With fast food outlets on every corner and a fierce sun preventing outdoor exercise, Abu Dhabi is not known for its healthy population. This week, we’ve hunted down the capital’s best personal trainers, who, in the frontline against the tide of obesity, ply a valuable trade. Laces tied, sweatbands primed, non-perishable nylons ironed and dried: it’s time to pump some iron.
Margaret Ling
Age: 27
Nationality: Singaporean
In Abu Dhabi: Two months
Credentials: Besides personal training, she takes the power pump and power combat classes at the Hiltonia Beach Club, and is also qualified to advise on diet and nutrition.
Her story: ‘I’m originally from Singapore, but I’ve been working in the Maldives for the past few years – so I’m already an expert in sculpting beach-ready bodies!’
Top tip: ‘I make a lot of use of the Swiss ball while holding a medicine ball. This not only develops core strength and a rock-hard stomach, but it reduces the risk of injury when you’re doing other strenuous physical activity.’
Training style: ‘I try to mix things up to enhance agility and posture as well as strength. Your body is designed to do lots of different things, not just run forward or use the cross-trainer – your body gets used to the gym machines too easily. So I try to use a personal training session to involve the studio, the gym and even the great outdoors.’
Success story: ‘I had a client who was really overweight with a bit of a big belly, so we used the Swiss balls and medicine balls to really target her abs. Within a few months, she went from having a tubby tummy to chocolate-bar shaped abs.’
The session: The session began with a thorough fitness and body assessment. This was not quite as daunting as it sounds – we just had to stand on a machine that tells you everything from your ‘visceral fat level’ (how much fat you store around your middle) to your metabolic rate. When we could only bench press a miserable 15kg and managed four and a half push ups, she understandably expressed concern about our upper body strength. So we spent much of the rest of our hour using light dumbbells and a medicine ball before switching to rowing and running for the cardio element of the session. One of Margaret’s greatest strengths is that she can always explain the science behind her instructions. For example, catching us lamely pulling one leg behind us, she explained that stretching doesn’t work unless it is ‘ballistic’, meaning it uses motion to warm up the muscles first.
Dhs230 for non-members and Dhs195 per session for members. Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Corniche (02 681 1900).
Mustafa Touson click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Michael Haddin click here
Corey Oliver click here
Indika Perera click here
Mustafa Touson
Age: 29
Nationality: Egyptian
In Abu Dhabi: Nine months
Credentials: ISSA Personal Trainer Certification in Egypt
His story: ‘I started eight years ago as a trainer in a public club in Egypt before moving to the Four Seasons Hotel. Then I started to study. I did courses in physiotherapy, first aid and personal training.’
Top tip: ‘You really have to start slow and build up the amount of weight you work with. I have to do some tests with my clients before we do any exercise; I take their pulse, blood pressure and so on. Then I can help them achieve their goals.’
Training style: ‘I use a more traditional style of training, using fixed and free weights to improve muscle tone.’
Success story: ‘I had one lady who was really fat and upset. I explained from the beginning that the priority was not to lose weight. I told her I could improve her shape, but it was more important to improve her health. Then, after a couple of months, she lost more than 15kg. Now she’s exercising simply because she enjoys it. It’s rewarding knowing that I’ve helped her change her life.’
The session: Sensing an all-over tone-up was needed, Mustafa recommended a full-body regime that made use of both resistance equipment and free weights. We worked through two exercises each for our back, chest, shoulders, abdominals and legs, plus one each for biceps and triceps; a rigorous session that Mustafa promised would leave us aching in the morning. Each workout was broken up into three sets, adding extra weight and decreasing reps with each set. All our questions were answered and we were given gentle encouragement. Mustafa even managed not to laugh when we fell off his Swiss ball during our abdominal crunches.
Ten sessions cost Dhs1,300 for non-members and members. Health Club, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen (02 693 5285).
Margaret Ling click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Michael Haddin click here
Corey Oliver click here
Indika Perera click here
Mukaila Raheem
Age: 28
Nationality: Nigerian
In Abu Dhabi: About 26 months
Credentials: Raheem (he prefers being known by his surname) has a YMCA Exercise and Fitness Knowledge Unit Certificate (level two), as well as a YMCA Certificate in Fitness Instructing in the context of the gym (level two) from Impact British Training Solutions in Dubai.
His story: ‘I was originally a security guard for the Shangri-La Hotel, but I was really into fitness and the gym managers noticed my physique and suggested I become a personal trainer. After that I took my
qualifications, and I’ve now been a personal trainer for about one year.’
Top tip: ‘I’m keen on rigorous warm-ups – I usually give my clients a full 10 minutes before we even touch any of the muscle training equipment. I’m also very careful to build up weight loads slowly until I’m certain my clients can take it.’
Training style: ‘I prefer doing a full body exercise, but it depends on the client’s needs. I normally tailor a workout on their personal goals and strengths. Personally, I do upper and lower body training, focusing on weight and abdominal training.’
