Hannah Shapiro

The premise of <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/tough-as-nails/" id="7e23d65a-26f7-3c11-aad4-7e016ee15da4"> Tough As Nails </a> , 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 <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g32336205/the-titan-games-contestants-season-2/" id="6b607a97-6408-3829-aa78-fca363b4032c"> Titan Games </a> or <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a20888399/american-ninja-warrior-training/" id="0b56e0da-6de9-32d2-aa4e-20c7da58779a"> American Ninja Warrior </a> . 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 <a href="https://www.linemanmuseum.org/hall-of-fame" id="127fecba-d789-3861-adea-4146e290507b"> International Lineman Hall of Fame </a> .

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.

My attempt at &quot;Hurt Man Rescue.&quot;

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.

'Tough as Nails' Is TV's Newest Fitness Challenge

We Visited the Set of 'Tough as Nails,' the Most Unique Fitness Challenge on TV

The most common question I get about being on the show is: "Where did you go to the bathroom?!" On Survivor 33: Millennials Vs. GenX, I spent 39 days fighting, not eating, and maneuvering my way through a complicated game of social dynamicsbut more importantly, I spent 39 days going to the bathroom outside.

The first time I peed in the sand, it was awkward and disorienting: I definitely thought, there's no way I can do this for a week, let alone the amount of time it would be if I did well in this game. By midway through the season, this changed: I was enjoying the breeze on my butt; the leaves I would use were big and soft; and the freedom to go wherever lifted a burden off my chest. The whole cast got a little too comfortable, in fact. We even got scolded by Survivor production: They had begun stepping in our poop while setting up interviews. We were supposed to designate a specific area for number two, but apparently our cast was going everywhere.

As the game ramped up, the outdoor bathroom element became second nature. One time, I was having a strategic conversation and loudly said I had to pee. I took 10 steps to my left and made the camera guy and the dude I was talking to turn away while I went, then went back to the conversation without missing a beat. Another time, I walked in on my competitor "Aqua Dumping" (pooping in the ocean), and he yelled at me as if I had swung the door open of an actual bathroom.

Here, five other Survivor contestants share their funniest, strangest, and even their near-deadliest stories of going to the bathroom on the show.

<h1> Elaine Stott, Survivor 39: Island of The Idols </h1>

'In the moment, it was terrifying.'

"The single most (by far) asked question about my time on Survivor is about going to the bathroom. It's crazy to me that out of everything we go through on the show that T1 and T2 [codes for using the bathroom on Survivor] are the hot topics of discussion. For those people who want to know, you 'go' where you feel comfortable.

"Some people from my season only went T2 on the land and would never go in the ocean to do their business. I, on the other hand, preferred to aqua dump! Let's just say there's a lot less clean up when you go in the water, and a lot less work, really. No looking for leaves or digging holes'work smarter, not harder' is what I always say. There are downsides to going T2 in the water, however. One, you are going to get wet, and two, if you underestimate the importance of the tides, you may find yourself in a bit of a jam.

"Like everything else in my life, there's a lesson I learned the hard way. Winning rewards is great, but doing so plays havoc on your stomach. After winning pizza at a reward challenge, I found myself paying the price for over-indulging. It wasn't long after, I was running for the ocean to relieve myself without any time to spare. The old saying, 'when you gotta go, you gotta go,' is an understatement in times like that.

"Just as I dropped my drawers to do my business, a huge wave crashed into me, knocking me off my feet. All at once, I was swept out to sea with my britches around my ankles. Funny now, but in the moment, it was terrifying. I'm sure it was a sight to see, my bare ass rolling around in the waves trying not to drown. Just before being washed out to sea forever, I managed to grab a huge rock and held on for dear life. As I clung onto that rock, all I could think about was how the producers were going to have to break the news to Jeff [Probst] and explain to him just how I died. I literally laughed out loud thinking, leave it to the dumbass redneck to die taking a shit!! Needless to say, I avoided death with my cat-like reflexes and managed to get myself back to the shore safely. I never underestimated the importance of knowing what tide it was again."

<h1> Kara Kay, Survivor 37: David Vs. Goliath </h1>

'Did you know that Fiji offers a species of leaf with the consistency of a peach fuzz?'

"Honestly, some of the most enjoyable bathroom experiences for me happened on Survivor. Right now, society has deemed toilet paper the most necessary item on the essentials list, but I think weve got it all wrong. Did you know that Fiji offers a species of leaf with the consistency of a peach fuzz? That was my go-to on land. Charmin has nothing on this velvety foliage.

"After we merged to 13 people left in the game, life got taken to the next level. Our beach offered this cove about half a mile down from where our camp was located and MAN, WAS IT DREAMY! I usually waited until night time to stroll down the moonlit beach to my beloved commode cove and would do my business at the space where the tide just politely touched the sand and acted as a natural bidet while I stared at the Fijian hillside. I mean, theres a solid chance my bathroom experience will never be that exciting again in my life and thats just something Ill have to live with."

