10 Punishing Workouts You Probably Can’t Handle

Need some motivation to hit the gym after work tonight? Just be glad you're not up for one of these brutal workouts! For more incredible workouts,tune in to American Ninja Warrior, premiering May 20th on G4.

1. The 300 Workout

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Reportedly used by 300's actors to obtain their ripped abs, this routine starts and begins with sets of 25 pullups and includes deadlifts with 135 lb weights,and 24-inch box jumps. Thankfully milder versions of the workout exist for beginners.

2. The Princenton Crew Quintathlon

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Rowing at Princenton dates back to 1872, but it was a few years ago that talk of this routine has surfaced. The impossible workout includes rowing twelve miles, then biking seventeen miles, then running ten miles, rowing another fifteen miles on a rowing machine, all topped off by sprinting up and down the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps made famous by five times. This is an urban legend, right?

3. Michael Phelp's Peak Training Routine

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Olympic swimmer Michael Phelp's food intake during peak training has gotten a lot of press, but his swimming routine is just as brutal. He reportedly trains 6 hours a day, swimming between 2300 to 3000 yards a day.

4. The Crossfit Hero Workouts

Via colinmcnulty.com

All named after fallen heroes, you might become one too if you attempt one of these. The Lumberjack 20, for example, is a series of high-weight exercises with 20 reps each, all spaced out by 400 meter runs. Should we mentioned this is all timed?

5. The Death Race (AKA The Spartan Race)

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The name says it all. This grueling obstacle course varies each time but according to their site, "competitors may be asked to chop wood for 2-hours, carry a 20-lb stump around for hours, lift 10-30 lbs rocks for 5-hours; build a fire, cut a bushel of onions, crawl through mud under barbed wire, or after 20-hours of racing, memorize the names of the first 10 U.S. Presidents or a Bible verse, hike to the top of a mountain and recite them back in order." No big deal.

6. Blake Griffin's Crazy Sand Workout

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To train for his explosive jumps on the court, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin trains during two 50-minute session a day, on sand, often wearing a heavy weighted vest. Ouch.

7. Don Wildman's Circuit

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Don Wildman might be the most fit 75-year-old man we've ever seen and with reason. He's the inventor of what Esquire magazine once called "The Most Difficult Workout Ever Created," a brutal series of 32 exercises designed to be executed with little down time in between.

8. The Ironman Triathlon

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Perhaps one of the world's most famous feats of strength and endurance, the Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a marathon run (26.2 miles), back to back, without breaks, and under 17 hours. Could you do it?

9. Tom Pappas Decathlon Workout Program

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Medal-winning decathlete Tom Pappas has some crazy ways of training for his competitions, including hanging upside down, throwing bowling pins, and doing something he calls the "Oliver Drill." They might not be as punishing as the other workouts on this list but are definitely difficult to achieve.

10. Tough Mudder

Via toughmudder.com

Tough Mudder is as much an obstacle course as a team-building exercise. The event typically involves a 10-12 mile long obstacle course containing 20-30 challenges that put the contestants up against mud, fire, and high climbs that are often impossible without the help of fellow participants.