Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100’ Has Athletes Compete in Grueling Challenges

Netflix aired its first episode of Physical: 100 on January 24, 2023, and it is a binge-worthy adventure.  A total of 100 athletes entered the competition; only one is left victorious.

The Korean show, which pins athletes in their prime against each other, takes heavy inspiration from the Netflix hit Squid Games. However, while Squid Games is a fictional, scripted story, where losers die, Physical: 100 is a non-scripted, reality TV show, where losers must only smash their own plaster torso.  The show starts with various athletes of different genders, builds, and sports entering the competition, and through a series of challenges or “quests,” they are eliminated until one stands.

Overall, the series encompasses a vast amount of entertainment in one.  The show has been edited to keep you on the edge of your seat.  Suspense builds throughout the episode and often leaves you wanting more.  However, certain scenes may be drawn out too much, which may be a turn off for some viewers.

Despite this, the show remains highly entertaining.  The physical feets some of these athletes manage to pull off are impressive to say the least.  The immense strength, stamina, and mentality the athletes have is highly evident.  It is impossible to not respect their efforts.

To top it all off, the show has been dubbed from Korean into English.  The voice actors and dialogue bring a much needed sense of humor into the show.

The following may contain spoilers:

Athletes of the show consisted of baseball players, ice climbers, dancers, weightlifters, crossfitters, MMA fighters, and many more.  All of these athletes had different strengths and weaknesses making for some very interesting matchups.  Below are some of the most iconic moments from the series:

One of the greatest feats of athleticism took place during the “The Punishment of Atlas” when Jo Jin-hyeong held a large rock over his head for over two hours.  Not only was this rock awkward to hold, but it was also very heavy.  Just how heavy was it?  I’ll leave that for you to find out!

One of the greatest competitions of the show occurred during “The Punishment of Sisyphus.” While the physical feat may not have been as impressive as the one above, it certainly still took an immense amount of effort.  Watching this was intense, as the competitor’s bodies collapsed one after another, until one remained.

Other intense challenges included the sand challenge, hanging challenge, and the keep-away challenge.  These are just a few of the grueling games participants competed in.  Overall, Physical:100 is a Netflix original that is both intense and comedical, making this show an entertaining one to watch.