YOHKA’s Todd Liubinskas wants fitness racing to be next big thing

A high-profile strength and conditioning coach wants this fitness challenge to be the next big thing.

YOHKA chief executive Todd Liubinskas. Picture Thomas Lisson

A wellness industry veteran wants to make fitness racing the next big thing.

Todd Liubinskas is the chief executive of YOHKA, which started last year and will soon hold events around Australia.

The high-profile strength and conditioning coach, who played rugby union and league, said the company had seen a gap in the market for a “Ninja Warrior style” event with tag and mass participation elements.

An obstacle course will replace horse riding as part of the modern pentathlon, which also includes fencing, running, swimming and shooting, at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

He said a “sprint element” 100m event could include obstacles like alternating steps, a trampoline, monkey bars, walls, swinging rings and a balance beam.

A 5km iteration could include barbed wire crawls, carrying things for a certain amount of metres, climbing, and throwing an item over a wall.

Todd Liubinskas. Picture Thomas Lisson

Pursuit courses include tag where participants try to evade one another.

“There’s all different challenges,” Mr Liubinskas said.

“It’ll test everyone’s strength and agility from each station.

“The idea would be to get our 100m courses set up all around the country so people can actually come and see them and train on these.

“Then there’ll be programs which will go off the back of that that can be housed in the likes of a boutique gym, right through to the commercial gyms.”

Deakin University Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition lecturer Kim Way said people often might underestimate the amount of strength they needed to complete a number of the obstacles like monkey bars.

“The benefits of training for or participating in these obstacle courses is that they challenge endurance, strength, tactics and other components of fitness (like balance and agility) in a fun and creative way,” Dr Way said.

“Balance, agility and co-ordination tend to not be a big focus for the average person, however, they are important components of fitness to consider as these deteriorate as we age.”

Such courses suited people who already exercised regularly, Dr Way said.

Dr Way said fitness racing events could break up the monotony of just training in a gym environment or provide variety, and promoted a sense of community and achievement.

YOHKA participants can be 12 and over.

Its inaugural events will take place this weekend.

Tag, 100m and 5km races will be held in Penrith, and the company will also hold sprints at the AusFitness Expo in Melbourne.

Originally published as YOHKA’s Todd Liubinskas wants fitness racing to be next big thing