Which of Hercules’ 12 Immortal Tasks Could You Actually Complete?

Movies have always pushed the limits of what is possible. On July 25, Brett Ratner’s retelling of the Hercules myth pushes those limits even farther. Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the legendary Greek demigod, Hercules is the tale of one warrior’s quest to complete a dozen supremely difficult tasks — from fighting lions and bulls to venturing into Hell itself — known as the 12 Labors.

The capital-L Labors are just that, demands of the highest order. They chronicle Hercules’ quest to become more than a man. He becomes a monster-killer, an averter of evil, and a civilizing hero in his quest for immortality.

Normal humans couldn't achieve the 12 Labors, of course. The Rock has the help of top-notch CGI; the rest of us don't. But perhaps we could chip away by completing a few components of Hercules’ tasks.

We spoke with Francesca Tataranni, PhD in Northwestern University's classics department, and Gregg Bertsch, a licensed personal trainer and sports medicine specialist, to determine which, if any, of Hercules' 12 Labors an Average Joe could escape alive. Then we ranked their level of difficulty from easiest to no-fucking-way in the list above. —Alex Spatt