Written by: Coach Bobby Hernandez
My first CrossFit workout was in 2008, my brother had just joined the Marines at the time and he started a new workout routine to get in shape. One day he came to me and said, “Let’s go workout at the park.” We got to the park and he pulled out a deck of cards. He proceeded to layout some rules for the workout ahead of us: (1) each of the four suits would represent a specific movement, (2) the number on the card equals the reps you have to complete; with jacks, queens, kings, and aces equaling 11, 12, 13, and 15 respectively, and (3) there were four jokers in the deck and each one meant a 400m run. We flipped one card at a time until all 56 cards were completed. After about an hour of what I could only describe as controlled punishment, we had successfully finished the workout and I collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air, staring at the blue sky above. I was hooked. I asked him what that was and he said, “CrossFit”. I would later learn that this workout was aptly named “Death by Deck of Cards”.
Fast forward to 16 years later and now I know that what I did that day was no easy feat: four movements each performed for 105 repetitions (420 total reps) and a run totaling 1 mile. Little did I know that that one workout would send me on a mission to understand what I had just gone through. Why did it hurt so bad but felt so good? How can I do it faster? What if I changed one, two or all of the movements? What if the ace was valued as one rep as opposed to fifteen? These questions and that simple deck of cards set the foundation for my passion of programming for fitness.
What I now know that I didn’t know back in 2008 is that each of my questions would turn into even more questions and form into a constant endeavor to accomplish specific goals through efficient programming. Throughout the years I have been fortunate enough to have programmed for group CrossFit classes, one-on-one clients, and CrossFit team competitions – including the Double Down Throwdown on June 8, 2024. Each program being an extension of the seed that the Death By Deck of Cards planted.
Anyone can create a sense of fitness by performing a random assortment of movements until you have dripped enough sweat to change the color of your shirt, but the only purpose behind this method is to breathe heavy and sweat. In order for a workout to have a higher purpose and cause a specific adaptation you must scrutinize the movements you pick, the order they are performed, the duration, the reps, the intensity, and even the amount of rest involved. Each of these variables, when chosen correctly, can foster the potential for improved fitness; this is always the goal. In other words, each variable is as important as the next and shouldn’t be taken for random selection with the only goal being sweat-drenched clothes.
The Double Down Throwdown workouts were designed using a deck of cards to create a sweat-filled day of fitness. I’m kidding, just making sure you’re still with me. I designed the workouts while considering both the athlete and the spectator. Not a single rep or movement was by random selection (even the order of the workouts are deliberate). The workouts are an accumulation of specifically chosen variables to test the teams fitness level against others. As an athlete you will be challenged, but you will undoubtedly leave the competition floor with a sense of achievement. As a spectator you will watch in amazement as athletes compete on teams of two to the best of their ability.
We have released one workout (workout 2) and you can find that on the Tribe Athletics Official Instagram page, through our website or at the Competition Corner Event page linked below. I won’t give too much away regarding the workouts, only that talent will take you far but a solid strategy will take you further. We will release workout 3 in the coming weeks and we have a hidden surprise for workout 1. Make sure you follow us on Instagram, and check our website often to stay up to date with the Double Down Throwdown.
Sign up today, here, for the early bird price of $160 per team which ends March 31, after this date the price will increase to $220.