Fitness in Dubai checks out Platform 3 Fitness, Dubai Marina

I love group training sessions, I love the motivation, competition and camaraderie that they can provide. But having a session completely tailored to your goals, your specifications, where your form is watched for every rep and the gaze of the trainer is focused on only you, like the eye of Mordor, provides a different focus and arguably better results. Obviously we’re all different, perhaps some people prefer the slight anonymity of group training sessions, and to some the idea of group exercise and its competitive nature is a very real nightmare. It’s all down to your personal preferences, horses for courses as they say. Yes, there’s the added expense with personal training, but then you’d pay more for a bespoke suit over one off the shelf. Bespoke by its very nature is more expensive. You need to weigh up the cost versus the benefit for your goals and decide what’s important to you. How much are you willing to pay, both in effort and cash to achieve your goals?

Which brings me on to Platform 3 Fitness (www.p3dubai.com) in Dubai Marina, opposite Da Shi Dai & The Noodle Room in JBR. I can’t bring myself to call Platform 3 a gym, it’s so much more than any usual gym that there should be a new world to describe it. It’s an incredible space filled with all the best toys that everyone must look at and want to try out. And it’s so cool! It’s a cross between a nightclub, an activity centre, a boxing club and a gym. It features a competition-boxing ring, climbing wall, house sports therapy room, live DJ set, sauna and juice bar. It’s an uber-gym. I couldn’t wait to get started.

Core to the training sessions at Platform 3 are what they believe to be the three components of fitness:  

• Personal training
• Sports therapy
• Nutrition

They offer a holistic approach incorporating these three components and work on an individual appointment basis, with pricing schedules based on attendance rather than time. Sessions don’t come cheap (prices vary from AED 300 for a single session up to AED 12,500 for 50 classes). However, without the commitment of an annual membership, a bespoke programme is tailored precisely to your needs.

Founder of Platform 3 Fitness, Omar Al-Duri (and top 5 finalist in the 2011 Shape Magazine Personal Trainer of the Year) showed me round and my session started with an attack on the climbing wall as a warm up. I’ve never climbed before but I was totally shocked at how difficult it was. Not only was I absolutely rubbish, but within minutes my forearms were screaming and I had a complete sweat on. Note to self: must work on grip strength.

Next Omar had a tasty circuit lined up for me, incorporating all big compound moves to get the maximum results and using lots of toys like the ViPR, kettlebells and a gravity machine (think pull-ups on an inclined platform on rails). After three rounds, the first being 2 mins per station, the second 1 min per station and finally 30 seconds per station I was completely spent. As I lay on the floor too tired to get up, I realised the mix of new exercises and new equipment had not only made the time fly past, but I’d been totally engaged throughout, rather than going through the motions of my usual routine. More importantly, I’d had a great time!

Platform 3 Fitness: Park Island Dubai Marina, Telephone: 04 435 8083 www.p3dubai.com

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 The National newspaper, Viva, 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.

Fitness in Dubai reports on the UAE Fitness Challenge II

Today’s Men’s Fitness and Shape Magazine UAE Fitness Challenge (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.323912610953896.85076.142113665800459&type=1#!/events/190453464376856/) was a tremendous success. OK, I lost the title I won back in June, but that didn’t dampen my day in the slightest. I finished third in the individual men’s event and I’m over the moon with that.

This time the event was outdoors, on the lawn before the beach at Le Royal Meridien Hotel in Dubai Marina. The format was different too. Only on Tuesday were the exercises revealed; plyo box jumps, hand release push ups, kettlebell swings and a 100m run, but it wasn’t until moments before the first heat that competitors were informed of what the workout would actually entail, such as length of time, or number of reps etc. Gathered in the sun we were told that the format for the individual event was a 12 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of the following:

• 10 plyo box jumps with full extension (24 inches for men, 20 for women)
• 15 hand release push ups
• 20 kettlebell swings (16kg for men, 8kg for women)
• 100m run.

For the team event, every member of the team had to work the four exercises listed above, but would switch exercises only when one of the team had completed the 100m run. Each rep completed by each team member would be added together to give a total rep count score for the team.

In my head I was worried about the kettlebell swings, but quietly confident... until I watched the first heat. Oh my God, it was destroying very good athletes, and 12 minutes at such a high intensity seemed an eternity!

I was in the second heat, and right away I struggled with the box jumps, which seemed really high and I couldn’t get a rhythm. The push ups started OK, but the 20 kettlebell swings did the real damage. In was near the back on the first round but tried to make up ground on the run. I nearly caught the guy next to me (individual men’s winner, Justin, who is on my left in this pic), but when the exercises started he stormed ahead of me again. And so it continued. I remember hearing there was 5 minutes to go and I was devastated. I was already on my last legs. For those 5 minutes every rep was excruciating. I could hear people cheering me on put the words sounded like a different language, I was lost in a world of pain.

I finished up completing five full laps along with the box jumps, push ups and 16 of the 20 kettlebell swings. I thought six full rounds would be a good score, and I gave it my best. I couldn’t have done anymore. 

I slumped in the shade for an hour trying to get my breath back. I was absolutely knackered, and missed out on watching some of the other heats which was a shame. I’ve got ot say I thought the atmosphere was electric. Everyone screaming words of encouragement and pushing each other to give everything they had. I loved it.

The finale was the top three men, women and teams to do a one off race to decide the winner. The challenge was a 50m bear crawl, then 50m of five frog jumps and three burpees in sequence to the finish line. I was shocked I was in the top three men and really wasn’t in any condition to take part, but I gave it my best. I was third of the three men.

Also, I must take my hat off to the women competing today. Rock hard. I can't be sure, but I think in the men's category, only the winner completed six full rounds, but all three of the top women did (I think). And the Glory Girls team(http://www.glorygirlfitness.com/) done incredibly well to place second in the team event. Amazing performances!

The whole event was excellent. It was a privilege to take part in it. Huge congratulations to Cliff and his team at Core Direction (http://www.coredirection.com/) for pulling it off. Also huge congratulations to everyone at CrossFit LifeSpark (http://crossfitlifesparkdubai.com/) who absolutely smashed it today. Candice Howe, owner and trainer, was victorious in the women’s event, and the team including Ben, also owner and trainer, won the team event. What a great advertisement for CrossFit they all are!

Roll on the 2012 event, I’ve got a title to regain!

UAE Fitness Challenge II, Friday 9th December 2011

Due to the success of the first Men’s Fitness & Shape Magazine Middle East Fitness Challenge back in June, they’ve decided to do it all again. The next instalment is taking place on Friday 9th December 2011. After my very surprising victory, I’m out to defend my crown. I’m learning there’s pressure that comes with winning.

LATEST (4/12/11): The challenge will be a AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) format of the following 4 exercises;
- plyo box jumps
- hand release push ups (i.e. thighs and chest flat to the floor)
- kettlebell swings
- 100m run

The top two in each category will then face off in a secret challenge!

Come along and join in the fun!

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 The National newspaper, Viva, 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.