Newsletter September/October 2009

The Ultimate Gym Athlete - 26th September 2009 - Fitness First Chatham Kent

In this issue :

The Right Stuff

Interview with winner Steve Dowse

Interview with female winner Penny B

Interview with most improved Gym Athlete Lloyd Millichap

First Time to X Training ?

Let's Chat

Gym Based Sports

The RBR

The 5% ers

Dear Member,

The first ever 'UK's Ultimate Gym Athlete Gym Fitness Competition' took place at Fitness First Chatham Kent on the 26th September 2009. This event is the annual spectacle of the World Gym Challenge web site, where the Official Course Record  (OCR) is set annually.

My thanks go to Fitness First Chatham (Kent) and especially Simone who has been very supportive throughout. To Naeem for the photography which shall shortly be put onto Facebook. To, For Goodness Shakes who supplied the much needed recovery drinks, to all the time keepers and judges and to everybody who turned up and supported this event.

The UK's Ultimate Gym Athlete will return again next year for the Official Course Records (OCR) to be broken.

Click Here to see the Ultimate Gym Athlete story board.

Sean Blyth

Orgainser and creator of the Ultimate Gym Athlete Fitness Challenge

The Right Stuff

OK lets mix this event up a bit - lets have the best guys racing first, let's have the girls racing the guys, lets have the last race with a Intermediate who has just turned 18 and racing his first Open event, lets have a race where all your friends and family can concentrate on watching you race, where judges are pushing you onwards and where the atmosphere is created by those that love to train in a gym and then lets just take a look at X Training and see what happens.

Competitors from Gym's that have the 'right stuff' came down from all over the UK to compete in an atmosphere which can be described as 'chilled heat' something where the focus, motivation and achievement of any who enter have the satisfaction that knowing on this day, they competed against the best 'Gym Athletes' in the UK and achieved a result in a gym challenge that can be described as the hardest in the world, that is why it is the World Gym Challenge.

An Interview with the winner Steve Dowse

The first ever winner of the 'Ultimate Gym Athlete' was Steve Dowse. A personal trainer who has his own gym studio and fitness company Definitions Lifestyle and Fitness. Steve has competed in X Training for a number of years, but recently took a break to concentrate on other fitness related avenues. As is the case with most 'Gym Athletes' the draw back is never far from you and Steve spoke to the UK GCA about his this event and other issues.

Penny B - Winner of the Female Ultimate Gym Athlete.

Having won the Dale Destroyer and always being there or there about, Penny did her self proud today with the fastest ever run she has ever done. Although the only female entry, we will take on board that Penny is not a professional athlete and two, any female could have challenged her - but chose not to and this is what makes Penny a very worthy champion.

An interview with Lloyd Millichap

Pushing clients into X Training was never the intention of Lloyd Milichap, however those that have chosen this sport and stuck to the plan are witnessing some incredible results in their fitness levels. Not only that, but Lloyd is living proof that when you train in the gym and you keep your focus and motivation, you get the results you are after ... more

First Time to a X Training Challenge.

A quick chat with Paul Spelling from Apples Gym in Ilford in how his first event went and what he thought of the sport, his involvement in sport and being a personal trainer and gym owner.

Let's chat to those that were there

Have you ever wondered what it's like to compete in a X training Challenge - why people do it, what motivates them, inspires them ? Well have a look at what some of the people who took part on Saturday thought about the sport and the event.

Mark Drury - Personal Trainer Luton Fitness First

"... the atmosphere was good, people support each other and that’s half the battle in x training, positive not negative" ... more

Simon Bellinger - Gym Member DW Luton

... "It's given me the incentitive to train harder for next time" ... more

Jamie Spencer .... Gym Member Corals Health and Fitness Club Brighton

"I would like to see it go national and global scale - get more people in and more publicity" ... more

Craig Horsfield ... Gym Member Gorton Fitness First

"Great atmosphere, really good people" ... more

Gym Based Sports

How do I get my results published in the Leader Boards?

The next event for the UK GCA

There are two events planned.

RBR .. RBR .. RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR... RBR..

The RBR - Run Bike Row, is the Fitness Challenge for everybody who goes to the gym. You can do it for free at your local gym or raise money for charity in the process. This year the chosen charity for the UK GCA is Sport Relief and the RBR will commence by the end of October- just check your personal folders and begin entering your times - the idea is you do it now for free - then come March 19th - March 21st or the week leading up to that - your gym and your personal trainers establish a  charity event for everyone - The RBR - Run Bike Row.

Your gym event for Sport Relief? The RBR - It's the Run, Bike Row don't you know! Details to follow ...

The second is in a planned stage at the moment. It will happen in mid November, just after Fit Brit. The new concept behind its thinking is that Gym's have the members for this sport but it is ludicrous that you have to travel far to enter events - how about this? Your chain challenges members from the same area ? Hey , it's almost so simple it's silly and to add just a bit of flavour to the suggestion. Did you know the quietest time for a gym studio is the weekend? What better time to hold a gym challenge?

A very special thank you to Jill my beautiful and wonderful partner who constantly has to put up with the forever changing attitudes and the building blocks of a new Gym Sport - Jill's support and devotion keeps the flames alive the fire burning and I will be forever grateful .

'The 5% ers'

The first ever UK's Ultimate Gym Athlete Gym Fitness Challenge was a resounding success. Why ? Because this event is totally focused 100% in a gym environment - but only '5 % ers' (The Five Percent'ers) will compete . These are your 'Gym Athletes', those that are versatile in utilizing the gym to get maximum performance for the environment they train in. They are also some of the most loyal member's to any gym.

We are not saying we are fitter then Tri athletes - we are not saying we are fitter then say boxers, or rugby players or tennis players - what we are saying is that only roughly 5% of any gym, including personal trainers will acquire the drive , focus and motivation to become 'Gym Athletes' The remainder are 'Gym Users'  and do not compete in the sport of X Training.

A 'Gym Athlete' will challenge another from another gym to see who on the day is the fittest in the sport of X Training a Gym Based Sport first developed by Ultra - Fit magazine and now adapted to a world wide gym fitness challenge.

You will notice as you read through this News Letter that the numbers for the first ever UK's Ultimate Gym Athlete numbered quite low-  a disappointing first year - but only the beginning , the year begins now to start training for next year's event and any gym in the UK can have a database for their gym to try and find their Gym Champion to represent their gym.in a fitness competition that has the entire infrastructure to develop.

The UK GCA will continue to seek out these gyms and promote them and their members and for this first year out of the 5000 gyms in the UK only a handful of gyms have 'the right stuff'. It would be the UK GCA pleasure to welcome more gyms into the sport of X Training and see 'Captains' of fitness promote the challenge amongst local teams - but this sport will not compromise on it's integrity to promote the fittest gyms in the UK - Gym's like Gorton Fitness First lead by personal trainer Mike Jones and Fitness First Camberley lead by personal trianer Lloyd Millichap and the inspirational Fitness First Rochdale that has a number of its members competing in Fit Brit this year. These are the type of gyms that the UK GCA are seeking and wanting to promote their fittest members.

Good luck to you all in any Gym Challenge you enter

Health and Happiness to you all

Sean Blyth

World Gym Challenge.com