What is the Hardest Workout You Ever Did?

sjaplo

The Yorkshire three peaks challenge; 24.5 miles and 3 mountains in 11 hours.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge takes in the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, usually in this order, and in under 12 hours. These peaks form part of the Pennine range, and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Of course I was 11 at the time.

kelly_e_montana

jbach2 wrote: »

In my younger days, I did the Beartooth Run in Red Lodge, Montana, USA. It's an 8 mile, 8% grade, uphill, beginning at around 9000 feet elevation. That was about as hard as the last 7 miles of a Marathon I ran.

Last night, I took a break from lifting heavy and did a lower body workout consisting of 20 reps with weight I could barely do on the 20th rep for squats, leg presses, extensions, hamstring curls, and calf raises. At about rep 20, my heart rate was definitely up (reminded me of a HIIT session). I did about 4 sets on all of these, and on each I almost wanted to hurl on the 20th rep.

What was a memorably tough workout you had?

I have a pal on MFP who did the Beartooth run this summer and he lives in the area and it still sounded quite difficult. I live in Montana and it is going to be on my bucket list.

I did the 20 back squat program and almost passed out every time. Start at 60% of your 1 rep max and do 20 unbroken squats. Each session I added 5 pounds. Did it 2x per week for 6 weeks. Racing heart, nearly lost consciousness.

I recently did a Crossfit Hero WOD called the Seven that I found super-challenging: 7 rounds for time of: 7 Handstand Push Ups, 7 Thrusters, 135(men) /95 lbs (women), 7 Knees To Elbows, 7 Deadlifts, 245/175 (women) lbs 7 Burpees, 7 Kettlebell Swings, 2/1.5 pood, & 7 Pull-ups. Took me like 35 minutes and around round 4, I started to hate myself and life in general. Around middle of round 5, I could start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

habit365

The first time I went cross country skiing. I thought it would be fun, like downhill skiing is. No. Very much no. I have never been so hot (from the exertion) and cold (from the weather) at the same time. Since I was with a group of people I had to stick it out for four miserable hours.

Another memorable one was the time I went on a 10 mile hike in the summer with no water. It was an impromptu "hey let's walk to that mountain over there". It really didn't *seem* like it was 5 miles away when we started. So.very.thirsty.

kelly_e_montana

habit365 wrote: »

The first time I went cross country skiing. I thought it would be fun, like downhill skiing is. No. Very much no. I have never been so hot (from the exertion) and cold (from the weather) at the same time. Since I was with a group of people I had to stick it out for four miserable hours.

Good one! I remember the first time I tried it. I went somewhere 100 miles from my house, stopped at my parents' house on the drive home, laid done prone on the floor and passed out like that. Totally takes it out of you!

trungalung

Squat day - back squat then follow by split squat (finish with some leg and ab work outs). My HIIT session is nothing compare to this as my heart wants to explode with every rep. I always get DOMS on the next day.

Sinistrous

Pull-ups. I still cannot. I can dangle, though

89nunu

I went hiking the south west coast path around Cornwall this year. 2 weeks carrying 15kg, sleeping in a rubbish tent in far too cold weather and hiking around 150 floors up and down every day.

Stunning views in between and we went slowly with lots of breaks (it was a holiday) but boy there were some really hard bits in there and the pain in the mornings

Binky_Muffin

I love x-country skiing!!! It's very difficult, but you feel so nice after. The best way to end a day of x-country skiing with with a big, hot meal and a beer or two.

For me, I think the most difficult workout would be the first time I completed a triathlon. OMG! It was intense. My lungs were burning the entire time. I felt like I could never recover properly.

MKEgal

Labor / delivery.
It has all of what y'all are describing - pain, sweat, buckling legs, hitting the wall, marathon time expending energy, passing out.

EmilyJackCO

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I did the Memorial stair climb at Red Rocks. It consisted of the mile and a half hike in from the car and 9 laps around the entire stadium to simulate the 110 stories of the WTC.

You didn't *have* to finish it, but as soon as I saw the firefighters in full gear with tanks, and kids ON TOP of their tanks - I was going to finish it. And I did, and collapsed back in the car for an hour before I could push the clutch in.

I spent the next day in bed, as I couldn't make it down the stairs, and couldn't wear heels for 2 weeks. Believe it or not, going down the stairs was the worst by the end. And yeah, I did train for this for 2 months before hand. >.<

TanyaLafley

I'm doing a boot camp workout right now. Hands down the hardest thing I have ever done.

tsikkz

MKEgal wrote: »

Labor / delivery.
It has all of what y'all are describing - pain, sweat, buckling legs, hitting the wall, marathon time expending energy, passing out.

Please wear a HRM for your next spawn delivery I want to know how many calories this burns!

dbmata

MKEgal wrote: »

Labor / delivery.
It has all of what y'all are describing - pain, sweat, buckling legs, hitting the wall, marathon time expending energy, passing out.

Well, if we're talking about self imposed pain/ med pain.

I walked two miles with testicular torsion caused by trauma. I can haz cookie now.

CipherZero

Walking 100 yards after open heart surgery.

Kalikel

Giving birth, for sure.

Swimming a mile without having worked up to it, really. I lifted myself out of the pool, but needed help getting to standing...then I ate a lot and slept. It was dumb, but I was a young teen.

Running. And I've just started.

Velum_cado

It's hard to say... A lot of workouts are really hard, but get easier as you do them more. I think pole has been the most challenging for me. I'm not gargling my heart or anything like that, but it's really bloody painful (I'm talking bruises, broken skin, and blisters painful) and you can struggle for a long, long time with moves before you get them, which can be really demoralising.

rainbowbow

Did a leg workout with a trainer who was sadistic.

Leg press
Squats
Half-squats
Calf raises
Farmers walks
Deadlifts
Leg curls
Hamstring curls

All with heavy weight (5 reps max for 3 sets) and ZERO rest in between. In between each set he would have me do 30 high knees, jump down and do 50 bicycle crunches, roll over and do a plank for 1 minute then get up and do another set.

That is 1,200 bicycle crunches incase anyone didn't want to do the math.

I threw up twice (once on myself driving home) after that workout and laid in bed sick all night. Honestly opened my eyes to the dangers of overtraining and using common sense. I should have said no or stopped but I didnt. Quite frankly I'm lucky I didn't get rhabdomyolysis.

singingflutelady

sounds like a not very smart trainer to me. Why 1200 bicycle crunches?!?!? There are so many more effective exercises. Also seriously that is a dumb workout. You could go heavier and be way more effective if you actually rested between sets. That's definitely way over training and I am an overtrainer so that says a lot

rainbowbow

singingflutelady wrote: »

sounds like a not very smart trainer to me. Why 1200 bicycle crunches?!?!? There are so many more effective exercises. Also seriously that is a dumb workout. You could go heavier and be way more effective if you actually rested between sets. That's definitely way over training and I am an overtrainer so that says a lot

He pretty much knocked my "plan" that I'd been doing alone for 6 months because it's a "generic body building plan" and I "wouldn't get to lower body fat percentages" unless my plan was "higher intensity" focusing on a consistently "elevated heart rate".

I was prepping for a bikini show and was 17%BF. I don't think the bicycles were anything special other than making me consistently in the 180's on my HRM.

carolyn000000

I take a Spartan training class- At least once a month I come home and say it was the hardest class ever. So far I have only done the Spartan Sprint but am looking to the Super and the Beast to complete the Trifecta.