Medicine Ball/Playing Card Workouts

As I mentioned in my last post I am trying to add some variety to my regular workouts. I continue to use the new book I bought. I like the short workouts it provides so I can also use my recumbent bike or do martial arts in the same workout.

However, I have also developed two new workout routines by combining a playing card workout with the use of a medicine ball. I have put together a workout for the arms and upper body and one for the abs and legs.

If you are not familiar with using playing cards for a workout the idea is to match each suit of cards with an exercise. You then do the number of reps of each exercise to the number of pips on the card as you come to it in the deck. I do ten reps for each court card and for the ace. If you use a full deck of 52 cards you will get 94 reps per suit. Or you can make the ace 11 reps and go all the way to 95 reps!

Here are the two sets I have put together. Feel free to use these or develop your own.

Arms and Upper body

Clubs - Bench Press
Spades - Overhead Press
Hearts - Bent Over Rows
Diamonds - Curls

Abs and Legs

Clubs - Lunges
Spades - Squats
Hearts - Butt Lift Crunches
Diamonds - Knee Raised Crunches