SPORT&FITNESS
MIDDLE EAST
SFME ISSUE 32 - 2015
TOP FAT BUSTING MOVES
MASTER
Around the world by
THE FRONT SQUAT
ASHES PREVIEW WITH GOOCH AND BORDER
E T A M I T L U L BODY FULRKOUT WO
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TO S P E ST LER
KIL ES GLUT
Official Magazine
WATCH LATEST
TOP 5 EXERCISE
TO BANISH FAT
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WAYS TO ACTIVATE
YOUR QUADS
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FEEL TH FRONT SQUAT
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KILLER GLUTES
EPIC GAINS WITH ViPR
HOSPITALITY ON THE 18TH The DP World Tour Championship hosts the top 60 golfers on The European Tour in the final tournament of the 2015 Race to Dubai. Book now for the best view on Earth. 10% early booking discount available until 31 August, 2015. For tickets call +971 (0) 567 359 852 or email HOSPITALITY@DPWTC.COM
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THIS SUMMER DON’T QUIT, STAY FIT!
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KAY so I think it’s pretty clear that the summer is well and truly upon us and there’s no denying that it’s going to get worse before it gets better – so we might as well get used to it. As well as the soaring temperatures and extreme humidity, the summer also means Ramadan for many people. But whether you‘re fasting or not, there’s no reason to let your health and fitness goals slip, it’s just a matter of readjustment. Fitness First’s Charlotte Stebbing has got some excellent tips on how you can stay fit while fasting and nutrition expert Banin Shahine explains how to go about eating sensibly during Suhoor and Iftar. Of course, for all but the extremely brave and resilient, exercising outdoors is almost out of the question. Just walking from the car park to the office can leave you looking like the proverbial ‘drowned rat’ so it’s perfectly understandable that the thought of a 10k jog around your local neighbourhood doesn’t exactly fill you with joy. But that’s what gyms are for and such is the advancement of technology in this modern world in which we exist that there’s more than enough clever equipment and machinery available to replicate the exertions of most outdoor activities.
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Many of us are also busy in the gym trying to hone our physiques for our summer holidays – but remember kids, a regular training schedule and a healthy diet are for life, not just for the summer! Or they should be anyway, if we make sure that we continue to exercise and diet with the same sense of purpose we have when preparing for that all important summer vacation. We’ve got the lowdown on how to get killer glutes and luscious legs, not to mention the best full body workout ever and the five greatest exercises for busting fat. On the sporting front we’ve got news of a hot new Twenty20 cricket league kicking off in Dubai and an exclusive Ashes preview from two legends of the game, Graham Gooch and Allan Border. We also talk to eccentric Turk, Gurkan Genk, who came through the UAE as part of his epic seven-year round-the-world bike ride, while yoga expert Iris Sarg extols the virtues of the ancient practice. Throw in the best in fashion, travel and lifestyle and the latest news from Fitness First and we’ve got a humdinger of a summer issue for you to get your teeth into.
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WARM UP
CYCLING SFME F E AT U RE
Pedal Power
CRICKET SFME FEATURE
ASHES FEVER
TIME TO LOOSEN UP AND GET THINGS STARTED!
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here aren’t many rivalries in world sport that capture the imagination quite like The Ashes. Since its inception in 1882, the epic five Test match battle between the proud nations of Australia and England has epitomised everything great about the sport – from the unbearable pain of defeat and the sweetness of victory to the virtues of sportsmanship and the fruits of persistence. With The Ashes set to be played in England in July and August, SFME’s Mohamed Suleman spoke exclusively with former England captain Graham Gooch and past Australian captain Allan Border to hear all about their Ashes experiences and find out what they think is going to happen when England and Australia lock horns this summer.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Ashes Urn – the most famous 11 inches of terracotta on earth
ALRIGHT, SO YOUR BREATH MIGHT NOT SMELL SO GORGEOUS AFTER EATING THEM BUT THAT DOSEN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT GARLIC IS SO INCREDIBLY GOOD FOR YOU IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
ISSUE 32 - 2015
TOP FAT BUSTING MOVES
Around the world by
MASTER
THE FRONT SQUAT
ASHES PREVIEW WITH GOOCH AND BORDER
ATE ULTILMBODY L U F RKOUT WO
ROM dissolving blood clots to lowering cholesterol levels, this fantastic herb, which is affectionately called ‘the stinking rose’, is a real gem in almost every sense of the word. And besides, they keep you safe from vampires as well!
addition to keeping blood pressure under check. Garlic’s most prominent health benefit is that it protects blood cells and blood vessels from inflammation as well as oxidative stress. This goes a long way in reducing the risk of heart attacks and atherosclerosis
SULFURLICIOUS Research tells us that it’s garlic’s extensive sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for its numerous health benefits. Ironically, it is also this feature that gives its pungent smell. The gases that come out of the sulfuric properties of garlic are released into our red blood cells and help dilate our blood vessels in
CANCER-PREVENTORS Like onions and chives, garlic belongs to the allium vegetable family, an ancestral tree that research tells us possesses crucial anti-cancer properties. Because of the allyl sulfides found in garlic, a high intake of this herb has been found to lower the risk of virtually all types of cancer except for prostate and breast cancer.
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MIDDLE EAST
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Graham Gooch
Allan Border
KNOW THY GARLIC:
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KIL ES GLUT
Official Magazine
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Meet The Man Who’s Cycling The Globe
I think will do very well in English conditions – he’s a very Terry Alderman kind of performer and I’m backing him to have a great series. So England will be a very worthy opponent and they lift themselves for The Ashes too so I think it’s going to be a really tight series and it’ll be great to watch.
“When you walk out there to play your very first Ashes Test match it’s a spine-tingling sort of moment – it’s very special.” The Ashes 2015 itinerary First Test
July 8-12
Second Test
July 16-20
Lord’s
Third Test
Cardiff
July 29 - August 2
Edgbaston
Fourth Test
August 6 -10
Trent Bridge
Fifth Test
Augsut 20 – 24
Kennington Oval
WARM UP The nutritional benefits of garlic and nuts, a futuristic calorie counting app from Google and a hearty low fat powerhouse of a soup recipe are just a few of things we’ve got to warm you up for this sizzling summer issue.
SFME
around the world by bike We caught up with Turkey’s Gurkan Genk who stopped off in Dubai amidst his round the world bike tour which is set to take seven years to complete.
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EEBOK YOGA AMBASSADOR SARG TALKS FITNESS, ACTING & YOGA Iris Sarg fell in love with yoga after taking part in a Strala Yoga training session in France with Tara Stiles, the renowned American model turned yoga instructor. Since then, the Frenchwoman has made yoga an integral part of her daily routine, a move she says has positively affected her professional and personal life in more ways than one. Sarg, who is a qualified sports coach who also works as a personal trainer, became an esteemed Reebok ambassador last year after she gave a Strala Yoga class during a Reebok seminar in the French city of Strasbourg. Reebok was deeply impressed with her work and in the end it was Stiles, one of Sarg’s idols, who recommended her as a Reebok yoga ambassador. SFME spoke with Iris Sarg about the evolution of yoga, the effects the practice has had on her career as an actress and a fitness coach, and why she thinks you need to include yoga in your life today.
Yoga Life
WARM UP
SFME: Why did you decide to become a fitness coach? Iris Sarg: Doing sport helped my body, mind and spirit, and I quickly noticed the effects of that in my personal and professional life as an actress. Having recognized the numerous benefits of sport, it was important for me to pass my knowledge and experience to other people. The well-being of people is important for me and that’s why I quickly decided to become a certified sports coach. SFME: What would you say are the main benefits of doing yoga? IS: There are many benefits of doing yoga.Doing yoga regularly positively effects not only your body, but also your mind and spirit.Your body becomes stronger, more balanced, more flexible, more oxygenated and generally healthier. While doing yoga exercices, you concentrate on your breathing and as a result you become more relaxed and conscious. Through yoga, you can get rid of everyday stress and feel great about yourself. While doing yoga, you work on your entire body which means you raise your vibration and as a result, you activate your chakras which in turn raises your consciousness and uplifts your spirit. SFME: In the past people thought yoga was only for ‘hippy’ types do you think that perception is changing? IS: It is true that not a very long time ago, doing yoga was associated with being hippy and with the “New Age” movement. But now it’s safe to say that the practice of yoga is becoming more and more popular. The perception of yoga has changed now thanks largely to people like Tara Stiles. Today, yoga is practiced in more and more places around the world by more and more people, regardless of their age or spiritual belief.
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RED LENTIL & CARROT SOUP 85 grams of red lentils 2 diced carrots 1 finely sliced white onion 2 teaspoon of olive oil 1 vegetable stock cube 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley 3 sliced garlic cloves 18
1. As you slice the onions, put the kettle on to boil and the olive oil in a medium pan. Throw in the onions onto the pan and fry them for two minutes as dice the carrots and finely slice the garlic. Chuck them into the pan as well and cook briefly over the heat. 2. Next, pour one litre of boiling water into the pan while stirring in the lentils and stock cube. Proceed by covering the pan and cooking over medium heat for 15 minutes – the idea is to cook it until the lentils are soft. 3. Once that’s done, take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley. Ladle your wonderful soup in bowls and if you want a touch of class, scatter extra parsley leaves on it.
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free your body and your mind will follow The health benefits of yoga are almost innumerable and expert practitioner Iris Sarg explains why we should all be adding it to our daily exercise schedule.
SFME
FOOD
HOT LIST
TWO OF THE BEST AT VIDA DOWNTOWN DUBAI 3 IN 1 - RAMADAN DELIGHTS
LIVESCRIBE SMARTPEN
You need never spend precious time writing up your meeting or lecture notes again. This nifty pen from Livescribe turns physical notes into digital ones. Using handwriting recognition, the nifty gadget types what you write into your paired iOs or Android device making notes easily searchable at a later date. It also features an audio record function which will store the audio file next to the relevant notes giving you a comprehensive recall system
CCORDING to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Newcastle, children who spend large amounts of time with their fathers have a higher IQ. The study highlighted the importance of a father’s involvement in the early stages of a child’s development. It also warned that it wasn’t simply enough for parents to live together and stressed the importance of fathers playing an active role in their children’s upbringing. Interestingly, the same study also found that fathers tend to give more attention to their sons rather than their daughters. More than 11,000 British men and women were looked at during the study which asked families how often they read, did activities, planned outings and spent quality time with their children. The study also concluded that a child’s future career prospects can improve if there is strong fatherly involvement in his or her development.
