Brighton Interviews

Claire Boyce - Regular Mum and former Ultra FIT contender makes a welcome return to X Training.

What was the last event you competed in?

The last event I did was the Tropicana and that was over 12 years ago. Just after that event I decided to give myself a bit of a break and basically it just went on a bit too long!

What was the experience of today like compared to before?

It's far more sociable and I'm impressed with how warm everybody is. It's not aggressive in any way and I would say it's turned into more of a sport.

How do you see this sport benefiting gyms?

Training in the gym and putting all that effort now means that you can be recognised for all the hard work you do. It's training for a sport as opposed to training for no particular reasons. I mean most people go to a gym a train for another sport, but X Training is different as you don't train for another sport, but focus in the gym. And there is such variety now, you can train for the Intermediate or the Advanced and it always challenging you, which is good because it maintains your motivation.

How did you find out about today?

I was on a Fitness Weekend and one of the instructor's there was Cassius Frankson (Fit-Brit Winner 2008) and he let me know about it. I didn't know it was still going on and I thought , I'm 40 and lets give this a go, instead of thinking I used to do that.

Have you kept in contact with any of the people that used to compete?

No, not really, it's strange we seem to have all gone of and done our own thing. But coming back here today I recognise some of the faces and obviously some new faces, it just seems strange to be one of them..

How do you feel the sport could develop if it got funding. Because as we all know a sport doesn't develop without funding.

Obviously you need to reach out and let people know about the sport. If I hadn't spoken to Cassius I would never have known it was still going on. A magazine specific to X Training would be good as it would be able to spread the word more and advertise the events and give important information about training. Eventually it would become a sport.

What do you do? Are you in the Fitness Industry?

I'm a full time Mum. I love it. It's the best job.

How have you managed to train being a full time Mum?

I have just been training for enjoyment as you do, but in the last two months I have upped my training as you wouldn't train as hard unless you were training for a competition and it's been trying to catch up on the lost 12 years in two months. It hasn't been easy! You every quickly realise that you haven't been putting yourself into the pain area - you may fool yourself into thinking that you are fit, but there is fit and then there is X Training fit and they are completely different.

What are your thoughts on today? What did you find tough?

The sit ups I knew I was going to find tough - and I did. It was a nightmare area for me. But on the whole it was excellent. There are no sort of surprises on the day, because you have trained for it although in competition it always seems harder for some reason! But I learnt a lot and know what I have to focus on and will get back in the gym and keep training.

Does this mean that we will see more of Claire in upcoming events?

It does! I just can't help but wonder what I would have been like if I hadn't given up of  those 12 years though. I'm looking forward to the next event.

Alex Woods - 2nd Male Open (www.golffit.org)

Well done for today Alex - 2nd overall, you must be pleased.  How did you feel?

It went ok, I was pretty gutted not to win obviously. I probably started off a bit too slow, but felt good all the way through the race, but I knew the shoulder press was going to be hard at the end, so I was pacing myself for that, but didn't quite manage to get it out in one, but Richard (Richard Vint) did really well and it was a great race.

The race started off with the Bike. You were going at a slow hard pace whereas Richard was going all out speed wise. Do you think that had an affect on your performance?

I normally train on Life Fitness bikes on quite a high resistance and I thought I would try the same here. I have never ridden on a Matrix bike, so I wasn't too sure how it was going to go.

Right choice then?

Er ... obviously not (Laughs) Richard got off about ten seconds in front of me.

When you look back to last year and Chris Lord did his 13:59. Did you think you could get close to that?

I thought I could get close to Lordy up until the shoulder press. But when you hit the shoulder's that many and that heavy, it is really only Lordy and Ben Stroud that is capable of doing it one hit. So it's always going to be challenging, especially when it's at the end of a race.

What do you feel about today's event? And about the guys that are coming through the ranks from the Intermediate levels.

Great event and fitness levels are on the up. It's a shame that a few of the top guys have moved on to other stuff, but you get that in sport. But yeah good to see guys developing and coming up from Intermediate. I remember when I first started, I couldn't lift the weights, but had quite good cardio and over the years , because I have stuck at it, my all round fitness has improved. I'm now in my third season of X Training.

What do you do as a living?

I'm a sports ad conditioning coach just for golfers, mainly professional golfers, some of whom are on the European Challenge Tour. Best job in the world, you go to some great places.

Ever put a golfer through a X Training Challenge.

I have used X Training challenges, but obviously not on this level. Some of the guys are a little heavier shall we say and it wouldn't really help them - but they may come down and have a go at the end of the season - who knows?

What are your thoughts on X Training at the moment?

If it's run correctly , with good advertising and marketing for the events. 'A' It would encourage people to travel and compete and 'B' it would make people want to train in the gym and prepare for events. At the moment you have basically two types of 'Gym Athlete', the 'Elite Band of Brothers' who are the top guys and want to beat each other and the Intermediates who turn up just to compete and have a fun day.

A bit like the Marathon?

