• morgantate
  • Posts
  • the fitness routine of a super bowl champion that costs $4.99

the fitness routine of a super bowl champion that costs $4.99

How a Stoic mindset shaped this Super Bowl champion's career, the power of returning to your roots, and a special workout you can do for under $5.

Author

Morgan Tate
May 23, 2025

Two Super Bowl rings. Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Owner of a solar energy company.

The man I’m describing is Ray Lewis.

This week, I found myself at a finance conference watching highlight reels of Ray Lewis obliterating full grown men on the football field. Not your typical finance conference content—but I loved it.

But what happened next was even more remarkable.

Not only is Ray Lewis an incredible speaker (as you might expect), but he perfectly embodies the Stoic spirit of Founder Fitness—and it all started with a deck of cards.

Growing up in challenging circumstances, young Ray threw down a deck of cards in frustration. As they scattered across the floor, a six of diamonds caught his eye. In that moment, he made a simple decision: six push-ups.

This sparked an idea. Ace of spades meant 25 squats. King of hearts called for 10 sit-ups. He continued until exhaustion, pushing through the pain until he found relief in that final deep breath after his last rep.

What began as a spontaneous exercise has remained his daily ritual for 40 years. Even now, at 50, Ray starts each day with his "card workout"—a practice he calls "resetting to where it all started."

For Ray, this daily ritual transcends physical fitness. It's his anchor to humility and perspective. Despite being a multi-millionaire with a wall of trophies, he stays grounded. Each morning, as he pushes through that final set of exercises, gasping for air, he's reminded of a fundamental truth:

When you have nothing, the simple relief of taking a deep breath after pushing through is enough. When your baseline for satisfaction is breathing fresh air, you no longer need cars, money, or ego to fulfill you.

Fitness is the ultimate equalizer—even the fittest athletes get humbled by a challenging workout.

But this mindset extends beyond sports and fitness. In business, we chase metrics, growth, and status. Yet true fulfillment—and often our best work—emerges when we stay connected to our foundational purpose.

Whether you're building a company or building yourself, sometimes the most powerful move is returning to your roots.

idea of the week

  • problem: Group decision-making for social activities is painfully inefficient. Friends waste time in endless discussions trying to decide where to eat or what to do, with no one wanting to make the final call.

  • idea: "Executive Decision" - A mobile app that collects everyone's preferences for activities (type of food, activity, etc.), processes the group's constraints and desires, and makes an authoritative final decision. The app takes the social pressure off any individual for making the choice.

  • how it makes money: Make the app free. Revenue comes from sponsored recommendations from local businesses and commission from bookings.

  • why it might fail: Users might resist letting an app make final decisions. Restaurant and venue partnerships could be difficult to establish in smaller markets.

workout of the week

In the theme of Ray Lewis, this week we're doing just one workout: The Card Challenge.

Here's how it works:

  • Grab a deck of cards

  • Assign exercises to each suit:

    • ♦️ Diamonds = Push-ups

    • ♠️ Spades = Squats

    • ♥️ Hearts = Burpees

    • ♣️ Clubs = Sit-ups

  • Number cards = face value reps

  • Face cards = 10 reps

  • Aces = 15 reps

  • Jokers = 1-minute plank

Complete the entire deck. Rest as needed, but keep track of your time. For an extra challenge, go through the deck twice.

Remember Ray's wisdom: visualize how good you’ll feel at the end of the workout by pushing through. That's your reward.

tweet of the week

great advice that wealth ≠ possessions

my plugs