Powerhouse Hit The Deck

About a week ago, I was contacted about trying a new workout product called Powerhouse Hit The Deck. I’m always game for something new (especially in the winter months), so I said I’d try it out. On Thursday, a little package arrived in the mail. It looked like this:

It was the size of a super-sized deck of cards. Inside was a timer and a bunch of cards:

All of those cards have different exercises on the other side:

• The yellow are the “Warm-Up/Cool-Down” cards
• The blue are the “No Sweat” cards (easy)
• The green are the “I’m Glistening” cards (medium)
• The red are the “Sweating Buckets” cards (hard)

Here’s a brief rundown on how it works:

• Set the timer to a certain interval (ie, 30 seconds) and that’s how long you’ll do each exercise.
• Start with the 5 yellow cards. Take one, do the exercise as many times as you can before the timer beeps, then move on to the next card.
• Then, randomly draw any of the blue, green, or red cards. Do the exercise until the timer beeps, then quickly grab another card and repeat.
• Cool down with all the yellow cards.

Basically, it’s SIMILAR to doing a Crossfit style workout. But the idea is you never know what’s up next - it’s the luck of the draw. I thought it could be a little “beginner” for someone like me (who’s no greek god, but who’s in pretty good shape). I figured I’d do a “ladder” style workout, so I did this:

Timer set to 60 seconds (for a total of a 25 minute workout)
• 5 warm-up cards
• 3 No Sweat (easy)
• 3 I'm Glistening (medium)
• 3 Sweating Buckets (hard)
• 3 I'm Glistening (medium)
• 3 No Sweat (easy)
• 5 warm-up cards

I started doing some of the warm-up exersizes. I’m awkward:

Then, Steph and Borsch showed up, so I took my workout upstairs. It was about the same time that I had to loose the shirt. So because I ran upstairs, there are no photos of me topless, hairy, and sweaty. You’re welcome.

Here’s my verdict: It was a little more intense than I thought it was going to be. I worked hard for 60 seconds, but as soon as I was done, I had to go on to the next one. It was a good burn! A little spot deep within each ass-cheek was nice and sore for 2 days afterwards! And before I started, I thought the timer was a little unnecessary. But it was GREAT to have during the workout: I didn’t have to keep checking my watch - I could just work until the timer beeped at me.

Here’s how I see the Pros and Cons of Powerhouse Hit The Deck:

New To Working Out (“Noob”):
Pros:
• You can do it in your own home.
• You need NO equipment.
• You can start with easier cards, and work your way up as you get stronger.
Cons:
• Your form could be crap, and there’s no way to know.

Seasoned Athlete:
Pros:
• Great way to cross-train.
• Fun “change-of-pace” workout now and then.
Cons:
• Not SUPER intense, so you can’t cancel your gym membership.

My Overall Impression:
Pros:
• Small package you can EASILY take on the road and do in a hotel room.
• You need NO equipment.
• Drawing a random card gives infinite possibilities for a workout.
• It’s only $19.99!
Cons:
• More exercises than I liked for the lower body, with fewer for the upper body (I understand that’s because lower body are easier to do without weights or other equipment...)

I had some questions about the program, so I just called up Jenny, the creator of Powerhouse Hit The Deck. She said she likes to do the exercises for 30 seconds, and she’ll do the entire deck! She’ll start with card #1 and go through card #30. THEN, she’ll start over again, but this time she’ll shuffle the deck and draw cards at random. That sounds like a killer 30 minute workout! But, then again, Jenny was the model on the cards. She looks like she could handle the workout, see:

Jenny and I had a nice chat, and she’s actually hoping to meet up with us for Dome Running on Tuesday! We may have a new training buddy! So, if any of the above sounds interesting, check out Jenny’s product: Powerhouse Hit The Deck. It’s cheap, and it’s a good workout to throw into the mix! I’ll probably be doing it a few times a month.

Now, is there anyone interested in running at the Metrodome on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 6 pm? To get to Dome Running, first find the big inflatable toilet Metrodome in downtime Minneapolis. Then drive around it. Find the big parking lot up a hill next to the dome. (The entrance to the lot is at 11th Ave and 5th St.) So turn into the lot and go up a hill (the red arrow on the map). Then just find a spot in the shaded red area on this map:

Then just head to the closest gate. You’ll be in. Here’s what the MDRA site says about Dome Running:

Dome Running is each Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. each night. The cost is $1. Enter at Gate D. You can park free in the upper Dome lot. If you have questions contact Rick Recker 612 375-0805.

Got that? Gate D. Upper Dome Lot. Bring a buck to get in. See you tomorrow.