Are you hitting the gym and watching what you eat yet still not seeing results? EW’s Jade Sprowson puts one of the UAE’s best to the test…
TEAM MEMBER: Jade Sprowson
TRAINER: Omar Al-Duri, Head Trainer and Co-Founder of Platform 3 Fitness
THE GOAL: Since moving to Dubai in November 2012 I’ve found myself in a fitness conundrum with a lack of motivation. I needed someone to launch me into action with a fitness plan that would work for me.
REGIME: Using 720 Body Composition Analysis equipment, Omar measured everything, from my weight to the width of my thighs to how much water my body was retaining.
It was decided I would meet with Omar twice a week, for one-hour sessions that would always be different. One day I would bounce around the boxing ring, the next I would be wearing a harness and scaling a climbing wall. Omar’s mission was to ‘shock my body’ to achieve results.
WEEK ONE:
I knew I was unfit after not exercising properly since November 2012 but I didn’t realise how bad. After 10 minutes of my first session I was dripping with sweat and out of breath. After ten minutes on the rowing machine followed by Tabata training – a Japanese high intensity interval training regime which is completed in four minutes at a time – I felt sick. Post session, Omar stretched me as I lay there like a swept up jelly fish.
WEEK TWO:
Time for boxing, however the session didn’t start well – as a novice boxer, I couldn’t even work out how to get inside the ring and stood there loking puzzled. Once inside intense spar exercises commenced. I really enjoyed expending all my pent up energy and stresses from the day. I left exhausted but completely exhilarated.
The next day, every inch of my body ached, in a good way.
WEEK THREE:
I began feeling the effects from my efforts. I finally felt lighter. I could knock out 30 sit ups with ease, compared to my first week of panting and cursing after just 10.
Feeling confident and slightly smug, I explained to Omar on how fit I was feeling but 10 stair sprints and 10 jumping lunges later, I realised I still had a long way to go.
WEEK FOUR:
With weigh in fast approaching reckoning I went head-first into my sessions. I beat my original rowing machine target and sped up my sprints. Outside of my PT, I did interval training at the gym at 7am each morning and swam 20 laps in the evening. I had more energy an felt fitter than ever.
THE FINAL RESULT
Total centimetres lost: 1.5cm
Body fat percentage: Down 0.89%
BMI: Down 0.5
DETAILS: Platform 3 is located in Dubai Marina, directly behind the JBR walk. Personal training classes are available either as one-to-one (starting at Dhs350) or as a group (starting at Dhs100. Sports therapy and nutrition sessions are also on offer (starting from Dhs400) P3dubai.com
Sample Workout
• Tabata: 20 seconds burpees then 10 seconds push ups x 8
• Tabata : 20 seconds running on the spot 10 seconds full range overhead squats x 8
• Swimming 20 laps (back and forward = 1 lap)
• Plyometric squats : 30 reps 3 sets
• Plyometric Lunges : 30 reps 3 sets
• Plank x 1 minute/1 minute and a half x 2
• Prone cobra back extensions 20 reps x 2
Watch this space as we share more PT Challenges, as seen in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Emirates Bride.
