Goal: To be the first person to shout the name of the exercise on the card

Instructions: Each player is dealt one card face down. When the dealer yells go, the players flip the card and shout the exercise on the card. The last person to shout the exercise on the card does the exercise.

Video instructions from the creator of Strength Stack 52 (with surprise marriage proposal)

Goal: To slap, or have your teammate slap, the card designated by the judge first

Instruction: At a table, the judge is to place, face up, one card for each player, then cover the cards with an object so no one can see the cards. Each player is to line up in front of a card at the table. Each player must be in a position to see all the cards once the object is lifted, therefore it is best if the judge puts the cards in a circle or square formation. The judge is to then lift the object covering the cards and the first person to slap the card as instructed by the judge wins. For example, if the judge said “slap the highest card” , then the first player to slap the highest card does only that exercise. The rest of the participants do the exercises on the rest of the cards at the table.

Increase the fun by making teams!

Wild card: Not used or see variations below.

Variations: Their are numerous variations the judge can say, for example: “slap the highest card” , “slap the blue card” , “first person to slap cards that total 27″, “first person to slap all the leg exercises”, etc.

Goal: To be the first person to get rid of all your cards

Instructions: Deal 7 cards to each player. The players are not to look at their cards in advance. In the center of all the players, deal 8 cards from the remaining deck in two rows of 4 (as shown in Figure 1). To get rid of your cards, the players must immediately cover all duplicates, using the last number in the value number. You must act fast so your opponent doesn’t cover the duplicate before you. If you see a duplicate, throw 2 of your cards immediately (the first card being the duplicate and a new card from your pile directly on top of the previous card). Say the numbers out loud as you throw them in the center. When you need more cards, grab them from the remaining cards in the deck (you should never have more than 7 in your hand). If you get rid of all your cards first, you win. The winner takes the 8 piles of cards and deals them out to each player, including himself/herself. Players then perform the exercises on those cards.

Wild card: Can be substituted for any number

Figure 1

Goal: First player to get rid of all his/her cards wins.

Instruction: Deal cards evenly among players face down. The players are not to look at their cards in advance. Place one card face up in the center of all the players, this area is called the Fast Lane. The last number on the card is the number everyone will play. If the card is a single digit card, then play that number.

To start, the person to the left of the dealer will yell go, players then view their own cards and can now place a card on top of the card in the fast lane that either is one number higher or one number lower than the top card. You must be the first player to place the new card on the card in the fast lane. Play continues quickly as the new top card in the fast lane must be topped by a 1 number higher or lower. Players must say the number they are throwing down. For example if the card in the fast lane is a 17, then the number to play is a 7. Players can throw a 6 or an 8 on top of that card. The player must yell 6 or 8 as they throw their card on top.

First player to get rid of all his/her cards wins. The losing players must do the exercises on the cards they are left holding.

Wild card: A wild card can be used for any number. The player who throws the wild card must state a number. Use strategy here as the player should yell a number that they know they can immediately throw another card on top of that. If someone is left holding a wild card, all exercises remaining in that players hands must be completed twice.

Variations: Put two cards or more cards in the fast lane for a very crazy game!

Goal: To have a better poker hand than the other players.

Instruction: Use the regular rules of 5 card draw poker but follow the below guidelines for a winning hand. The winning hands are displayed from top down, meaning the first entry on the below table will beat all other hands. The loser of each hand has to do the exercises for the cards they hold.

Wild card: Play the card of your choice

Variations: limited only by your imagination. A common variation is to perform exercises of three hands all at once when a player loses three hands. Or, after each loss, the winning player selects 3 of the 5 cards for the other person to perform.

Goal: The player who has the most cards at the end of the day loses, the player with the least wins.

Instruction: This game works best when each player has their own deck. If each player doesn’t have their own deck, divide the deck equally among all players. This game is played throughout a 24 hour period. It is best played with co-workers who see each other many times in one day.

Once the deck is divided equally, each player comes to an agreement as to how often they can “drop” an opponent. Create a verbal or body action that can cause a player to be dropped. An example of a verbal cue would be every time one of the players says the name of a Microsoft product like Excel or Word, or says a word that starts with the letter L. An example of a body cue would be every time a player scratches their head.

