low Impact
If you are just beginning an exercise program or have any given reason that you can’t perform high impact exercises, you can follow the below modifications.
- Cut the deck in half and only do one half until you can work up to a longer duration.
- Take longer rest times after each group of exercises.
- Cut out the jumps. You can step out your burpees, jumping jacks, and mountain climbers. For runners, slow the movement down.
- For core exercises, bend your knees on the leg drops and reverse crunches and decrease the range of motion on the Russian twists and back bows.
- For pushups and planks, do them from your knees.
- For any of the lower body exercises, decrease your range of motion and go slowly.
For Make the Workout More Challenging
- Decrease rest time between groups of exercises or complete more exercises without rest.
- For the cardio exercises, move as fast as possible.
- Add jumps to your lower body exercises. For example, jump squats and jumping lunges. You can also add weights for added resistance.
- For upper body, you can elevate your feet during pushups and increase your speed on all exercises.
- For core exercises, add weight and slow down motion at the most difficult part of the exercises.
Conclusion
I have to say this. Before you start any exercise program, it is highly advised that you check with your physician to clear you for the specified form of exercise. Your safety should always be your number one priority.
I hope you enjoy this workout and are able to get a good sweat out of it. Let me know how you liked it in the comments below as well as what you found the most difficult.