<h1> Zeke Smith, Survivor 33: Millennials Vs. GenX </h1>

"I hadnt pooped in five days. The excitement of embarking upon Survivor ... and the drastic change in my diet locked up my bowels. Then, one night, sound sleep in the sand by the fire, I awoke to a rollin in my colon. I made for the beachor as its known on Survivor, The Bathroom. Our camp was set back into the jungle, up a small hill, and I knew I didnt have the three minutes it would take to get to the sand. Five days of back-logged-butt-logs was coming, and coming fast. So, I dashed into a patch of tall grass abutting our camp and dropped my pants just in time. The deep darkness provided me cover, but I was probably pooping about 20 feet away from my sleeping tribe-mates.

"Once finished, I grabbed a handful of the leafy green grass and wiped as best I could. As I stood up, I lost my balance. My left foot stepped back to stabilize me and landed in somethingwarm. Oh Madonna, I just stepped in my poop and now it was on my sock and hem of my pant. I scraped my heel in the dirt, doing my best impression of a dog wiping shit off its paws and coated the affected areas in hand sanitizer. But in the dark, with no other resources or suppliesand no second pair of clothes to change intothere was nothing more I could do. We had no blankets, and it was too cold to sleep without a sock or pants.

"So, I went back to my patch of sand by the fire, curled up, and slept with poop on my foot."

<h1> Rick Devens, Survivor 38: Edge of Extinction </h1>

'I was pooping within feet of hunting sharks.'

"On season 38 of Survivor, I spent 38 days competing against strangers on an island in Fiji. The weirdest part, by far, was going #2. There are no bathrooms and no toilet paper. Our tribe designated a small cove on the island as the bathroom area. Every morning thousands of minnows would flood into the cove, pushed by the current.

"I subscribed to the 'aqua-dump' method of using the bathroom. That's when you walk into the ocean, do your business in the water, then clean up in the water. One shop stop. When you're doing your business in a pool full of minnows, it creates quite a stir. It also attracts the attention of black-tip sharks. These 4-foot-long sharks would hunt the minnows just steps away from where I was doing business. I was pooping within feet of hunting sharks while enjoying a view of gorgeous Fijian islands and the Pacific Ocean. That's better than being on the toilet with an i-pad, or even the latest copy of Men's Health magazine."

<h1> Troyzan Robertson, Survivor 24: One World &amp; Survivor 34: Game Changers </h1>

'They were swarming me like I was breakfast for them.'

"On my first season (One World), I wasnt sure how the dumping was going to go without toilet paper. On day one I tried the normal 'did a hole in the jungle...go...and then leaf wipe,' but a leaf is THE WORST! Terrible mess. Its not even close to being anything like TP! Zero absorption factor, plus no traction at all. If you get my drift.

"So I decided to just go into the water without actually knowing at the time that most Survivors were calling it the infamous Aqua dump. I basically woke up one morning and saw my buddy Jonas [Otsuji] walking through the water buck naked. I wasnt sure why he was completely naked, but he expressed to me that it was a lot easier to dump with no clothes on. I decided to follow suit and strip everything off in order to not get my clothes wet or have any smatterings of fecal matter clinging to my clothes. Gnarly!

"As I was in full squat doing my business for the first time on the island ... I noticed a crap-load of fish circling about. I realized that the fish actually were gathering around me as I was going. Feeding themselves on the particles. They were swarming me like I was breakfast for them.

"I know this sounds pretty nasty, but I thought, damn, if I can get another guy to grab a fish net while I dump....the fish will be in a feeding frenzy and we can catch ourselves a sweet meal every day! It worked like a charm! Lay out the net in a strategic matter, do my business in the water, wait for the fishies to gather round ... bam, lunch for the day!"

How 'Survivor' Contestants Poop on the Show

I was a person who didn't like camping, and if you presented me with an outhouse, I would always hold it in until a clean bathroom was an option. My preference was soft, double-ply toilet paperpreferably with a bear on the wrapping telling me I was doing a great job. And then I went on the television show Survivor.

Survivor Contestants Share Their Funniest Stories of Pooping on the Show

This trailer belongs to the Seal Team cast, a gift from the show's lead, actor David Boreanaz. It's packed with equipmentso much so that if you took out all the machines, they may not fit back inside unless by some Tetris-level strategy miracle. Boreanaz and his trainer, Roy Paras, are proud of the space they've built togethera shrine to a level of hard work that reflects the toughness of Seal Team.

When I arrive at the trailer, Paras is prepping Boreanaz for an intense workout, and both seem excited to take me through their routine.

Boreanaz has spent much of his adult life portraying intense characters on TV. One of his most iconic roles is Angel, the vampire with a soul, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Boreanaz got the role after a stranger <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/david-boreanaz-most-steadily-employed-man-on-television" id="36bccfd2-3d42-3997-ad20-db54bc4f8526"> spotted him </a> <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/david-boreanaz-most-steadily-employed-man-on-television" id="7a15102f-94f3-30ac-a1a2-92a30b0ddc3c"> walking his dog </a> and called up the show's casting director, who was a friend.) Over the years, he's proven he can anchor popular shows: the Buffy spinoff Angel, plus more than a decade as FBI agent Seely Booth on Bones. Seal Team only adds to his resume of playing men who can smolder as well as they fight. And getting to be gym bros with the most famous undeada vampire who made the girls swoon before it was all hip to do so (*cough* Twilight *cough* Vampire Diaries *cough*) was not lost on me.

