- What made you want to enter the Ultimate Gym Athlete?
- What Gym to you belong to?
- Have you ever competed before?
- What part of your training (if any) has greatly improved in the lead up to UGA.
Nicola Davis - Advanced - Date Added - 20th July
 When I found out that UGA was to be held in my hometown I decided I should definitely give it a try.
link4life in Rochdale
This is my first x training event. I regularly compete in events such as 10k runs and half marathons and I also play volleyball. I like to have something to focus my training on. Training for UGA has been a bit different to what I would usually do and my fitness level has benefited from this.
Ive seen most improvement in bench jumps. This is not an exercise I have ever used in my training so it was totally new to me. 6 weeks ago I struggled to do any without having to have a little bounce (or 2) in between each jump!
Jayne Salford - Intermediate - Date added 20th July 2014
 I've never done a competition before and when I heard about UGA challenge being in my home town I thought I'd give it a go. It has given me something to focus on and my fitness level has improved since signing up
Link for Life Rochdale
No, I have never competed before in a Gym X Training Challenge.
I have improved in all area really but in particular my shoulder and bench press, which I have only started doing this year.
Suzanne Fraser - Intermediate - Date entered 15th
 My Husband made me enter!!!!
Link4Life Rochdale
This is my first Cross Training competition,I’m scared!!!!!
Before entering the competition i did 3 to 4 10k runs a week in the gym with a selection of classes whenever possible. Since entering i have cut back on the 10k’s and concentrated on the HIT & Circuit classes as well as having weekly run through with Sarah Finnerty which have seen my times greatly improved. I have been working on pacing myself and correct techniques as a lot of the movements were new to me.
Jamie Fraser - Advanced - Date Added 15th July
 I started competing in Cross Training Competitions in 2007 at Intermediate Level after i was introduced to the sport by the legend that is Andy Lett, I finished second overall for the year but the step up to advanced / open was huge as the weights just took to much out of me to compete. I started working on my strength & endurance and competing in a few outside running and biking competitions. Although i did compete in a few events in 2008 and 2009 ihaven’t really done any cross training until the start of 2014 when Andy Introduced Sarah Finnerty to the Gym Ironman. Both me and Andy got the bug again and have competedin the Ironman, Maxifit and Black Sheep
Link4Life Rochdale
Ive competed in all the Cross training comps this year but i think this coursein particularis well suited to my strengths, it has all the key elements to be both challenging and fast. I love having a comp to work towards to get really specific with my training and see targeted results change from start to finish.Its also nice that the competition is being held at our old gym (Fitness First Rochdale) which was the scene of a few cross training comps over the years.
Since finishing the Black Sheep i haveincreased my running, doing both interval training on the Treadmill and running outside (with Andy Riley). We have also traveled over to Ric Fentons Gym to use the Watt Bikes and continue to do our rowing intervals which are a mixture of 1000m, 500m and 300m as well as 750m practise for the day.
Nicola Ainsworth - Intermediate - Date added 3rd July
 I decided to enter the UGA because firstly I love a challenge and I wanted to test my fitness against others and it also looked fun (to a gym nutter like me). Over the years I have gone from cv bunny to heavy lifting and this is the first time I feel really pleased with my training, incorporating everything, strength, stamina, determination and the right mind set, I love to push myself.
I train at Pure Gym Moston. I also run with Sweatshop Running Community and I have a gym near my parents (Xercise4Less Burnley) for when I visit - I hate the thought of not training!
My only previous competition was in June 2014 when I competed in the X-Training Series, Black Sheep event in Manchester. I plan to enter many more events as I'm now hooked.
I feel I have improved massively in training for this event, my overall fitness is much higher and I have really learnt how to push myself, my PT Paul Burns also keeps me working hard with fortnightly check ins! My rowing has improved a lot and although I still need to perfect my CTF burpees, they are constantly improving. I can't wait until I do the next UGA after this so that I can compare my times, but I may enter the Advanced level next time.