When a verbal or body cue is triggered, a player can drop the player who triggered the cue by throwing a random card down. The person dropped must do the exercise on that card. The player doing the dropping must have the cards on their person in order to do the drop. The drop must occur within 5 seconds. In other words a player cannot trigger a cue to be dropped and then be reminded of it a minute later then get dropped. Once a player is dropped, they keep the cards that dropped them. If 3 or more people are playing, the first person to throw the cards down wins that drop. For example if a player triggers the verbal cue by saying the word “lunch” and 2 other players are standing nearby and notice, the first player to throw the card down wins that round.

The player who has the most cards at the end of the day loses, the player with the least wins.

Wild card: If a wild card is drawn, two more cards can be thrown and the person who triggers the drop has to perform both exercises.

Goal: The first player to have no cards wins.

Instruction:

Deal 4 cards to each player face down. These are known as the ice cards. Put the remainder of the deck in the center face down (this is known as the squirrel pile). Flip the top card from the deck face up. The player to the left of the dealer goes first. That player must put a card on top of the face up card in the center that is a larger value number than the one shown in the center. If that person does not have a larger number, s/he must perform the exercise on the top, at that moment, and pick up the entire pile and add it to his/her hand. When a player is able to get rid of his/her cards, s/he wins.

Wild card: Can be used to cold slap your opponent, in other words, it can be used to replace any high card your opponent throws. If a wild card is thrown, your opponent has another chance to throw a card that has a higher value number than what is face up in the squirrel pile

Variations: There are many variations to this game; the most common is to designate a card (or cards) that automatically makes the person to your left pick up all the cards.

Goal: To deal the highest card.

Instruction: Deal entire deck evenly among all players. Each player throws their top card in the center of all players. The player who threw the highest card wins, all losing players must perform the exercises on the cards that were thrown.

Wild card: Trumps all cards

Goal: Be the first player without any cards, or the player with the least amount of cards at the end of the game.

Instruction: Deal 10 cards to each player. Leave remaining cards in a side pile face down. From the side pile, deal one card face up, this is called the Peppercorn card. As soon as the Peppercorn is dealt, all players may begin playing at the same time. The players objective is to, as quickly as possible, throw a card on the top of the pile that surrounds the value number by 1 number. For example, if the Peppercorn is a 16, the person with a 15 or 17 may throw their card on top of the 16. In addition to numbers, a player may throw a card of the same suit. If you don’t hold any cards that surrounds the value number or has the same suit, you must draw from the side pile. The new top card is the one being played. Every time you throw a card in the center of the pile (which is 1 point), state your score. The goal is to be the player with the most points. All losing players must pool their cards together and perform all the exercises. The winning player must perform the exercises for the cards s/he holds.

Wild card: The person with the wildcard (3 points) may throw it on the pile at any time and call the value number of their choice.

Goal: To be the first person to complete the circuit (or, if your playing solo, to beat previous best time)

Instructions: Divide the shuffled deck in stacks of three and place each stack about 100 feet apart from each other in a triangle shape. Once the three stacks are placed on the ground (or table) you should see the stacks in the shape of a triangle. Make one triangle for each person playing. Each player lines up at one stack on their own triangle and someone yells go and starts a timer. Each player starts by flipping a card at the stack they are standing near and complete the exercise. Once that exercise is completed, the player(s) is to run to the next stack in their triangle and complete the exercise at that stack. This process continues until the exercises at each stack is complete. The first player to finish all their exercises wins.

Wild card: Drawing the wild card means you can skip to the next station.

Variations: 4 common variations:

1) If you have more than 6 people and want to team up, create a tournament where the fastest team wins and advances to the next round.

2) Do an entire Interval Draining circuit with only one or two body types, picking out only the appropriately colored cards (i.e. yellow cards for legs and blue cards for cardio)

3) Take out all timed cards (i.e. wall sit for 60 seconds), this will even the playing field and allow players to complete only exercises with rep counts.

4) Instead of sprinting from one stack to the next, you can designate certain stacks as a “backward run” to the next stack, or even a one legged hop You’re limited only by your imagination with this variation.

Goal: To deal the highest card.

Instruction: Deal entire deck evenly among all players. Each player throws their top card in the center of all players. The player who threw the highest card wins, all losing players must perform the exercises on the cards that were thrown.

Wild card: Trumps all cards

Goal: The player who has the most cards at the end of the day loses, the player with the least wins.

Instruction: This game works best when each player has their own deck. If each player doesn’t have their own deck, divide the deck equally among all players. This game is played throughout a 24 hour period. It is best played with co-workers who see each other many times in one day.

