The Local Experts – Founder of The Circuit Factory, Phil Parkinson

This is the second in new series asking Dubai-based fitness experts some questions, which I hope will provide you with some tips, motivation and an insight into their methods and personalities.

The Circuit Factory (www.circuitfactory.ae) is a beast of a circuit class! Run in 24 Fitness Gym in Al Quoz, Dubai, it's taking Dubai by storm, so it’s brilliant that Phil, founder and trainer at The Circuit Factory has taken the time to answer our questions. For my review of the The Circuit Factory click here: http://barefootindubai.blogspot.com/2011/05/24-fitness-al-quoz-circuit-factory.html


Watch this to see and hear about the results The Circuit Factory is achieving.

FiD: What does your weekly training regime look like?
PP: I don't have a specific plan that I follow; I just try to smash myself up as much as I can. Whenever I’m in or around a gym with 45 mins to spare, if I’m in reasonable shape, I attack myself. I do tend to alternate between heavy weights which obviously build my body and high intensity circuits which shred me up and show my pretty muscles off.

Phil strikes a pose!

FiD: What are the staples in your diet and supplementary intake?
PP: I don't really do supplements. I take whey protein because I’m a sheep and it's what everyone takes, but in all honesty, I can run out and not get any for a month and still not see a difference in my results. I’ve never really seen a visible result from taking a protein or supplement. Everyone raves about creatine, but it does nothing for me. I don't take any other supplements.

FiD: How do you keep yourself motivated?
PP: Motivation is easy for me. I'm in a job where if I don't look the part, no one takes me seriously. Would you trust a bald barber, or a Financial Advisor who arrives in a Toyota Yaris? I'm in the health and fitness industry; the product is a decent body – if I don't have that, I have nothing. Cracks me up when I see PT's with man boobs giving advice to people about how to get in shape. Insanity.

FiD: What’s the worst fitness/sporting mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
PP: I once started taking this protein powder that gave me the worst wind. I usually like the smell of my own farts, but this one was something very different. It was like boiled cat's entrails with a hint of dog food. I used to come back to my car after training someone for over an hour, get inside and it would smell like the inside of an egg. It was literally like I had farted in there 10 seconds before, yet no one had been in there for over an hour. Taking that protein was a bad mistake as I'm sure my colon is still feeling the effects (two years on).

FiD: What fitness/sporting achievement are you most proud of?
PP: I'm very proud of The Circuit Factory (www.circuitfactory.ae). This is a group exercise class that I devised and I’m now growing. It's only been going 9 weeks, but some of the feedback and results we've been able to achieve have been out of this world. We already run a second location for General Electric and are looking at a third now. A girl called Lina Sami works for me and recently entered the UAE Fitness Challenge (I believe you’re familiar with this) and came first by doing no training other than a daily dose at The Circuit Factory. This gave me a major confidence boost to show me that we’re doing something very special with it.

FiD: What can someone expect from a session at The Circuit Factory?
PP: One of the most challenging, dynamic and fun workouts they’ve ever done. A genuine sense of achievement every time you complete a class.

FiD: What’s the best piece of fitness/sporting advice you’ve been given?
PP: Never stand down-wind of me or accept a lift in my car. Exercise is so basic. Train hard with the appropriate diet and your body will do things you never thought possible in a very short space of time.

FiD: Thanks Phil! Good luck to you and The Circuit Factory which I'm sure will continue to go from strength to strength!

For more information about The Circuit Factory, go to www.circuitfactory.ae or email Phil at phil@circuitfactory.ae

Fitness in Dubai features reviews of all the latest fitness programmes and local gyms, such as The Circuit Factory, 24 Fitness and CrossFit LifeSpark, as well as reviews of fitness fads, fitness tests and fitness equipment, from Vibram Five Fingers barefoot running shoes to VO2 Max testing. Ultimately, this fitness blog - as featured in Good Taste, Men's Fitness, Time Out and Shape magazines - contains everything you need to know about fitness in Dubai, UAE, in the Middle East. Bookmark it now.