TOKO
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he sumptuous Iftar at 3 in 1 is a great option during Ramadan whether you’re fasting or not with plenty of healthy options on offer. There’s a huge variety of tasty creative salads, soups, and delicious traditional Arabic appetizers while the main courses are made to order and delivered to your table with a mix of vegetable dishes and a mixed grill of lamb chops, kebabs, chicken and beef. We loved the super-tasty ouzi lamb which is mixed with spicy rice, sultanas and nuts while you can wash it all down with a selection of hand crafted fruit juices. If you’re feeling naughty there’s a dessert counter to die for or you can opt for a selection of fresh or dried fruit. The setting is stylish and the atmosphere is much more relaxed and laid back than many Iftars so 3 in 1 is definitely worth a look this Ramadan.
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E’RE all good at coming up for excuses for why we haven’t got time to go to the gym. “I’ve got too much work to do, “I have to clean the house”, “ I’ve got to make tea” etc...Well the good news is, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best time-saving gadgets out there to allow you to spend all those banked hours getting into shape. We know....we’re too kind!
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LOCAL SCENE
SAVERS
HERE’S WHY FATHERS NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEIR KIDS
ISSUE No. 32 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd (T ) +44 1663 71992
SFME
He’s found that his journey has, for the most part, revealed the best of human nature. “In the big cities, people have problems like ‘how can I pay the bills?’, ‘How can I pay the rent?’” he says. “But in other parts of the country people are very relaxed. They invite you into their houses a lot – in every country in the world. I’ve seen 42 countries now and religion, skin colour, it’s not important. If they see you on the bike they invite you into their house. If you went by motorcycle you wouldn’t get the same hospitality. If you have a motorcycle you’re a rich man, you have money. A bicycle is a public transportation machine. These people, the villagers, are always riding their bicycles with their kids. They all use them. So they share this in common with you and know that you understand real life.” As you’d imagine, Gurkan’s journey has been more than a little physically demanding at times. He averages between 100 and 200km every day – sometimes in arduous conditions. “The toughest part was in Mongolia, in the Gobi Desert. For 750km and 12 days I didn’t see anyone. There’s no asphalt, no track – the sand is so firm that you can cycle on it but it’s tough. In the day time the temperature was 20 degrees but at night it dropped to minus 35. I ran out of water so I had to filter my pee and drink it to survive until eventually I arrived in Ulaanbaatar. “I also experienced minus 57 degrees in Russia in 2013. It was February 2013 when I passed by the Arctic Circle so I choose some extreme weather conditions! I’m now set to be in Dubai for the summer time so that will also be challenge!” Gurkan’s achievements thus far include becoming the first Turk to cycle the Central Asian States and the entirety of North Asia. He accomplished a 45,000 metre climb by riding all 32 Alpine Passes in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France. As well as the Gobi Desert he’s also conquered the
YOGA SFME FEAT URE
HEALTH NEWS
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YCLING the length of an average sized country is a mammoth undertaking. Cycling around the whole world is borderline preposterous – but that’s exactly what 36-year-old Gurkan Genk set out to do in 2012. He had no real experience as a cyclist but he’d dreamed of undertaking such an epic adventure since he was 12 years old and, after trying a series of different jobs, he decided that the rat race just wasn’t for him. So he got on his bike…and he’s been on it ever since. Gurkan reached the UAE recently, marking three years into what will be a seven-year ride across every continent on the globe he’s calling ‘Pedal for The Future’. He’s currently recuperating in Dubai after being hit by a truck in Saudi and that’s not the first brush with death he’s had along the way. “In one country they tried to rob me and I had to fight,” he says. “In another country I was arrested when I put my tent up in a Taliban controlled area. People have put their guns to my chest and tried to take my money, I’ve broken my chest two times, I broke my leg one time and yet still I’m on the road and still I’m alive!” It takes a lot of determination to carry on after such hair-raising moments and Gurkan certainly has bags of that: “I have only one life in which to do this so I must carry on,” he says. But these moments are rare dark spots in what has been a hugely enlightening and enriching experience for the eccentric Turk. He’s seen sights and experienced cultures that most travelers can only dream of. As Gurkan explains, “Most travelers or tourists pick a point on a map and they go there. Then they pick another point and they go there – so they go from point to point. But if you cycle you do a line right through the whole country. You see the real culture.”
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Words: Richard Bevan
“I ALSO EXPERIENCED MINUS 57 DEGREES IN RUSSIA IN 2013. IT WAS FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN I PASSED BY THE ARCTIC CIRCLE SO I CHOOSE SOME EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS! I’M NOW SET TO BE IN DUBAI FOR THE SUMMER TIME SO THAT WILL ALSO BE CHALLENGE!”
cricket legends in dubai The MCL T20 Masters Champions League will bring some of the biggest legends of the game to Dubai. Two former Ashes stars also give us their predictions ahead of this summer’s showdown. 18
If you’re looking for a healthy soup that is as tasty as it is easy to make, look no further. Lentils and carrots make for a fantastically healthy combination so you can only imagine what would happen if you put these two magical veggies in a soup.
SFME specifies that post-press changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.
What do you think is going to happen this summer? I think it will be a lot closer than Glen McGrath’s traditional 5-0 prediction! England in their own backyard are always tough customers and we know that Australia have lost their last three Ashes series in England. I always get a bit cringe-worthy when we’re given such hot favouritism before a series starts. Yes we beat England 5-0 in Australia in the last Ashes series but that’s in our conditions, our own backyard. Our strike bowling is the key weapon that we’ve got with Johnson, Starc and Harris. Harris especially
Allen Border
PICTURE THIS
4 steps to killer glutes Go back to basics to get the glutes you’ve always dreamed of. Most of us spend too long sitting on our butts each day which causes our hip flexors to become short and tight and that in turn leads to under-active glutes. Not only does this affect the shape and size of our posterior it can also lead to lower back, knee and hip problems. Louise Shields demonstrates four exercises you should use to get those glutes firing.
What did the Ashes mean to you as a player? To play in The Ashes is a dream come true for all Australian cricketers and I’m sure it’s the same for the England boys. From the time you start playing the game, Ashes cricket is the foremost thing in your thoughts and it’s something you dream about. When you walk out there to play your very first Ashes Test match it’s a spine-tingling sort of moment – it’s very special.
The entire top part of the garlic is called the bulb. Each segment of a garlic is called a clove. There are usually around 10-20 cloves in a single bulb of garlic.
REGULARS
TO STEPLSER
Graham Gooch
What did the Ashes mean to you as a player? I think England will be a little bit more confident after Ashes cricket is the pinnacle for any English or the New Zealand series at home which they tied 1-1. Australian cricket player because it’s not just about They played good aggressive cricket and I felt they the cricket, it’s about the cultural history of the played in the right spirit. It was good to see Alastair two countries. The cultural shared history between Cook back to his top form which is necessary if England and Australia makes for a very unique rivalry. England are to do well in The Ashes. However they I had mixed need a couple of players like Ian Bell experiences in my “The cultural shared history between Ashes career. I played and Gary Balance England and Australia makes for a very in a side that won The to fire but overall Ashes three times and they have a fairly unique rivalry. “ I played in plenty of settled side. sides that lost The Ashes, especially in the latter part of England look good but Australia will be favourites my career when I was captain we never got the best because they have the dominance at the moment. of Allan Border’s team – they were too good for us! They have a very fine fast-bowling attack with Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson. What do you think is going to happen this summer? However I think England will be quietly confident that No doubt Australia will be heavy favourites. However, they can cause an upset.
GORGEOUS GARLIC SPORT&FITNESS
Allan Border
Graham Gooch
Date: Available throughout Ramadan Time: From sunset until 10pm Price: AED 170 per person for adults ED 85 for children aged between 6 and 12 years Kids below 5 year dine for free
DURACELL POWERMAT
Why waste time looking for your various chargers or figuring out how to free up enough plug sockets to use them all at once when the Duracell Powermat replenish power to up to three of your favourite devices when you simply lay them down on it.
IROBOT SCOOBA 450
Let’s face it, nobody likes cleaning floors, so why not get a robot to do it for you while you hit the gym? The iRobot Scooba 450 is an ingenious little device that cleans hard floors like never before using a three-step process. First it sweeps and pre-soaks with a thin layer of water or floor cleaner. Then it scrubs and uses a squeegee vacuum to suck dirty water off the floor. Finally, it performs a ‘squeegee’ finish with a final once over to leave you with a gleaming surface. You set up the parameters of the area you want the robot to clean using a sensor device that stops it from crossing a designate infrared line and the iRobot even talks to you to tell you when it’s finished the job and its ‘dirty tank needs emptying.’
MARRIAGE AND HEALTH - MARRIED MEN WIN
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HEALTH NEWS
f you’re a fan of creative contemporary Japanese fusion cuisine and are looking for something chic and healthy for that special occasion then Toko is the place for you. They say you get what you pay for and while Toko isn’t cheap, the food and service are exceptional and the ambience is delightful. Think dimly lit Manhattan cocktail bar with a touch of Oriental elegance. A pet gripe with many restaurants in Dubai is that the waiting staff aren’t often knowledgeable enough about the menu but nothing could be further from the truth where Toko is concerned. Our friendly and welcoming hostess guided us expertly through the variety of equally
SMART MICROWAVES
Already a classic time-saving household appliance, microwaves can now save you having spending time working out how long to cook something for. Simply scan your packet of frozen veg or can of soup and this Samsung Smart Microwave will automatically work out the perfect time setting.
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NEW joint study conducted by the University College London, the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has revealed some interesting findings about marriage and its effect on our health. The researchers found that single men suffered more negative health effects than single women. It concluded that from a health perspective, women benefit very little from marriage while men who are married enjoy significantly better health. The study revealed that unmarried women had practically the same chance of developing diabetes and obesity as married women. According to the study, the bottom line is that marriage appears to be more beneficial for men than it is for women.
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delicious sounding choices and made some terrific recommendations. Sharing plates of Wagyu beef gyoza with soy chili dressing and shiso along with langoustine tempura with wasbi and jalapeno mayo whetted the appetite nicely for what was to be a taste sensation in the mains. We opted for braised short rib (one of the most flavorsome we’ve ever tasted) along with the equally delectable black cod marinated in saikyo miso along with asparagus and the surprisingly fitting grilled avocado in sweet soy and lime. Despite an array of wonderful sounding desserts – we tried to be good and requested a single scoop of homemade green tea sorbet to round of a memorable evening at Toko.
AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO (INCLUDING DRINKS): AED 900
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life in style Whether you’re hitting the beach, the football field the gym or the town you need to look and feel on top of your game. We’ve also got some great saving gadgets to free you up for the more important things in life.
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london tRAVEL The capital city of the United Kingdom is one of the most popular summer travel destinations for residents of the Middle East and the Lancaster Hotel has everything a tourist of business traveller could wish for.
Trainer TRAINER
TRAINER
FASTING
By CHARLOTTE STEBBING Fitness Manager Fitness First Abu Dhabi Mall
It is important to reduce your intake of salty and sugary foods as it will increase thirst Avoid doing and can cause further weight training dehydration while you’re fasting. This can cause a rise in the catabolic hormone, cortisol, which can lead to loss of strength due to the dehydration
Hydration is key during Ramadan to help keep your body in check. Drink as much water as you can in between your fasts
IN THIS ISSUE
After Iftar, keep eating small portions often in order to boost your metabolism and keep energy levels consistent
Fasting
Exercise
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. There not that simple unately its g fat but unfort for burnin another. process. exercises g is the fat loss are the best and trainin to help aid to know what diet is one of them n, the best in my opinio veryone wants y balanced with you are, – a health losing fat going to share ses that I’m The exerci
Take two doses of multi vitamin in the morning with higher protein and good fats. Good options are peanut butter, oatmeal and eggs
Breaking your fast with dates and water is one of the fastest ways to rehydrate due to the chemical reaction of fructose, glucose and water
Fat loss training before Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) is extremely effective! Wake up with half a litre of water and one cup of green tea, workout, then eat Suhoor
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Now we move to the upperbody. Bent over rows utilize your back muscles (lats), biceps and core.
▶ Cardio workouts should be reduced to two workouts per week. ▶ Listen to your body and reduce intensity as it feels right for you.
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▶ Stop exercising if you are feeling dizziness or nausea. ▶ This is the perfect time to try some lower intensity classes like yoga, pilates and body balance.
▶ Weight training is most effective 4-5 hours after breaking your fast. However if this is too late for you, an hour after Iftar will be beneficial but the result will not be the same.
This is the ultimate exercise that gets every muscle in your body firing and is also the most dreadead exercise by anyone who has tried them. However burpees are right up there with in the world of exercises because you need no equipment to perform this movement. All you need is your body and a bit of space and it can be done anywhere at any time (even at work, just be prepared for some funny looks!)
▶ If early rising does not suit your lifestyle, fat loss can still be achieved after Iftar with a short HIIT (high intensity interval training) session. 30 seconds hard work with 30 seconds rest, five times will be enough to help maximize fat loss
So those are my top five top exercises if your looking to maximize your calorie burn. Remember that exercise alone will not give you what you want but rather you need to combine this with a healthy balanced diet in order to maximise your results.
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stay fit during the fast Charlotte Stebbing gives some fantastic tips on how to make sure you stay on track with your fitness goals if you are fasting during Ramadan while Banin Shahine explains how to eat healthily and sensibly.
NEWS
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TRAINER
FITNESS FIRST NEWS Find out all the latest happenings at the region’s No.1 health and fitness club chain and read the inspiring stories of two members who have turned their lives around since joining Fitness First.
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fat busters Jonathan Mills brings you his top five exercises to help in the battle against the bulge. TRAINER
By DEAN KETZNER
By KEVIN CĂTĂLIN ABABEI
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4.PULL-UPS Pull-ups are the best upper-body exercise you will ever do. They’re great for core strength and what’s great is that they hit a lot of the muscles in your back and burn a good few calories.
5.BURPEES
▶ If your goal is fat loss the best time to train is before Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). You should aim for a 30-45 minute moderate intensity work out.
SFME
Platinum Trainer Fitness First
2.DEADLIFT Again another big compound movement that will give you more bang for your buck. The deadlift is a great exercise that works your posterior chain and can help develop you glutes, hamstrings and strengthen your lower back. It is also a great exercise for building a strong core.
▶ Do not stop exercising! It makes it harder to start again and you’ll lose shape and muscle definition fast.
▶ Remember, it’s imperative to keep hydrated throughout!
FITNESS FIRST
WAYS TO ACTIVATE YOUR QUADS
XFit Head Coach Fitness First Knowledge Village
LEG EXTENSION
Let’s say, like me, you are very posterior chain dominant during your lower body compound exercises. Your hamstrings and glutes get a ton of work, but your quads aren’t getting the training stimulus you want. Should you just do more exercises that are going to pose the same issue? A better option would be to try an isolation exercise. Using a leg extensions machine is a super choice considering the fact that it takes the posterior chain out of the movement completely and allows your training to focus exclusively on your quads.
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here is probably not a better and cleaner way to develop your lower body and core strength than by performing the front squat. This fantastic movement shares many qualities of a regular air squat but what makes the front squat special is the addition of the bar in the “rack” position. This position demands substantially more core strength in addition to midline stabilisation.
One of the main aims of a leg-day in the gym should be to activate your quads. Quads activation is one of the best ways to bolster your hamstrings so here are five exercises that will set you on your way to ultimate quaddom!
THE PETERSON STEP-UP
This exercise encourages the forward tracking of the knee over the toe, along with a ball-of-the-foot contact point of the walking leg. Both of these movements encourage the activation of your quads.
CAUTION! THIS EXERCISE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HAD OR STILL HAVE KNEE PROBLEMS.
BACK AND FRONT SQUAT WITH HEELS ELEVATED
▶ Choose a hand position on the barbell close to the grip you use for a press or a clean. ▶ Do not fully grip the bar, but rather just hook your fingers around the bar. ▶ Meet the bar and place it above the chest while rotating your elbows upward to create as much of a horizontal angle with your arms. This should create a shelf, or rack position.
REMEMBER TO AVOID PUSHING OFF THE GROUND WITH THE NON-WORKING LEG. LET THE WORKING LEG CARRY THE ENTIRE LOAD.
▶ Keep your weight centered on the heels of your feet, and your feet shoulder width apart. ▶ Squat down with your chest tall and remember to keep your elbows as high as possible while continuously forcing your hips outwards. Your knees track over toes of feet.
Take the squat position and start by elevating your heels. This allows you to get deeper into a change in knee tracking. The knee will be forced to go further forward over the toes and believe me when I say, you’ll feel it in the quads.
▶ Then simply squat straight back up into your starting position.
FRONT FOOT EXTENDED SPLIT SQUAT
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Adjust the height of the step box according to your ability. You won’t need a lot of weight to feel the quads working and be warned that you will feel the burn quickly!
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
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This is among my favourite quad movements. It’s a great way to target the VMO (Vastus Medialis Obliquus), which is located just above and to the inside of the knee cap. With this variation, be sure to lean forward as this puts more emphasis on the lead leg and changes the body geometry so that the knee tracks forward over the toe, hitting more VMO.
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thighs of steel Too many people skip leg day in the gym but it’s actually one of the most important sessions. Kevin Catalin Ababei demonstrates five exercises to properly activate your quads.
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Floor Manager, Fitness First Jumeirah Beach Park Plaza
THE BEST
Assistant Club General Manager, Fitness First, Motor City
FULL BODY
WORKOUT
EVER
12 reps
HAMMER CURLS 12 reps
401 Tempo
30 secs Rest
401 Tempo
DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS 12 reps
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
THE PROTOCOL There are Four Supersets (paired exercises) to complete where you will alternate between each exercise for 12 reps. Seems easy right? However, when you get to grips with the next few steps you’ll probably be thinking what you’ve got yourself in to. The whole intensity of the workout is affected by a few very important things. So before you start, make sure you understand the following simple elements in order to get the maximum benefit from this workout. Each Superset has paired exercises that are designed to challenge your big muscle groups, and ultimately raise your heart rate up to 85-95%. Using a technique called Peripheral Heart Action (PHA), you alternate between upper body movements into lower body movements. This has a brilliant cardiovascular effect. In order to shred unwanted body fat, you must a) elevate your heart rate b) and work your muscles hard – these are two absolutely key components of this workout!
REST PERIODS WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.bit.ly/sf_me
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You will notice the first two supersets are heavy compound exercises that require a lot of oxygenated blood supply to those muscle groups while and the final 2 supersets have smaller isolated movements which don’t need as much blood supply, and can re-oxidise a lot faster.
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For the bigger movements, you will need to take a 60 second rest in between the exercises, and only 30 seconds for the smaller movements as seen below. If needed, you can increase the rest periods to suit your current fitness level, and then when you feel ready bring them back to the prescribed periods below.
A ROPE PUSHDOWN 12 reps
401 Tempo
CHIN UPS (NEGATIVES)
30 secs Rest
12 reps
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
TIME-UNDER-TENSION The most important element of this workout is to make sure you are strict with the tempo on the negative portions of each exercise. This technique, also known as time-under-tension, will apply a greater load on your muscles. Combining a strict four second tempo on the negative portion will lead to a huge lactic acid burn, which is a pre-curser to growth hormone release. Growth hormone is the hormone of youth - it helps you burn fat and build lean muscle.
DUMBBELL LUNGES 12 reps
101 Tempo
60 secs Rest
HANGING LEG RAISES 12 reps
401 Tempo
30 secs Rest
Superset A (3 Sets) 1A Barbell Squats
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEIGHT For each exercise you should pick a weight where 8-10 reps are a struggle but it’s in the the next 2-4 reps is where the magic happens. It is at this point where you should be feeling the lactic acid burn kicking in. Obviously you need to be strict with the 4 second negative phase, so choosing the correct weight may take a bit of trial and error at first. Record what weights you lift, and if you don’t feel the burn on the last few reps then go heavier.
BARBELL SQUATS 12 reps
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
12reps
1B Dumbbell Chest Press 12reps Superset B (3 Sets) 12reps 2A Dumbbell Lunges 12reps 2B Chin Ups (Negatives) Superset C (3 Sets) 3A Behind The Neck Press 12reps 12reps 3B Hammer Curls Superset D (3 Sets) 12reps 4A Hanging Leg Raises 12reps 4B Rope Pushdown
401Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
60 sec
101Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
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BEAT THE CLOCK Busy lifestyles mean time in the gym is sometimes limited but that doesn’t mean your body should suffer. Try this 45 minute workout from Trevor Flowers that will burn a huge amount of calories and work your entire body.
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B Leg Flick to Forward Tilt to Push Up
With ViPR
The Workout
HIS FULL BODY WORKOUT WILL GET YOU BURNING A TON OF CALORIES IN JUST UNDER 45 MINUTES. FOLLOW THIS STRICT PROTOCOL WITH THE SPECIFIC EXERCISES CHOSEN TO MAXIMISE THE INTENSITY AND GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT FAST.
all over
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30 secs Rest
LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT THAT WILL PRIME YOUR BODY TO BURN FAT LIKE NEVER BEFORE?
