If you ever want to feel completely humbled in your strength and athleticism, I have a suggestion:

Try a Ninja Warrior training studio.

Last month, my sister-in-law and her two boys visited from the Dallas area.  Houston’s hot and humid summer weather dominated the weekend. Our swimming pool resembled a warm bath, and our three agile, energetic teen boys needed entertainment indoors. We ruled out a Fortnite marathon because … well, do I really need to explain?

Enter Iron Sports Gym, aka Ninja Warrior Training.

What is Ninja Warrior Training?

Warrior training is inspired by the hit television show, American Ninja Warrior. It’s for anyone who wants a challenge using only his/her body weight and seemingly simple obstacles utilizing bars, rings, and imbalanced items.

I realized that this could fit the bill for my “one new fitness per month.” I’ve never trained Ninja-style, though I’ve watched the show with cheers and sweaty palms.

Let’s just say I have a whole new appreciation for these competitors.

We arrived during the open gym hours. A handful of birthday parties were taking place but this didn’t prohibit us from enjoying unused space. They had priority but we could move about at our leisure.

The gym was comprehensive, and honestly a little overwhelming. Every inch of space utilized a different obstacle.  

We were told we could “warm up” upstairs, as the obstacles were a little easier. Ummmm, easier to someone who could do more than one AND A HALF pull-ups. (Do not miss that half. I work really hard to raise my body four inches after lifting it fully one whole time.)

Let the humbling begin

Turns out the “grip strength” that America’s Nina Warrior announcers discuss is a real thing.  I tackled a handful of obstacles where my fingers and forearms fatigued before my lats and back muscles.

Kind of like this one:

And this one:

My 13-year old and his 14-year old cousin fared better. They were able to move rings laterally, and perform more feats with nothing but 1” of wood to grip. My 18-year old nephew was a victim of his size. I’m pretty sure this gym was not designed for 6’4” football players. He could “complete” many of the obstacles flat-footed. He tried bending his legs on some of them, but it just wasn’t the same.

For a hot minute, I felt guilty visiting while my older son was out of town getting another dose of Jesus at his second church camp this summer. After seeing my nephew’s height as a disadvantage, decided my 6’3” son would encounter the same problems. It was probably $20 well saved.

More spirit-crushing

Obviously, we all tacked the famous warped wall.

The good news: I made it to the top!

The bad news: It was the mini one for kids.

The full one made me realize I’m more scared of heights than I realized or care to admit. Also, I’m not as nimble as I realize or care to admit.

So what could I do?

I found myself looking for obstacles where I could utilize my leg and balance power. When I found them, I was once again humbled.  I could jump up and get my legs on the spider wall, but pressing myself up proved futile.

We did find one challenge that my older nephew and I were determined to conquer. It was quite simple: just a fire-hose suspended between two anchor points. Easy enough, right?

Not so much.

Quick feet took us from point A to point B easily. However, if we intentionally slowed down, it was one heck of a challenge.

Who can attend?

The gym offers classes for kids and adults. I’d attend a class if the location wasn’t nearly an hour from my house. An instructor would be immensely helpful. If nothing else, they can show better options to those of us who can’t lift our body for more than one AND A HALF reps.

If you’re looking for a birthday idea for your younger children, this is a great fit. Fearless young grasshoppers seem to fare well.

Know before you go

• Wear closed-toed shoes.
• The gym is warm. I noticed the thermostat set on 86. If you plan on attending or even just watching your child, dress accordingly.
• Attend a class if you can. 
• The $20 open gym fee is a full day pass. Honestly, after 90 minutes, we were toast. But if you can eek eight hours out of that $20, then more power to you!

Final thoughts

Just like so many experiences, once you actually immerse yourself in it, you have a different perspective. We all agreed that when we watched the show on television, we felt we could accomplish many of the obstacles.  This proved untrue beyond measure.

However, it gave me a new appreciation for what our bodies can do. God really did create a perfect machine that is able to do so much. I just need to get that machine up the full-sized warped wall next time.

If you’d like to read about some of my more successful experiments this year, check these out:

January – Bounce Fit Club with Kangoo Jumps

February – High-Intensity Pilates

March – Epic 180-mile relay run

April – Pound Fitness

May – Sling Bungee Fitness

June – Orangetheory Fitness