What happens when you combine circus-style feats, old-school lifts, and hybrid endurance? You get one of the wildest strength challenges on the internet.
In a recent YouTube episode by The Buttery Bros, Mike Aidala—known for the heaviest Turkish get-up in Guinness World Record history—joined the team for a 100-level hierarchy of strength movements.
From beginner-friendly push-ups to mind-blowing lifts rarely seen outside of strongman lore, this challenge blends conditioning, coordination, and pure grit in spectacular ways.
Whether you’re a functional athlete, calisthenics enthusiast, or just like watching fitness insanity unfold, this one will keep you hooked. Here’s what went down—and what makes each level push the limits of human performance.
Jump to:
- Level 1: Getting Started With the Basics
- Mid-Tier Madness: Ring Dips and Yoke Carries
- The Turkish Get-Up: A Fully Loaded Puzzle
- Endurance Meets Strength: Cliffhangers and Emotional Fitness
- From Odd Object Lifting to the Limits of Mobility
- The Final Boss: Lifts From Another Era
- What You Can Learn From 100 Levels of Strength
- Takeaway: Don’t Just Lift — Level Up Your Life
Level 1: Getting Started With the Basics
The strength gauntlet began with an accessible move: the classic push-up. Everyone nailed it, setting a steady pace for the progressively more demanding tasks ahead. But things escalated quickly.
Level 2 introduced “crow push-ups,” a balance-centric, yoga-inspired movement testing shoulder stability and control. By level 3, athletes were flying through “single-leg crow” poses, pushing balance and coordination even further.
Mid-Tier Madness: Ring Dips and Yoke Carries
Unstable Upper Body Challenges
By level 20 and level 35, participants were executing high-level dip variations, including ring push-ups and Korean dips—a gymnastics-inspired move requiring explosive push and full-body tension.
“The key with this one is pushing out on the dips as you’re going forward,” Mike coached, stressing muscle engagement and joint safety over raw power.
The Heavy Metal Era
At level 40, the team shifted into gear with an overhead yoke carry. The goal: move maximum weight for 10 yards. Think of this as a farmer’s carry on steroids—a true test for traps, core, and mental toughness.
“300 lbs felt really good,” one athlete said, showcasing how progressive loading can fortify confidence and momentum throughout a session.
The Turkish Get-Up: A Fully Loaded Puzzle
Level 50 and Beyond
Arguably the centerpiece of the episode, level 50 belonged to Aidala’s specialty: the Turkish get-up—an ancient lift that demands strength, mobility, and laser-sharp focus. Mike demonstrated proper technique with a 30-lb axle bar before attempting heavier lifts.
“For me, the get-up brings me into a state of flow,” said Aidala, explaining how he uses lift complexity to foster mindfulness and physical challenge at once.
This movement has deep personal meaning for him, too. His record-breaking lift of 255 lbs served as a tribute to his late grandfather, a U.S. veteran. Proceeds from his get-up fundraiser benefitted mental health initiatives for veterans.
Endurance Meets Strength: Cliffhangers and Emotional Fitness
As the levels climbed to 60 and 70, viewers saw more than just brute force. The “Cliffhanger Challenge,” a one-arm hang with weighted resistance, exposed a different layer of grit: endurance through discomfort and emotional regulation.
Aidala opened up about emotional intelligence, teaching men how to develop their “emotional fitness” through monthly discussion circles. “If you don’t make the lift,” Mike said, “you need to deal with that reality. Same goes for how you handle frustration in real life.”
That meeting of physical and emotional strength is part of what puts Aidala in a category often described as a “hybrid athlete”—strong, flexible, enduring, aware.
From Odd Object Lifting to the Limits of Mobility
Classic Strongman Techniques Return
At level 70, the rare “Steinborn squat” made an appearance. Named after Milo Steinborn, the lift harkens back to pre-squat rack days. Participants had to tilt a loaded barbell onto their shoulders before squatting—a major core and spinal erector test.
Level 80’s challenge pushed this concept further: the single-arm overhead squat. With one heavy object held high, athletes had to stabilize their entire body through a deep squat, shoulder stacked and knees tracked properly.
The Final Boss: Lifts From Another Era
Level 90 to Level 100: Windmills and Two Hands Anyhow
By the final stretch, the difficulty reached unimaginable levels:
- Level 90: The “Double Windmill” required athletes to hold one weight overhead while bending laterally to pick another weight off the ground, then lock out both arms—a wild mix of mobility and tensile strength.
- Level 100: The legendary “Two Hands Anyhow.” In this old-time strongman move, lifters must raise two separate weights overhead using any method. Aidala completed this with a 255-lb barbell and a 53-lb kettlebell simultaneously.
Bonus Round: The God Tier Kelly Snatch
Just when it seemed the insanity had peaked, the team introduced an unlisted “God Level” lift—the Kelly Snatch. This involves snatching a barbell with a backward start, throwing it overhead in one explosive movement. Aidala hit the lift, leaving jaws on the floor and subscribers scrambling for the like button.
What You Can Learn From 100 Levels of Strength
Diversity in Training Creates Resilience
This video isn’t just about entertainment; it’s a blueprint for becoming a more well-rounded athlete. The blend of gymnastics, powerlifting, Olympic movements, and endurance training shows that growth happens by getting outside your comfort zone.
- Want more balance and joint control? Try crow poses or gymnastic dips.
- Looking to improve leg drive and hip mobility? Practice Turkish get-ups and Steinborn squats.
- Need more upper body endurance? Introduce ring push-ups or weighted hangs.
Functional Fitness is Mental, Too
Throughout the episode, Aidala emphasized that strength isn’t just physical—it’s emotional and mental. His nonprofit, The Offense, aims to help individuals improve their lives through both physical training and emotional connection.
“When you’re lifting a lot of weight, it requires a lot of courage,” he noted. “You need belief in yourself just to attempt it.”
Takeaway: Don’t Just Lift — Level Up Your Life
From simple push-ups to obscure, historical strength feats, this 100-level challenge is more than a spectacle. It represents a way to test yourself, expand your limits, and grow both physically and emotionally.
As Aidala put it, “I like to have a body that can go, not just a body that shows.”
So whether you’re getting started or looking for your own version of the Turkish get-up, the path to strength is paved with creativity, consistency, and—perhaps most importantly—a willingness to embrace the hard stuff.
