The Ultimate Gym Athlete 2011

Why create the Ultimate Gym Athlete?

For five years WGC has been involved in Gym X Training. In that time I have been inspired by some of the fittest people in the UK by watching and competing in one of the hardest sports ever developed in the gym. It became a passion of mine to not only compete, but also write reports, photograph and try to increase the media's attention to those that take part. The Ultimate Gym Athlete is the culmination of wishing to see the fastest time in one set gym challenge to which anybody in gyms can take part in and see how they compare against the fastest time on the Gym Athlete Leader Board.

What is the difference between Cross Fit and Gym X Training

I have had a few chats with Cross Fit guys (James Bish) from Cross Fit Plymouth and the way it is set up there is based on results and and a method of training that prepares you for any fitness and strength challenge. It becomes a movement that the whole gym is involved in, not just a few, so consequently there is a bonding , which is unlike the mainstream gyms. Gym X Training is not yet at that level in mainstream gyms, but it certainly could be, a gym which supports it's own members in a sport that reflects the collective results of their members and the gym challenges that they compete in, is incredibly exciting.

Mainstream Gyms

Although I cannot speak for an industry, I can speak from experience of gyms that I have belonged to and it isn't really a pretty picture. On the whole very little consideration is given to those that train very hard and get by on getting results. It's not really the gyms fault, as predominately their part of the deal was to supply the equipment and the members part of the deal was to train on it, but unlike Cross Fit, there is no common goal, no source of inspiration, and no events that acknowledge what your training in the gym is all about (Not including Body Building and Strongman gyms) and it is very disappointing. Time and time again, events such as 10'k's 5 k's and triathlon and now adventure runs such as Tough Guy draw hugely from the gym community, when really under the roof of your own gym , is the biggest arena ever to create a sport at the place you train.

What has changed in Gym X Training over the last 5 years.

Not a lot really. And that's been it's biggest problem, more or less the same people doing the same events with the same results. It became a problem, because various sponsors of events such as Stash sportswear clothing, For Goodness Shakes recovery drinks, could not see a growth pattern and both withdrew. World Gym Challenge.com had to take on another strategy to increase exposure, but on a tight marketing and advertising budget this is the hardest challenge of them all. It also needed funding and alienated the organisers of events when charges were put in to an already threadbare revenue source from entry levels. It became very difficult to operate, to travel to events, photograph, write reports, interviews and input results for the competitors, along with adapting the very costly and spiraling, technology changes that World Gym Challenge.com needs to operate in today's market.

What of the future?

On the 19th and 20th of March and for the next two years (including Olympic year) World Gym Challenge will be in search of The Ultimate Gym Athlete at the IFBB Grand Prix and Fitness Expo. In the lead up to this event will be set a number of monthly gym challenges that can be completed at your own gym and filter through to the many thousands of gym members who are not aware of the sport of Gym X Training (GymXTC™ ) Amongst these challenges will be various sports to compete against each other such as football vs rugby , or events that will challenge the fittest Nurse, or Firefighter, all to try and bring a sense of belonging to a gym and create a sport.

What makes Gym X Training a sport (GymXTC™)

Three reasons really:

• TER: The effect of any sport is based on three factors - Training, Event, Results, known by TER.
• Infrastructure: The need to have in place equipment and venues and members.
• Regulation: As long as training in the gym is safe and does not break the law, any gym (in the UK) can operate what is their own USP.

The main reason that GymXTC™ can be considered a sport is that results can be added instantaneously after a race at any gym in the world.

What has World Gym Challenge.com achieved?

If nothing else, Fitness First Fleet currently hold the fittest person in the sport of Gym X Training (GymXTC™) Richard Vint at their gym. This makes the sport challenging and open to anybody to differ the opinion, because annually the chance to compete against the fastest person in the Ultimate Gym Athlete Leader Board is given the opportunity to race; and so we really can say to win this event, you are The Ultimate Gym Athlete - an event created by World Gym Challenge.com for all Gym Athletes worldwide and we look forward to seeing you at this years show on the 19th and 20th March.

World Gym Challenge.com would like to thank JST Nutrition.com, Jordan and Amazon- Leisure for being the first sponsors of:

The Ultimate Gym Athlete.