Isometric Dice

The Isometric Dice workout uses two dice — one labeled with static core holds like planks and boats, the other with seconds — and you simply roll, hold, and repeat for thirty minutes. Isometric exercises are static holds where you do not move, which makes this perfect for travel, for resting a sore wrist or other nagging joint, and for building serious core strength with nothing but two cheap blank dice and your imagination. In this Physical Friday I walk through exactly how I set mine up.

Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the isometric dice workout?

You take two dice — one blank die labeled with isometric core exercises and one with times — and roll them together. One die might say plank and the other 60, so you plank for a minute. Then maybe a ten-second boat, then a thirty-second leg lift hold. You keep rolling and holding for thirty minutes, and you get a great workout from a very simple tool: two dice and your imagination.

What are isometric exercises?

Isometric exercises are static movements where you do not move — you just hold a position. A plank is the perfect example. They build strength without joint movement, which makes them ideal when something like a wrist is giving you trouble and needs rest while you train everything else.

What exercises go on the dice?

I wrote core-focused holds on mine: a plank, leg lift holds where you raise your legs six inches off the ground and hold, a boat — the yoga pose where you sit on your butt in a hollow position — side planks left and right, and a bridge. You can come up with any isometric exercises you like; those were my ideas, and the blank die means the menu is yours.

What times go on the second die?

I started with ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty seconds on a standard six-sided count. I am planning to mess with it — maybe twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred, one hundred twenty — to extend the holds as I get stronger. Changing the time die is the easiest way to scale the workout up or down.

Where do you buy blank dice?

Amazon or a craft store like Hobby Lobby, and they are very cheap — well under a dollar each. Grab a handful so you can make different dice for different workout themes.

Is the dice workout good for travel?

It is fantastic on the road. You have thirty minutes in a hotel room, no equipment, and you want to try something different — the dice give you a randomized workout that never feels stale. It is also a great option when a joint needs rest, because you can build a die entirely from movements that leave the sore area alone.

Why I Built the Core Dice

We have talked about the dice game on the show before — people have been doing dice workouts for a long time, but it is new to me, and I keep coming up with new routines. This time my wrist was giving me trouble, so I wanted to rest it and still train something hard. The answer was a die full of isometric core holds. Press play in the player above for the full walkthrough.

How to Do the Isometric Dice Workout

Here is the exact setup from the episode.

1. Get two dice. Buy cheap blank dice on Amazon or at Hobby Lobby — they should cost well under a dollar each.
2. Label the exercise die. Write six isometric core holds: plank, leg lift hold, boat, side plank left, side plank right, and bridge — or your own ideas.
3. Label the time die. Write ten through sixty seconds to start; scale to twenty through one hundred twenty as you get stronger.
4. Roll and hold. Roll both dice and perform the exercise for the time shown — a sixty-second plank, a ten-second boat, a thirty-second leg lift hold.
5. Repeat for thirty minutes. Keep rolling through the isometric core dice game for half an hour for a serious core workout.

I walk through each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.

Final Thoughts From Me

Isometric core with the dice was pretty effective — I really liked it and I am going to keep playing with the times and the movements. You can definitely get very strong and seriously increase your core strength this way, with nothing but two dice.

If you are messing around with the dice game like I am and you have your own ideas, send them to me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com — I will give them a try myself. And if you could leave a rating and review on iTunes, it would go a long way to helping other people find the show. Press play in the player above.

People & Topics Mentioned

isometric exercises · dice workout · plank · side plank · boat pose · bridge · leg lift holds · core strength · travel workouts · Physical Friday · Saltwater Experience

More Physical Friday Workouts

Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.

About Me

I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's Physical Friday series I share the workouts, nutrition, sleep, and mindset practices that keep me ready for long days on the water — practical fitness for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and anyone who wants to stay in the game for life.