Deck of Doom!

AT SEA

05.28.2021

Story by Seaman Apprentice Mo Bourdi 

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)   

The sound of shuffling cards causes a half-dozen Sailors to tense in one of the ship’s sponsons. They wait anxiously for the dealer to draw from a deck of playing cards. She pulls an ace of hearts. There is a quiet tension. The Sailors know that this card signifies a minute-long plank—the first of 52 exercises they will do in their 30-minute workout.
The dealer is Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Nancy Dutcher, a command fitness leader (CFL) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), who is teaching a fitness class in the sea-side gym. While deployed on a carrier, she like many other Sailors, constantly seek new ways to break up their time and keep fit. CFLs lead the charge in this effort, often using unique workout programs to keep the crew fighting ready.
Dutcher runs “Deck of Doom” five days a week, a class where she draws cards from a deck. Each card represents a different exercise and rep range which keeps her class fresh and challenging.
“Your workout can range from calisthenics, cardio or even weight lifting,” she said. “Some days we will focus on core and some days on upper body. It just depends on what day it is.”
There are a number of obstacles that prevent Sailors from staying physically fit, such as wait times for the gyms due to limited capacity, a demanding underway schedule, and the challenges of executing the mission. This is why many CFLs are finding different times of the day to lead their workouts.
“One of the challenges while working out underway is a busy schedule, whether it’s my own or the command’s,” she said. “The mission comes first so I try to be accommodating to both parties by having a schedule that allows us to work out during chow time. A little goes a long way. If I have to go workout for a short amount of time, 30 minutes is better than nothing.”
Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Brittany Murray attends Dutcher’s ‘Deck of Doom’ class regularly. She said having a full workout in 30 minutes is a huge benefit for her, since she works 12 hours per day.
“It’s usually a pretty good turnout,” said Murray. “It’s very motivating being surrounded by other Sailors and hearing everyone participating really keeps me pushing. I’m usually drenched by the end.”
Deck of Doom is not the only class that CFLs are using to promote fitness on IKE. There is also Tabata, Boxing 101, Zumba and Core Crush among others. For Sailors who truly want to be fit, Dutcher relies on one of her favorite sayings: “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” For some, that means getting up early or staying up late to work out. Regardless, Dutcher emphasizes the importance of starting with a good diet, creating good habits, and finding a workout that you enjoy.
“There are some phenomenal Sailors onboard who are all amazing in different ways,” she said. “You’ve got some who do CrossFit, some who just love to run and can do that for forever, others who just lift weights, and then everything in between. I love watching competitions, so I think once someone finds an area they love and stick with it, that’s what works for them and makes them happy.”

• Date Taken: 05.28.2021
• Date Posted: 05.28.2021 09:28
• Story ID: 397696
• Location: AT SEA