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TRAINER
By STEVEN GILLESPIE
BEHIND THE NECK PRESS
DMIT it – the first time you picked up a ViPR at the gym you automatically did either a bicep curl, shoulder press or a combination of both? If you didn’t then good on you, however the majority of people who are not exposed to the world of ViPR have a very linear and one-dimensional perspective towards exercising which is no fault of their own. Exercise programmes of old have been predominantly based on one-dimensional planes of motion such as bench presses, squats, pull-downs and dips because those have been the machines or thought processes available to us at that point in time for a variety of reasons. Reasons such as people want to get bigger, leaner or more toned because magazines say so or because that was what their role model does. These exercises are by no means categorically wrong and I am not saying either that a single-leg transverse kettlebell snatch on a double bosu ball is categorically right. However the direction of modern functional movement theory and exercise stems from the notion that preparing the body for multi-planar motions which mimic everyday movement patterns can provide injury proofing, health and strengthening benefits to cope with the demands of 21st century life better than their one dimensional counterparts. How many times in your day-to-day do you spend twisting or reaching for an object at an oblique angle versus the amount of times you bicep curled an object perfectly from one place to another? Simply put we are not training or moving for the way our bodies are
c Forward Motion Ice Skater d Cylinder Lift
designed to function naturally which is leaving us injury prone and unable to cope with the regular demands of life. MEET THE ViPR There are many tools available in our gyms to achieve a 360-degree injury proof approach to training, however one of the most versatile and effective tools for this purpose is the ViPR. The ViPR stands for Vitality, Performance and Reconditioning and was invented by Michol Dalcourt for the purpose of working the body as an integrated whole unit through a variation of load, tempo and movement planes as opposed to splitting the body into isolated parts and training each section independently. The idea behind integration over isolation is that the body is stronger when worked as a whole, specifically the myofascial system that incorporates the muscle and the fascia both work together in order to maintain a strong framework that supports and holds our entire anatomy in place; conversely if you isolate the body and train it in its constituent parts it will weaken the framework as each section are not being trained as one. Want to know how to strengthen your body’s framework, lose fat and build functional muscle all at the same time? Here is a quick ViPR workout that incorporates the whole body and aims to improve general fitness, health and wellbeing whilst preparing the body for integrated training through multi-planar movement drills. Equipment needed: 4 to 8 kilo ViPR for the main workout and a 12 to 20 kilo ViPR for the finisher.
e Side Shuffle to Step Through to Ground Slam
A Two Hand ‘Thread the Needle’ f
Bear Crawl ‘Non-Stop’ Push/Pull
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perfect your squat The squat is one of the best exercises out there for strengthening in a whole host of areas. Dean Ketzner shows us how we should be doing it.
TRAINER
By TREVOR FLOWERS
to
3. BENT OVER ROWS
▶ If your goal is to keep generally healthy, 20 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of resistance training after Iftar will leave you feeling energized.
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variables
1. SQUAT The reason that the squat is a great exercise for burning fat is because of the amount of muscles needed to perform this exercise. The squat is classified as a compound movement which means it uses more than one muscle group and we know that compound movements burn more calories than single-muscled exercises like leg extensions.
▶ When fasting, our body uses predominantly body fat when we exercise.
your goals on track and could even give your results a boost! With that said, it is important to make sure you listen to your body as everyone is different and everyone will respond in different ways to exercising while fasting. Look after yourself with the guidelines in this article and make sure you speak to our trainers in order to find out more.
are many
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Foods must be a balance of protein, carbohydrates and good fats
EXERCISE
Holy Month of Ramadan
ne of the most commo questions I get asked in the lead up to Ramadan is “should I be exercising or not?” My answer is always the same: with adequate thought, planning and preparation, exercising and fasting during Ramadan will keep
Eating 30 minutes before a weight training session will fuel you effectively. Try to eat chicken, salmon, vegetables and salad
ES TO EXERCHISFAT BANIS
5 By JONATHAN MILLS
Assistant General manager Manager, Fitness First Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi
Finisher – ‘Log Run’ on Treadmill for 3 minutes
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versatile vipr Stephen Gillespie demonstrates how one of the gym’s lesser known pieces of equipment is actually one of the most versatile. Studies have shown that ‘multi-planar’motions which mimic everyday movement patterns can provide great injury proofing, health and strengthening benefits and the ViPR is among the best tools to work with.
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The riders take to the skies during the BMX Motos event at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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WARM UP TIME TO LOOSEN UP AND GET THINGS STARTED!
GORGEOUS GARLIC
ALRIGHT, SO YOUR BREATH MIGHT NOT SMELL SO GORGEOUS AFTER EATING IT BUT THAT DOSEN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT GARLIC IS SO MARVELLOUSLY GOOD FOR YOU IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. ROM dissolving blood clots to lowering cholesterol levels, this fantastic herb, which is affectionately called ‘the stinking rose’, is a real gem in almost every sense of the word. And besides, they keep you safe from vampires as well!
addition to keeping blood pressure under check. Garlic’s most prominent health benefit is that it protects blood cells and blood vessels from inflammation as well as oxidative stress. This goes a long way in reducing the risk of heart attacks and atherosclerosis
SULPHUR-LICIOUS Research tells us that it’s garlic’s extensive sulphur-containing compounds that are responsible for its numerous health benefits. Ironically, it is also this feature that gives its pungent smell. The gases that come out of the sulphuric properties of garlic are released into our red blood cells and help dilate our blood vessels in
CANCER-PREVENTORS Like onions and chives, garlic belongs to the allium vegetable family – an ancestral tree that research tells us possesses crucial anti-cancer properties. Because of the allyl sulphides found in garlic, a high intake of this herb has been found to lower the risk of virtually all types of cancer except for prostate and breast cancer.
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KNOW THY GARLIC: The entire top part of the garlic is called the bulb. Each segment of a garlic is called a clove. There are usually around 10-20 cloves in a single bulb of garlic.
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WARM UP
NEWS FEED JUL.AUG
60%
NUTS GUARD AGAINST EARLY DEATH
We all knew that nuts were good for us but we didn’t know they were this good. recent Dutch study has stated that eating just a half a handful of nuts everyday could drastically reduce the risk of early death. Researchers at the Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that those who ate at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts recorded a 23% lower chance of early death during the 10-year study. Among those who ate nuts, the mortality risk due to cancer, premature neurodegenerative disease, respiratory disease and diabetes was considerably lower than those who did not eat nuts.
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THAT’S THE PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS THAT DON’T GET THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT IS NEEDED TO STAY HEALTHY. IT GETS WORSE. 25% OF ADULTS ARE NOT ACTIVE AT ALL!
FURTHER PROOF THAT PARENTS’ AGES INFLUENCES AUTISM RISK
An extensive study involving data from more than 5.7 million children across five countries provides further proof of what researchers have suspected for a long time – kids born to older mothers and fathers have higher rates of autism. The study, which was conducted in Denmark, Norway, Israel, Australia and Sweden, looked at rates of autism in children born between 1985 and 2004. It found that while the overall chances child ending up with autism is approximately 1 in 100, the relative risk becomes two-thirds higher for kids who are born to dads older than 50 in comparison to children born to dads in their 20s.
Call it Quits
E-CIGS ON THE RISE ACCORDING to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, considerably more Americans are using electronic-cigarettes and other vaporising devices than one year ago. The research also stated that while the health effects of e-cigarettes are still unclear, most consumers are also smoking conventional cigarettes.
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WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!
IN a recent survey conducted in Britain on comfort foods, 33 percent of those surveyed said that they turned to ice cream when they were feeling down because in addition to making them feel happy, it also reminded them of positive childhood memories. We say go for frozen yoghurt though!
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CCORDING to the website Popular Science, Google is developing an intelligent robot system called Im2Calories which will be able to scan the amount of food on a plate and then compute the calories that the diner will consume.
ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE FOR ACTIVE CITIES
GOOGLE CALORIE COUNT
IT PAYS TO BE FIT A new study presented at the Active Cities Summit has shown that cities that encourage physical activities have an economic stronghold over cities that don’t promote physical activity. Increased retail activity, boosted revenue, lower healthcare and crime costs were all positive features of areas that were designed for physical activity. The research team from the University of California in San Diego identified five key settings that an urban environment should include if it hopes to encourage physical activity:
Open spaces and parks to ensure that residents live near green spaces. This will also give residents easy access to fitness trails and areas to walk. The urban design of a city should make it easy for residents to move around freely without the use of a vehicle. Streets should be designed for a risk-free and enjoyable cycling and walking experience. The transportation infrastructure of a city should always support cycling and walking with easy access to safe and reliable public transport.
CANCER & SLEEP
A new study out of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suggests that short sleep duration and frequent snoring could be associated with significantly poorer cancerspecific survival. The study, which was presented at SLEEP 2015, which is the 29th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC, says that a healthy sleep cycle is crucial for chances of breast cancer survival.
MOVEMENT MAY HELP ADHD CHILDREN A study conduced by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found that the constant movement of children with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) may improve their cognitive performance.
Schools should be located near students’ homes in order to encourage walking. Educational institutions should feature recreational and exercise facilities like gyms and fields. Buildings and workplaces should be designed in such a way that physical activity is encouraged. This could include visible stairs and easily accessible bike racks.
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That’s how many medals American swimmer Michael Phelps has won in his Olympic career. It’s the most by any athlete and includes 18 gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes.
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WARM UP
RED LENTIL & CARROT SOUP
If you’re looking for a healthy soup that is as tasty as it is easy to make, look no further. Lentils and carrots make for a fantastically healthy combination so they’re a magical and delicious pairing in a hearty bowl of soup.
INGREDIENTS: 85 grams of red lentils 2 diced carrots 1 finely sliced white onion 2 teaspoons of olive oil 1 vegetable stock cube 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley 3 sliced garlic cloves 14
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1. As you slice the onions, put the kettle on to boil and the olive oil in a medium pan. Throw in the onions onto the pan and fry them for two minutes as dice the carrots and finely slice the garlic. Chuck them into the pan as well and cook briefly over the heat. 2. Next, pour one litre of boiling water into the pan while stirring in the lentils and stock cube. Proceed by covering the pan and cooking over medium heat for 15 minutes – the idea is to cook it until the lentils are soft. 3. Once that’s done, take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley. Ladle your wonderful soup into bowls and if you want a touch of class, scatter some extra parsley leaves on top.
