Hit The Deck

    Most would look at this and think they need to duck for something or move to get out of dodge but not for today my friends. I have written about Card Training before but it's a favorite of mine so I'll write it again. The irony is with full on hardcore card training you might want to hit the deck for dear life because this type of training will not be welcoming with open arms. It takes mental toughness to another realm and for the most part it can lead to superhuman levels of conditioning and growth hormone jumps. This type of training alone can jumpstart your cardio, High Intensity Training and you can not only get stronger and have more endurance but you can also lose unwanted fat, build muscle and lose weight at the same time.

 

    If you're the type of person who doesn't want to sweat during a workout this isn't for you. You will sweat, you'll be breathing hard and you'll need plenty of water because as you go through the cards, it gets tougher one at a time (or easier if you're some sadistic conditioning freak). People in sports have used this type of training for their chosen athletic endeavor and for good reason, it works. You don't need to do this type of training every day and you won't be doing a full deck the first time out unless you're in serious shape. I have done workouts with the cards that lasted from 20 min. to a little over an hour and always feel hungry and thirsty towards the end. It takes a lot out of you but also it gives you that endorphin rush that very few workouts can. I sweated like crazy last night going through the deck hitting my 15 lb. thor hammer on the tire going through one card after the other with very little rest (rest was changing the card and moving the tire from to time) and my total reps came out to 1252. My deck has 3 jokers instead of the normal two and would do 100 reps each joker.

 

The type of Deck I use is fairly simple added in 3 jokers this is how I make the reps….When I do the Thor Hammer Training on the tire I do the reps of each hand switch of the left and right hand on top of the handle so for example:

 

2-10 (4 to 20)

Kings/Jacks/Queens-15 (30)

Aces-20 (40)

Jokers- 50(100)

So after hitting the amount using left over right, I switch to right over left for the same amount so it's doubled.

 

    There many ways you can work the deck and this is where you have the freedom to be creative. You can do one exercise or a series of them to your liking. Sometimes I'd like to test out hindu push-ups and hindu squats and this takes me a little longer but it's interesting. You can do a series of 4 exercises and pick whatever ones you want like pull-ups, burpees, push-ups, squats, cable work, hammers, animal exercises, weights, lifting heavy objects you get the picture. The big thing is that you must do with this type of training is to have fun even though it does get tough at times and as one friend would tell me, it never gets easier but I say it gets more interesting because it's never the same workout twice so you not only get variety but you can change things up if you want to, rest when needed and as you get better take less rest periods. This takes cardio to a whole other level and it will jack up your heart rate quicker than almost anything else. It's a challenge that has taken down even the most elite athletes. As you progress depending the exercises you do, you can double or triple the numbers on the cards. One unique way is to not do reps at all but do Isometric postures of your favorite exercises and if you're crazy enough don't count the seconds, count the breaths and you'll hold longer, if you want to see stars in an awesome way this is it.

 

    Many athletes have used this type of training particularly those in Combat sports like Football, Wrestling and MMA. Karl Gotch was one of the elite conditioned athletes in the world and he used to test this type of training not just on himself but fellow students of his just to torture them. This guy always had gas in the tank and part of it was because of this type of training. Ray Lewis a former Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl champ did this type of training as a kid doing push-ups and sit-ups. 16-time world champion Ric Flair was nicknamed the 60-minute man because of his grueling 1 hour nightly matches that he did on a frequent basis at the height of his career and one of the reasons for having that level of conditioning was doing this type of training. You may not always get to a gym when you'd like if you're traveling on the road or you're just not into the gym scene but want a hell of a workout in the process. It's not time consuming, you can do it in the morning before you head out for the day or do it in the evening before dinner and trust me from my experience, you'll want something because you need to fuel your body. You don't even need an equipment and it's a perfect traveling companion. Think outside the box, work up a sweat and have fun doing it. It's not easy and it isn't for the typical couch potato but if you want to get into some serious shape that will give you an athletic look and have the strength and stamina to go along with it, this will work well for you.

 

Happy Thor's Day everyone, be awesome and show some love for one another, encourage each other and set your goals.