Seal Team focuses on the Navy SEALs' Tier 1 operators as they complete brutal missions abroad and then deal with the mental and physical aftermath at home. The show prides itself on portraying as accurately as possible the struggles and triumphs of a Tier 1 team member: tackling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), injuries, and family issues. Veterans serve as advisors and work on the show, to help the stories stem from a place of truth.

On the show, Boreanaz plays Jason Hayes, team leader and skilled fighter who doesn't slow down, even when he probably should. Boreanaz, who doesn't seem to have aged, is in incredible shape (maybe he really is a vampire?!), and must maintain it in order to play such a nonstop character.

Boreanaz's workout prep has him facedown on the massage table, where his trainer, Paras, works to stimulate blood flow, see if there are any adhesions, and break up scar tissue.

Paras, who founded of <a href="https://epxculture.com/" id="b233b414-31ae-367a-ac7c-5aa4608ef7be"> EPX gym </a> , has been a trainer more than 13 years, and has been working with Boreanaz for about a year. The <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28899740/best-massage-guns/" id="ff597189-7f66-3ab5-a6ab-d988ff59c7f5"> percussion massager </a> Paras uses is loud, and Boreanaz adds some grunting to the cacophony of sounds as his trainer drills into his muscles. This is not a spa-like, cucumbers-on-your-eyes massageit is a "you'll thank me later" procedure.

Boreanaz knows the importance of prep work, having experienced injuries on earlier seasons of Seal Team. He had a knee injury during season two and did platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy on his knee, which is the process of injecting platelets into the knee to accelerate healing. He's still nervous about hurting himself, and quickly knocks on wood at the mere mention of getting injured in any way.

The workout starts with light cardio on a stationary bike: something to warm up the muscles and get moving. His fitness inspiration is his character Jason Hayes, who informs a lot of his work ethic off set.

"The character himself has got a really aggressive drive, Boreanaz says. To even go into wanting to become a Tier 1 operator, they have to go through some serious physical endurance of strength training just to get through Buds, go through another 12 months of hell to even make it on a team. It's really about the drive for me and the character."

While the trailer equipment is used heavily in the workout, a large portion also takes place outside, where an obstacle course is set up. Paras takes us through <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a22237411/muscle-band-workout-moves-for-men-over-40/" id="3461ede2-486b-32db-a304-9edf640bb01e"> band work </a> , <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19663988/best-hiit-workouts-jump-rope/" id="1d5b43a0-0482-351f-ac9c-15dc0fe99dfe"> jump ropes </a> , and weightlifting designed to get the heart pumping while also building muscle. The idea is to constantly be movinga little boxing is even thrown in. It's hot outside on the studio lot, the sun beating down as we jump, skip, and pant through the routine.

Boreanaz says the cast pushes each other to maintain the stamina needed to do Seal Team. While the actors have significantly lighter packs and gear than actual Navy SEALs, they still must crawl efficiently, climb mountains, and keep their energy up during long shoot days. And it isn't easy to creep along with your gun up, like a real SEAL.

"The details are very methodical and slow," Boreanaz says. "[It] can really [put a] strain on your lower back, on your knees, on your joints, on your legs. It's pretty intense."

Boreanaz proudly tells me that in episode 21 of season two, which he directed, they climbed the side of a mountain and the whole team made it to the top. Luckily, there is no mountain on the CBS lot to climb, although we are both warmed up and could have easily made it to the top of one, if it had been part of the workout. Even Mount Everest. It's just that nobody asked.

The rest of the workout features pullups, lifting, and a hopscotch-type running drill. We're supposed to spend about half-an-hour together, but an hour in, Boreanaz insists on showing me one last spot.

He takes me out of the trailer and into the shooting studio, past the iconic Seal Team airline carrier. We end up at the bottom of a long winding staircase. Here, he insists that this is where he does his most dramatic drill: sprinting up the staircase toward the ceiling. The stairs look steep and rickety, but he runs up them: the grand finale to a high-energy workout.

<h1> What to Expect From Seal Team Season 3 </h1>

Seal Team is a gritty show. There are guns, war speak, and a lot of urgent whispering in every episode. The show builds tension into each mission and doesn't shake off the trauma from episode to episode. Seal Team Season 3 is all about pushing Jason Hayes to his potential breaking point and forcing him to answer some important but difficult questions, Boreanaz says.

"He's dealing with a lot of his past and people that are haunting him, his brothers who have passed... It's going to be quite the rollercoaster ride for the guy," Boreanaz says. "I think a lot of things that are going to surprise [the fans] are the unpredictable choices Jason is going to have to make. The mental capacity, how he survives. The possibility of not being able to be a Tier 1 operator"

To even hint that his character may leave the team is a big reveal from a show that focuses on a group of people who literally never take it easy. The characters are constantly moving, going on missions, and trying not to look back. The show moves at a quick pace, but Boreanaz is trained and ready to keep up with the actioneven if he's just human, and not a vampire.

How David Boreanaz Stays 'Seal Tim' Fit at Age 50

There's a trailer on the CBS lot that doesn't contain a makeup counter, costumes, or an overused espresso maker. Instead, it's filled with workout machines, free weights, and a lot of sweat.