Success story: ‘I had a guest who wanted to have a body makeover. He came into the gym and didn’t know where to start. I assisted him in building body muscle and toning his body as he requested, and I also assisted him with an eating plan to maximise his workout results. He noticed a change in his body after six weeks, and commented that it made him feel more confident and gave him a better body image. I have been working with him for more than six months already and he keeps commenting how working out and having a better body has changed his life, given him more confidence and generally made him feel healthier.’
The session: Having explained to Raheem that our job required some level of biped mobility, he concentrated on our upper body, working the triceps and biceps with relative ease – so ineffectually, in fact, that we pompously demanded an increase in weight. Foolish move. Not realising that something known as the trapezius muscle even existed, let alone that Time Out had one, we were humbled by our inability to lift a meagre three kilograms more than 20 times. So Raheem swiftly shifted our crestfallen bulk to the resistance machinery, where we finished off with ab crunches and a bit of leg work. We found Raheem to be a gentle but insistent trainer who saw us through a session well-suited to our fitness level. Any humiliation we suffered was entirely of our own making.
Ten sessions cost Dhs1,530 for members, Dhs250 per session for non-members. The Health Club, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Bain Al Jessrain (02 509 8910).
Margaret Ling click here
Mustafa Touson click here
Michael Haddin click here
Corey Oliver click here
Indika Perera click here
Michael Haddin
Age: 31
Nationality: Australian
In Abu Dhabi: Nine months
Credentials: Bachelors degree in sports science, as well as qualifications in boxing, kickboxing, Olympic lifting and kettle bells.
His story: ‘I was working as a trainer for the Hyderabad team in the Indian Cricket League in India. Unfortunately, the ICL folded in 2009, so I decided to start my fitness business here in Abu Dhabi about eight months ago. There was an empty space here at the tennis stadium at Zayed Sports City, so I went about turning it into a gym.’
Training style: ‘A lot of it has to do with my background in professional sports. We know this kind of training is scientifically proven to get results, so we’ve brought this down to personal training. It’s about full body, functional movements; this engages a lot more muscles, and short burst activities. In my gym, we don’t have any fixed weight machines, but we have other equipment instead. No athlete will use a sit-down, single muscle machine these days, and that’s what I bring to my clients.’
Top tip: ‘Anything you do, if you’re not enjoying it you’re not going to stick with it, so all of our training sessions are fun. To make exercise sustainable, it has to be fun, it has to be convenient, it must get the desired results and must be time efficient.’
Success story: ‘I used to train a famous Aussie comedian called Mikey Robins, who I helped lose 60kg. I’ve helped a few sportsmen come back from injury, but there’s a lot of job satisfaction because you do make a huge difference in people’s lives.’
The Session: The first observation you’ll make about Michael’s gym is that there’s not a fixed weight machine in sight. Instead, it’s a cornucopia of unusual fitness equipment, including medicine balls, kettle bells and a huge boxing ring in the corner. These pieces of kit are back in fashion as they utilise all your muscle groups and strengthen your body as a whole. After a five-minute warm-up, we head to the boxing ring for some sparring, then it’s time for a speedy circuit session involving push-ups, medicine ball lifting, swinging kettle bells and using TRX exercise equipment – straps attached to a frame that utilise your own body weight to work your muscles. After this, we head outside for another quick session, involving an exercise bike and running up numerous flights of stairs. Totally knackering, but extremely good fun – especially the boxing, which made us feel like Rocky Balboa (albeit a slightly pudgy version) delivering a hefty haymaker to Ivan Drago’s chin.
Ten one-hour sessions cost Dhs3,000, for non-members and Dhs2,000 for members. Haddin’s Fitness, Zayed Sports City www.haddins.com (050 104 7948).
Margaret Ling click here
Mustafa Touson click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Corey Oliver click here
Indika Perera click here
Corey Oliver
Age: 32
Nationality: Australian
In Abu Dhabi: 18 months
Credentials: Gym instructor (level four) and personal training (level three) with Fitness Australia, plus courses in using TRX equipment and kettle bells.
His story: ‘I was a semi-pro rugby league player back in Australia, and then I moved to Dubai seven years ago to work for Emirates Airlines as a wellness officer. I launched my first boot camp business in Dubai back in 2007, then I saw an opportunity in Abu Dhabi and moved here and launched Original Fitness Co.’
Top tips: ‘Keeping healthy is a mental battle. You really need to be eating right – it’s 60 per cent eating and 40 per cent exercise, so the nutrition has to be spot on as well as the training. Getting the right advice on both of these is essential.’
Training techniques: ‘Basically it’s functional training where we try to prepare the body for the long term. My motto is ‘move for life’, to make sure that when people hit 40 they don’t slow down and get joint problems. I aim to strengthen people’s bodies all over so they can undertake everyday activities. I use Crossfit, which is an American high-intensity fitness programme that’s been developed by sports scientists, TRX training, which uses straps to improve core fitness, and kettle bells, which have been used since the 1800s.’
