A recent birthday tipped me over the edge. I had gone from mid to late twenties and there was no going back. Instantly, the road ahead looked bleak as the big 3-0 loomed ever closer. It shouldn’t have been a big deal – after all, I’m still regarded by many as being in the prime of my life, and it’s not that I long for the days of spotty adolescence, but suddenly (like never before), age became an issue.
I’ve always been fairly healthy (aside from those fast-food, drink-fuelled university days – do salad-loving students even exist?), and up until a few years ago, I managed to retain a slim shape by doing, well, very little. Now, it takes work. Early morning runs, swimming, spinning and yoga form part of a regimented routine. And that’s the problem – I’m stuck in a training rut. The buzz I once felt after completing 100 lengths of breaststroke without drowning has diminished, and so have the results.
Perhaps it’s psychological but, recent birthdays aside, the feeling of fighting a losing battle was enough to lure me into giving Concept 10 10 a go. Founded in 2003, this gym-based workout offers a new approach to personal training and involves a 20-minute intensive muscular workout just once a week. Six specially designed machines isolate certain muscles: lower back, legs, arms, chest, abdominals and neck. For someone whose arms are punier than Pee-wee Herman’s, I was in for a tough ride.
The studio at Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai (there are also studios at Maaskar Al Nahayan Commercial Complex, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Healthcare City) combines machinery that wouldn’t look out of place in a horror movie (along the lines of the chamber in Saw), but with a boutique hotel-style twist courtesy of lime green and black branding.
My neck-tie-wearing personal trainer, also kitted out in the Concept 10 10 colours, comes armed with a stopwatch and chart to record my progress. After only one session, I’ve found my strengths and weaknesses: the machines I dread (leg and chest press) and those I can just about master, which surprisingly includes the arm pull. It turns out, ‘toothpick’ arms can have hidden strength!
Rather than start off slowly, you begin at your maximum (or what your reluctant mind perceives is your maximum), so that after even a couple of rep’s, your muscles are quivering under the strain – and that’s when your trainer, who happily directs a fan blowing cold air into your face throughout the session, pipes up with ‘now give me two more!’ Sounds like hell? Well, it is, but only for a few seconds before the pain subsides. It’s like ripping off a band-aid.
For someone like me, who tries to squeeze in at least an hour of exercise a day, the concept of Concept 10 10 – one 20-minute workout once a week – seems a little suspect. Can such a small amount of training really be enough to deliver results? ‘Training works by forcing your muscles into muscular failure,’ explains Rikke Olsen, communications executive and personal trainer at Concept 10 10. ‘When reaching “failure” your body starts to build up more muscle mass [in order to cope with the pressure], burning through calories between sessions. Over time, your muscle mass will slowly increase – great if you want to tone up or lose weight.’
For busy mothers or those who find it difficult to find time for exercise, Concept 10 10 is perfect. ‘Once a week is the least you should train and twice a week is the most,’ explains Rikke. ‘The golden rule is three times in two weeks, as it will take time for everyone to reach the intensity level where the muscles require a full week of recovery. You shouldn’t do it more than twice a week though.’
After 10 sessions, I can certainly see improvements: my arms are more defined and I feel generally stronger. Where I don’t notice much of a difference is in areas where I couldn’t master the machine, like the abdominal cruncher – the manouevre, which involves pushing down on a giant ‘roller’, feels awkward and unnatural, and while Concept 10 10 can certainly offer physical benefits, it can’t quite compete with the emotional high achieved through yoga.
When it comes to the crunch, exercise is as personal as taste – one person’s tenderloin of beef is another’s Marmite and cheese toasty. For some, Concept 10 10 may well be the Holy Grail of workouts. Personally,
I prefer to keep my options open (and my arms spindly).
Concept 10 10, Maaskar Al Nahayan Commercial Complex, Abu Dhabi (02 643 3353; www.concept1010.ae). Sat-Thu 8am-8pm; Fri 9am-6pm. Ten sessions cost Dhs1950
