The Brighton Nut Cracker X Training Gym Fitness Challenge.

Brighton's history is steeped in famous clashes of one sort or another. Whether it's George IV spending lavishly on the Brighton (Royal) Pavilion or whether it's the mod's and the rockers fighting on the beaches (this is not quite what Churchill had in mind) Brighton it can be said, has always had it's moments and for those of us who were at Coral Health and Fitness Club on Saturday for the second event in the UK Gym Fitness Challenge Series of 2010 we witnessed a few clashes ourselves - this time , Gym Athletes showing just what they can achieve in a gym environment in terms of pure 'gym - fitness'.

The Nut Cracker

Jamie Spencer had spent the best part of five weeks preparing for this day. Organising an event to this degree is never easy, without investment and funding and no support from the gym industry - these events run for the love of the sport and members of gyms travel down from as far as Edinburgh (Alex Woods) to compete. Constant phone calls daily between UKGCA and Jamie made sure that at every step of the way the event on the day went to plan and on schedule, with much of the pre advertising and very successful online booking feature making it far easier to enter events. Mark Drury (Fitness First Luton) came along to be the voice of X Training for the day and make sure races were on time , marshaled and judged to the highest standard, often imposing his very tough stance on correct technique and form to ensure fair racing for all.

Thought of the Day

So what of the races themselves? As a blanket comment "A really enjoyable day, full of close races and breathtaking performances (literally!) with the guys and girls performing to standards in the fitness industry which make them in a league of their own."

New to X Training ?

We had a few new first timers on the scene - Louise Head competing from the (Marlow Club Bucks) who had flown in on  friday long haul as her job as Air Hostess and seen her just a few days earlier in the Caribbean and Britain's top X Training Independent Gym ,Calso, in Bromley Kent, bringing along a team of eight to compete and more importantly and crucial to seeing the sport develop - six of those were female.

Returning to X Training is a brave step - many people try it , like it, but do not return and to a degree this has always been a problem with the sport - there was only one competitor from Coral Health and Fitness taking part - despite many of the personal trainers web site profiles saying we will get you fit , motivate and inspire you and last year quite a healthy entry level - but not one entered this year. Maybe it was the £15.00 entry fee - maybe it's the thought of not having the confidence to perform in front of a crowd - basically maybe a lot of things, but of all the certainties there are about X Training - results in fitness are guaranteed and it is results that improve your fitness. It should be said however that we are grateful to Coral Health and Fitness for providing the venue for this year's event.

One guy who did return was William McKeever (LA Fitness) who I had the pleasure of racing. Bill had entered first time at Camberley and had expressed an interest to compete again and he did. It was great to race Bill - we had a neck and neck race most of the way which meant that he went on to win in the final station of the shoulder press, having built up a modest lead at the Bike and holding onto it, he shared a sense of victory by not only winning, but by training for a reason and he now had a sense of achievement too. This is where the beauty of EFR (Equal Fitness Racing) kicks in - finding that somebody who has a similar fitness to race and this is what makes the sport so exciting when close matches are made. Well done to Bill - a gentleman and a pleasure to have in the X Training scene.

Another first timer to X Training was James Harrsion who looked frighteningly like a body double for Bruce Willis and it's fitting that Die Hard plays a pivotal role in describing Jim's performance , gritty and determined just like Detective John Mclean. Jim was disappointed with his final time, but he needn't have been. Having competed in Fit Brit Final last year and wanting to push himself that little bit extra Jim had had a brief exchange of words with Organiser of Brighton at Fit Brit and had decided to enter The Brighton X Training Challenge to see what a real X Training Challenge entails, with splits, judges, marshals and a group of established gym athletes. It was an eye opener and I think we will see a lot more of Jim over the next few months.

An inspiration to us all

Steve Dowse (Definition Lifestyle and Fitness) returned to X Training after a previous absence prior to last year's event at Brighton, he said then, that he aimed to be back in the sport and his presence here today oozed confidence. Last year he was drawn to race against Toughguy winner Vitto Graffingio and was hanging in the race throughout and chasing a ever increasing lead being built up by Vitto. Move on one year and it's a far more different story - Steve is back - a few training sessions with Stuart Leng (Organiser of the Gym Ironman) before hand and a ton load of focus and we have a reinvented Steve Dowse, a motivational speaker and fitness specialist and one that is more determined then ever to succeed in a very tough field of Elite Gym Athletes. A brilliant performance and a well deserved third place.

