THESE Barrhead boys are beefing up to take on the world champions in the ultimate Highland fling. The lads, all fitness instructors at Barrhead Sports Centre, will be up against the big boys in the caber tossing, hammer throwing and weight over the bar contests at the East Renfrewshire Highland Games, despite NEVER having competed in the feats of strength before.

Lewis Pollock, 28, Kenny McDonnell, 28, and Gavin Dalgleish, 26, will flex their muscle against Scotland's strongest man Gregor Edmonds, the reigning Cowal Games and Highlander world champion, in front of an army of cheering spectators at the Rouken Glen Park extravaganza tomorrow (Saturday April 21).

The lads have confessed they are entering the competition even though they had their first ever Highland Games training session just a week before the event. But they have revealed their secret strategy �is expert tuition from champ Gregor's dad Dougie.

The fitness-daft trio are determined to do the town proud and hold their own against athletes from all over country.

Kenny, 28, from Paisley, said: "We're doing a session with Dougie Edmonds at his house, so he can show us the basic techniques we will need for the specialist competitions.

"The three of us are all exercisers in our day jobs and we do our own workouts, though Lewis and Gavin hit the gym a bit more seriously than me.

"It's the first time in a while that we have specified we are entering for an event like this and it has been really good seeing people's reactions to it, folk asking what is going on when they have seen it on Facebook and that kind of thing.

"We've definitely upped our game in the last few weeks, the guns are definitely improving." Gavin, 26, from Newton Mearns, added: "It definitely should be good fun.

''We're going to be throwing hammers, throwing the weight over a bar and of course tossing cabers.

"We've only got this one training session to show us the proper technique of how to do this stuff so it will be a steep learning curve and will be a big test of our fitness too.'' Gavin admitted he, Kenny and the third team member, 28-year-old Lewis, from Neilston, will have other rivals on Saturday. He said: "It'll be fun to see how we do against the top guys, but we really need to focus on trying to beat the other council teams that are taking part."

As well as the sporting fun, there will be a string of fantastic family events taking place on the day, including traditional live music from the Neilston Pipe Band and performances from drum and pipe combo Clann An Drumna and a Highland Dancing Competition, run by the Myra Miller Dance School.

The showground will have stalls selling tasty snacks, and, along with the main competitions, visitors can watch welly throwing contests, see historical re-enactments and browse a farmers' market.

The East Renfrewshire Highland Games is the first event on the games calendar. The fun will kick off at Giffnock's Rouken Glen Park on Saturday from 11am. The Highland Games competitions start at noon. Admission is free.