HEALTH NEWS
HERE’S WHY FATHERS NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEIR KIDS
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CCORDING to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Newcastle, children who spend large amounts of time with their fathers have a higher IQ. The study highlighted the importance of a father’s involvement in the early stages of a child’s development. It also warned that it wasn’t simply enough for parents to live together and stressed the importance of fathers playing an active role in their children’s upbringing. Interestingly, the same study also found that fathers tend to give more attention to their sons than their daughters. More than 11,000 British men and women were looked at during the study which asked families how often they read, did activities, planned outings and spent quality time with their children. The study also concluded that a child’s future career prospects can improve if there is strong fatherly involvement in his or her development.
MARRIAGE IS GOOD FOR A MAN’S HEALTH
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NEW joint study conducted by the University College London, the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has revealed some interesting findings about marriage and its effect on our health. The researchers found that single men suffered more negative health effects than single women. It concluded that from a health perspective, women benefit very little from marriage while men who are married enjoy significantly better health. The study revealed that unmarried women had practically the same chance of developing diabetes and obesity as married women. According to the study, the bottom line is that marriage appears to be more beneficial for men than it is for women from a health perspective. It sounds to us like it’s the ladies keeping their men on the straight and narrow when it comes to diet and exercise!
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T CRICKET ICONS RETURN TO ACTION IN MASTERS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE “THE UAE IS A GREAT LOCATION FOR A TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS TO BE BASED, WITH A BIG FAN BASE IN THE COUNTRY. I HOPE PEOPLE GET BEHIND THE MCL AND SUPPORT SOME OF THE HEROES OF THE GAME AS THEY LOOK TO EXTEND THEIR CAREERS A LITTLE LONGER.” Brian Lara
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HE T20 bandwagon is all set to roll into the UAE once again with some of cricket’s greatest former international players featuring in a new and unique T20 tournament which will be held annually across three stadiums in the country. Wasim Akram, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara and Adam Gilchrist are just some of the big names who will take to the field when the inaugural season gets underway early next February. The MCL is the brainchild of Zafar Shah, the Chairman of GM Sports who are the official organisers and rights owner of the tournament. Speaking at the launch of the league at the Burj al Arab in Dubai, Shah commented: “As with many other popular sports, there is a real desire amongst fans and cricketers to see some of the game’s retired icons back in serious competition. The MCL will be a unique and competitive annual T20 tournament offering exactly that. It will allow fans to consistently watch quality and entertaining cricket involving some of the legends of the game. “The UAE is an ideal location for this unique tournament: it’s easy to access from anywhere in the world; it has a large fan base already living in the country; and it has three fantastic international stadiums to host the matches. We hope that by holding the tournament in the UAE it might also inspire
a new generation of Emiratis to take up the great game, leaving a lasting legacy in the country.” The matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which have all previously hosted major cricket tournaments, including the IPL, as well as first class and international Test matches. West Indian batting legend Brian Lara, one of the iconic retired players who has signed
“WE HOPE THAT BY HOLDING THE TOURNAMENT IN THE UAE IT MIGHT ALSO INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION OF EMIRATIS TO TAKE UP THE GREAT GAME, LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY IN THE COUNTRY.” Zafar Shah up to join the MCL, said he was ‘thrilled’ to be part of the league and felt the UAE was the ideal location for such an initiative. “The UAE is a great location for a tournament like this to be based, with a big fan base in the country. I hope people get behind the MCL and support some of the heroes of the game as they look to extend their careers a little longer. “The MCL is a tremendous force for good, which is partly what attracted me to it. The organisers have ensured giving back is a major theme, alongside inspiring cricket in the Middle East and in terms of leaving a lasting legacy.” The league will feature a franchise format but unlike the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash League, teams will not be based on geographic
MCL
BIG NAMES
location but will instead be made up of the best possible players a franchise owner can put together from the qualifying pool of players. The tournament will be made up of six teams in its first year, with a total of 90 players taking part. Squads will be made of 15 members and all players must be retired from international cricket. The MCL has been approved for an initial 10-year period by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), while GM Sports, is also closely following the established guidelines set out by game’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Former England captain Graham Gooch and past Australian captain Allan Border, are both members of the MCL governing council and will closely oversee the development of the league.
Adam Gilchrist
Jacques Kallis
Brian Lara
Wasim Akram
Brian Lara (West Indies) Left-handed batsmen – 11, 953 Test runs. Only man to score 400 runs in a Test innings. @BrianLara Adam Gilchrist (Australia) Wicketkeeper-batsmen – 9, 619 ODI runs. 417 catches and 55 stumpings. @gilly381 Wasim Akram (Pakistan) Left arm fast bowler – 502 ODI wickets and 414 Test wickets. @wasimakramlive Jacques Kallis (South Africa) Right arm all-rounder – 45 Test centuries, 273 ODI @jacqueskallis75
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ASHES FEVER T
here aren’t many rivalries in world sport that capture the imagination quite like The Ashes. Since its inception in 1882, the epic five Test match battle between the proud nations of Australia and England has epitomised everything great about the sport – from the unbearable pain of defeat and the sweetness of victory to the virtues of sportsmanship and the fruits of persistence. With The Ashes set to be played in England in July and August, SFME’s Mohamed Suleman spoke exclusively with former England captain Graham Gooch and past Australian captain Allan Border to hear all about their Ashes experiences and find out what they think is going to happen when England and Australia lock horns this summer. The Ashes Urn – the most famous 11 inches of terracotta on earth
Allan Border
Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
I think England will be a little bit more confident after What did the Ashes mean to you as a player? the New Zealand series at home which they tied 1-1. Ashes cricket is the pinnacle for any English or They played good aggressive cricket and I felt they Australian cricket player because it’s not just about the cricket, it’s about the cultural history of the played in the right spirit. It was good to see Alastair Cook back to his top form which is necessary if two countries. The cultural shared history between England are to do well in The Ashes. However they England and Australia makes for a very unique rivalry. need a couple of I had mixed experiences in my players like Ian Bell “The cultural shared history between and Gary Balance Ashes career. I played England and Australia makes for a very to fire but overall in a side that won The they have a fairly Ashes three times and unique rivalry. “ I played in plenty of settled side. England look good but Australia will be favourites sides that lost The Ashes, especially in the latter part of because they have the dominance at the moment. my career when I was captain we never got the best They have a very fine fast-bowling attack with Ryan of Allan Border’s team – they were too good for us! Harris, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson. However I think England will be quietly confident that What do you think is going to happen this summer? they can cause an upset. No doubt Australia will be heavy favourites. However,
Allan Border
What did the Ashes mean to you as a player? To play in The Ashes is a dream come true for all Australian cricketers and I’m sure it’s the same for the England boys. From the time you start playing the game, Ashes cricket is the foremost thing in your thoughts and it’s something you dream about. When you walk out there to play your very first Ashes Test match it’s a spine-tingling sort of moment – it’s very special.
Allen Border
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What do you think is going to happen this summer? I think it will be a lot closer than Glen McGrath’s traditional 5-0 prediction! England in their own backyard are always tough customers and we know that Australia have lost their last three Ashes series in England. I always get a bit cringe-worthy when we’re given such hot favouritism before a series starts. Yes we beat England 5-0 in Australia in the last Ashes series but that’s in our conditions, our own backyard. Our strike bowling is the key weapon that we’ve got with Johnson, Starc and Harris. Harris especially
I think will do very well in English conditions – he’s a very Terry Alderman kind of performer and I’m backing him to have a great series. So England will be a very worthy opponent and they lift themselves for The Ashes too so I think it’s going to be a really tight series and it’ll be great to watch.
“When you walk out there to play your very first Ashes Test match it’s a spine-tingling sort of moment – it’s very special.” The Ashes 2015 itinerary First Test
July 8-12
Cardiff
Second Test
July 16-20
Lord’s
Third Test
July 29 - August 2
Edgbaston
Fourth Test
August 6 -10
Trent Bridge
Fifth Test
Augsut 20 – 24
Kennington Oval
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Pedal Power
Meet The Man Who’s Cycling The Globe Words: Richard Bevan
“I ALSO EXPERIENCED MINUS 57 DEGREES IN RUSSIA IN 2013. IT WAS FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN I PASSED BY THE ARCTIC CIRCLE SO I CHOOSE SOME EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS! I’M NOW SET TO BE IN DUBAI FOR THE SUMMER TIME SO THAT WILL ALSO BE CHALLENGE!”
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YCLING the length of an average sized country is a mammoth undertaking. Cycling around the whole world is borderline preposterous – but that’s exactly what 36-year-old Gurkan Genk set out to do in 2012. He had no real experience as a cyclist but he’d dreamed of undertaking such an epic adventure since he was 12 years old and, after trying a series of different jobs, he decided that the rat race just wasn’t for him. So he got on his bike…and he’s been on it ever since. Gurkan reached the UAE recently, marking three years into what will be a seven-year ride across every continent on the globe he’s calling ‘Pedal for The Future’. He’s currently recuperating in Dubai after being hit by a truck in Saudi and that’s not the first brush with death he’s had along the way. “In one country they tried to rob me and I had to fight,” he says. “In another country I was arrested when I put my tent up in a Taliban controlled area. People have put their guns to my chest and tried to take my money, I’ve broken my chest two times, I broke my leg one time and yet still I’m on the road and still I’m alive!” It takes a lot of determination to carry on after such hair-raising moments and Gurkan certainly has bags of that: “I have only one life in which to do this so I must carry on,” he says. But these moments are rare dark spots in what has been a hugely enlightening and enriching experience for the eccentric Turk. He’s seen sights and experienced cultures that most travelers can only dream of. As Gurkan explains, “Most travelers or tourists pick a point on a map and they go there. Then they pick another point and they go there – so they go from point to point. But if you cycle you do a line right through the whole country. You see the real culture.”
