‘Physical 100’: It Took Kim Min-cheol a Month to Regain Feeling in His Hands After the First Challenge

Netflix‘s Physical 100 had to give the contestants a pre-elimination challenge to up the tension and give one lucky person an advantage. Split into two groups of 50, the contestants had to hang from an overheard metal structure for as long as possible. Some bodybuilders, wrestlers, gymnasts, and UDT soldiers held on more than others. Kim Min-cheol was the final winner of the Physical 100 challenge, but it came with an after-effect.

Min-cheol beat UDT soldier Kim Kyeong-baek during the first ‘Physical 100’ challenge

Before starting the challenge, some contestants already knew they would not be successful. The over 200lbs Strongman Jo Jin-hyeong plummeted into the water like a stone, earning him second to last place. The first group had UDT soldier Kim Kyeong-baek go up against national gymnast Yang Hak-seon. Due to his training, Kim held on with precision and tenacity. But he, too, felt the effects of the challenge, “My arms were numb, but I couldn’t give up, so I decided to last as long as possible.”

Based on the timer, he hung on for over 15 minutes. The second group of Physical 100 competitors included mountain rescuer and ice climber Kim Min-cheol. In the finale minutes, he was up against firefighter Shin Dong-guk. But he, too, felt the strain of hanging on and came in second place.

He applauded Min-cheol’s “stable” posture. One contestant told Min-cheol, “I didn’t recognize your strength when you entered.” When it came down to the real winner, Min-cheol had a longer time than the UDT soldier and won the first quest advantage. While it may not be noticeable during the rest of Physical 100, Min-cheol also felt the long-term side effects of holding up his body weight for over 15 minutes.

The ‘Physical 100’ pre-elimination challenge had Min-cheol’s forearms grow twice their size

Kyeong-baek explained that he was forced to hang from structures during his UDT training. Min-cheol said the same thing, as his muscles were built from being a mountain rescuer, not in the gym. When doing his work, “we climb mountains carrying backpacks that weigh about 10 to 15kg,” he explained. He has developed years of upper body strength and balance, even more so as a national ice climber.

But the challenge still had a long-term side effects. In an interview with W Korea, Min-cheol reveals the Physical 100 challenge affected his arms. “After hanging on for a long time, I noticed that my forearms had grown several times. It was so painful and difficult. It took a month to get feeling back in his hands,” explained Min-cheol in a rough translation of the article.

The article also explains that Min-cheol’s forearms are much larger than most. His hands are also covered in large rough calluses due to his work. While doing the challenge, Min-cheol explained, “I could feel the years spent in the mountains intact.”

Each contestant used their sports to help them advance in the competitions series, “The catching skills I learned while going up and down the mountain and the problem-solving skills I learned in climbing were of great help,” said Min-cheol. He still felt a bit discouraged against the other competitors. But Min-cheol was not the only person who dealt with bodily strain after Physical 100.

UDT soldier Kim Kyeong-baek also lost feeling in his arms

On Instagram, Kyeong-baek posted photos of his one-on-one match with non-Korean baseball player Dustin Nippert. Fans were stunned when Nippert beat the UDT soldiers, leading to his elimination. In his Instagram posts, Kyeong-baek applauded his competitors but also revealed the side effects of the challenge.

“I knew my arm would come back one day. Didn’t know I would be paralyzed for 2 months,” he explained. The side effects might have also been due to the hanging challenge, as the wrestling quest occurred shortly after.

Single’s Inferno and Physical 100 contestant Cha Hyun-seung was noticeably hurt during the Tail of Ouroboros challenge. Fans saw how he clutched at his ribs as he jogged to win the challenge. But he revealed beforehand that he had a fractured rib. When Olympian Yun Sung-bin failed the Sisyphus challenge, he was at least happy that he did not suffer a significant injury.