FOLLOWING a successful debut last year, Under Armour announced that the UA COMBINE, one of the region’s largest fitness competitions, will be back for a second year as the performance brand continues its commitment to establishing the ultimate athlete performance benchmark.
Last year’s inaugural UA COMBINE 2022 saw 1,200 participants take part in the competitions held across four countries in the region: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia.
Building upon the inspiration from Under Armour’s iconic slogan, “Protect This House,” this year’s UA COMBINE will challenge participants to overcome various tests that emphasise teamwork, enabling them to tackle the different challenges set before them.
This year’s edition will also feature athletes from various sports and training disciplines testing their limits and competing against others from across the country for a total cash prize pool of RM51,000.
Under Armour has also made an exciting change this year by lowering the entry age and inviting young athletes aged 16 to 17 to compete. The top male and female youths in this age group will have the opportunity to win an Under Armour product sponsorship worth RM4,500 each.
The highly anticipated competition is slated to take place on September 9. Registration is now open to all participants who wish to engage in as an added bonus, all registered athletes will receive a complete set of Under Armour competitor gear on the day of the event.
The UA COMBINE will see competitors testing their limits in a total of eight physical and mental tests devised by Under Armour’s Global Head of Athlete Performance, Michael Watts, with each test challenging the athlete’s agility, stamina, vertical, power, endurance, strength, speed, and cognition.
The UA COMBINE will challenge competitors with a total of eight physical and mental tests meticulously designed by Under Armour’s Global Head of Athlete Performance, Michael Watts. The tests included agility, stamina, vertical jump, power, endurance, strength, speed, and cognition.
Points will be awarded for each completed test, and the athletes’ final rankings will be determined based on their overall performance. In the men’s and women’s divisions, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed athletes will receive medals and cash prizes of RM15,000, RM7,500, and RM3,000, respectively.
Fitness performance redefined
To further enhance the definition of athletic performance, significant adjustments have been made to several tests in the UA COMBINE 2023. In contrast to the traditional sergeant jump used in last year’s competition, the standing vertical leap test will now employ force plates to accurately measure the upward propulsion force of competitors.
Another notable change is seen in the cognition station, where the introduction of the Reactive Intelligence Wall brings the same technology utilized by professional athletes in Formula 1 and the NBA. This station features a vertical wall with six light pods, challenging participants to tap as many blue pods as possible within 30 seconds. This test measures reaction time, decision-making skills, and attention abilities.
“Under Armour is a performance brand that continuously challenges the benchmarks in human performance in order to make athletes better. Through the UA COMBINE, we not only spotlight the individual achievements of the Malaysian athlete, but we also raise the bar for what is possible for all of us to achieve,” says Justin Olivares, Marketing Director for Under Armour South Asia-Pacific.
Participants are encouraged to form groups of four and compete both individually and as a team. Team scores will be calculated by totaling the scores of each individual. The team with the highest score will be rewarded with RM6,000 worth of Under Armour gear.
To assist registered competitors in improving their training performance and preparing for the event, Under Armour Malaysia has partnered with Celebrity Fitness Malaysia to offer exclusive training sessions. These sessions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with limited capacity. Stay tuned for announcements regarding the Train-to-Compete classes.
For more information on UA COMBINE 2023, including competition rules and registration details, please visit the official website at uacombinemy.com or follow @underarmoursoutheastasia and use the hashtag #UACOMBINEMY.
