Xtreme Fat Burning Circuit: The Horrible Hundred
Summary
Jeff Cavalier of AthleanX presents “The Horrible Hundred,” an outdoor circuit training workout covering 100 yards across five consecutive exercises with no rest between movements. The workout is designed as a high-intensity conditioning circuit that can be completed in a short time. A modified version is also provided for those without access to a full 100-yard space.
Key Points
- No rest between exercises — all five movements are performed back-to-back for maximum conditioning effect
- The full circuit covers 100 yards (20 yards per exercise), finishing with a 100-yard sprint back to the start
- The circuit is repeated 3–4 times total for a complete workout
- Shorter space adaptation: If only 20 yards is available, perform each exercise for 20 yards and immediately return with the next exercise; replace the final sprint with a 20-yard shuttle run repeated 5 times
- The workout falls under AthleanX’s “burst conditioning” philosophy — delivering intense results without lengthy gym sessions
- All five exercises are performed traveling forward, making the format unique compared to stationary circuit training
Exercise Details
The circuit consists of five consecutive traveling exercises, each covering 20 yards:
1. Bear Crawl
- Target muscles: Core, shoulders, quads, full body stabilizers
- Form cues: Start on all fours (hands and knees), crawl forward continuously for 20 yards
- Pace: Move steadily without stopping
2. Alligator Walk
- Target muscles: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core
- Form cues: Get low to the ground, advance one arm and the opposite side simultaneously — a slow, controlled ground-level crawl
- Key detail: Stay as low as possible throughout the movement
3. Ski Hops (Lateral)
- Target muscles: Legs, glutes, lateral stabilizers
- Form cues: Hop laterally side to side while traveling forward 20 yards
- Movement pattern: Continuous lateral bounding with forward progress
4. Walk the Plank
- Target muscles: Core (abdominals), shoulders
- Form cues: Begin in a plank position and walk hands forward to cover 20 yards — described as similar to a military crawl
- Purpose: Primarily an ab-focused movement within the circuit
5. Rotating Squats
- Target muscles: Quads, glutes, hips
- Form cues: Step out, drop into a squat, spin/rotate, drop into a squat again — repeat while traveling 20 yards
- Movement pattern: Each rep involves a step, squat, and rotation before the next rep
Finishing Sprint
- After completing all five exercises (100 yards total), sprint back the full 100 yards
- In the modified version, substitute with a 20-yard back-and-forth shuttle for the equivalent distance