Success story: ‘I had this Emirati guy who was about 20 and was overweight by about 40kgs. He was doing no exercise and living off junk food and was about to go and have a gastric band, but I started training him and he lost 30kgs in about eight months. So he was right on the edge of having a heart attack and we managed to get him into really good shape.’
The session: Corey’s a bit of legend in the UAE as the man who founded the country’s first boot camps. As we’ve tried one of his military-style beachside sessions, we were expecting to be shouted at, but his personal training sessions are a much more amiable affair. We start with a quick warm-up on the treadmill, before embarking on a highly intensive Crossfit workout, starting with a barbell push press, followed by bicep curls with free weights, some ab crunches on the mat and then a 400m sprint on the treadmill. These are timed, and we try to better our time in the three sets we do, managing to knock 45 seconds off by the third one. Then we use the TRX machine, doing a range of push-ups and pulls, which strengthens our core. Corey says our cardiovascular fitness is good, but we have deficiencies on our upper body and core strength, meaning we should replace lifting burgers with lifting weights.
Ten sessions cost Dhs2,610. Original Fitness Co, Al Bateen (02 406 9404). www.originalfitnessco.com.
Margaret Ling click here
Mustafa Touson click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Michael Haddin click here
Indika Perera click here
Indika Perera
Age: 31
Nationality: Sri Lankan
In Abu Dhabi: Four months
Credentials: Training in nutrition, prevention of sport injuries and courses in fitness from the Federation of Sports in Sri Lanka.
His story: ‘I’ve been a personal trainer for 10 years, starting in Sri Lanka before moving to the Belmont Hills Golf Club & Resort in Bermuda. I had a lot of clients over there, including the Bermuda cricket squad for three years. This was a tough gig as some of them didn’t really like to train, but I managed to get them in good shape, especially before their appearance at the 2007 Cricket World Cup. I played cricket too – I was a good all rounder. I almost made the national Bermuda team, but because I didn’t have citizenship I missed out. After my contract in Bermuda finished I felt like I needed a change so I had the opportunity to come to Abu Dhabi and I’m here now, and I love it.’
Top tips: ‘My one bit of advice is to exercise four days a week for 30 to 45 minutes at high intensity. If you’re exercising for more than an hour, you’re just wasting your time.’
Training techniques: ‘I try to give my clients a hard time, as you need to keep pushing them to see changes and improve their endurance. But I try to be friendly and polite. I try to mix it up with cardio and weights to keep them motivated.’
Success story: ‘Back in Bermuda, I had one client who lost 22kg. She was 135kg when she came in and I put her on a 100-day challenge and a diet, which was kind of like a boot camp. She worked really hard and turned her life around.’
The session: Behind his laid-back facade, there’s a man with a steely determination to see you suffer to get fit. He’ll stand next to you and push you to the limits of exhaustion, but that’s what we needed to kick this flabby frame into shape. We started with some intensive jumping jacks (star jumps if you prefer), then various other lunges, jumps and push-ups, using our body weight to strengthen our muscles. Then we went to work on our abs. We started with scorpion twists, in which you rest your backside on the floor with legs in the air and twist your torso side to side, followed by some leg grabs, which are like sit-ups except you have to grab your ankles on a descended leg. Then, just as we’re about to collapse, Indika sets us up on a running machine and tells us to keep going until 350 calories have been burnt. We stumble off with aching limbs.
Ten one-hour sessions cost Dhs1,600 for non-members and Dhs1,400 for members. Beach Club, Beach Rotana Hotel (02 697 9000).
Margaret Ling click here
Mustafa Touson click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Michael Haddin click here
Corey Oliver click here
Bargain workouts
Joining hotel gyms and hiring personal trainers can be exorbitantly expensive, but there are a few cheaper backstreet gyms in the city, where joining won’t cost you the earth.
Flex Fitness
This spacious gym on Airport Road has a good selection of equipment and separate facilities for men and women.
Dhs2,950 per year. JVC Building, Airport Road (02 621 3300).
Lifeline Health & Fitness
This company has six branches in Abu Dhabi. All of them have separate gyms for both genders, swimming pools, Jacuzzis and saunas.
Membership from Dhs2,500 per year. Various locations (02 644 1666) www.lifelinewellness.com.
Rock Gym
A proper old-fashioned gym, full of giant weights and men with bulging biceps, but the place is large enough and has a reasonably good range of fitness equipment.
Membership from Dhs300 per month. Corner of Hamdan and Najda Street (02 677 1010).
World Gym
This Khalidiyah-based gym is packed with modern equipment, and also has a sauna and Jacuzzi, as well as an aerobics area.
Dhs3,900 per year. Dana Plaza, Zayed the First Street, Khalidiyah (02 667 5779).
Margaret Ling click here
Mustafa Touson click here
Mukaila Raheem click here
Michael Haddin click here
Corey Oliver click here
Indika Perera click here