He’s found that his journey has, for the most part, revealed the best of human nature. “In the big cities, people have problems like ‘how can I pay the bills?’, ‘How can I pay the rent?’” he says. “But in other parts of the country people are very relaxed. They invite you into their houses a lot – in every country in the world. I’ve seen 42 countries now and religion, skin colour, it’s not important. If they see you on the bike they invite you into their house. If you went by motorcycle you wouldn’t get the same hospitality. If you have a motorcycle you’re a rich man, you have money. A bicycle is a public transportation machine. These people, the villagers, are always riding their bicycles with their kids. They all use them. So they share this in common with you and know that you understand real life.” As you’d imagine, Gurkan’s journey has been more than a little physically demanding at times. He averages between 100 and 200km every day – sometimes in arduous conditions. “The toughest part was in Mongolia, in the Gobi Desert. For 750km and 12 days I didn’t see anyone. There’s no asphalt, no track – the sand is so firm that you can cycle on it but it’s tough. In the day time the temperature was 20 degrees but at night it dropped to minus 35. I ran out of water so I had to filter my pee and drink it to survive until eventually I arrived in Ulaanbaatar. “I also experienced minus 57 degrees in Russia in 2013. It was February 2013 when I passed by the Arctic Circle so I choose some extreme weather conditions! I’m now set to be in Dubai for the summer time so that will also be challenge!” Gurkan’s achievements thus far include becoming the first Turk to cycle the Central Asian States and the entirety of North Asia. He accomplished a 45,000 metre climb by riding all 32 Alpine Passes in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France. As well as the Gobi Desert he’s also conquered the
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Spain
Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, the Wakham Valley of Tajikstan, which involved a 37,000 metre climb, and the Pamir Gateway – known as the ‘roof of the world.’ One question he’s frequently asked is: ‘How do you sustain yourself financially while on the road?’ “I have some companies who have sponsored me and I also set up a blog where I write about my experiences in English and Turkish which now has half a million readers,” he says. “People donate money through the site but I don’t need a lot of money because I live in a tent and like I said earlier, people invite me to stay in their houses and share their food a lot. “I don’t want to save money – I just need enough to survive on the road so I’ve started to help the people in Turkey. I support the Turkish women’s national cycling team and I’ve funded some scholarships. “I think it’s important to support women in my country and help with education and sporting development. You can change the country and change the world – that’s why I called my project, ‘Pedal for the Future’. People have asked me what I’m going to do when I finish my tour and I tell them that my next dream is to become a sports minister for Turkey.” Despite undertaking such a physical challenge, Gurkan didn’t do any particular training for his round-the-world cycle, but has rather improved his fitness as he’s
progressed. “When I set off from Turkey to ride to Japan I weighed 100 kilos,” he says. “But when I arrived in Japan I was only 80 kilos.” He also avoids supplements and specialist foods, preferring to stick to a diet that can be replicated easily wherever he is in the world. “I don’t use chemicals, pills, energy bars, energy drinks – anything like that. “I drink water and I eat macaroni, lots of vegetables, lots of fruit – things you can find everywhere.” Gurkan is hoping to leave the UAE by the end of July and head for Oman and Yemen and then down the east African coast to South Africa then onto South America, North American and finally Asia to Australia. By the time it’s complete, in 2020, his World Tour will have taken in 84 countries across seven continents and he will have cycled approximately 115,000 kilometres. But despite seeing some strikingly beautiful sights along the way he will take one thing from his journey above all else: “The people,” he says. “The people accept you everywhere with the bicycle regardless of skin colour or religion. You can find bad people anywhere in the world but generally the people are good. You don’t need to speak the same language as them – you say ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ or ‘salaam’ or ‘marhaba’ and they welcome you. “My experiences with the people I’ve met along the way mean more to me than any of the sights I’ve seen.”
United Arab Emirates
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YOGA SFME FEATURE
Yoga Life 24
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R
EEBOK YOGA AMBASSADOR SARG TALKS FITNESS, ACTING & YOGA Iris Sarg fell in love with yoga after taking part in a Strala Yoga training session in France with Tara Stiles, the renowned American model turned yoga instructor. Since then, the Frenchwoman has made yoga an integral part of her daily routine, a move she says has positively affected her professional and personal life in more ways than one. Sarg, who is a qualified sports coach and also works as a personal trainer, and actress became an esteemed Reebok ambassador last year after she gave a Strala Yoga class during a Reebok seminar in the French city of Strasbourg. Reebok were deeply impressed with her work and in the end it was Stiles, one of Sarg’s idols, who recommended her as a yoga ambassador. SFME spoke with Iris about the evolution of yoga, the effect the practice has had on her career as an actress and fitness coach, and why she thinks you need to include it in your everday life.
SFME: Why did you decide to become a fitness coach? Iris Sarg: Doing sport helped my body, mind and spirit, and I quickly noticed the effects of that in my personal and professional life as an actress. Having recognised the numerous benefits of sport, it was important for me to pass on my knowledge and experience to other people. The well-being of people is important for me and that’s why I quickly decided to become a certified sports coach. SFME: What would you say are the main benefits of
doing yoga?
IS: There are many benefits of doing yoga. Practicing yoga regularly positively effects not only your body, but also your mind and spirit. Your body becomes stronger, more balanced, more flexible, more oxygenated and generally healthier. While doing yoga exercises, you concentrate on your breathing and as a result you become more relaxed and conscious. Through yoga, you can get rid of everyday stress and feel great about yourself. While doing yoga, you work on your entire body which means you raise your vibration and as a result, you activate your chakras which in turn raises your consciousness and uplifts your spirit. SFME: In the past people thought yoga was only for ‘hippy’
types do you think that perception is changing?
IS: It is true that not a very long time ago, doing yoga was associated with being hippy and with the “New Age” movement. But now it’s safe to say that the practice of yoga is becoming more and more popular. The perception of yoga has changed now thanks largely to people like Tara Stiles. Today, yoga is practiced in more and more places around the world by more and more people, regardless of their age or spiritual belief.
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YOGA SFME FEATURE
YOGA PALM BRA, AED 175
YOGA WOVEN, AED 395
YOGA PRINT PANTS, AED 225
YOGA PANTS, AED 235
“REEBOK HAS, IN MY VIEW, A BEAUTIFUL YOGA LINE AND CERTAIN YOGA OUTFITS WERE CREATED BY TARA STILES HERSELF. WE FEEL PARTICULARLY GOOD IN THEM AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES GOOD YOGA CLOTHING.” SFME: We’ve interviewed Tara Stiles in the magazine
before and she talked about wanting to modernise yoga, and move away from people chanting, reading Sanskrit etc into a more movement-based philosophy – is that something you agree with?
IS: There are several types of yoga, many of which are more or less associated with certain religious beliefs, ideologies or even sects. Tara Stiles created another type of yoga. Her aim was to develop a yoga practice which was beyond any religion, belief or ideology. This would make it more accessible and would adapt itself to the needs of people today. I chose Strala Yoga because it corresponds to my personality and lifestyle. Looking at the growing success of Strala Yoga, I am sure there are many more people who love it as much as I do. SFME: Talk us through what is involved in a Strala Yoga
class and how it makes you feel?
IS: I feel great both when I give Strala Yoga classes and when I practice it for myself. I feel creative, inspired and connected to my inner self as well as the environment and people around me. What’s great about Strala Yoga is that I can move as easily and freely as I do when I dance. I create my Strala Yoga class by working on the choreography. I choose the music and I never stay in the same spot. I use all the space available in the room to move around and direct participants around the place. I keep close contact with the
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participants and I help them stretch and relax by pressing certain reflex points used in Shiatsu and taught by Tara Stiles. The principles of Strala Yoga are well summarised by the word “Strala” which means strength, awareness, balance, moving with ease, and accomplishing hard things easily. As Tara Stiles indicates herself, Strala means “a moving meditation that creates a radiantly strong, clear, connected body and mind, and a healthy, happy and capable life.” At the same time, Strala in Swedish means “to radiate light”. According to Tara Stiles, Strala Yoga “ignites freedom”. Strala Yoga is different from other types of yoga as it does not follow any spiritual dimension, making it more accessible to people of all backgrounds. SFME: Do you have to be flexible to be able to do yoga? IS: The goal of a Strala Yoga class is to increase your flexibility. This kind of yoga is suitable for all types of practitioners of yoga, no matter their level, age or morphology. Everybody is free to make each movement in accordance with their strength and that is what I like about Strala Yoga – this liberty for everyone with respect to their physical security. SFME: How can people fit yoga into their regular
workout schedule and how can it compliment the workouts they do in the gym?
IS: Nowadays it’s easy to practice yoga. de.
Thanks to big markets like Reebok, yoga is making an appearance in more and more sportiing events like La Parisienne and Salon du Body Fitness. Nowadays you can easily find classes which correspond to your schedule and what you’re looking to achieve physically through doing yoga. Yoga is a good basis and it can easily complement your workout. Yoga will help you work on your deep muscles, making you more flexible. You’ll also lose the stiffness which strenuous fitness exercises can sometimes cause. SFME: Why should people introduce yoga to their lives? IS: People should embrace yoga in their lives to improve their health and to feel good about their bodies. Yoga calms the spirit and eases tensions in the body. Yoga brings about a state of well-being and accomplishment which we want to experience in our everyday life. You will feel more connected with yourself and the outside world if you include yoga in your life.
SFME: Is it a sign of yoga’s increasing popularity that
big name sports brands like Reebok are now bringing out ranges of yoga specific clothing?
IS: Absolutely! SFME: What makes good yoga clothing?
YOGA SFME FEATURE
IS: It really depends on the needs of each individual. It can consist of loosefitting, comfortable trousers or simply leggings hugging the body as if they were your second skin. Both the upper and lower part of the clothing should be light, comfortable, and pleasant to wear. Good yoga clothing should make the wearer feel free and not constrained when carrying out various postures and stretches. Reebok has, in my view, a beautiful yoga line and certain yoga outfits were created by Tara Stiles herself. We feel particularly good in them and that’s what makes good yoga clothing. The colourful and cool-feeling aspect brings out the light in our yoga sessions. SFME: We know you’re a Reebok ambassador but tell us about your other interests and the other elements of your career – acting etc? IS: I started my professional career as an actress and have more than 10 years of professional training. When I start to do something, I always try to get better and better at it. I mainly did my acting work with renowned coach Jack Waltzer who teaches in London and New York. Jack has trained big names like Sigourney Weaver and Marlon Brando. In my acting career I would focus more on the cinema and TV and till today, I continue to act concurrently with my career as a sports coach, even if I devote more of my time to sport. SFME: Would you say that your work as a fitness trainer and your passion for yoga helped with your acting? IS: Definitely, it’s always helped me a lot. The fitness allows me to maintain my physical condition and my breathing which is a very important tool in acting. Sport is an asset because it reveals your strength of character, your willpower and it reinforces them even more which in
turn allows you to be better equipped to meet the challenges of the acting profession. Moreover, yoga and sport make me feel good confident in my own skin which is very important in acting. Yoga brings me a great sense of serenity and I would say that it is a philosophy of life which allows me to better cope with stressful situations such as casting, and to prepare myself for filming Being physically fit is also a good asset in order to play certain roles and to correspond to certain profiles of characters. SFME: What are your goals for the future? IS: My goal is to get better and better in my profession – I’m a perfectionist and I’m very demanding towards myself. The worlds of fitness and yoga are very rich in diversity and I would like to develop workshops with other yoga instructors. I would also like to honour my role as Reebok Ambassador by doing my best. I’m very happy and proud to work with them and I hope to continue this work for as long as possible. It’s a beautiful brand with beautiful energy. I’m also now supporting a playful and efficient v app for smartphones called “515 Training” which is created by Kevin Soler – a Reebok Ambassador and street workout champion. I believe in the utility and success of this application which I think can really enrich the field of sport. I’m dedicated only to things and people in whom I have faith and who share the same values and energy as me. In the future I also wish to develop my own personal project in the field of sport. I would love to travel to New York to experience Strala Yoga classes given by Tara Stiles. I also wish to travel more for my work and participate in more sporting events while at the same time work more with the media so that I can appeal to people even more and convey important messages about sport.
