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“Even though you see head-to-head races on the show, you’re not competitors; you’re really friends,� he adds. “What’s cool is when you see other people advance and do things that no one thought possible.�

A Cedar Falls, Iowa, resident (and owner of his own Ninja gym, called Ninja U), Scott has been a fan since he first saw the show. “My mom called me a monkey as a kid…and now it’s a sport, so it’s fantastic.�

Good for all ages

The 42-year-old father of three opened the training gym as a way to help others channel their energy. “We do all kinds of classes for all ages and it’s a lot of fun. If you can make fitness fun for people, it becomes a lifestyle.�

And, in Behrends’ case, a family affair. Sons Ben and Jason are die-hard competitors. Sixteen-year-old Ben is the other half of the father/son team in the finals. The Behrendses will be seen in the finals Aug. 28 on NBC.

While both are mum about the results -- “that wouldn’t be fun,� Scott says -- they say different approaches work for different people. Scott, for example, likes to be one of the first to run the course; Ben prefers to be one in the middle. Scott chooses to rest and recover between obstacles; Ben likes to go full-out.

“The best ninjas in the world are 18, 19 years old,� Ben says. “And there’s a bunch of them.� Younger competitors, dad adds, have an advantage. “It’s like going from high school to pro sports,� he says. “It’s a huge jump.�

What most viewers don’t realize: ninjas doing get to practice on the obstacles. “It pays if you can be good your first try doing something,� Scott says.

Adds Ben: “We’ll go back and watch (previous) seasons to see what obstacles they’ve had. The newer ones usually stay, but we really have no clue.�

Practicing pays

Because gyms like theirs don’t have pools of water under their obstacles, Scott says competitors must be careful while training. “If you fall in a gym, you might roll your ankle. Ninjas practice sprinting…but many of the obstacles are what I call ‘say a prayer and run across.’ Every ninja loves upper body (challenges) but they rarely like balance ones.�

And, if ninjas happen to fall in the water during a run, that water isn’t comforting. “They film the show at night in California, so it’s cool,� says Ben. “Depending on the time of year, it could be 40 degrees, but usually you’re zoned out. So if you fall, you don’t really feel it.�

Accidents have happened but “American Ninja Warriors� is designed to be safe. Walls are padded; grip tape is added to bars.

Just a look

While some ninjas like to embrace a look or wear a costume, most opt for training clothes. Flat-soled shoes -- which are better for most obstacles -- are common, the two say. Longer pants might be preferable to shorts, Scott says, if climbing ropes are involved.

Those costumes? “You’ve got to remember it’s a TV show with a competition,� Scott says. “They like to see people having fun with it.� A cape, though? “I’m not going to do something like that personally. If you want to and I’m going against you, by all means, do it.�

Ben, who’s called the “Hype Guy,� likes to get the crowd pumped. The persona fits with other Iowa ninjas. “We like to encourage each other,� Scott says. “That’s our shtick. I think that’s one reason why they like us.�

In Cedar Falls, he says, the Behrends gym attracts a wide range of athletes. A 70-year-old is there because he wanted to do the sport with his grandchildren. “He’s been very inspiring to me.�

Ben and Scott, meanwhile, have emerged as role models for a host of ninjas. While athletic ability is paramount, there are other attributes that matter.

“You’ve got to have positivity,� Ben says. “A lot of people who aren’t used to ninja fall once and give up. But if you have a better mentality, you keep going even if you do fall once.�

Focus, cardio endurance and upper body strength are important, too, dad says. “It’s like golf or any other individual sports -- you don’t have a team around you -- but if you have a bad day, you just have to accept it and move on. I always say the first step is the hardest one."