DECK 1 I DECK 2 I DECK 3 I DECK 4 I DECK 5

Warning: This is a difficult workout to start with. If you are just starting the program, you may want to start with Deck 1, Deck 2 or even doing 1/2 of Deck 2.

I am publishing the workouts we use for the calisthenic portion of the workouts we do at the fitness platoon. These are good workouts to do if you are training to go to boot camp, or if you simply want to be fit like a Marine.

It typically takes about 35 minutes to an hour to do this workout. You’ll need access to a pull-up bar or you’ll have to substitute other exercises (like curls for underhand pull-ups and single arm dumbbell rows for overhand pull-ups). Also, if you cannot do pull-ups well, it helps to have a spotter, or substitute the exercises.

Directions
Mark up a deck of cards with the exercises listed below. To workout, simply flip the card and do whatever is on the face of it. The goal is to get through the deck as fast as possible to keep the heart rate up. Because the order of the exercises are never the same, there is variety built into these workouts.

Details
For a two-count exercise you count each portion of a movement. There are two counts in one regular push-up, the down movement (the first count) and the up movement (the second count). Unless specified, all exercises are two-count.

For a four-count exercise you count each portion of a movement, you just do more. A four-count push-up is 2 regular push ups. Down (the first count), up (the second count), down (the third count), and up (the fourth count).

There are a lot of four-count exercises in all of the decks. If this is at all confusing, just ask any Marine to demonstrate a four-count exercise for you. Eventually, I’ll post something on YouTube to make this clear.

Aces in this deck count for 1
Jacks count for 11
Queens count for 12
Kings count for 13

Spades:
A (low) – Overhand Pull ups
2 – Overhand Pull ups
3 – Overhand Pull ups
4 – Overhand Pull ups
5 – Overhand Pull ups
6 – Overhand Pull ups
7 – Overhand Pull ups
8 – 4 count Alternating Toe Touches (Windmills)
9 – 4 count Diamond Push ups
10 – 4 count Diamond Push ups
J – 4 count Diamond push ups
Q – 4 count Diamond push ups
K – 4 count Diamond push ups

Hearts:
A (low) – Underhand pull ups
2 – Underhand pull ups
3 – Underhand pull ups
4 – Underhand pull ups
5 – Underhand pull ups
6 – Underhand pull ups
7 – Underhand pull ups
8 – 4 count Alternating toe touches (Windmills)
9 – 4 count Push ups (hold the position for 30 seconds after the last rep)
10 – 4 count Push ups (hold the position for 1 min after the last rep)
J – 4 count Push ups
Q – 4 count Push ups
K – 4 count Push ups

Diamonds:
A (low) – Overhand pull ups
2 – Overhand Pull ups
3 – Overhand Pull ups
4 – Overhand Pull ups
5 – Overhand Pull ups
6 – Overhand Pull ups
7 – Overhand Pull ups
8 – 4 count Side straddle hops
9 – 4 count Diamond Push ups
10 – 4 count Diamond Push ups
J – 4 count Diamond Push ups
Q – 4 count Diamond Push ups
K – 4 count Diamond Push ups

Clubs:
A (low) – Underhand Pull ups
2 – Underhand Pull ups
3 – Underhand Pull ups
4 – Underhand Pull ups
5 – Underhand Pull ups
6 – Underhand Pull ups
7 – Underhand Pull ups
8 – 4 count Side straddle hops
9 – 4 count Push ups (hold the position for 30 seconds after the last rep)
10 – 4 count Push ups (hold the position for 1 min after the last rep)
J – 4 count Push ups
Q – 4 count Push ups
K – 4 count Push ups

Big Joker – 25 4 count flutter kicks
Little Joker – 25 4 count crunches

A special thanks goes out to my good friend Tony Haynes. The workouts in this series were developed with him and are based on a workout he published on OO-RAH.com a few years back: Link

DECK 1 I DECK 2 I DECK 3 I DECK 4 I DECK 5