6 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY AND POSTURE DID YOU KNOW THAT YOGA...
IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION By synching movement with steady, controlled breathing you feel less stress and can focus better. BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM Studies have shown that yoga stimulates changes in gene expression which boost immunity at cellular level. IMPROVES DIGESTION Many yoga postures are designed to massage the internal organs and keep the food moving along.
MAKES YOU HAPPIER Research has shown that consistent yoga practice increases level of serotonin (the happy chemical in your brain). IMPROVES HEART HEALTH Yoga slows down your heart rate and can lower blood pressure leading to a healthier heart. HELPS YOU SLEEP BETTER Studies have shown that regular yoga practice helps relieve stress and promotes deeper sleep. SFME
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Trainer
4 STEPS TO KILLER GLUTES
FASTING vs EXERCISE
EAT RIGHT DURING RAMADAN
5 WAYS TO ACTIVATE YOUR QUADS
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BEST FULL BODY WORKOUT EVER
ALL OVER GAINS WITH VIPR
TOP 5 EXERCISES TO BANISH FAT
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FEEL THE FRONT SQUAT
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By LOUISE SHIELDS Fitness Manager, Fitness First Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi
4
STEPS TO killer
GLUTES ‘ONE THING IS FOR SURE NO ONE GOT GLUTES OF STEEL BY SITTING ON THEM’
B
igger butts seem to be the in thing today, especially for us ladies. Many of us want to improve the shape and size of our glutes and the best advice I can give you is to stick to the basics and make sure you feel the burn. The main cause of underactive glutes is a poor lifestyle. The prolonged periods of time we spend sitting each day causes our hip flexors to become short and tight which in turn affects our glutes and their firing patterns. This can lead to postural problems such as lower back, knee and hip pain as WATCH THE VIDEO HERE other muscles compensate when the glutes are not activating the way they’re supposed to. Subscribe to our Wake up those glutes – either before training as part of your warm up or as active recovery Youtube channel: between sets, it’s always a good idea to use some activation exercises such as resistance band www.bit.ly/sf_me walks and bodyweight glute bridges. Both these simple exercises will help switch on the right muscles so that they fire properly during your workout I’d like to share with you my top four exercises for training glutes: weighted glute bridges, deadlifts, squats and lunges. Remember to try and focus on doing 8-10 reps of each exercise and repeat each one four times.
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TRAINER
WEIGHTED GLUTE BRIDGE
▶ Position shoulders on a bench ▶ Place the barbell below your hip bones ▶ Push through your heels and thrust your hips upwards until they are fully extended ▶ Hold the bridge for 2-3 seconds
THE DEADLIFT
▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
Position feet slightly under bar Hips higher than knees but lower than shoulders Keep the bar close Push through your heels Pull bar to hip height Fully extend through the hips and squeeze the glutes
BARBELL LUNGE
▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
Place the barbell across the top of your shoulders Take a big step forward Lower your back knee towards the ground Keep shoulders in line with hips Ensure your front knee is tracking but doesn’t go past your toes Push through your front heel Drive upwards Repeat on the other leg
Back squat
▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
Feet shoulder width apart Toes pointing slightly outwards Sit back onto your heels Knee tracking your toes Hips crease slightly below knee Push through heels, drive upwards Extend hips and squeeze glutes
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By CHARLOTTE STEBBING Area Fitness Manager Fitness First Abu Dhabi
Fasting
Exercise
vs
Holy Month of Ramadan
O
ne of the most common questions I get asked in the lead up to Ramadan is “should I be exercising or not?� My answer is always the same: with adequate thought, planning and preparation, exercising and fasting during Ramadan will keep
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your goals on track and could even give your results a boost! With that said, it is important to make sure you listen to your body as everyone is different and everyone will respond in different ways to exercising while fasting. Look after yourself with the guidelines in this article and make sure you speak to our trainers in order to find out more.
FASTING
TRAINER
Avoid doing heavy weight training while you’re fasting. This can cause a rise in the catabolic hormone, cortisol, which can lead to loss of strength due to the dehydration
It is important to reduce your intake of salty and sugary foods as it will increase thirst and can cause further dehydration
Hydration is key during Ramadan to help keep your body in check. Drink as much water as you can in between your fasts
Eating 30 minutes before a weight training session will fuel you effectively. Try to eat chicken, salmon, vegetables and salad
After Iftar, keep eating small portions often in order to boost your metabolism and keep energy levels consistent
Foods must be a balance of protein, carbohydrates and good fats
Take two doses of multi vitamin in the morning with higher protein and good fats. Good options are peanut butter, oatmeal and eggs
Breaking your fast with dates and water is one of the fastest ways to rehydrate due to the chemical reaction of fructose, glucose and water
Fat loss training before Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) is extremely effective! Wake up with half a litre of water and one cup of green tea, workout, then eat Suhoor
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EX ERCISE ▶ When fasting, our body uses predominantly body fat when we exercise. ▶ Cardio workouts should be reduced to two workouts per week. ▶ Listen to your body and reduce intensity as it feels right for you. ▶ Stop exercising if you are experiencing dizziness or nausea. ▶ This is the perfect time to try some lower intensity classes like yoga, pilates and body balance. ▶ Do not stop exercising! It makes it harder to start again and you’ll lose shape and muscle definition fast. ▶ Weight training is most effective 4-5 hours after breaking your fast. However if this is too late for you, an hour after Iftar will be beneficial but the result will not be the same. ▶ If your goal is fat loss the best time to train is before Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). You should aim for a 30-45 minute moderate intensity work out. ▶ If early rising does not suit your lifestyle, fat loss can still be achieved after Iftar with a short HIIT (high intensity interval training) session. 30 seconds hard work with 30 seconds rest, five times will be enough to help maximize fat loss ▶ If your goal is to keep generally healthy, 20 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of resistance training after Iftar will leave you feeling energized. ▶ Remember, it’s imperative to keep hydrated throughout!
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EAT RIGHT
DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN
By BANIN SHAHINE Nutrition Fitness Manager, Fitness First Middle East
RAMADAN IS ALWAYS A GOOD START FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY HEALTHY AND LOSE WEIGHT. HOWEVER, RAMADAN COULD BE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD AS WELL. YOU CAN EASILY PUT ON WEIGHT AND RUIN YOUR DIET IF YOU DON’T EAT RIGHT AFTER BREAKING YOUR FAST SO HERE ARE SOME QUICK TIPS TO HELP YOU EAT HEALTHILY DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN.
DO NOT SKIP ANY MEALS. SUHOOR IS YOUR BREAKFAST, AND THE MORNING MEAL IS GENERALLY RECOGNISED AS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE FASTING. IT HELPS TO SUSTAIN YOUR ENERGY AND WILL FUEL YOUR FASTING DAY.
■ After breaking your fast, eat small frequent meals. A lot of people overeat at Iftaar time, which leads to digestive problems and other complications. Try splitting your meals into small portions, eating every two hours. ■ We all love to eat sweet dishes but this Ramadan, make it a point of avoiding desserts that are high in fat and sugar. Make the healthy choice to serve yourself, your family, and your guests a dessert of fresh fruit and nuts. Foods to avoid ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Deep-fried foods High-sugar and high-fat foods High-fat cooked foods Reduce white flour consumption Dairy Products Carbonated drinks Condensed milk
Cooking methods to avoid ■ ■ ■
Deep frying Frying Excessive use of oil
Some good suhoor foods include ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Egg whites (1 yolk) Chicken breast Oatmeal Cream of wheat Protein shake Cinnamon Bananas Raw, dark honey Raisins or dates Fibrous vegetables –This will help increase the feeling of fullness as well. All natural peanut butter Flax seed oil Olive oil – preferably extra virgin (which means it’s cold processed and the essential fatty acids are preserved) Plenty of water
■ Hydration, hydration, hydration. Make sure you’re constantly sipping on water throughout the evening. Aim for eight glasses by bedtime. To help you keep track, fill and refill a water bottle with a measured amount of water and be sure to finish it. Healthy cooking methods ✓ Shallow frying (usually there is little difference in taste) ✓ Grilling or baking is healthier and helps retain the taste and original flavour of the food, especially with chicken and fish
Fitness First also offers special Ramadan meal plans through its Nutrition program. Contact your club reception for more details or visit the website www.fitnessfirstme.com.
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5 By KEVIN CĂTĂLIN ABABEI Platinum Trainer Fitness First, Vision Tower, Business Bay
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WAYS TO ACTIVATE YOUR QUADS
One of the main aims of a leg-day in the gym should be to activate your quads. Quads activation is one of the best ways to bolster your hamstrings so here are five exercises that will set you on your way to ultimate quad-dom!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.bit.ly/sf_me
TRAINER
LEG EXTENSION
Let’s say, like me, you are very posterior chain dominant during your lower body compound exercises. Your hamstrings and glutes get a ton of work, but your quads aren’t getting the training stimulus you want. Should you just do more exercises that are going to pose the same issue? A better option would be to try an isolation exercise. Using a leg extensions machine is a super choice considering the fact that it takes the posterior chain out of the movement completely and allows your training to focus exclusively on your quads.
THE PETERSON STEP-UP CAUTION! THIS EXERCISE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HAD OR STILL HAVE KNEE PROBLEMS.
BACK AND FRONT SQUAT WITH HEELS ELEVATED
This exercise encourages the forward tracking of the knee over the toe, along with a ball-of-the-foot contact point of the walking leg. Both of these movements encourage the activation of your quads.