Yeah exactly, except you don't have to run 26 miles and all your training is in a gym. It's very good way to train and gets results in all round fitness.

How do you see a way to attract funding? Until gyms themselves start supporting the sport it's always going to struggle. Do you see a benefit in gym's supporting the sport?

Any form of X Training is beneficial to anybody who goes to the gym, for their general health, their general fitness, also for their every day life as it gives them additional confidence when you compete.

How do you fee about your final time today?

Having won events in the past, I'm a bit gutted that I didn't win today, but it's a great sense of achievement to complete these challenges for anybody, not just the Elite guys. They are all very challenging courses and all tough in their own right.

Will you be at Gorton?

Ah .. my favourite course Gorton. Yeah I will be there, trying to better my time from last year. The weights are pretty heavy . There is a big difference and you can see lot's of different types of physiques, big guys and smaller framed guys. I struggle a lot on the weights on that event.

What will you do different for Gorton?

I did a half marathon last week, so maybe I didn't train as much for the weights as I should have. But I will try harder on the weights for Gorton.

Thanks Alex

Becky Robert - Ist Intermediate Female

How did you feel about the course and today?

I thought the course was interesting. The weights were quite light and you are going to have people that are better at the heavier weights and maybe not so good on the cardio, it made for a close racing as the times were similar on the weight stations. The atmosphere was great and it was run very, very well. I am really pleased with my performance, for me it's very much a mental game and as long as have a positive attitude and am happy with my results, then it's all been worthwhile.

You have a slight advantage of being engaged to one of the best personal trainers in the UK. Steve Dowse from Definition, Lifestyle and Fitness. How does that help?

Obviously it helps tremendously, but I also have to give credit to Stuart Leng (Organiser of the Gym Ironman) who sent me through a few training programs which have obviously paid off based on today's results.

You are dominating the Ladies Intermediate at the moment. At what point do you make the step to the Advanced?

I need to evaluate at what point I am going to take that step, so I haven't decided yet. I think I will give it to the end of this year, but I am also looking into triathlon at the moment.

X Training and Triathlon do have a certain synergy. A lot of top X Trainers have been involved in triathlon and have left this sport to compete in both Duathlon and Triathlon as there are more rewards and bigger sponsorship deals. If you stayed in the sport what would be your ambition?

Taking it up to the next level and competing against the ladies in the Open. There are some tough competitors there, but it is a very small field as the sport is quite physically demanding and not a lot of people can do it, or have the mental focus to train and such intense levels.

What problems are there in the sport?

The problem we face Sean , is that events have a certain breed of competitor about them, they are prepared to travel and here lies the problem. Not many gym members are willing to travel to events that are over very quickly. There is the expense of traveling , staying over, and entering. But having said that, the results make it very worthwhile.

The WorldGymChallenge website makes it possible for any of these challenges to be competed at your own gym without the need to travel anywhere - Do you think that is a positive move to increase participation in the sport?

Yes definitely. I have a new gym where I work and have informed them about WGC, and personal trainers there and members are already trying it and enjoying its variety to training. I really like the website and its coverage of events and results.

And its also run by the most handsome and charming Gym Athlete? (laughs)

Absolutely (laughs back, a little too convincingly..lol) .. !

Hey Becky, well done for today and good luck in Gorton if you take part.

Becky Nicholas - Winner Female Open

Well done for today and your race with Kelly (Friel) give me your views on it.

Today has gone really well for me and really good for the sport. The race with Kelly I knew was always going to be very close, so I came here with a game plan knowing that her shoulders would be better then mine and stuck to it, which is what you must do in X Training, stick to your plan, don't race the person - and it worked today. We both pushed each other to the limit which made for a really good race.

Close races like that are what makes X Training really enjoyable to watch. The question is what happens next year? You are both winners by about 20 seconds. How will you develop a plan for next year?

Without a doubt I have to increase my strength. Every time I hit the shoulder press - especially if its the last event. I know I can do well in a race up until then and let myself down slightly on the shoulders. I mean today I was nearly one minute ahead of Kelly on the row, but after the shoulders only won by 25 seconds. So I am going to concentrate on shoulders and row.

Tell me about Calso Gym in Kent ?

We actually brought eight people here today, four of which were female and new to X Training. A lot of our classes have X Training themes to it, to try and give people the confidence to enter events and competitions. The club train a lot for X training Challenges but to actually enter events is quite a step up and quite nerve racking. But the four new people here today from Calso really enjoyed it and fingers crossed they will tell their friends and promote it to other people.

Gaining confidence is something that can be gained by entering events. I have spoken to many people who watch events and say, I could do that - but don't. I think mainly because they lack they confidence. Do you think gyms could embrace these challenge as a confidence booster to it's member's?

They could, but not many gyms concentrate on the weight and cardio mix of training. They either encourage cardio or weights and don't combine them, which is necessary to train for X Training. Until you start training that way , its a completely different thing, especially if you try to enter an event and haven't trained properly, then you will fail and more then likely not return for another attempt. Also there is this myth that by training with weights for women will build up their muscles and make them bulky, which just isn't true in X Training. If you look at women who X Train, they are very slender in build more toned and have great figures.

