Even if you hate it, everyone agrees that working out is good for you and something you should try to do whenever possible. But for a select few, a regular workout just isn’t enough. Jogging bores them to tears, rowing makes them sleepy, and lifting leaves them wanting more and more. For those people, only the most extreme, most intense exercise classes will do. Here are five of the craziest, most insane workouts to get you ripped.
Crossfit
Sure, everyone has heard of Crossfit now, but do you actually know how intense the cult-like workout class is? One of its founders says it requires “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement,” which sounds terrible, and regular classes include this list of exercises listed on Wikipedia and website: “calisthenics, Olympic-style weightlifting, powerlifting, Strongman-type events, plyometrics, body weight exercises, indoor rowing, aerobic exercise, running, and swimming.” I feel sick but also a lot stronger after just reading all of that!
SEALFIT
Have you ever wanted to workout like the Navy SEALs reportedly do? Well, me neither, but if you ever change your mind there’s SEALFIT. The program was “developed by retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine for the unique and specialized needs of professionals seeking to reach their fullest potential,” according to its website If that hasn’t turned you off yet, then know you must be ready to “work at near peak output for very long periods of time, with unknown periods of rest” and “be prepared for the known AND equally prepared for the unknown.” Sounds bad! Judging from the video above, this is not a workout for the weak of heart or body.
German Volume Training
The Telegraph describes German Volume Training as “a shock and awe workout system,” which should tell you it’s not your typical casual trip to the gym. The good news is it appears to be a shorter workout, so you won’t have to spend hours a day on it. The bad news is it “can be extremely taxing on the central nervous system” and experts don’t suggest following the program for more than six weeks in a row.
P90X Plyo
P90X is perhaps most famous for being House Speaker Paul Ryan’s preferred workout. Shape reports it includes involves demanding exercises like “jump squats, swing kicks, and squat-reach-jumps to help you increase speed and power.” With four years of battling/dealing with Trump ahead of him, we bet Ryan is sticking to his intense workout plan, which he reportedly leads other members of congress in at the House gym.
Tone House
New York Magazine recently called Tone House the “hardest workout in New York City,” and for good reason: The gym bills itself as the “first-ever extreme, athletic-based group fitness studio aimed at unleashing the inner athlete in everyone.” Sounds…fun? While reviews praise the sense of camaraderie at the gym, don’t let the friendly and supportive atmosphere fool you into thinking you’ll escape a serious workout; as New York Magazine put it, you’ll leave the class with your shirt “drenched like you just participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge.”
