Extreme workouts can push you to your limits. They are extremely challenging but can also be a lot of fun. They are definitely not meant for everyone but there are those who like doing these types of workouts. You can use them to burn up a lot of calories, lose weight, change up your usual routine, break through a plateau, or simply as a way to push yourself to another level.
Below are some extreme workouts that will challenge and push you beyond your limits:
1. CrossFit - This workout program is geared toward police, military, martial artists, and professional athletes. However, it has caught on for many people who use the program to get into peak physical condition. If you visit their web site, they post up daily routines and videos. There may also be a CrossFit program in your area.
2. P90X - The "X" in the name stands for extreme and it can be for many people. This program is popular for its "muscle confusion" technique which prevents the plateau many people experience in either weight loss or strength gains. Many people have become fanatics with this program and for good reason - they got results. You can search YouTube for P90X results and find tons of testimonials.
3. Insanity - This program is produced by the same company that produced P90X (Beachbody), yet it is the exact opposite. Unlike P90X where you use dumbbells or elastic bands for resistance, Insanity only requires your own body weight. It is based on interval training which is great if you are more of a cardio fan.
4. Free running or Parkour - Not something I would personally do but I still consider quite extreme. You have probably seen Parkour before where people run and jump over obstacles like walls, fences, benches, or whatever happens to be in the way. It requires a lot of strength, balance, and spatial awareness. It isn't all about doing cool stunts, however, it does look amazing when watching someone who is very good at it.
5. Navy SEAL Fitness - I was able to interview former Navy SEAL, Stew Smith a few years ago. The Navy SEALs are some of the most physically fit individuals around and that is because fitness is priority during their training. If you want to challenge yourself, then this is one way to do it.
6. Power Yoga - I wouldn't have thought you could get extreme with yoga, although I must admit, yoga can get you sweating like you've ran for 5 miles. Most power yoga classes can vary quit a bit because there are no set poses to follow. It focuses more on strength and flexibility. Unlike a typical yoga class, power yoga doesn't involve as much chanting and meditation. [Source: about.com]
What are some extreme workouts you have tried?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article, so many people forget about simply workouts that just use body weight movements!
From experience I can tell you that the Us Navy Seal workout is intense and works great.
Thanks for Motivation.
Simple body weight exercises are my favorite ones to do.
I agree with IntensePhysique…body weight exercises also in many ways, is tougher than just lifting heavy.
You also utilize a lot of stabilizer muscles like in P90X, which has a lot of pull ups in the program. Not everyone can do 20 pull-ups, one time.
Along with strength, you also improve muscle endurance with said exercises. That’s why athletes like gymnasts are chiseled and can successfully go through their grueling program. A lot of their workouts are extreme body weight-related.
Totally agree. Body weight exercises can be just as challenging as lifting heavy. Most of my workouts are just body weight routines.
I’m a huge proponent of body weight workouts. As a former Navy SEAL and Navy SEAL Instructor, it was our job to stay in peak shape while out in the jungle, on the ship, in the desert, etc. I developed a deck of playing cards that mix up your body weight routine into millions of unique workouts. We now have 37 different titles from Kettlebell, to Navy SEAL, to Pull Up, to TRX. The decks are called FitDeck.
FitDeck looks awesome! Definitely going to pick up a deck since I do a lot of body weight exercises.
A very great post! I never thought Yoga was considered an extreme exercise. Thought extreme exercises are only those that are difficult to do and would make you sweat a lot. Thanks for the informative post!
The first time I tried Yoga was with P90X and it was tough for me. I think I sweated mostly from trying to hold the poses, lol.
I’d rather do snoopy’s 90x (You know that snoopy from youtube). I’ve lost faith in P90X.
Sorry to hear that, Runna. Glad you found something else you like.
Great post… always nice to have fresh ideas.
One of my favourite body weight workouts is the 800 Workout which is only 3 exercises.
A circuit of:
50 Squats
20 Push ups
10 Chin ups
done 10 times for a total of 800 reps.
Awesome, Ted! I like simple workouts although the amount of reps on this is no joke. Definitely something to work up to.
I have a friend who is very enthusiastic about Parkour and makes it as his daily exercise routine. He got strong legs and you can see muscle build ups especially in the leg area. I think this is a challenging kind of extreme workout since you’ll never know what you’re gonna bump into.
Absolutely and a workout that never gets old. It’s fun to watch but not something I would attempt, ever, lol.
Eartha,
This is something that I always tell people. If you don’t push yourself…how can you expect better results? This is also a great way to get past all of the plateaus that people get to.
Constantly changing your workout routine doesn’t hurt either.