Photo credit: YOUTHOPIA/RESHMA SUBRAMANIAM

The competition will feature eight different tests that will push both physical and mental limits.

Sports enthusiast and expert overthinker.

Under Armour’s inaugural UA Combine competition is set to take place in Singapore on Aug 20 at the Pasir Panjang Power Station, and will feature up to 300 male and female participants competing for a top prize of $5,000.

While the competition will only kick off later this month, Youthopia was given the opportunity to try out five of the eight UA Combine test stations on Jul 21.

The five test categories – stamina, vertical, power, strength and cognition – each posed a unique challenge which not only tested physical limits, but also mental ones.

One of the more challenging tests was the power test, which came in the form of a 20-metre sled push.

While the instructions to push the sled in a straight line as quickly as possible were relatively straightforward, doing so was not easy, especially with the four 20kg plates loaded onto the sled.

The added weight made it exceptionally difficult to push the sled at a consistently high speed. It took much longer to get it over the 20m mark despite the short distance. 

Another challenging test is the pull up beep test, which falls under the stamina category.

As the name suggests, the station requires the participant to perform pull ups following the pacing of an automated beep.

While the first few reps were manageable, the pull ups got progressively harder as they had to be done simultaneously with the beeps instead of at a preferred pace.

As a result, fatigue in the arms and back kicked in rather quickly as participants had to spend more time hanging on the bar in between reps. This in turn made the test mentally challenging as well.

One of the more manageable stations was the three-rep max (3RM) bench press, which falls under the strength category. As the bench press is a pushing motion, it primarily tests the strength of the participant’s chest and tricep muscles.

For this station, participants are required to perform three reps on the bench press with a weight of their choice. 

As the weight for the station is not fixed based on gender categories such as the 20m sled push, it is moderately easier to perform as participants get to choose a weight that they are comfortable with. 

However, participants can also choose to push themselves with a heavier weight as a spotter will also be present at all times to provide support and assistance when needed.

Another station which tests participants using their own bodyweight is the standing vertical leap test which falls under the vertical category.

In this station, participants are required to jump as high as they can next to a jump tester.

At the peak of their jump, participants are then required to touch the vanes of the tester, which are marked with one centimetre increments that indicate the height of the jump.

While the jump itself was not difficult, what made the test challenging was the fact that participants had to start from a stationary position without any momentum from a run-up.

As a result, the height of the jump was highly dependent on explosiveness of the legs and the use of arm swings prior to the jump.

The fifth and final test which we tried was the reaction inhibition test, which is under the cognition category.

The test was not as physically demanding as the other ones, as participants were only required to hit targets on an interactive board as soon as they popped up.

However, it required a lot of focus and excellent hand-eye coordination as the test is only completed once 100 targets have been hit or when 90 seconds is up.

The three other tests – a 20m beep test, 40 yard sprint and an arrowhead change-of-direction speed test – fall under the remaining categories of endurance, speed and agility respectively.

Participants will also be given a full set of Under Armour gear upon registration for the competition.

More information on all eight of the tests, including demonstration videos and movement standards, can be found on Under Armour’s website .

The UA Combine will officially commence in Singapore on Aug 20 at the Pasir Panjang Power Station, and registration can be done here .

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