The inaugural Red Bull Gym Clash brought together 16 teams from some of the world’s most elite gyms, all striving for the title of “Greatest Gym on Earth.” The action-packed competition unfolded in early October at the Dome Niarchos in Athens, Greece, turning the iconic venue into a true arena of strength, skill, and teamwork. For me, this was kind of a walk down memory lane, rather than just another photoshoot.
Red Bull Gym Clash is a functional fitness competition where gyms from around the world compete to prove that they have the best athletes with teams of four – comprising two men and two women – taking on four extremely difficult fitness challenges.

A mix of adrenaline, camaraderie, and the unmistakable sound of barbells hitting the ground is something that I am very familiar with. For two decades, I lived and breathed fitness as the owner of Extreme Gym, one of Serbia’s most recognized gym brands.
Back in 2006, I also founded and edited X-Fitness Magazine, which ran for twelve incredible years – a project that inspired a generation of fitness enthusiasts and connected people who believed in hard work, discipline, and transformation.

Seeing these athletes in Athens, pushing their limits was more than just another assignment; it felt like some sort of homecoming. The fact that I know the sport inside out gave me an edge behind the camera. I could anticipate every next move of the athlete, and make sure to capture the right moment of action and the emotion on their faces.
The advanced workouts were designed by Red Bull Athletes – Obstacle Course Racing World Champion and HYROX Elite 15 Ida Mathilde Steensgaard, Functional Fitness champion Noah Ohlsen, HYROX Doubles Pro World Champion and Elite 15 Athlete Jake Dearden, and 2023 CrossFit Games Champion Laura Horváth.

The world finals featured teams from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Georgia, Japan, Egypt, Kuwait, Moldova, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, UAE, USA, Uzbekistan, and two teams from Greece. The teams trained and competed hard through national qualifiers before advancing to the national finals and now the world finals.
Each fitness challenge of Red Bull Gym Clash was designed to test the participants’ teamwork, endurance, skill, and power as they were given the chance to push beyond their limits and compete on a global stage in front of a cheering crowd.

On the first day, participants took on the Endurance Block first with team stamina, pacing, and recovery, tested under fatigue across machines and kettlebells. Followed by Power Block A, which tested raw strength and barbell cycling efficiency under progressive loads. Moving into Power Block B – the final challenge of the grueling day, which evaluated grip endurance, synchro coordination, and teamwork under constant tension.

On the 2nd and final day of the competition, the teams took on the Skill Block initially, where technical proficiency, synchro timing, and adaptability were tested under surprise intervals. Followed by the semi-final workout, which tested skills from all three blocks of endurance, power, and skill, with the top-scoring teams advancing to the Final Clash, where speed was at a premium to test the finalists’ endurance, skill, strength, and strategy to crown the Greatest Gym on Earth. The workout included movements like a synchro barbell complex, worm cleans and thrusters, ski erg, row erg, and more, finishing with an 800m assault run, where each team member completed 200m.

After two days of fierce competition, Cesar Pelinson, Rafaella Cristina Périco de Sousa, Lucas de Oliveira, and Luana Santos, representing Soren CrossFit from Brazil, were crowned the “Greatest Gym On Earth.” Their competitors in the finals were team Comradery from Greece, who took second place, while Warehouse Gym from the UAE stepped onto the podium in third place.

“We are happy to be here, and the event was amazing, it has been the best competition experience we’ve ever had. We will be back next year! Because we are not professional athletes, balancing our daily lives; including regular jobs, family responsibilities, and everyday tasks has been our biggest challenge in preparing for this event. Since teamwork is essential in team competitions, practicing together consistently is essential for us” – said team Brazil after winning.
Red Bull Gym Clash showcased a strong focus on developing a community aspect that bridged the gap globally between gyms with strategy and mental strength as an essential part of the competition in what was a hugely successful first edition.

INSIDE THE SHOOT WITH PREDRAG VUCKOVIC

Although best known for his work in photographing extreme and outdoor sports, Predrag Vučković’s name is also deeply rooted in the world of fitness and gyms. For twenty years, he ran Extreme Gym in Belgrade, a place that grew into one of the most recognizable fitness brands in Serbia and beyond.

As a tribute to his lifelong passion for this world, in 2006 Vučković founded X-Fitness Magazine, which he edited for the next twelve years. The monthly publication brought fresh news, inspiring stories, and in-depth interviews from the fitness scene both in Serbia and around the globe.

For this photoshoot, he used:

● Two Nikon Z9 cameras
● Lensses 35mm, f1.2
● Lensses 50mm, f1.2
● Lensses 14-24mm, f2.8

Thanks to his strong fitness background, Predrag is one of the few photographers capable of truly capturing the essence of events like the Red Bull Gym Clash, the energy, precision, and spirit that define this sport.