Yes!

Back at the start f the century I was approached by Zest Magazine to write and host their national fitness competitions, something that I did for a few years.

The competition prize each year was a car and they wanted to make sure that men and women could compete against each other equally.

A few factors need to be taken in to consideration though.

Size - lb for lb men are stronger simply because we generally have less fat.  Take fat out of the equation and the playing field is even.  However, boys are generally bigger than girls and therefore have more potential for strength.

Therefore, we took accurate body fat measurements and the strength section was a percentage of lean body mass.

The endurance and conditioning events were also adjusted to factor in size and lean mass.

In all of the experiments and trials we ran prior to the actual event there was a clear winner.  

A girl, more accurately, a supergirl - Claire Murphy, some of you will know her.

Part of my team at the time, she trained ridiculously hard across all disciplines because she loved it.

In my meetings at Zest head office I was confident that it was an even playing field.  That boys and girls could compete against each other in the format equally.

On the day of the first competition, a man won.  The girls hadn't really put as much effort in to training for the event.  The boys had gone specific.  By the way, Claire had already beaten the boys scores in trials; unfortunately as all of these things dictate, as part of my team she was excluded from the day.

The following year, I wrote a training plan for the competitors.  We held heats across the country to get the elite ready for the main event.

On the competition day, one of the girls was ahead.  She'd taken the training seriously and was in immense condition.  Unfortunately following lunch she felt a bit off and that scuppered her victory.

Again Claire's score would have won her a car, sorry Claire ;)

The difference in the second year was mindset.

The girls who made it through to the final were classed by their friends as machines; much like our own Sam Batty.

They put their minds to achieving a goal and went for it.  Much like Claire Miller who won the Special Forces Hell Week programme.

All humans have the potential to be 'machines', they just have to find the reason why they want to be and work towards it.

Everybody has the potential to be ridiculously fit they just have to want to and be prepared to put the effort in.

If you're ready to take steps towards improving your health, fitness or want to be classed as a machine, we can help.

Darren 'girls rock' Checkley