In this section I will ask Dubai-based fitness experts some questions, which I hope will provide you with some tips, motivation and an insight into their methods and personalities.
Adam Fox-McGregor - Regime Fitness Dubai (http://regime.ae/)
FiD: What does your weekly training regime look like?
AF-M: I like to hit the gym at least three times a week, lifting relatively heavy weights. I don’t like bodybuilding splits, I prefer to do full body routines. I’m a big fan of Eric Cressey and Robert Dos Remedios and I like to change my routines regularly. I love swimming and try to do so a few times a week, all be it only for brief 20 minute sessions. I prefer to run late at night when I'm finished for the day, because I’m up for work at 5.30am and I don’t want to run any earlier than that!
FiD: What are the staples in your diet and supplementary intake?
AF-M: I eat a lot of chicken, fish and greens, and supplement my diet with Maximuscle supplements, mostly Promax.
FiD: How do you keep yourself motivated?
AF-M: I really enjoy entering events, either as part of a team with our Regime Fitness trainers (FiD: Adam and the team completed the Wadi Bih Run 2011), with clients or individually. In Dubai we’re really spoilt with the amount of great events that are held in amazing locations.
FiD: What’s the worst fitness/sporting mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
AF-M: I've done half marathons with mates back in the UK off the cuff with no specific training. It’s not much fun during the race plus you can’t walk for a week after it! What did I learn? If I’m going to put myself forward for something – train for it!FiD: What fitness/sporting achievement are you most proud of?
AF-M: Setting up Regime Fitness is without a doubt the achievement that I am most proud of. There’s no price on being your own boss and being able to develop and adapt the perfect circuit routines based on the expertise myself and my partner Dan have collectively is very cool. The feedback we’ve been given as well as seeing amazing results within our regulars makes me extremely proud.
FiD: What can someone expect from a session at Regime Fitness?
AF-M: You can turn up at a time that suits you and do your session. It’s a 45 minute hardcore circuit training session that’s suitable for people of all abilities. We change our exercises regularly, there’s great music and we’ve some very cool kit so there’s no opportunity to get bored. The beauty of it and what makes it so popular is the flexibility. Plus, the backdrop is the phenomenal Dubai Marina Yacht Club, looking out over the yachts in the Marina. At the moment we hold circuit classes four times a week and two bootcamps. From September onwards, due to increased demand we’re adding a whole host of new classes, like yoga and zumba.
FiD: What’s the best piece of fitness/sporting advice you’ve been given?
AF-M: I'm a big fan of Lance Armstrong; his books are full of fantastic motivational quotes. "Pain is temporary, quitting last forever" is one of my favourites.
FiD: Huge thanks Adam! Really looking forward to checking out the new classes, and training outside again once the mercury drops a little more!
For more information or a free Regime trial session call 055 919 7052 or find them on Facebook, RegimeFitnessDubai (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regime-Fitness-Dubai/185801421447209).
Phil Parkinson - The Circuit Factory (www.circuitfactory.ae)
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.
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| Phil strikes a pose! |
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.
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
Candice Howe - CrossFit LifeSpark(http://crossfitlifesparkdubai.com).
FiD: What does your weekly training regime look like?
CH: CrossFit (http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html) training is constantly varied, so I do something different every week. I train 5-6 times per week for about 60 to 90minutes. Each session includes a strength piece – usually a power or Olympic lift, and then the WOD (workout of the day) which will generally be between 5 and 20 minutes in length and a couplet or triplet (2 or 3 movements) to be completed at high intensity. Today for example, I will warm up then work up to 3x100kg deadlift, followed by deadlift maximum repetitions at 85kg. My WOD is 2 couplets with 5 mins rest in between: 9-6-3 (9 reps, then 6 reps then 3 reps) power clean at 40kg and 15-12-9 push ups. Then the 5 min rest, followed by 9-6-3 power snatch at 30kg and 15-12-9 box jumps on to a 24 inch box. Finally I will accumulate 2 minutes in a handstand before a cool down and stretch.
FiD: What are the staples in your diet and supplementary intake? FiD: How do you keep yourself motivated?
CH: Right now, with the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games finals (FiD: taking place on 29th – 31st July at Home Depot Center in Carson, California http://games.crossfit.com/) coming up that is all the motivation I need. When I don’t feel like training or fancy a cheat meal I think to myself, ‘What would the other girls be doing right now?!’ That helps keep me on the straight and narrow and helps me dig deep to push through even the toughest days! Moving forward I want to get to the Games again next year, so the hard work for that starts now! The beauty and beast of CrossFit is that we pull from so many disciplines, so there are always things to work on – having constantly evolving goals and varied programming keeps it fresh and interesting!
FiD: What’s the worst fitness/sporting mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?
CH: Hmm… stopping sport! Between the ages of 15 and 17 I did very little exercise. The school I was at had no PE programme, and being a teenager I didn’t bother going out to look for an alternative to nothing! As a result, when I went back to sports some gymnastics induced injuries arose (they had never manifested as I always had enough muscle to support my joints). Two years of no training and I developed hip issues due to hypermobility and a lack of muscle to support my joints. It took me a long time to come back to any intense or high impact exercise. So my biggest mistake was going cold turkey on exercise for two years and then expecting to be able to pick up where I left off with no issues – even as a teenager this was not the case!
FiD: What fitness/sporting achievement are you most proud of?
CH: Winning the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Asia Regional! (FiD: checkout the hard earned medal!) I entered the competition in order to build community and spread the word about CrossFit in Dubai – so to have made it to Regionals was amazing – winning was incredible! Having the opportunity to progress to the Games is once in a lifetime.
FiD: What can someone expect from a session at CrossFit LifeSpark?
CH: A tough workout and a great community! The beauty of CrossFit is that everything is scalable. This means that all classes are mixed ability and each person’s fitness level determines the workout they do. We follow a similar structure in class to the one I use – each session includes a comprehensive warm up, a skill or strength piece and the WOD. The group dynamic in the box (gym) is great, people cheer each other on, help each other out and really work and grow together. You can expect more than just a great workout!
FiD: What’s the best piece of fitness/sporting advice you’ve been given?
CH: “Take a deep breath… now do it again,” is my coach’s motto! (FiD: I remember hearing that one few times!) At the moment with all the training I am doing for the Games it is very apt! In general: ‘If you aim at nothing, you hit nothing’ – you need to come at everything you do with a goal, otherwise you don’t know what you are working for or towards. It’s advice that was given to me in a very general context, but something that influences everything I do.
Thanks Candice, good luck in LA! We'll all be rooting for you, I'm sure you'll do Asia proud!
CrossFit LifeSpark is based in Star International School, off Al Wasl Road, Dubai. For more information about CrossFit LifeSpark, go to: http://crossfitlifesparkdubai.com/ or email Candice at candice@lifesparkcoaching.com