Once the deck is divided equally, each player comes to an agreement as to how often they can “drop” an opponent. Create a verbal or body action that can cause a player to be dropped. An example of a verbal cue would be every time one of the players says the name of a Microsoft product like Excel or Word, or says a word that starts with the letter L. An example of a body cue would be every time a player scratches their head.

When a verbal or body cue is triggered, a player can drop the player who triggered the cue by throwing a random card down. The person dropped must do the exercise on that card. The player doing the dropping must have the cards on their person in order to do the drop. The drop must occur within 5 seconds. In other words a player cannot trigger a cue to be dropped and then be reminded of it a minute later then get dropped. Once a player is dropped, they keep the cards that dropped them. If 3 or more people are playing, the first person to throw the cards down wins that drop. For example if a player triggers the verbal cue by saying the word “lunch” and 2 other players are standing nearby and notice, the first player to throw the card down wins that round.

The player who has the most cards at the end of the day loses, the player with the least wins.

Wild card: If a wild card is drawn, two more cards can be thrown and the person who triggers the drop has to perform both exercises.

Goal: To be the first person to shout the name of the exercise on the card

Instructions: Each player is dealt one card face down. When the dealer yells go, the players flip the card and shout the exercise on the card. The last person to shout the exercise on the card does the exercise.

Wild card: automatic winner

Video instructions from the creator of Strength Stack 52 (with surprise marriage proposal)

Goal: To be the last player remaining with cards

Instructions: All players flip a random Strength Stack card to determine who goes first. The person who flipped the lowest number on the card goes first. Each player gets 9 randomly drawn cards. Each player is to perform a 60 second wall sit, one at a time. Once one player finishes, another player starts (while the person who just finished rests). The players alternate with 60 second wall sits until one player quits and can’t complete their 60 second wall sit. When one player quits, that player must give 3 of their cards to another player. That other player must perform the exercises, then when it is their turn, complete the wall sit. The last player remaining with cards wins.

TEAM PLAY: For a group, break up into teams. You can do small or large teams. Assign one person on each team to start the one minute wall sit. Someone starts a timer and yells “go”. For 60 seconds the player must hold a wall sit position. Once that minute is up, someone else on the team takes over for one minute until each person has a turn. If one person does NOT complete their 60 second wall sit, everyone else on that team must flip a Strength Stack card and perform the exercise. The winner is determined by the most people on the team who complete their wall sits.

Wild card: automatic winner

Variations: Limited only by your imagination. One common variation to to extend the 60 second wall sit to 90 seconds

Goal: To complete as many cards as possible. Each card is worth 1 point.

Instructions: This game is played while watching your favorite television show. First, shuffle and divide the deck among all the players. During each commercial break, the players race to perform as many cards as possible. Each card completed is worth one point. At the end of the television show, the player with the most points wins.

Wild Card: If you draw the wild card, all cards completed during that commercial break are worth 2 points. This applies to all players.

Variations – Shuffle the deck but do not divide it among the players. Everyone will do the same cards. Draw a card for each commercial. The player to perform the most repetitions during that commercial wins the card. Example: If during a television break there are 4 commercials, then the players will do 4 exercises (one for each commercial). Player One may win the first card during the first commercial, and Player Two might win the 2nd card during the 2nd commercial and so on. At the end of the television program, the player who has won the most cards wins.

Wild Card: If this is drawn, all the cards drawn during that commercial break are worth 2 points instead of 1.​

Goal: To win as many cards (battles) as possible.​

Instructions:

Shuffle the deck and agree on the number of cards (battles) that will be in the war. Beginners may want to do 4-6 cards, intermediate might choose 8-12, and advanced may choose 15+.

Download an interval timer for your smartphone. We recommend the free HIIT Interval Training Timer app for Android and the free Interval Timer on iTunes for the iPhone or iPad. Intervals will be a period of exercise followed by a period of rest. For example, 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest is a very common interval made famous by Dr. Tabata, but you may choose different variations (30:15, 40:20, 60:30, etc).

Lay the cards out and set the interval timer. For example, if you choose to do 10 cards at the Tabata Interval, you would set the work at 20 seconds, the rest at 10 seconds, and the number of rounds to 10.

​During each interval, the players attempt to perform as many repetitions for the exercise on the card as possible. At the end of the interval, the player with the most repetitions wins that card (battle). After all the intervals, the player who has won the most cards (battles) wins the war and the game.

Variations: Players of different fitness levels can compete by applying a multiple to the weaker player’s repetition count. For example, the weaker player could multiply their repetitions by 1.5x or 2x for each battle.​