Best race of the day for the male was always going to be difficult. Best race is not about winning but about defining the spirit in which it takes to compete in a  Gym X Training Challenge (GymXTC™) and there were so many that deserved to win this prize - but ultimately there can be only one and for the male this fell on Anthony Wright (DW Sports Luton) a Gym Athlete who has been plagued with injury for the last two years but really came back fighting today. Close friend Simon Bellinger said to me " Anthony is like this in the gym every time he trains, he always gives it 100%" And as the crowd urged him on in his final stages of the shoulder press and with only four to go, each raise was met with a massive cheer from the crowd, so much so that Mark Drury who was waiting to start the next race almost had four false starts - one of the loudest applause's ever witnessed greeted his last shoulder press and DW Sports in Luton should look on and be very proud of one of their members today - the UKGCA is and he thoroughly deserved Best Race.

The Ladies

Becky Roberts won best female Race and also the Intermediate race and a full on interview will follow.

Becky Nicholas (Calso Gym ) had a very firm training plan in mind to take on close friend and rival Kelly Friel (Hampshire Esporta) and a twenty second differential from last year's encounter would take some very positive mental attitude to stick to it and win. Becky believed as long as she didn't panic at any stage - it may just be possible to take victory this year title (A full interview will follow). In the end she did win and it was a great battle of different styles and techniques to see who would come out on top with almost a reverse of last years events with Kelly being pipped by twenty seconds.

When it comes down to it - its just all about 'Gym - Fitness'

Do Fitness First realise the standard of fitness of some of their members? I'm not too sure they do. Richard Vint (Fitness First Fleet) came onto the X Training scene after being introduced to it by Cassius Frankson (2008 winner of Fit Brit - Richard was runner up). Since then he has proved himself to be up there with the very best Gym Athletes in the country and today it was really very possible that either Alex Woods or Richard Vint may just have a stab at Chris Lords' record of 13:59 set in 2009.

Alex and Richard had different styles on the bike, with Richard having flat out speed attempt and Alex attempting a slow high cadence approach, but it was Richard getting off the bike first with the fastest bike of the day. It was a valiant effort by Alex to keep up with Richard and with any other person to race against would have been a first place finisher and not trailing (he did end up second overall!) but the thoughts were very firmly on if Lordy's record could be broken as each station was completed at a blistering pace. Someone shouted 13 min's when he hit the shoulders at the last station- was it possible? Richard pushed out the first twenty in one hit and time was edging close - another burst and he may just do it, but just when you thought it was on, that lactic kicked in and unable to knock the shoulders out in one more effort Lordy held on to his record. But still - what a performance and what a race.

                    Richard Vint                                                                Alex Woods

More ...

More interviews will be published during the week and possibly published on You Tube too depending on TV publishing abroad - so keep posted on the Latest News where updates to Gym Athlete of the Year and Gym Eagle of the year will follow shortly.

Closing Note

A closing note will say that this event had all the hallmarks of what is good about the fitness industry - it hammers home just what is possible in terms of fitness and what members can achieve given the chance to perform. It is just such a shame that as an industry it turns it back on its fittest members - a bit like the Amateur Swimming Association saying so what - you can swim!

It may be that a well known magazine that used to run fitness events may come back to run them again - it may be that the FIA take a closer look at events , or it may be that WGC sticks to its plans of constantly reporting and promoting the fittest gym members until somebody in the fitness industry says " You know what, right under our very feet we have incredible 'Gym Athletes' and we should nurture this to gain valuable information on training, seek funding and start supporting those that train hardest in a gym and stop putting up barriers to prevent them"

And finally

Thank you to all the competitors who turned up on the day - without you there would be no sport and no event. To all the judges, Nicky who always helps out, to Farouk Vawda, Mike Jones , Craig Horsfield, Mark Drury and all the time keepers. To Sammy on reception, to Gemma for the admin and support. To my son Luke who entered all the results. To everybody who came along to support and finally to Gym Athlete of the Year 2009 Jamie Spencer who put on another outstanding event.

It seems almost certain that the Brighton Nut Cracker will not return in its current format for next year - but Jamie's head is working on something and hopefully another Matrix lead gym will open its doors to the best gym athletes in the UK and show support for what can only be described as the Ultimate Fitness Challenge - in any sport, X Training.

The next event is the Gorton Grueller on the 22nd May at Gorton - Manchester - Fitness First

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