Bob Backlund's Deck Of Madness

Setting a goal no matter how small or big can make an impact on you no matter how you slice it. I've put myself through deck of cards workouts in a variety of ways from doing just push-ups and squats to 4 exercise decks, animal movements, one exercise deck of doing nothing but Hindu Squats but never in this fashion before. I had set a goal just to see what was possible with doing Step Ups & Ab Wheel Rollouts.

I've talked about the wheel and mentioned the great wrestler Bob Backlund in an article a while back which you can find here.....The Bob Backlund Workout. Going through phases of doing his workout in supersets that range from going for time non stop with certain reps, using them in circuit training and utilizing other exercises as add ons but what would it be like to go through these exercises using a Deck Of Cards? Most deck workouts are mainly bodyweight and getting the most in a quick fashion or just being a little creative but this felt different.

My goal was just to see how far I got in this workout, the first time around, I barely made it through half the deck. These exercises are no joke and can be exhausting. The second time around, I made it through the whole damn thing. I was determined and yes I did take a few breaks but mainly just to regain composure for a few seconds and get my head straight, I'm going to tell you it was difficult and mentally off the wall to pull through. The exercises themselves weren't difficult, it was the ability to keep going and keeping that mindset at the task at hand.

I don't have a clue if Mr. Backlund has ever done this himself although it wouldn't be a surprise to me. The guy is a machine and the energy of someone in their 20's in a 70 year old body. The exercises aren't impressive by any stretch of the imagination but they can be done by a beginner or world class athletes and have quality results and impressive conditioning. To go an hour straight with either one of them non stop is a testament to incredible endurance and crazy functional strength. Physical Conditioning is a goal most should strive for with a mindset of being fit in the long run.

I'll admit, I don't have the greatest attention span to go for an extended period of time when it comes to workouts and not shy of saying that routines don't sit well with me but if I'm determined to figure out and push through without hurting myself, that I have consistently done for years and it's something I'll always love about my training. That workout gave me another perspective of understanding my abilities to challenge the norm and take something so basic and mold it into a crazy idea. I have read and researched many workouts and exercises with the deck of cards but never on just Step Ups and the Ab Wheel.

There were times where I wanted to stop but something kept hounding me to keep going and get past that hump. It was grueling both physically and mentally and sweating like it was niagara falls was part of the proof that when you push hard, your body lets you know what's going on. The funny thing is, I didn't feel sore the next day, I felt it and knew what I put my body through, but didn't wake up aching or crackling all over. I felt great and had an incredible sense of energy. I did however take it "easy" yesterday by going for a long walk and later on did a small workout of step ups and rollouts doing ten rounds supersetting the exercises of 10 step ups and 5 rollouts.

If you want to give this workout a shot, be sure to have experience and knowledge of handling both and not going for world records in speed. Being fast is important but quality movement especially with the wheel is crucial to success in this workout. If you start to get sloppy, stop cause you can hurt yourself and there's no point of pushing through pain that can land you in the hospital. Challenge yourself but also be aware of what you are doing.

Here's the Rep Scheme for this workout.....

2-10 Are Of Face Value or Per Leg 

Face Cards Are 10 Reps Or 10 Per Leg

Aces Are 16 Reps Or 16 Per Leg

Jokers Are 50 Step Ups Or 25 Per Leg

This workout will test your mental toughness, your conditioning, your strength endurance and more. Your Core will get the workout of a lifetime and your legs will feel like jello. This workout isn't about how fast you can go, it's about the ability to keep going and making quality reps each time. It isn't for beginners and it surely isn't going to turn you into Bob Backlund, that title of crazy is already taken but it sure as hell will make you strong long term and give you immense power in ways you didn't know before.