Physical: Asia Episode 7 — Mongolia sets a new Totem Hold record with a 41-Minute stand

Mongolia set a new endurance benchmark in Episode 7 of Physical: Asia, holding the totem pillars for 41 minutes 39 seconds in the Group B Totem Hold challenge — a time that eclipses prior runs from Group A and resets what survival looks like in the competition.

The match itself was complicated by an equipment malfunction that forced Japan to redo its attempt later; meanwhile, Türkiye logged 16:15, South Korea’s earlier effort in a previous episode ended at 17:33, the Philippines had lasted 9:43, and Australia — having already secured its earlier match — recorded a hold of roughly 18 minutes while the win had effectively already been decided.

Mongolia’s 41:39 stands as the new mark to beat.

Physical: Asia - Mongolia's record Totem Hold 

The Totem Hold is a simple but brutal test: two teammates brace massive stone pillars and refuse to let them fall.

In Group B’s version, Mongolia sent MMA fighter Enkh-Orgil and judoka Adiyasuren into the arena alongside Türkiye’s Yasemin Adar Yiğit and Recep Kara, and Japan had selected Yushin Okami and Katsumi Nakamura.

Japan’s captain had explained their selection strategy plainly,

“You had to count on muscular endurance and weight. Because of that, we thought it will be best to have an all-male team.”

From the start, the totem poles were unforgiving. Japan’s poles, however, did not release correctly.

A televised notice explained the situation: Japan’s safety pin for the totem was partially engaged, and so Japan’s time could not stand.

According to the rules, Mongolia and Türkiye’s completed times would remain official and Japan would retake the event later.

That mechanical failure cleared the path for Mongolia and Türkiye to determine the event winner on the day, and it put a hard emphasis on the role of production reliability in an endurance format.

Mongolia’s pairing looked vulnerable on paper. Teammates and opponents alike had voiced concern about physique and balance.

Mongolia’s own camp worried that their male athletes’ build might not match up with the heavier opponents.

Adiyasuren admitted the fear in real time,

“I felt like I was going to lose my grip. I couldn’t think about anything else.”

The concern was echoed on the sidelines and by rival teams, some of which seemed to downplay Mongolia’s chances early on.

Türkiye and Japan, for their parts, implicitly underscored that doubt.

Japan’s selection of two male athletes — and Türkiye’s loud confidence on the sidelines — suggested they believed size and leverage mattered decisively in the totem test.

Türkiye’s Anıl Berk Baki and teammates at several points made the point that opponents looked “exhausted” and should be pressured.

One moment in the arena’s earlier events had Türkiye’s side telling their reps to widen a lap lead — tactics designed to exploit perceived weakness.

But once the match got underway, Mongolia’s pair quietly found a method. They adjusted grips, re-centered their weight and, crucially, leaned on one another’s breathing and counting to cope with mounting pain.

Adiyasuren and Enkh-Orgil began to swap numbers and mental distractions to stay steady: counting became a rhythm that replaced panic.

As minutes stretched, the initial doubts from both rival camps looked increasingly premature.

Türkiye stood long and strong at first, but strain showed in the details. Yasemin’s bicep trembled visibly,

“It was a different kind of pain than I anticipated.”

Recep spoke for the physical toll later,

“There was a sharp muscle spasm in my lower back.”

Those admissions foretold Türkiye’s end; they tapped out at 16 minutes 15 seconds.

Mongolia kept going. At 41 minutes 39 seconds, after disciplined focus and a steady mental strategy, their grip finally failed — and the arena, already aware of the rare length of the stand, erupted in applause.

Putting Mongolia’s time next to what had come before makes it clear that they had set a new record among all six nations.

In the earlier episode where Group A faced the same event, South Korea’s team had stopped at 17:33, Australia — which had effectively already won its match and therefore limited its hold as a formality — recorded roughly 18 minutes, and the Philippines had been out at 9:43.

Mongolia’s 41:39 more than doubles those best efforts, and represents a step-change in what teams must now prepare to endure in Physical: Asia.

The performance carries tactical consequences across the tournament.

Japan — the team that had favored an all-male selection and then suffered a mechanical delay — will have to answer whether their plan actually offered the advantage they assumed when they retake the event.

Türkiye will need to reconsider pacing and pain-management technique, and Mongolia has just made itself the benchmark every nation will measure against.

Beyond raw minutes, the episode underscored the unpredictability of Physical: Asia.

Mongolia’s 41:39 is now the number that will haunt training rooms and strategy meetings across the field.

For viewers and competitors, the message is unmistakable: in Physical: Asia, the limit is rarely what you expect.

Stay tuned for more updates.