How David Boreanaz Stays Seal Tim Fit at Age 50

Since I have a special connection to <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26959817/survivor-cast-members-real-health-stories/" id="d0028684-8845-3d9e-a80b-4c8eac738927"> Survivor </a> (I was the runner up on Survivor 33: Millennials vs. GenX), I decided to check in on the three Survivor teams competing. I was curious to see how The Amazing Race compared to living <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26931986/how-long-are-survivor-contestants-on-the-island/" id="7ec94f3d-5941-397c-a331-c4bf8422b856"> on a Fijian island for 39 days </a> .

<h1> The three Survivor teams on The Amazing Race are: </h1>

<ul><li> Bret Labelle and Chris Hammons (both Survivor 33: Millennials vs. GenX), a comedic cop-lawyer duo </li><li> Rupert Boneham (Survivor 7: Pearl Islands, Survivor 8: All Stars, Survivor 20: Heroes Vs. Villains, Survivor 27: Blood Vs. Water) and Laura Boneham (Survivor 27: Blood Vs. Water), the tie dye wearing husband and wife pair </li><li> Corinne Kaplan (Survivor 17: Gabon, Survivor 26: Fans Vs. Favorites II) and Eliza Orlins (Survivor 9: Vanuatu and Survivor 16: Micronesia), the self proclaimed 'Team Villain' of the season </li></ul>

In a series of interviews, they told me about the differences both in preparation and in the experience of competing on the two reality shows.

MH: How did you train for this versus Survivor ? Both fitness-wise and mentally.

Bret: I drank coffee and ate donuts getting ready for this I just worked out, tried to run as much as I could.

Chris: I was in pretty good shape going into this. I've been doing a lot of Orangetheory fitness and some yoga, so I was endurance wise probably the best shape I've been in, in a long time.

Rupert: Getting ready for Survivor, I started quitting things: quit drinking coffee, quit smoking cigarettes, quit going to the buffet. Getting ready for Amazing Race, it was more about am I going to be able to keep up with Laura.

Laura: Survivor was focused on, trying to build a fire, can I do this? Amazing Race was focused on what am I going to need. It was overwhelming, you can't study the whole world!

Rupert: We got the flags of the world and started learning all the flags, learning what some of the countries highlights were.

Corinne: I found this to be a completely different type of training. Eliza and I were smart enough to split up tasks. I would be the navigator and she would be the primary driver. We both had to say that we could drive stick shift, we both had to take hours and hours of stick shift lessons. I took line dancing lessons at my local country bar, to get used to being told a dance and then learning it. I did a climbing class at a local climbing gym, which totally came into effect the first episode.

Eliza: Survivor depend more on a social game. I trained physically both for Survivor and for Amazing Race. We did a lot of texting back and forth about what gear we needed, what the lightest thing was, what the newest best backpack was. It was a lot of preparation in a different way than preparing for Survivor.

Rupert and Laura Boneham on The Amazing Race.

MH: Survivor, despite alliances, is a solo game. How did working in a pair change your perspective? Or strategy going in?

Chris: We definitely had strategies. Bret was supposed to sing and dance, if there was anything. I was supposed to run if there was running but you don't know what you're going to face. It's like Survivor, we don't know what's coming. We finally just said, whatever comes, we're going to deal with it when it gets there.

Bret: We both expected to have alliances with other teams but it's just not the same. You don't want to get U-Turned and all of that stuff, so you want to be friendly with everyone but it's not the same as Survivor where you need these relationships to get further in the game.

Rupert: On Survivor, we already had it in mind that they would use our relationship against us (Survivor 27: Blood Vs. Water) and we were ready to have to make those decisions. In Amazing Race we knew that we were going to be together and be stronger together. I had my support system with me.

Laura: We've been married 21 years, we've been with each other at our worst. We know how to lift each other up and bring each other together. We're opposites in some ways that help each other, we both see the challenge in a different way.

Corinne: All we would do is run through things: if it's animals, it's going to be you. If it's anything driving wise, it's you. If it's heights, it's me. Every time we opened a clue, there was no point in which we were like, you do it, no you do it.

Eliza: Survivor is so autonomous. You're trying to work with people but ultimately, if they win, you lose. Being in a pair in that sense is awesome, knowing that I could count on Corinne no matter what. We both wanted to be there so badly, we're both incredibly competitive, we're both going to do our absolute best. The hard part about being in a pair is, if you fail on Survivor, you let yourself down, but there's another person who relies on you when you're in a twosome.

Corinne: Eliza and I had a pact, you can yell at other teams, but at no point during the race should she yell at me.

Eliza Orlins and Corinne Kaplan on The Amazing Race.

MH: What was the biggest difference between Survivor and The Amazing Race that surprised you?

Chris: On Survivor you get to sit around all day, and think things through. But when this thing starts, it is go. There's not a lot of thinking, you got to use your instincts, use your gut, and get it done. The pace of it is certainly a different dance than Survivor.

Bret: It's hard to stay calm when you're running around. Thank God I'm the epitome of calmness and I always keep a level head. (Laughter) You're constantly going, going, going. And if you don't reel it in, your mind will get away from you.

Rupert: In Survivor, you bring a lot of stress on yourself just from the lack of food, the strategy, the lack of water, the lack of sleep. When we got out on Amazing Race, and the first time we were dropped in the middle of Tokyo, where it is just overwhelming and you see everyone go running. Oh my gosh, the stress level starts at one hundred.

Laura: You're just going nonstop. It was just so foreign, so many people, no one speaks English, it was pouring down rain [in Tokyo], you couldn't read signs. There was nothing to hang on to.

