A CRASH COURSE IN HIGH-FLYING GAINS

Switch up your training and join Ultimate Ninja UK for all the benefits of calisthenics and parkour in one workout. Leap into action

Can any fitness pursuit aligned with a TV programme fronted in part by Chris Kamara ever be taken seriously? Or one with the word “ninja” in it? Remove the foam fingers and family-friendly banter of Ninja Warrior UK, and we believe it can. You just need to head to an industrial park in Essex.

Ultimate Ninja UK is the only place in the country where you can test yourself with the ITV show’s warped wall and quintuple steps. But these are more than gimmicks: this gym is at the cutting edge of calisthenics. All the marshals are qualified course instructors; they also have parkour certifications and are level-three PTS. The obstacles here can therefore be used to chase down whatever form of athleticism you desire, be it the functional strength of bodyweight training, the movement of parkour or a rough-and-tumble career in obstacle-course racing.

Still have your doubts? The army doesn’t. Soldiers from the local barracks decamp here for their physical training. The workouts are infinitely scalable, too. “We have everyone through our doors,” says owner Sean Doyland. “There are open sessions that allow disabled athletes to test themselves out of their wheelchairs. Olly Murs is also a regular – he completed the warped wall for the first time just last week.”

The kit updates regularly, and the TV show’s finalists are often on hand with advice as they prepare for their on-screen runs. Ultimate Ninja UK is your latest route to jumping up and over a plateau in gains or motivation. Hit a wall? You’ll crash right through it.

THE BEST GYMS IN THE WORLD CARGO FOR IT “Be brave,” says gym member and Ninja Warrior UK contestant Billy Smith. “The cargo net is slack, so unless you propel yourself far enough to grab on, you’ll slip off and can get some nasty scrapes.” So, jump off the trampoline at speed. TAKE FLIGHT Before you can backflip onto the crash mat, you need to conquer the 4m warped wall. According to Smith, success there is about more than speed. “You need power in your calves,” he says. “Hold two heavy weights and lift up onto your toes for sets of 10.”

AIM HIGHER If you want to speed across the slack line, rather than tumble off it, don’t look down. “Looking at your feet will make you slow and unsteady, because you’ll overthink it,” says Smith. “Lift up your line of sight and focus on the end platform.” Then go for it. HELPING HAND To ensure you don’t end up hanging between the swinging rings, you need to create your own momentum. “Contract your biceps and pull back your rear arm,” says Smith. “That will create a backswing.” When you let go, your weight will propel you forward to the next hold. THE CLINCHER Pull-up-ready back strength will help on the salmon ladder, but that’s only half of the story. “Your fingers and forearms always fatigue first, because they’re not used to it,” says Smith. Practise dead-hanging from a door frame at home to play catch-up.