The Dice Game: A Wind-Proof Alternative to the Deck of Cards Workout

The Dice Game is a travel workout where you assign an exercise to each side of one blank die and a rep count to each side of a second die, then roll the pair for a set time and do whatever comes up. It solves the one real weakness of my beloved deck of cards workout, which is wind. Cards blow away on a Florida pool deck, dice do not. In this Physical Friday I explain exactly how I set my dice up and how to make the game yours.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dice Game workout?

The Dice Game is a no-think travel workout built from two or more blank dice. One die has an exercise written on each side, in my version burpees, push ups, sit ups, flutter kicks times ten, squats, and one side left open as a joker. A second die has rep counts on each side, mine reads five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty. You set a clock for fifteen, twenty, or thirty minutes, roll both dice, and do exactly what they say, over and over, until time runs out.

Why use dice instead of the deck of cards workout?

Wind. I have done the deck of cards workout in hotel rooms and on beaches all over the world, and it is still my favorite travel workout, but when it is really windy, which it often is in Florida and the places we go to fish, your cards blow away. Dice will not blow away in the wind, they weigh almost nothing in a bag, and they give you the same no-thinking-required structure that makes the deck of cards so effective on the road.

What do you need to set up the Dice Game?

You need two, three, or four blank dice and a marker. On Amazon you can get a pack of 60 unfinished wooden blank dice for ten or eleven dollars, and a hobby shop may sell them individually for even less. Write an exercise on each side of one die and a number on each side of another, and you have a complete portable gym that fits in any pocket of your travel bag.

What is the joker side of the die for?

I leave one side of the exercise die blank as a joker so I can use whatever I find on site. At ICAST I found a bus stop that was perfect for pull ups, so the joker became pull ups. If there is a parking garage, the joker becomes running up the parking garage, and the number on the second die does not matter. The joker keeps the game adaptable to equipment and opportunities you cannot predict before you travel.

How long should a Dice Game workout last?

You decide before you start, and that decision is the whole workout plan. Set a timer for fifteen, twenty, or thirty minutes and roll until it goes off, or commit to a fixed number of rolls, like thirty rolls of the dice. One roll might be thirty burpees, the next might be five sit ups, the next fifteen squats. The randomness keeps it interesting while the clock keeps you honest.

Can you add equipment like a kettlebell to the Dice Game?

Yes, and that is one of my favorite variations. Keep the first bodyweight die, then make a second exercise die with all dumbbell or kettlebell movements, like swings, snatches, squats, lunges, overhead presses, and walking lunges. Roll a number and both exercise dice, and you might get thirty pull ups followed by thirty swings. The game is infinitely scalable, so build the dice around whatever gear you have.

Why I Built a Workout Around Dice

I have talked about the deck of cards workout many times on this podcast and in articles, and it travels with me everywhere I go. The struggle has always been wind, because the places I fish are windy and cards scatter. My friend Max Baumgartner gave me some blank dice, and the idea I had been kicking around finally became real. It is probably not new, but I love how variable it is. I explain the whole setup in the episode, so press play in the player above.

How to Do the Dice Game Workout

Here is the exact setup I have been using on the road. Tune the exercises and numbers to your own level.

1. Get blank dice. Order a pack of blank wooden dice, a pack of 60 runs ten or eleven dollars on Amazon, or buy a few individually at a hobby shop. You only need two to four dice.
2. Make an exercise die. Write one exercise on each side. Mine reads burpees, push ups, sit ups, flutter kicks times ten, squats, and one side left open as a joker.
3. Make a number die. Write a rep count on each side. Mine reads five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, and thirty.
4. Assign the joker on site. When you arrive, pick a joker movement based on what you find, pull ups on a bus stop, a run up a parking garage, whatever the location offers.
5. Set your time or roll count. Commit to fifteen, twenty, or thirty minutes on a clock, or a fixed number of rolls, like thirty rolls.
6. Roll and go. Roll both dice and do exactly what comes up, thirty burpees, five sit ups, fifteen squats, until time or rolls run out.

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

What Happened When I Tried a 100-Sided Die?

I got so interested in this idea that I ordered a 100-sided die that looks like a golf ball, with numbers from one to one hundred all over it. Roll that thing and you might come up with 97 burpees or 40 pull ups. There are some practical problems with it that I am still working through, and a 50-sided or 25-sided die might be the smarter play. I tell the whole story in the episode, so press play in the player above.

How Do You Add Kettlebells and Dumbbells to the Game?

The bodyweight version was designed for trips where I have no idea what equipment I will find. When you do have a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells, the game gets even better. I build a second exercise die loaded with swings, snatches, squats, lunges, and overhead work, and the rolls start stacking combinations you would never program yourself. I explain how I pair the dice in the episode, so press play in the player above.

Why Does Removing Decisions Make You Train Harder?

The reason the deck of cards works, and the reason the dice work, is that you do not have to think. You are tired after a day of fishing, motivation is low, and the last thing you want to do is design a workout. The dice decide for you, and all you have to do is obey the roll. That mental trick has saved more of my travel workouts than any program ever has. I get into why in the episode, so press play in the player above.

Want the full breakdown? Press play in the player above and listen to the whole episode.

Final Thoughts From Me

Throw two dice in your bag and you have a workout anywhere you go. Between the dice and the deck of cards, you can keep training interesting for an entire week on the road, wind or no wind.

If you come up with a great exercise combination, send it to me at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com. I have a pack of 60 blank dice, and if your idea is good, I will write it on one and give it a try.

People & Topics Mentioned

deck of cards workout · blank dice · burpees · push ups · sit ups · flutter kicks · squats · kettlebell swings · dumbbell snatch · Max Baumgartner · ICAST · 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, and mindset that keep guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen strong on the water and in the field, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.