The premise of Tough As Nails , CBS' new fitness competition show, is to find the strongest workers in America and have them compete for the ultimate crown of toughness. Starting Wednesday, July 8th at 8/7c, viewers will be able to watch real people with physically demanding jobs (think firefighters, roofers, welders, farmers, etc.) showcase their superhuman skills for the chance to win money and prizes.
Don't expect an elaborate obstacle course la Titan Games or American Ninja Warrior . On Tough as Nails, challenges take place at real job sites, and they're framed around tasks performed every day by tough workers across America, such as setting irrigation pipes, climbing electrical poles, and moving a bunch of sand around. Yes, really. Check out the sneak peak on YouTube:
There may be victory on the line, but host Phil Keoghanyou know him from The Amazing Racesays Tough As Nails is about so much more than who wins.
"We want to be the show that's about heart and celebrating people's differences, but also makes people cry occasionally and really feel somethingand to get a new appreciation for what it means to be tough through people who really do live it tough," he told me when I visited the set back in February.
As you might have guessed, those people who "really do live it tough" are not the typical contestants you're used to seeing on reality TV.
A lot of the contestants we have, they don't even know what social media issome of them we had to convince to be on the show, Keoghan said. They are real. Their priorities are about trying to make a living, not becoming the next influencernot that there's anything wrong with that, but we're trying to tap into those people that are hidden away, working everyday to keep the country going. Rather than trying to find the next star of singing or dancing or whatever it is, we're just trying to celebrate the hard work that they all do.
Tough As Nails promises not to produce any reality show influencers, though you never know what company might want a new face to sell work boots on Instagram.
When I went to the set for a Tough As Nails press day, I was surprised to learn Id not only be watching the contestants complete a challenge called "Hurt Man Rescue," but I'd also be testing it out after. The full Tough As Nails cast would stay on set to watch me (attempt to) complete the obstacle.
Inspired by the job of linemen, who keep the power going during storms, Hurt Man Rescue involves putting on special boots and gear, climbing up a pole, and rescuing a dummy, whom I named Ronald. To make sure I didn't fail spectacularly, they brought out an instructor named Anthony, who'd been inducted into the International Lineman Hall of Fame .
My attempt at the "Hurt Man Rescue" challenge involved quite a bit of heavy breathing and fear, but in the endI saved my dummy Ronald! I climbed the pole, took out a knife, cut Ronald loose and lowered him to the ground.
Sadly, I did not get cast for Tough as Nails on the spot. But when I hit the ground, I did get to speak to contestant Kelly "Murph" Murphy, a Marine Corps veteran. Hed been giving me the thumbs up during my completion of the challenge. Like me, Kelly once had a fear of heights.
"I started in the Marine Corps not afraid of heights, but the older I've gotten, I've developed a fear of heights, Murphy says. I was dreading this as soon as I saw the poles, so today was huge for me."
If it wasn't clear, Kelly and all the Tough As Nails challengers completed the obstacle much more quickly than I did.
"I was trying to go fast so I could come down as fast as possible, he added.
Something I noticed while visiting the set of Tough Is Nails was the camaraderie between the contestants, a shared respect both for challenge performance and where they came from before the show. Because I watched them film a challenge that would actually air on the show, I got to see the support the contestants have for each other. Everyone cheered for their fellow competitors and comforted those who didn't complete the obstacle in time. Halfway through the intense three week filming process, Murphy said the cast bonded as they traveled to obstacle sites all around Los Angeles to complete challenges.
"We were all strangers up until about three weeks ago, he said. We bonded a lot.
Don't let my completion of the challenge leave you feeling like this show will be a walk in the park (filled with telephone poles). It's about tough people completing tough challenges and earning the right to be called King Tough or Queen Tough for the rest of their lives. (I made those titles up, but CBS, please feel free to use them.)
And if you need some quarantine workout inspiration, the Tough as Nails contestants are pros at staying fit without a gym.
There's some people that wear workout sneakers instead of workout boots, or they swipe gym cards instead of punching time cards, Keoghan told me. We're trying to celebrate the people who go to work every day and their work is their workout.
And you dont need to be a pole-climbing lineman to do the same. Koegahn said viewers should think about amping up the physical exertion in everyday tasks.
Vacuum the house, but do it really quickly, he said. Go mow the lawn, but do it really effectively and make it aerobic. Get out in the garden and shovel and do things to shock your body every day so that you grow."
While it is possible that Phil just wants us to clean his house and do his yard work, it also might be the beginning of a new way to work out, inspired by Tough As Nails.
Tough As Nails premieres Wednesday, July 8th, 2020.