This Wildly Intense Netflix Show Makes 'American Gladiators' Look Like Child's Play

When it comes to reality TV, we’ve all certainly got our plates full. I’m simultaneously staying up to date on The Bachelorette (and mentally preparing for The Golden Bachelorette —go, Joan!), getting my Real World fill with the new series The Boyfriend and attempting to stay current with my Love Is Blind: UK water cooler talk. But allow me to heap one more must-see option onto your reality plate: Physical: 100 .

Netflix

This Korean reality competition series is seriously next-level (it puts American Gladiators to shame—sorry, Storm!). The concept is simple: 100 body diverse contestants gather to compete in a series of wild physical challenges with only one winner left standing at the end of the season, taking home a prize of about $230,000.

But the contestants aren’t just any old gym rats. I’m talking Olympic gold medalists, famous fitness influencers, notable actors, military personnel, fire fighters, police officers and more. The competition is unbelievably fierce, and the challenges are seemingly next-to-impossible.

Fortunately for fans like myself, there are two seasons to binge—and I flew through both of them. Season one premiered in January of 2023, with the second season hitting Netflix in March of this year. Each season features nine intense, hour-plus-long episodes, so there is plenty of material to get through.

The show is Korean, so I watched with subtitles (which is actually helpful since it kept me from being on my phone like I am during, I dunno, every other show).

Netflix

You’d think the quote-unquote “strongest” person would emerge as the winner, but you’d be wrong. Season one contestant Jo Jin-hyeong told Netflix’s Tudum , “I got first place in the Strongman Contest in Korea, so I was kind of proud to be one of the strongest people in Korea. But now that I've been [on Physical:100 ], I realize that there's this whole spectrum of strength. It's not just the physical might that you have, but there's these different things that you have to have all together to become that perfect physique.”

Netflix

Both seasons of Physical: 100 are currently streaming on Netflix—and I highly recommend the binge.

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