Seven Goulburn men tested their bodies to the limit at a Clash Crossfit Challenge in the national capital on Sunday.

They embraced every second of the pain.

Corey Peterson admitted he was sore and sorry on Monday, but vowed to carry on at the gym nevertheless.

“The longer you leave it, the worse it gets,” the Functional Fitness manager and Crossfit competitor explained.

Peterson joined forces with fellow Goulburnian Lewis Reardon in the pairs competition at the Australian Defence Force Academy on Sunday.

They emerged overall team winners after a gruelling regime that included weightlifting, burpees, sprints, pull-ups, box jumps and kettlebell swings.

They were in good company.

Local Nathan Williams claimed second overall in the individual competition, while Tom Chapman, Joel Whittle, Micha Hobbs and Matthew Warboys performed admirably.

The competition challenges athletes’ cardiovascular fitness, strength and mental resilience.

Each of the three workout formats took place before a crowd scattered with visiting Goulburn supporters.

The convoy of Goulburn spectators spurred competitors on, Peterson says.

“We had a lot of people travel over and cheer us on.

That made you push that little bit harder,” he explained.

“I competed at it last year in the individuals. I didn’t have much experience.

“It was a lot different [in the teams event], it meant you could go harder in shorter bursts because you’ve got a partner.”

All seven will continue to finetune their fitness at Peterson’s Sloane Street gymnasium. Functional Fitness applies a different approach to the workout experience.

“We’re all about functional training; training for the unknown,” Peterson continued. “It’s a pretty broad variety of weightlifting, gymnastics and cardio.”