The Card Deck Workout for Obstacle Course Race Training

By: CJ Wagner, NASM-CPT, TRX Instructor

Equipment Needed:

1 52-card deck of playing cards
1 Bucket or Heavy Dumbbell
Resistance Training Band
A positive attitude
Friends to do this workout with

DIRECTIONS

Get a group of friends together and have each person pick one card. The suit of the card determines what exercise you will be doing while the number on the represents the number of reps you’ll do. For the Spades suit, a numbered card will be a 250-meter bucket carry and a face card will be a 500-meter bucket carry. If someone draws a Joker, everyone does 20 pullups, resistance band pullups, inverted rows or dumbbell rows that round and the people that didn’t draw the Joker re-enter their cards into the unused pile of cards. Keep drawing cards until the deck has been completely used.

All face cards are either 15 reps of the burpee, hanging leg raise/toes to bar, or squats or a 1,500 meters bucket carry.

If you draw a Joker, every does 20 pullups that round, and all non-Joker cards are re-entered into the drawing deck. 

Example: You are with 3 friends and each of you draws a card. This is round 1. If you two of you have a heart suit, one has a spade, and another a clover, the people with the heart suits will do their burpees, the one with the clover will do their squats, and the one who pulled the spade will take off with their bucket for 250 or 500 meters.

THE EXERCISES

Clover: Squats with bucket, one heavy dumbbell or kettlebell, or two moderate dumbbells
Diamond: Hanging Leg Raise/Toes to Bar
Heart: Burpees
Spade: Bucket Carry (250 meters or 500 meters)
Male: 50 pounds or heavier. Female: 45 pounds or lighter.