Partner Chipper Workout: The List of Ten
A chipper-style workout: a list of ten exercises with decreasing reps that partners complete in order, splitting the reps however they like. Nobody moves on until the current exercise is done. It builds endurance, strength and effort planning.
How to play
- Post the list on a poster: 100 jump rope skips, 60 squats, 50 mountain climbers, 40 medicine ball chest passes, 30 lunges, 30 curl-ups, 20 push-ups, 20 cone hops, 10 burpees and one 200 m lap together (3 min).
- Each pair takes 1 minute to plan how to split the reps: each partner must do at least a third of every exercise.
- On the signal, the 15-minute time cap begins. Only one partner works at a time, except for the medicine ball passes and the final lap, which are done together.
- Both partners count out loud and check off each finished exercise on their card before moving on.
- When they finish the list, the pair records their time; if the 15 minutes run out, they record how far they got.
- Debrief: Did your plan work? What would you change next time? (3 min).
Rules
- The order of the list never changes.
- Medicine ball passes are chest passes from 10 feet apart, never overhead throws.
- Each pair jumps rope in its own space, away from other pairs.
- Form rules: a sloppy rep gets redone.
Variations
Easier
Cut the list to six exercises and halve the reps.
Standard
Ten exercises with decreasing reps and a 15-minute cap.
Harder
Require each partner to do exactly half of every exercise and lower the cap to 12 minutes.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: adapt the list to seated upper-body exercises and use an accessible route for the lap.
- Students with autism: give the list with boxes to check off and a visible countdown clock.
- Low fitness level: choose easier versions (bench push-ups, box squats) without changing the reps.
Learning goals
- Plan how to distribute effort in a long workout.
- Maintain technique in ten exercises under fatigue.
- Work with a partner to finish a shared challenge.
Equipment for a class of 25
- yoga mats: 25
- jump ropes: 13
- medicine balls: 13
- cones: 13
Teacher tip
Many pairs start too fast and stall on the burpees: encourage a sustainable pace from the start. Place the equipment for each exercise close by so no time is wasted searching.
PatioLab has "Partner Chipper Workout: The List of Ten" and 2499 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for High School
1-2-3-2-1 Running Pyramid Intervals
An interval workout where the fast segments build from 1 to 3 minutes and back down, with half that time as jogging recovery.
1-on-1 Self-Pass Volleyball
One-on-one games on narrow 10 x 20 foot courts where each player must self-pass before sending the ball over.
10-20-30 interval running in pairs
The 10-20-30 method strings together 30 seconds of easy jogging, 20 at a moderate pace and 10 at top speed, in five-minute blocks.
1v1 Ball Volley Matches
1v1 ball volley: singles games on a small court with a low net, hitting the ball over the net and allowing one bounce.
2-on-1 Fast Break with a Chasing Defender
Two attackers push a fast break against a defender waiting at the basket while a second defender chases from behind with a few yards' head start against them.
2-on-1 Through Three Defensive Zones
Pairs of attackers cross the court through three zones, each with a defender who cannot leave it, and finish with a shot on goal.