American Ninja Warrior gym will put your regular workout to shame

A new gym in Calgary takes a page right out of the successful American Ninja Warrior reality TV series.

Part-obstacle course, part-trampoline park — InjaNation promises to amp up your snoozy treadmill workout.

"We're noticing a shift towards functional fitness and boutique gyms and areas for people to get active," manager Leslie Stempfle told the Calgary Eyeopener.

The 50,000-square-foot facility opened in November in a former industrial warehouse for oilfield services in the city's northeast.

The lofty space features floating steps, rock-climbing walls and the "Behemoth" — a gruelling obstacle named after a monstrous biblical creature. It requires a lot of upper body strength.

"Less than 10 per cent of the folks that come through can complete it," said co-founder Mike West.

In researching InjaNation, West visited more than 60 obstacle courses all over North America.

"We were impacted by how popular the show was and how it created a community-based competitive environment, where competitors were actually supporting each other and cheering each other on. So we thought that was a great dynamic."

West said what makes the Calgary facility unique is that it's catered to all ages and levels of fitness, from "extreme athletes" to "toddlers."

The gym has hired Olympic athletes to design weekly workout classes for adults and camps for kids that will launch in the new year.

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With files from the CBC's Paul Karchut and the Calgary Eyeopener