Tom McHugh - Advanced - Date added 3rd July
 What made me is more who made me! Sarah Finnerty she asked me if I fancy doing these comps and if I wanted to train with her and few others because my training was similar to what they did. It's been a hard 8-10 weeks but I couldn't of got to this stage with out being pushed by Sarah and Andy Riley when it got tough on some exercises that I wasn't so good at haha! So I'm hoping I'll get a decent place in the comp.
Link4Life Rochdale
This be my second one. I just completed the Black Sheep that I really enjoyed so I'm hoping with some more training behind me I'll l be able to come in at decent time for this course and for future competitions.
I would say everything I only had 4wks training for the black sheep event so I feel I'm getting better each week,coming into this event I should be OK I hope, also getting very good advise from Jamie Fraser has been a good help aswel
Tracy Davies - Advanced - Date added 26th June
 UGA is a fantastic opportunity to compete in a course that really tests all aspects of "total fitness" . It's also the course that had a record standing since 2007 and I want to attempt to break that record to become the "Ultimate Gym Athlete"
Fitness First - Clapham Junction.
2013 was my first year taking part in the X-Training Series where I took place in 6 events through the year & took top 3 position in each race. This year (as my 2nd year) I came 2nd in x-training Ironman but have since taken 1st place in MaxiFit held in Scotland and 1st place at Black Sheep in Manchester.
The approach to my training and getting the "balance" right has really improved. Dedicating specific time to speed endurance, strength, stamina and isolated speed work has provided the base to great training programmes and brought all the components for the races together. Also now being more aware of how to approach transitions through races has helped massively.
Doug Harrison - Advanced - Date added 26th June
 It's one of my favourite courses with lots of cardio. It was also one of my first events, 3years ago so it will be good to revisit it and see how I compare.
Virgin Active - Canary Wharf
This will be about my 10th X-Training competition I think. Entered the UGA in 2011 but had a back spasm on the run so I had to pull out.
After the Black Sheep I have stepped up the incline running and increased the weights in my strength endurance sets. Other than that, the movements are similar in all X-Training races so the training is similar too.
Kossar Jabeen - Novice - Date added 26th June
 I’ve entered the Ultimate Gym Athlete as recently with the help of friends I have been focusing on goals to increase my fitness levels and working towards a list of challenges. UGA is the next challenge on the list, Plus it's only down the road :-)
Link4Life Rochdale.
So far I have competed in two events from the X-Training Series, Maxifit and Black Sheep.
My cardio ability (treadmill, cycling and row) is increasing, this is helping with all the other exercises involved in this course...
Patrica Budd - Advanced - Date added 24th June
 I’ve been a runner for some years mainly competing at ½ marathon distances. Since joining the Hale Country Club over 2 years ago my training diversified significantly due to the extensive classes offered. In January this year, after a circuits session, a fellow member suggested I enter the X-Training Ironman competition. Impulsively, I entered at the intermediate level. I completed the course in a decent time and as the only female veteran, I won a cup! Although the weights aspect is new and difficult for me I am astonished at how quickly one can improve when training regularly. I have also completed Maxifit in Greenock and look forward to the UGA, which is thankfully, not far from home.
Trisha Budd
Age: 52
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 48kgs
Gym: Hale Country Club & Spa, Cheshire
Kimberley Nugent - Date added - 16th June
 Somethig to aim for and work towards. It has definitely improved my fitness massively. The fact that the competition is in my home town makes me want to take part even more... even if I do fly out to Tenerife the same day!
Link4Life Rochdale.
So far I've competed in the Gym Ironman, Maxifit and Black Sheep (21st June) all part of the X-Training Series.
My running has always been like a brick wall for me but these competitions have pushed me to keep going.
Sarah Finnerty - Advanced - Date added - 16th June
 I wanted to enter ultimate gym athlete because after recently being introduced to x-training by a friend I found it brought focus to my training and because it was extremely challenging and pushed me out of the comfort zone I had been in for many years.
Link4 life. Rochdale
Yes: Gym Iron man advanced (3rd), Maxifit advanced (4th) and the Black sheep this Saturday where I hope to place top
Most definitely the shoulder press, I struggled immensely at first but now find it gets easier week on week
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