Eliza: On Survivor, once the game starts it's on, and that's it for 39 days or however long you last. The Amazing Race, it's like start stop, start stop. Now you're on a flight for 12 hours, now you're sitting in the airport for ten hours. Survivor is like sustained misery, for a longer period of time. And Amazing Race is more like peak misery, okay relax, peak misery and then a valley. It was really surprising to have these moments where we're in the middle of a leg but we're all just chilling 'cause you're not voting these people off. The cameras are not on you 24/7, not like Survivor, the cameras are not on you in flight.

Corinne: I think a big difference too is how much the world and strangers play a role in your game. We had to look and decide, who do you want to ask for directions, we can't ask everyone, everyone you ask has to sign a waiver. At some points there would be people realizing we were on Amazing Race and they'd start cheering. In Survivor, you're all alone.

Chris Hammons and Bret LaBelle on The Amazing Race.

MH: What elements of Survivor strategy did you bring to The Amazing Race ? Or skills from Survivor ?

Chris: Adaptability. On Survivor, every day changed, a conversation changes everything. And the Race, if you can't adapt on the fly, it's everything.

Bret: Survivor, when you think you're going home, you run around and you never give up and you try to get the names switched. The Race is the same way, you're racing around these towns and you never give up. Everyone starts at the same spot and then you lose these teams and so when you get to the different locations you don't know if you're first, last place. You say to yourself, just keep going cause we may be number one.

Chris: The paranoia is the same as when you're in an alliance and you think you're on the bottom.

Rupert: Survivor you go days with no food, no sleep, no comfort. That side of Amazing Race where you might have to go and miss a meal or two, lay down and sleep on the street (waiting for something to open), put yourself in a position where you're not so comfortable: we were most definitely ready for that. We just weren't ready for the high stress level that it really brings.

Laura: Trying to partner up with people too, cause we were all sort of lost together. Alliances, helping each other out.

Corinne: Having that warrior attitude that you get from being on Survivor Unless you've done Survivor, I don't know how you really know what your body can handle. So every other team would be in the airport purchasing like Popeyes Chicken. We would just sit there, quietly, with all of our money, in our little fanny pack thinking, well if it comes down to who's got enough money at some point, it's never going to be that we had the chicken sandwich.

MH: On Survivor you didn't eat. What did you eat during the Race to keep up your stamina?

Chris: There is a little bit of Survivor on Amazing Race in the fact that it's not like you can just go to every store and buy whatever you want. You don't have your money, you have what they give you for that leg of the race. So you have to really think that through and conserve and use that wisely.

Bret: You might go 20-something hours without anything.

Laura: We actually hoarded snacks from the very beginning.

Rupert: Everywhere that we stopped that had samples. In that giant backpack you see on my back, I probably have 3 or 4 pounds of Cheez-Its, nuts, snacks, dried fruit, and supplies to keep going.

Corinne: Pretty much just whatever was on the plane. If the plane gave out packets of peanuts, I would shove as many of them as I could, I would ask for extras, put them on my bag. But at no point did we spend a penny on food.

MH: I know this is not how Amazing Race works, but if you could vote one team off, who would it be? And if you could align with one team, who would it be?

Bret/Chris: Vote off the Reilly sisters (Rachel Reilly and Elissa Slater). Align with the Survivor teams and Kory (Kuhl) and Tyler (Oakley).

Rupert/Laura: Vote off Corinne (Kaplan) and Eliza (Orlins). Align with The Afghanimals (Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran).

Corrine/Eliza: Vote off The Afghanimals (Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran). Align with Britney (Haynes) and Janelle (Pierzina).

6 Survivor Players Are on The Amazing Race

This season on <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27166666/phil-keoghan-amazing-race-interview-season-31-survivor-big-brother/" id="befdaeed-7781-35cc-a3cd-0100fd1e60da"> The Amazing Race </a> , contestants from three reality shows-Survivor, Big Brother, and past Amazing Race seasons-compete against each other in a race around the world for a "Reality Showdown."

Meet the 6 Survivor Contestants Battling It Out on The Amazing Race Season 31

Talking with Mens Health, Keoghan also teased the upcoming that will be The Amazing Race Season 31. There is so much that goes into making the show beyond whats shown on TV, and Keoghan gives a peek behind the curtain into both the mechanics of the show, and his life as the host of the most intense race around the world there is.

Mens Health : I'm curious how much you interact with contestants. On Survivor , Jeff walks us through the challenges. Whats your role with them beyond what we're seeing in an episode?

Phil Keoghan: Generally speaking, I'm in such a hurry to stay ahead of them that I don't have time to hang about on the course. You've been on the set of Survivor, you understand there's just a lot more downtime. [Editor's note: The author appeared as a contestant on Season 33 of Survivor] Whereas with us, we shoot a show less than every two days, twelve shows in twenty one days and then we're traveling all those miles.

If I have any spare moments, I'm trying to get ahead to the next thing, to be able to introduce that and then beat the first team to the mat. I interview them sometimes up to half an hour on the mat, depending on how much time is available between teams. If I'm not having to get on a flight and there's meal time at a pit stop, then I'll sit down and talk to them, see how they're going.

Since you're traveling so much and not stagnant, what does your day-to-day look like, off-camera?

