Few people who set foot in a gym for the very first time envisage themselves stepping onto a competitive platform of any sort within the foreseeable future.

Remember that the only person you really need to overcome is you- Matthew Muscat Inglott

These days, however, this progression is not at all that strange. The competitive options for fitness enthusiasts might not be immediately apparent, but they are becoming a viable and popular path for the modern gym user.

When you just want to get fitter, stronger and leaner, why concern yourself with the unnecessary bother of comparing yourself to others? Competition certainly isn’t for everyone, but for those who feel a thirst for that special thrill, various sports have arisen over recent years to cater for that very desire.

For fitness enthusiasts who enjoy cardiovascular exercise, it is not uncommon to see progressions to recreational or competitive road running or cycling. For the ultra-brave, triathlon can present the ultimate endurance-based challenge.

For those who love lifting the big weights, some are swept away by the aesthetic dimension, and find themselves exploring the world of figure and physique contests, with bodybuilding the ultimate option for the hardcore muscle-building elite.

For those more motivated by the sheer amount of kilos on the bar, powerlifting is similarly the next logical step.

The closely related sport of Olympic-style weightlifting appeals to the iron-wielding enthusiasts who are prepared to invest that little bit of extra effort into technique and finesse, while strongman competitions similar to those we see at international world strongest man championships represent the final outpost of competitive muscle and might.

But what about the most ambitious of all gym junkies? Such thrill-seekers seek the development of the whole lot: speed, strength, power and endurance. They don’t shy away from any fitness apparatus, techniques or training styles.

For the hardcore fitness elite, a fusion of most of the above was born some years ago, and has been targeted on this very page several times since. Crossfit has crossed most borders in the Western world, including our own, and this year it has crossed yet another non-geographical border.

For the first time, the annually contested ‘Crossfit Games’ have reached new TV-savvy heights. Major networks will be televising this year’s event, which means the sport is being elevated to the kind of status many far older yet less glamorous sports could only dream of.

There are several fitness professionals practising and teaching crossfit in Malta, so stepping into a high profile competitive arena might be easier than ever for local athletes.

With TV exposure in the sports world comes stardom, and with stardom so too can endorsements and small fortunes come pouring in. You can bet your bottom dollar the standard will rocket up over the next few years, so for those hungry heartsout there, now is the time to muscle in.

So what does all this have to do with the rest of us who have no ambition whatsoever to step onto glitzy competition stages? What does all this competitive fitness business have to dowith us?

Well there’s no harm in feeding off the new competitive trends on a private and personal level, and use it to supercharge our own motivation and power us faster than ever towards our goals.

Exercise is ultimately a means for us to compete with and overcome ourselves first and foremost, so why not organise our training in this way? Today we will examine a mini crossfit-inspired competition that pits you against you, and no one else.

Your personal fitness contest can be repeated whenever you feel the need to find out precisely where you are in your journey towards your goals.

Want a real boost to your motivation? Schedule this contest in two weeks and build up to it, record your results and keep them as a benchmark to beat on future occasions. If nothing else this is a great alternative workout that promised to tighten and tone virtually every part of your body, and burn some serious amounts of fat calories.

Here we go: 10 burpees, five pull-ups, 10 mountain climbers, five parallel bar dips, 10 kettlebell swings, 500-metre row on a concept two rowing machine. That’s the sequence, and all you have to do is repeat it twice. Work through it as slow as you want at first, just to get a feel of it with no added pressure.

Take as much rest as you need between exercises or even between individual repetitions if required, and concentrate on getting the movements right.

Next time you give it a go, time yourself and record your result with a view to improving on your next attempt.

Start working on these moves during your regular workouts too and I guarantee your training will greatly benefit since these are some of the most productive and challenging moves you might perform in the gym.

All these exercises are easily found on Youtube, and any gym instructor can quickly demonstrate them in a matter of minutes. They require only basic equipment, no fancy machines required at all.

If you decide to give this a go, send in your results and let me know how it went. Remember that the only person you really need to overcome is you.

info@noble-gym.com