People go to pretty crazy lengths to get a rush of adrenaline. Whether it's throwing yourself out of a plane, freestyle rock climbing or extreme wall trampolining, these daredevil feats can make for some amazing workouts. We've compiled a list of actual daredevil workouts that you shouldn't -- and can't -- try at home. But, if you're able to accomplish them, they make for some pretty epic fitness.
1. Crane Workouts
Imagine doing pull-ups, lunges, push-ups and handstands hundreds of feet in the air, using a crane as your "gym." You can burn a pretty solid 600 to 800 calories just with the exercises alone, but I wonder how many more you burn sweating in sheer terror every time you look down...
2. Rock Climbing
Rock climbing makes for an excellent extreme sport, as it allows you to climb to places you'd never be able to see otherwise. Rock climbing can burn a stunning 700 calories per hour, but that's if you spend the entire hour clinging to the rock face. Anyone doing a climb over 50 or 60 meters knows just how exhausting it can be, and every muscle in your body trembles from the effort.
3. Trapeze
Fly through the air with the greatest of ease, but just hope you don't fall. Trapeze artists are known for their amazing upper body strength, particularly in their forearms. You may only burn about 400 calories per hour of flying trapeze (the kind you see in the circus), but you build strength thanks to the constant tension on your arms and shoulders.
4. MMA
If you've never been inside the cage, you'll never know just how extreme an MMA fight can be. The training workouts can be even more brutal, however, such as the one done by MMA lightweight champ Jens Pulver. Think CrossFit combined with Plyometrics and HIIT training, with some serious weight training thrown in. You'll easily 700 to 1000 calories burned in an hour.
5. Parkour
For those who don't know what Parkour is, watch the movies Brick Mansions or District 13. Run, climb, jump, repeat! It's a steady-state cardio workout with plenty of body-weight exercise thrown in, and you can easily burn 300 to 400 calories in half an hour. Definitely a daredevil workout that will make you feel like a superhero.
6. Whitewater Kayaking
Most people think of rowing as being a graceful, stately activity, but take your kayak and hit some whitewater rapids for some adrenaline-pumping exercise! You can burn 500 calories in an hour of hardcore kayaking, and you'll find that it's a rush like few other daredevil workouts can give you.
7. Scuba Diving
You may think of scuba as being a calm, relaxing activity, but not so! You burn more calories per minute scuba diving than you do speed walking, so a 200-pound person can expect to burn as much as 600 calories in an hour. That's as many as you burn running for 35 minutes.
Some people get lucky and are born with fit, toned bodies. Andy Peloquin is not one of those people... Fitness has come hard for him, and he's had to work for it. His trials have led him to becoming a martial artist, an NFPT-certified fitness trainer, and a man passionate about exercise, diet and healthy living. He loves to exercise--he does so six days a week--and loves to share his passion for fitness and health with others.
