The Monthly Gym Challenge
Sean Blyth
Why create the monthly gym challenge ?
The web site worldgymchallenge.com was built as a results service to gyms and personal trainers, the essence and cornerstone of any gym. However, through many years of experience in gyms I noticed that the gyms I had trained at did not offer a results service, where either the gym or the members of gym had a chance to shine and perform in a gym environment, sure, they played football, they swam, the rode bikes - they did a lot outside of a gym - but inside not a lot? Maybe they had the odd challenge published in a internal list of some sort, or some fancy software, but real results that you or I could see, no. Do you think you have achieved anything by being the best in your gym? You have to look outside the bubble and challenge nationally or even worldwide to say that you have really achieved anything at all - that is why we have the Olympics!
I have still yet to see a gym with a comprehensive trophy cabinet of members who had achieved results in gym challenges that have been laid down by the gym, in fact I would ask any member to contact WGC with information about how as an individual you have been received recognition for what you have achieved in fitness challenge at your gym. With 5000 gyms in the UK alone, surely there must be one gym that awards something to its members on an annual basis? The monthly gym challenge changes this and this is why it has been created - to show what members of WGC are achieving.
The Fitness Industry
Last year, I had a meeting with David Stalker, the Executive Director of the FIA (Fitness Industry Association) to try and instigate the UK's fittest gym. A series of gym challenges , that by knockout process would eliminate gyms, to provide a grand final in LIW week and find the UK's fittest gym, because their current FLAME project does not incorporate members achievements, so I thought this to be a good idea. The presentation went well, but was under scrutiny for its presentation - and there was a slight misunderstanding, whether I was there to present what World Gym Challenge can actually do for gyms or what the UK Fittest Gym was all about. Anyway it was concluded that there is a need for gyms to become more involved in setting challenges for their members, and getting results and I had achieved and set out what I had intended to do - get the FIA thinking about Gym Challenges.
Personal Trainers and Getting Results
A personal trainer rents (generally) the use of a gym so that clients (gym members) can use the equipment from the gym to train under guided supervision and create income for personal trainers. It is the responsibility of the personal trainer to get results for their clients and this is where WGC takes it stance. If it's weight loss (the golden bond) that gym members are after, then as well as gyms there are some very good Weight Loss activities and clubs that are available to members and WGC wishes those initiatives well. But if its fitness, becoming stronger leaner and having results to prove it , that is where WGC stands up.
Is it free register as a personal trainer or gym?
Yes. As recognition to try and become a sport in its own right the ability to create gym challenges has identified its own name (GymXTC™ ) Gym X Training Challenge. A series of gym challenges that incorporate different equipment and different muscle groups in a fitness challenge that has the ability for results to be recorded on a central worldwide database. Each challenge takes no more then one hour to complete and a personal folder is provided to any member of WGC to record results in.
What do I have to do to publish my clients results
You can contact WGC direct at info@worldgymchallenge.com and register as a personal trainer. WGC will then contact your gym and confirm that you are a personal trainer there. Once confirmation is received either by phone or email, you will be entered into the system and have the ability to publish and authenticate results for the monthly gym challenges.
What is the standard charge for a gym challenge?
Including booking fee all the charges for entry to gym challenges are listed on the events pages booked through Active Network. Results are published on our Leader Boards and visible to everyone, otherwise results for gym challenges are published so only your gym can see the results and that is free. Personal trainers are expected to charge a fee from their client to boost their income by placing results into leader boards - that may take the form of a one off payment - a discounted payment for a number of days booked - or a single gym challenge day to verify and authenticate results so that their client can be published into result tables.
What are the current challenges ?
Where do results get published?
Unique Gym Challenge Days (UGCD) are recorded in our Results tables, which means that any challenge can be completed on any day of the year and added into the results tables at a later time.
In some cases the event may be split into three parts during any one year to show if you have improved in your fitness levels.
Just check the Results yellow tab and search the date the event was first placed. Only registered personal trainers with WGC priviliges can authnticate results.
What if I use different equipment to another gym, will that affect my results?
No, any gym challenge that is set (apart from the World Gym Challenge which uses Life Fitness) is set in category's that use the same equipment. Your challenge and results will reflect standard gym equipment that is supplied to the fitness industry.
Are results true? What happens if my personal trainer lies about my results?
Let's not get too carried away here, monthly challenges do not award prizes. WGC will focus on personal trainers who have had results published in leader boards and maybe about the client who achieved them, but there are no prizes - just motivation to train - why lie about your clients results? Besides, if your client likes gym challenges, he or she may chose to enter a national competition and then who will look really silly?
The WorldGymChallenge.
The fittest people in gyms are 'Gym Athletes' and they have the results to prove it! They will challenge anybody in a sport specific genre to a fitness challenge to show ultimately who is the fittest in a gym enviroment. It is how the Royal Marines find their fittest Royal Marine. A series of gym challenges and the quickest time wins.
Click on the link and edit your profile after you have signed in with your password just to see how good you are in your chosen field.
There are endless gym challenges emerging in the market today - they are appearing in different formats almost daily - but there can only ever be one WorldGymChallenge, because we were the first to publish a comprehensive league table that saw just what members of gyms are achieveing fitness wise in a gym enviroment.
If you wish to have a measure of fitness that is comparable against anybody in the world - then this is what you do - ask your gym to set up the WorldGymChallenge at your gym. Do it and get your result time in the level of fitness that is appropriate to you and work on improving that time - all of your results will be recorded and displayed on line specific to your gym or on our leader boards. You will get fitter if you keep at it - keeping you at the gym, which is good for retention - keeping your personal trainers active - which is good for results - which is good for motivation, which is good for you, good for your health, which is very good for the government to see more people, more active, more often - which is what the FIA and WorldGymChallenge.com are trying to achieve.
Remember be safe in all the training you do and if in any doubt seek the help of a a fitness professional or you seek medical advice. Good luck in any gym challenge you compete in.
Sean Blyth
Managing Director
WorldGymChallenge.com Ltd