There are times when I won't get to a hotel room for maybe the first five to six days of a season. There are times when the sleep we're getting is on planes. I'll be washing my hair on the side of the road or something to get camera ready.

On the road, the scripts have to be changed constantly, based on what happens when we get out there. If you're in India, and there's an unscheduled Hindu street festival, there are elephants blocking the street. Or there's civil unrest in Argentina, and you're supposed to be catching a flight there, and suddenly you realize it's probably not a good idea to go to that place-we have to make an adjustment on the fly.

Since there are so many variables, how do you map out as best you can before a season? How do you try to put safeguards in place?

I do meet with the country producers and go through my schedule and make suggestions. It's a jigsaw map. Sometimes I'm arriving on the same plane as the teams and we get off the plane together and the only difference between their journey and mine is that I know ahead of time where I'm going.

There are some shows where it's almost impossible for me to get all the locations; we were in Russia, and I was trying to fit in a shoot at a helicopter rescue facility, and we took a huge chance and went in there trying to do a quick introduction. Then we get in the car and realize that the airport is a little further away than we anticipated, and if I miss that flight, it just has a domino effect all the way down the line.

In all the seasons, has a pair ever beat you to a checkpoint?

I have had an occasion where they've popped right out of the bushes: Chip and Reichen, Season 4. They'll just catch us off guard. While I'm waiting, what I'm doing is following text messages with story updates; Chris just slipped and threw out his knee, he's hobbling to the finish line. He's cursing and thinks his race is over.

The technology we have now has really helped me to stay on top of the story threads. If you go to a place like, say, Botswana, and there's no way to actually text somebody, then we're in the blind. I remember getting instructions once from someone, and it was literally go across the river, go past the three big trees-you'll see a herd of elephants, make a right, follow that for twenty clicks, make a left.

It's fascinating to hear the race you're in, as well.

The whole production is in that situation. You've got to have people leapfrogging each other to make use of all the resources you have. There's all kinds of variables. It's a level of production that you have to see to believe. You cannot imagine the complexities of it. It's uncontrollable.

Are things like the non-elimination rounds planned in the pre-planning?

Yeah, they have to be. A lot of people think if we like a team, let's make it a non-elimination, but what happens if we just say oh we're going to keep this team? What happens when we get to the next location-are there enough hotel rooms? Have we made enough allowances for meals?

How big is traveling production at each stop?

It can be upwards of sixty people at a time, but then there's obviously the lead teams in different countries that are working ahead, then the local crew. By the time you add up all the people who have some hand in Amazing Race, we're talking about thousands of people.

Since you're essentially racing around the world as well, what are you eating to give yourself the stamina to keep up? Are you working out at all while you go?

My number one rule is generally that I will not eat meat unless I'm absolutely sure of the source. I cannot afford to get sick.

It's easy to go vegetarian in a place like India-the food is extraordinary. I try to stick with fresh foods and covered foods: bananas, oranges, mangos, anything that I can wash and that I know what's inside the cover. It's not mango cut and put on beautiful cold ice, with the ice having been made in some contaminated water. I take quite a bit of vitamin B, just to boost my immunity, and also manuka honey is a big thing for me.

I actually started making my own nutritional products, BuckIT (B12, manuka honey and immunity booster). I've been using those a lot, because when you get on a plane you're exposed to people sneezing, and coughing, and spluttering.

And you're doing so much traveling in one season.

You're just susceptible to so many different things. And those energy levels-trying to keep those energy levels up. You're making a show and you need your brain to fire. You need to be functional. As far as the working out goes, I try to do whatever I can wherever I can.

What workouts are you doing before you go on this crazy production schedule?

When I rode around France [10 years ago], I rode a single-speed bike 115 miles a day, on average, for 26 days-an old 85-year-old vintage bicycle, because I was retracing the 1928 Tour de France. To train for something like that, it's a huge, huge investment of time.

Now, I do a lot more shorter, high-burst energy workouts. Mondays, I will run soft sand for about five miles. Then I run stairs at least once a week. Wednesdays, I do a workout on the beach, which is kind of a CrossFit type workout: sprints in the sand and pulling a medicine ball. Burpees, those are amazing at keeping you fit. I will ride the trainer bike. I'm probably going to do a marathon at the end of the year, so I've been working on some longer trail runs.

But on the road, obviously, I don't have time to do that, so I will take a skipping rope or I will go in the stairwell of a hotel.

Fitness wise, when it comes to contestants, do you think one type of fit contestant does better? How do you recommend contestants prepare for the show?

The most important aspect of doing well in the race is mental toughness-the ability to work under stress. You can be unfit-but incredibly mentally strong-and you can use the least amount of energy to get the job done. That said, I think endurance is crucial, and physical endurance. Some strength is good; ultimately, it's really the least important thing, ahead of endurance and mental toughness.

Season 31 is an all-star season. What specific skills do you think Survivor and Big Brother contestants might bring?

They definitely have that competitive streak and that mental toughness aspect, because it's a lot harder than people think to be stuck in a house or be out on an island. On Survivor, my understanding is that there's a lot of of thinking time, a lot of strategy. On Race, it's a lot more impulsive; you don't know what's coming next. You rip an envelope, and you're suddenly going to a different country.

Is there anything you want to tease about this season?