What would you like to see in X training over the next few years?

More funding coming into the sport .I think that is why they don't compete, they are unsure of judging and events. But today, I thought it was spot on, very good. The main aspect is to get more women involved. We need to educate people about the advantages of X Training, how it can benefit your health and all round fitness and getting more advertising about events.

Thanks Becky and well done for today.

Calso Gym is in the heart of Kent (Bromley) and run by husband and wife (Gary and Becky) who specialise in X Training. For further details contact Gary Nicholas at Calso Health and Fitness Club

Richard Vint - Winner of the Brighton X Training Gym Fitness Challenge.

In the small time i have been involved in X Training, I have met some incredible Gym Athletes - I marvel at what the human body can endure. But there is a special breed in X Training - quietly confident and a total inspiration to those around them. They may not be the very best - but they are the very unique and very inspirational - Richard Vint is very much one of the best discoveries for the sport and the UKGCA met Richard and found out his views on X Training.

Richard, well done for today. Especially the last race as it was a real crowd pleaser. Give me views on today.

It went well all round really. I found it quite difficult adjusting to the new equipment and Matrix bike and I know Alex and what he is capable of, so I went out hard, which in hindsight is probably one of the reasons I suffered quite a lot at the end. It was very hard race, but that's the way I like it.

It was again Cassius who brought you into X Training at Fit Brit. How do you see the variations in the many challenges that are out there?

Each one is different in that it tests you in different ways. Certain people are suited to different courses and I suffer badly on the lactic build up on the strength stations. I have done a few races since Fit Brit and the WGC events bring out a lot more lactic in the strength areas,whereas Fit Brit is definitely more cardio based. The tougher events make me want to be sick more!

Is that an enjoyable sick if there is such a thing? (laughs)

Yes, if there is such a thing of which I doubt !(laughs)

There is an event in Dubai called the Ultimate X Training Challenge possibly in October or November, organised by Gary Meluhish of Fitness First. Would traveling that far interest you to compete against a international field?

Definitely, it's good to meet different people and see where there strengths are and to mix it up. Being abroad is finding a larger audience for the sport and will benefit it too long term.

You are a Police Officer - How do you find the time to train? Not only recreational training but to reach the level of fitness you are at?

It is a problem, you can work 16 hour days and be back to work working another 16 hour day for four or five days where you don't really get the chance to train and if you do, you may it just a quick run or something like that. So it is hard, but I always find the time somehow and I use the time that I have got to train effectively.

Lordy's (13:59) time of last year must have been in your mind before you began the race, did you think before hand you may be in with a chance to break it?

It was yeah. I had aimed to try and pip him on that, but unfortunately was unable to. I think perhaps I did try a little too hard in an attempt to break the record, but will have to wait until next time.

With X Training there is a certain type of fitness. I mean you can be a good runner, a good cyclist, a good rower, but when you start throwing in weights in becomes a little different. Are the top Gym Athletes getting the credit they deserve?

People do have their strengths,in either running or cycling naturally, but it becomes very difficult when you start throwing in weights; to have the strength to perform  as well, it becomes very different. The Royal Marines for instance mix up their training quite a lot with a lot of circuit classes. It's difficult to get someone in a gym to understand the difficulties of cv, strength endurance, lactic tolerance and to put all those together and become a really good Gym Athlete is very difficult , but that's the challenge.

The very best elite football players and rugby players have the best money can buy in terms of coaching, nutrition, physiotherapy and basic sports management. They have the best that their club can afford. But 'Gym Athletes' have to perform under their normal 9-5 jobs and what nutrition they can afford , they are normal working men and women. Would it be beneficial for a club to support them in any way?

Yes , Gym Athletes do not get the recognition that other sports men and women get. I think primarily this is down to the fact other sports get more funding and are more spectator friendly and possibly being a gym sport it has received hardly any media coverage so there is not that many people willing to invest and people haven't got the awareness of it, whereas in other sports, say athletics and you get on to the gold scheme, you get physio and help to deal with injuries and huge discounts in gym membership. Whereas 'Gym Athletes' are basically on their own but train equally as hard in some case to perform.

To a degree X Training is very much an achievement sport. You start a challenge and end a challenge that has pushed you every step of the way. Unless you have taken a challenge on it's very hard to sense that achievement as on paper it looks fairly easy and you don't appreciate the level of fitness that is needed. How would you try and encourage more people to try this sport and turn it in into a 'Do Sport?'

It's true people don't understand how hard it is. It's far easier to watch and not really appreciate what it takes to compete and how hard it is to do it. The challenge is getting people that are willing to put themselves through that kind of pain and most gym members go to train for their own reasons, so it's hard to find that certain someone in a gym to experience what we go through and try it for themselves.

Thanks Richard and well done for today

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