By DeckReps · Drafted with AI assistance, figures checked against the app and its usage data. How we write these
How to Do a Deck of Cards Workout
A deck of cards workout is one of the simplest fitness formats there is. All you need is a standard playing deck and a few bodyweight exercises. Here's everything you need to know to run your first session.
The Basic Rules
The concept is straightforward: assign one exercise to each of the four card suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs). Then shuffle the deck, flip cards one at a time, and perform the assigned exercise for the number of reps shown on the card.
Number cards (2–10) are taken at face value. So a 7 of hearts means 7 reps of whatever exercise you assigned to hearts. Face cards — Jack, Queen, King — are typically worth 10, 11, 12, or 13 reps depending on your ruleset. Aces are a wildcard you can set to any value you like (14 is a popular choice for a tough workout).
What Do the Jokers Mean?
The two jokers are optional. Shuffling them in adds two harder, unpredictable cards to the deck. There is no single rule for what a joker means: it is whatever you decide before you start.
In DeckReps, each joker is a wild card worth 20 reps of an exercise you pick when it comes up ("Dealer's Choice"). The two together add 40 reps, taking a standard deck from 416 to 456.
Other ways to play them:
- — Choose the exercise when the joker comes up, as DeckReps does.
- — Fix a bonus exercise in advance, such as 20 burpees, so the jokers become the hardest cards in the deck.
- — Make them a timed effort instead of reps, such as a plank hold or a minute of jumping jacks.
- — Leave them out. 52 cards is already a full workout.
Choosing Your Exercises
The classic military assignment is push-ups for spades, squats for hearts, sit-ups for diamonds, and burpees for clubs. But there are no rules — any bodyweight movement works.
A good starting rule of thumb: assign a pushing exercise to one suit, a pulling or leg exercise to another, a core movement to the third, and a cardio or full-body move to the fourth. This creates a balanced session that hits every major muscle group.
- — Push pattern: push-ups, pike push-ups, dips
- — Pull / legs: squats, lunges, pull-ups
- — Core: sit-ups, crunches, plank hold (seconds)
- — Cardio / full-body: burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers
How Long Does It Take?
A full 52-card deck with the usual settings — Aces at 14, face cards at their rank — comes to exactly 416 reps, 104 per exercise. At a moderate pace with short rests between cards, most people finish in 15–30 minutes: across the 14 full decks completed in DeckReps between 11 and 20 September 2026, the median was 26 minutes.
If you're a beginner, don't feel obligated to finish the whole deck in one session. Most people who stop early do it within the first 13 cards, so it is worth starting with half a deck — 26 cards — or setting a time limit and stopping when you hit it.
Step-by-Step: Your First Session
- — Assign an exercise to each suit — write them down or use DeckReps to set them up
- — Decide your Ace value and whether face cards count as 10 or their rank (J=11, Q=12, K=13)
- — Shuffle the deck thoroughly
- — Flip the top card, perform the reps, then set it aside
- — Rest as needed between cards — there's no fixed rest period
- — Continue until the deck is finished or you hit your time limit
- — Record your total reps — try to beat it next time
Tips for Beginners
Start with easier exercise variations (knee push-ups instead of full push-ups, for example) and set your Ace value low — around 10. Use face cards = 10 to keep rep counts manageable.
As you get fitter, increase the Ace value, switch to harder exercise variations, or add jokers (wild cards worth 20 reps each) for an extra challenge.
More guides
The Benefits of a Deck of Cards Workout
Why the deck of cards workout works — variety, mental engagement, zero equipment, and scalability.
Best Exercises for a Deck of Cards Workout
The best exercises to assign to each suit for a balanced, effective 52-card workout — from beginner-friendly moves to advanced variations.
Deck of Cards Workout for Weight Loss
How to use a deck of cards workout as part of fat loss — which exercises, settings and frequency to use, and what the workout can and cannot do.
Deck of Cards Workout Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Nine ways a deck of cards workout goes wrong, from starting at the hardest settings to picking exercises you cannot do 13 times, and the fix for each.
Try a ready-made workout
Military Workout
The classic military deck-of-cards circuit. Forged in the field — push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and the dreaded burpee.
CrossFit Workout
High-intensity functional fitness with Thrusters, Pull-ups, Box Jumps, and Double-unders. A true deck WOD.
Beginner Workout
Accessible and confidence-building. Modified movements with Knee Push-ups, Squats, Crunches, and Jumping Jacks.
Cardio Blast Workout
Pure heart-rate work. Jumping Jacks, High Knees, Burpees, and Mountain Climbers will leave you breathless.
Upper Body Workout
A focused upper-body push/pull session using Push-ups, Pull-ups, Dips, and Pike Push-ups.
Deck of Cards Push-up Challenge
Every card is push-ups. A full 52-card deck is 416 push-ups with Aces at 14 and face cards at their rank.