This is something fans asked for, people who watch all three shows. There are also loyalists who only watch Race, Survivor, or Big Brother; they don't necessarily like the cross contamination. Give it a shot, because it is way more exciting than even I anticipated.

I love the original concept of Race: I love ordinary people competing. That's always my favorite, but I have to tell you-this is really exciting TV, and I think people are going to be really surprised. It certainly surprised all of us.

'Amazing Race' Host Phil Keoghan On Season 31

As the host, executive producer and face of the iconic competition reality series The Amazing Race, Phil Keoghan has been a vital piece of the show since its very beginning in 2001. As such, hes a vital source as to what happens behind the scenes of the show, as the crew travels along with the racers, and the challenges that emerge from filming around the world. He also manages to stay remarkably fit, keeping in shape for whats a rather demanding job.

Phil Keoghan Says 'The Amazing Race' Destinations Could Change At Any Point

Well, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26959817/survivor-cast-members-real-health-stories/" id="0f9959fb-15a1-3bba-a883-e4280f9381a9"> we were also playing </a> <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26959817/survivor-cast-members-real-health-stories/" id="d0028684-8845-3d9e-a80b-4c8eac738927"> Survivor </a> , but on a night like this, there was nothing but time to fill. One by one, the members of my tribe went up and made a dirty motion, while other people shouted out answers. This would never make air-it wasn't exactly suitable for all 10 million viewers- but it was one of my favorite moments from the show.

Survivor is filled with serious gameplay, physical challenges, and a handsome <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a26930739/jeff-probst-salary-per-survivor-episode/" id="588bd39d-ecad-3155-ae97-408d6a8dd18a"> host </a> . In between the challenges, complex strategy, and tribal councils, there's also a lot of downtime-time spent discussing food, love, and big future plans. I lasted 39 days Survivor 33: Millennials vs. Genx, and can assure you, there was a lot that never made air. The actual show feels more like a highlights reel of over a month of shooting.

I asked former Survivor players to share their island stories that didn't quite make the TV cut, to fill fans in on what happens beyond what they see onscreen.

<h1> Domenick Abbate, Survivor Season 36: Ghost Island </h1>

"It wasnt until I actually played Survivor myself that I came to realize how much downtime and long stretches of boredom actually existed in the game.

"Lucky for my tribe, we had Wendell Holland at our camp. For those that dont know, Wendell is a custom furniture builder from Philadelphia that actually won our season (cough, cough). Ok, ok so I probably shouldnt give too much props to the man that beat me by one vote, but I have to say that this guy has amazing talent. When most people were lying around doing nothing, Wendell was always building or crafting something. Occasionally he would design some piece of jewelry for himself, but most of the time he was building something to improve the camp. And improve it he did. We had everything you could want in a camp including two fire pit areas, seating, a pantry and a bed that comfortably slept 10. He even designed a ring hook game that I used to play as a kid just because he heard me talking about it earlier that day. Dont tell anybody, but we would occasionally catch some of the production team playing the game when things were quiet at camp.

"There were plenty of other great moments that unfortunately never made it to TV. One moment that I recall was after a reward challenge. It was right after the merge and we were split into two teams competing in a sling shot challenge where the winning team got to go feast on a taco reward. Unfortunately, our team lost and had to go back to camp with nothing. I remember when we got back we decided to make the best of the situation. Six of us grabbed the fishing gear and collected and entire pot of crab. As we were cooking the crab back at camp, we decided to finish off the spiced rum bottle that was given to us at the merge feast. Even though we lost the challenge we were still celebrating. We all got tipsy pretty quick, and at one point myself or Kellyn [Bechtold] (still up for debate) decided to take the lid off the pot to check on the crab. Sure enough, a few of the crabs scurried out of the pot and ran off. The first words out of my mouth were, 'Kellyn, your dinner is getting away!' We made several attempts to catch the escapees but we were laughing so hard and having so much fun that we didnt stand a chance. It was one of the funniest moments we had out there and I think we were all a little bummed when it didnt make television."

<h1> Angelina Keeley, Survivor 37: David vs. Goliath </h1>

"One day, Kara [Kay] and I were swinging together on the hammock, and we were just giggling about nothing in particular. It was post merge, and a day where we didnt have a challenge or anything major to get done around camp. We wanted to sing, but we arent allowed to sing anything that has a copyright on camera, so we decided we would write our own musical. We titled it 'Why Cant We All Just Get Along?' Almost everyone came over and helped contribute to the masterpiece. We wrote the first few lines of the opening song, and performed it for Mike [White] (through a lot of laughter). The only lines I can remember are something like: 'Schemers be scheming, dreamers be dreaming, amongst this disarray, were looking for an idol today.' Watch out, Broadway!

"There are so many little moments like this that dont make it in the final cut, but they are memories that well hold onto forever."

<h1> Bret Labelle, Survivor 33: Millennials vs. GenX </h1>

"After the merge feast, the new tribe was tasked with naming their new tribe and painting their tribe flag. Production gave us paints for the new tribe flag and after that task was completed, we used some of the leftover paint to transform several coconuts into different colored bocci balls so we could play bocci.

