Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
When our childhood recesses turned into gym classes and adolescent sports games, we lost the unstructured hang.
We could fit a whole quest into 20 minutes of recess as kids.
Dont you miss that?
Today the pursuit of fitness can make one feel like a hamster.
At best they can become humdrum, and at worst, embarrassing.
Isnt this why we revel inPhysical: 100?
There is no advancement in ones athletic career after participating.
As a former run-amoker, I now regularly lift weights as my sentient hamster exercise of choice.
Season twos quests continue to be imaginative, ludic, and delightfully pointless.
It strikes an impressive balance of dreaming up ridiculous challenges while also taking its competitors seriously.
There is none of the slapstick ofWipeoutor the obnoxious pyrotechnics ofAmerican Ninja Warrior.Physical: 100means business.
In continuing the idea of fitness as play,Physical: 100recruited more general fitness enthusiasts the chosen hamsters!
After reaching a certain age, retired athletes have just as many outlets as generalists do to compete.
Season two makes a meaningful step forward in the shows commitment to showcasing different types of athleticism and bodies.
Weve since learned that fitness enthusiasts are just as entertaining as professional athletes.
My irritation lies beyond the teams makeup, though.
Just one year ago,Physical: 100was a show about the all-encompassing range of our bodies.
The first season didnt always reward displays of brolic feats.
Part of its appeal was that men like Kim Min Su (a.k.a.
I must be frank here:Physical: 100has a sexism problem.
He chose a woman first to be on his team, let alone a judoka that he currently coaches.
They dont start to pick women until they have to.
So far, the answer fromPhysical: 100s producers seems to have been to say Oh, well!
These are the times when I feel pretty bummed about this season.
Thankfully, this seasons small triumphs are far more resonant than its fumbles.
These matchups dont happen outside of their own cages, gyms, and dojangs.
So despite it all, Im still inspired.
We love to be challenged and love plot twists even more.
We embrace questions like, Can the moving van guy do more pull-ups than me?
and then actually having the space to see.
Lets repurpose parks and public spaces to install quests that are open to the public.
Id rather do that than join ajust moved to L.A.!!
groupcloaked as an intramural sports league.
Oh, God … did I just make a tiny case for CrossFit?
Congratulations to Amotti, I GUESS.
