IFBB Fitness Challenge at Mbombela’s True Body Transformation Classic the first of its kind in South Africa

True Body Transformation (TBTF), in partnership with Gentle Giants Promotions and headline sponsor Divergent Ops, held the second consecutive TBTF Classic at the Communio Church in Mbombela on Saturday April 22.

This prestigious bodybuilding, fitness and transformation showcase event was International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) and Bodybuilding South Africa (BBSA) -sanctioned. and an Arnold Africa Classic qualifier event.

The IFBB and BBSA are proud members of South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, making this collaboration an official platform for sport and fitness development.

The TBTF Classic was an event created for both the developing athlete/competitor as well as the advanced athletes in all of the categories under the IFBB, including the IFBB fitness challenge. The event also featured the very popular TBTF warrior transformation showcase for athletes who have engaged in the health and fitness world as part of a body transformation. The event offered these enthusiasts the opportunity and additional motivation to showcase their hard work and results. It was incredible to see the impact such a challenge has on the lives of ordinary people striving to make themselves better.

The annual event will be transformed into the TBTF Multi Activation (Sports) event as from 2023, with an exciting line-up of multiple sporting activations, including bodybuilding, fitness challenges, arm wrestling, face slapping and others.

The Classic was sponsored by Divergent Ops, Plato Coffee, Muscle Mecca, My Go Lean, Stricker Energy Dinks, Mockana Trading, Almost Zero, Fancy Pants, Pumba Wild Life Park and SRRS Security.

It was the first event – the all-new exciting IFBB Fitness Challenge was launched in South Africa this year. This new division to the IFBB is a groundbreaking introduction to the dynamic suite of categories making up the federation’s portfolio.

The IFBB Fitness Challenge is an exciting new fitness development and competitive opportunity for young and old alike. This versatile challenge allows for individuals, couples and six-person teams, mixed or same sex, to compete in a number of dynamic categories – gold, silver, bronze, speed challenge, as well as the children’s challenge.

Challenges were made up of a circuit of six select exercises to be completed in a two-minute timespan, with a two-minute rest between each exercise. The exercises differed for each category, making bronze easier than gold. This new division was unique in the sense it allowed young children to get involved as early as at age six and grow into the sport with health, strength and fitness as the core values.

The following categories were available:

• Children: (6 to 10 years, Class A: 11 to 13 and Class B: 14 to 15)
• Men (athletes between the age of 24 and 40)
• Women (athletes between the age of 24 and 35)
• Junior Men (athletes under 23 years old)
• Junior Women
• Master Men (athletes +40 years)
• Master Women (athletes + 35 years)
• Couples (same-sex, M/F couples and mixed couples)
• Team (team of six athletes of the same gender or mixed).

Unlike the bodybuilding and fitness categories, fitness challenge has no physique presentation. For this reason, sportswear covering the torso and legs of the athletes are allowed, as the muscularity is not the target of the competition. Athletes may wear tracksuits or T-shirts with shorts or any combination at their discretion. Sports shoes are also mandatory. Protective gear such as wristbands are not allowed, whereas knee bands are, but must be as thick as ordinary fabric (3mm). In general, gear is allowed that improves safety and/or comfort, but does not confer advantage. Athletes will not be permitted to wear, use or display any apparel, equipment, accessories, symbols, art, graphics or other item as part of their covering.

“As head of the commission for the IFBB Fitness Challenge in SA, I strongly believe that the family and community nature of this new division is a huge incentive to group, community and family fitness. The division now allows for kids and other competitors who are not strong or eager to compete in group sports events, to develop themselves to compete in a recognised Sascoc-affiliated sports code under the IFBB/BBSA individually or in a couples format. It further allows for team participation, incentivising commercial or corporate participation, as companies or other sports codes can now entre teams,” said Lourens Smidt, the owner of TBTF.

“We are excited to announce that the fitness challenge will also be at the Arnold’s Africa Arts and Sport Festivals from May 19 to 21. For this year, the event will be open to anyone brave enough to come and show their fitness steel.”