"I also remember, in the evening after the sun went down, we would gather around the fire or into our sleeping spots and talk. Sometimes we would play games that helped force everyone to share a little bit about themselves. I remember one such game: You were having all of the survivors present (still in the game) to your house for dinner and a movie. Each person had to state what dish they would serve and what movie you put on for everyone to watch. Seems like a very simple idea, yet it was extremely entertaining. Mostly because we were all starving and enjoyed talking about food. Sometimes you learned that you had nothing in common, but other times you were surprised that you liked the same things. Zeke [Smith], Chris [Hammons], David [Wright] and I learned we were all huge fans of The Big Lebowski movie starring Jeff Bridges. From that moment on we enjoyed reciting lines from that classic flick. "

<h1> Gabby Pascuzzi, Survivor 37: David vs. Goliath </h1>

"There are days on Survivor where you have absolutely nothing to do. The strategizing you see on TV happens occasionally, but not enough to fill all the hours of the day. As a result, we came up with truly stupid and pointless games to play.

"For example, when my tribe won spices and herbs as a reward, we had a spicy pepper eating contest. We pretended like it was a Survivor challenge, with someone even pretending to be Jeff [Probst]. The contest was very painful and shortsighted considering we had nothing to eat or drink besides water to minimize the burn.

"Most games werent competitive (probably because we were already in a competition: Survivor). We often played 'f***, marry, kill' with celebrities and castaways from previous seasons. We called it 'go fishing with, align with, vote off the island.' We could take pretty much any game and make it Survivor-themed: we were eating, breathing and living Survivor 24/7, after all."

<h1> Ben Driebergen, Survivor 35: Healers vs. Heroes vs. Hustlers </h1>

"I guess the one [memory] that comes to mind is: I was running around the island with Alan Ball reliving my high school football glory days like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite. When I finally found out that he played pro ball, I was immediately embarrassed and prayed they didn't show it! We talked about body fat percentage and that one time I had a 96 yard touchdown run!"

<h1> Brice Johnston, Survivor Season 28: Cagayan </h1>

"When youre smelly, irritated, and around people that you would not normally be around, the downtime does not seem as much fun as it seems to be on TV. I started to obsess over food. Thinking about all the food that I did not like growing up and how I wished I could go back in time and request all the food I ever passed up on.

"We had to walk to a well every morning, afternoon, and night to get water-and on top of that, boil water to ensure its safety. I made a promise to my tribe mates that the next time I took bath, I would drink every drop of my bathwater because thats how much I wanted to just drink water. Thinking about how we take for granted the fact that we can go to a faucet and turn on the water and drink it.

"With so much idle time your mind tends to play tricks on you. We had coconut chips from an actual coconut that I would pretend were hot chili fries with salt, pepper, and ketchup, and at times it would really tasted like it. However, returning home I was unable to keep my promise of drinking my bathwater. Survivor was such a great experience and I would do it again. However it makes you reflect on how blessed we are and the things we take for granted on a daily basis. It really propels you to want to help out as much as you can and be grateful for lifes blessings."

<h1> Christian Hubicki, Survivor 37: David Vs. Goliath </h1>

"If I could sum up the first few weeks of the game in a single word, it would be "rain." When it rains you can't do much around camp, so you often just linger in boredom. I remember the beginning of Day 9 being another of those dreary, wet mornings with the "David" tribe. We were all loitering by the shelter in misery, just hoping the rain would eventually stop. I was standing near one of my tribe mates, Lyrsa, and she looked so gloomy it was heartbreaking. So I sidled up next to her and improvised a cheery tune called 'No one likes the rain when you're in it.' Clever lyrics, I know. But sure enough, Lyrsa started harmonizing to it and we briefly turned our dreary existence into this lovely little musical improv routine. It was such a sweet moment, and I'll never forget our song."

'Survivor' Players Share Behind the Scenes Stories

A giant bonfire lit up the beach, illuminating the sand and keeping us all from complete darkness. None of us had our phones, or a screen of any kind to distract from the starry night or splashing waters of the ocean. There were nine of us on the beach, in the most intense game-the adventure of a lifetime: dirty charades.

8 Survivor Contestants on the Best Behind-the-Scenes Moments You Never Saw on TV

During my time on the island, I lost over 20 pounds, my legs were covered in bites, and my hair was tangled up into a lovely nest of curls and sticks. I remember coming home, looking in the mirror and thinking, this is not my body. And the toll it had on my mind? Well, that's a tale for a different time.

Hannah Shapiro (left) and Zeke Smith on Survivor.

As you've probably heard Jeff Probst mention on camera, there's a team of medical professionals on Survivor ready to assist at a moment's notice-including the dashing Doctor Joe, who has appeared onscreen many times. When Caleb Reynolds was evacuated for medical reason during Survivor 32: Koah Rong, : "As for our medical department, I could write for hours and still not say enough good things about Dr. Joe Rowles and his team. It takes a situation like this to truly see what someone is made of and the kind of leader they are in a crisis."

I once spent 39 days living on an island in Fiji, with a group of strangers, cutting coconuts with machetes and trying to sleep curled up in the sand next to a small fire. I was the runner up on Survivor 33: Millennials vs. GenX. Our first night on the beaches of Fiji was spent huddling together for warmth while a cyclone destroyed our camp, and that really set the tone. A different location brought bugs so awful that we would stay awake, waiting for the tides to go in, and the flies to leave...

Hannah Shapiro

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