REMEMBER TO AVOID PUSHING OFF THE GROUND WITH THE NON-WORKING LEG. LET THE WORKING LEG CARRY THE ENTIRE LOAD.
Take the squat position and start by elevating your heels. This allows you to get deeper into a change in knee tracking. The knee will be forced to go further forward over the toes and believe me when I say, you’ll feel it in the quads.
FRONT FOOT EXTENDED SPLIT SQUAT BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
Adjust the height of the step box according to your ability. You won’t need a lot of weight to feel the quads working and be warned that you will feel the burn quickly!
This is among my favourite quad movements. It’s a great way to target the VMO (Vastus Medialis Obliquus), which is located just above and to the inside of the knee cap. With this variation, be sure to lean forward as this puts more emphasis on the lead leg and changes the body geometry so that the knee tracks forward over the toe, hitting more VMO.
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By TREVOR FLOWERS Floor Manager, Fitness First Jumeirah Beach Park Plaza
THE BEST
FULL BODY
WORKOUT
EVER
LOOKING FOR THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT THAT WILL PRIME YOUR BODY TO BURN FAT LIKE NEVER BEFORE?
T
HIS FULL BODY WORKOUT WILL GET YOU BURNING A TON OF CALORIES IN JUST UNDER 45 MINUTES. FOLLOW THIS STRICT PROTOCOL WITH THE SPECIFIC EXERCISES CHOSEN TO MAXIMISE THE INTENSITY AND GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT FAST.
THE PROTOCOL There are Four Supersets (paired exercises) to complete where you will alternate between each exercise for 12 reps. Seems easy right? However, when you get to grips with the next few steps you’ll probably be wondering what you’ve got yourself in to. The whole intensity of the workout is affected by a few very important things. So before you start, make sure you understand the following simple elements in order to get the maximum benefit from this workout. Each Superset has paired exercises that are designed to challenge your big muscle groups, and ultimately raise your heart rate up to 85-95%. Using a technique called Peripheral Heart Action (PHA), you alternate between upper body movements into lower body movements. This has a brilliant cardiovascular effect. In order to shred unwanted body fat, you must a) elevate your heart rate b) and work your muscles hard – these are two key components of this workout!
REST PERIODS WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.bit.ly/sf_me
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You will notice the first two supersets are heavy compound exercises that require a lot of oxygenated blood supply to those muscle groups while and the final two supersets have smaller isolated movements which don’t need as much blood supply, and can re-oxidise a lot faster.
For the bigger movements, you will need to take a 60 second rest in between the exercises, and only 30 seconds for the smaller movements. If needed, you can increase the rest periods to suit your current fitness level, and then when you feel ready bring them back to the prescribed periods.
TIME-UNDER-TENSION The most important element of this workout is to make sure you are strict with the tempo on the negative portions of each exercise. This technique, also known as time-under-tension, will apply a greater load on your muscles. Combining a strict four second tempo on the negative portion will lead to a huge lactic acid burn, which is a precurser to growth hormone release. Growth hormone is the hormone of youth – it helps you burn fat and build lean muscle.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEIGHT For each exercise you should pick a weight where 8-10 reps are a struggle but it’s in the the next 2-4 reps is where the magic happens. It is at this point where you should be feeling the lactic acid burn kicking in. Obviously you need to be strict with the 4 second negative phase, so choosing the correct weight may take a bit of trial and error at first. Record what weights you lift, and if you don’t feel the burn on the last few reps then go heavier.
TRAINER
BEHIND THE NECK PRESS 12 reps
HAMMER CURLS 12 reps
401 Tempo
30 secs Rest
401 Tempo
DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS 12 reps
ROPE PUSHDOWN 12 reps
401 Tempo
30 secs Rest
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
CHIN UPS (NEGATIVES)
30 secs Rest
12 reps
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
DUMBBELL LUNGES 12 reps
101 Tempo
60 secs Rest
HANGING LEG RAISES 12 reps
401 Tempo
30 secs Rest
Superset A (3 Sets)
BARBELL SQUATS 12 reps
401 Tempo
60 secs Rest
TEMPO EXPLANATION: 401 TEMPO IS A 4 SECOND LOWERING A ZERO SECOND PAUSE AND A 1 SECOND LIFT.
The Workout
1A Barbell Squats
12reps
1B Dumbbell Chest Press 12reps Superset B (3 Sets) 12reps 2A Dumbbell Lunges 12reps 2B Chin Ups (Negatives) Superset C (3 Sets) 3A Behind The Neck Press 12reps 12reps 3B Hammer Curls Superset D (3 Sets) 12reps 4A Hanging Leg Raises 12reps 4B Rope Pushdown
401Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
60 sec
101Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
60 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
401Tempo
30 sec
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By STEVEN GILLESPIE Assistant Club General Manager, Fitness First Knowledge Village
all over
gains
With ViPR
A
DMIT it – the first time you picked up a ViPR at the gym you automatically did either a bicep curl, shoulder press or a combination of both? If you didn’t then good on you, however the majority of people who are not exposed to the world of ViPR have a very linear and one-dimensional perspective towards exercising which is no fault of their own. Exercise programmes of old have been predominantly based on one-dimensional planes of motion such as bench presses, squats, pull-downs and dips because those have been the machines or thought processes available to us at that point in time for a variety of reasons. Reasons such as people want to get bigger, leaner or more toned because magazines say so or because that was what their role model does. These exercises are by no means categorically wrong and I am not saying either that a single-leg transverse kettlebell snatch on a double bosu ball is categorically right. However the direction of modern functional movement theory and exercise stems from the notion that preparing the body for multi-planar motions which mimic everyday movement patterns can provide injury proofing, health and strengthening benefits to cope with the demands of 21st century life better than their one dimensional counterparts. How many times in your day-to-day do you spend twisting or reaching for an object at an oblique angle versus the amount of times you bicep curled an object perfectly from one place to another? Simply put we are not training or moving for the way our bodies are
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designed to function naturally which is leaving us injury prone and unable to cope with the regular demands of life. MEET THE ViPR There are many tools available in our gyms to achieve a 360-degree injury proof approach to training, however one of the most versatile and effective tools for this purpose is the ViPR. The ViPR stands for Vitality, Performance and Reconditioning and was invented by Michol Dalcourt for the purpose of working the body as an integrated whole unit through a variation of load, tempo and movement planes as opposed to splitting the body into isolated parts and training each section independently. The idea behind integration over isolation is that the body is stronger when worked as a whole, specifically the myofascial system that incorporates the muscle and the fascia both work together in order to maintain a strong framework that supports and holds our entire anatomy in place; conversely if you isolate the body and train it in its constituent parts it will weaken the framework as each section are not being trained as one. Want to know how to strengthen your body’s framework, lose fat and build functional muscle all at the same time? Here is a quick ViPR workout that incorporates the whole body and aims to improve general fitness, health and wellbeing whilst preparing the body for integrated training through multi-planar movement drills. Equipment needed: 4 to 8 kilo ViPR for the main workout and a 12 to 20 kilo ViPR for the finisher.
A Two Hand ‘Thread the Needle’
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.bit.ly/sf_me
TRAINER
B Leg Flick to Forward Tilt to Push Up
c Forward Motion Ice Skater d Cylinder Lift
e Side Shuffle to Step Through to Ground Slam
f
Bear Crawl ‘Non-Stop’ Push/Pull
g
Finisher – ‘Log Run’ on Treadmill for 3 minutes
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TRAINER
O T S E S I C R E X E T A F H S I BAN
5 By JONATHAN MILLS Assistant Club General Manager, Fitness First Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi
TO P
n nately its ut unfortu b t fa g in cess. for burn rcises are is another. lp aid the fat loss pro e best exe d training e th h an at to h m w e st e th w b o t is one of in my opinion, the ants to kn anced die veryone w you are, h ealthy bal it h a w – e t ar fa losing going to sh ises that I’m The exerc
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1. SQUAT The reason that the squat is a great exercise for burning fat is because of the amount of muscles needed to perform this exercise. The squat is classified as a compound movement which means it uses more than one muscle group and we know that compound movements burn more calories than single-muscled exercises like leg extensions.
2.DEADLIFT Again another big compound movement that will give you more bang for your buck. The deadlift is a great exercise that works your posterior chain and can help develop you glutes, hamstrings and strengthen your lower back. It is also a great exercise for building a strong core.
3. BENT OVER ROWS Now we move to the upperbody. Bent over rows utilise your back muscles (lats), biceps and core.
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4.PULL-UPS Pull-ups are the best upper-body exercise you will ever do. They’re great for core strength and what’s great is that they hit a lot of the muscles in your back and burn a good few calories.
5.BURPEES
This is the ultimate exercise that gets every muscle in your body firing and is also the most dreaded exercise for anyone who has tried them. However burpees are right up there because you need no equipment to perform this movement. All you need is your body and a bit of space and it can be done anywhere at any time (even at work, just be prepared for some funny looks!)
So those are my top five top exercises if your looking to maximise your calorie burn. Remember that exercise alone will not give you what you want but rather you need to combine this with a healthy balanced diet in order to maximise your results. 44
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TRAINER
By DEAN KETZNER XFit Head Coach Fitness First Knowledge Village
T
here is probably not a better and cleaner way to develop your lower body and core strength than by performing the front squat. This fantastic movement shares many qualities of a regular air squat but what makes the front squat special is the addition of the bar in the “rack” position. This position demands substantially more core strength in addition to midline stabilisation.
▶ Choose a hand position on the barbell close to the grip you use for a press or a clean. ▶ Do not fully grip the bar, but rather just hook your fingers around the bar. ▶ Meet the bar and place it above the chest while rotating your elbows upward to create as much of a horizontal angle with your arms. This should create a shelf, or rack position. ▶ Keep your weight centered on the heels of your feet, and your feet shoulder width apart. ▶ Squat down with your chest tall and remember to keep your elbows as high as possible while continuously forcing your hips outwards. Your knees track over toes of feet. ▶ Then simply squat straight back up into your starting position.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.bit.ly/sf_me
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local scene We visit the Vida Downtown Dubai and discover two of the emirate’s hottest restaurants. P 56
LIFE IN
STYLE reebok nano 5.0
a legend returns
beach life
ecco fashion
If you train hard you need hard wearing shoes.
Real Madrid star Pepe unveils the latest Umbro boots.
Look your best on the sand this summer with Speedo’s beachwear range.
Rugged footwear from Denmark’s leading shoe brand.
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good times
best buds
Tick, tock, tick tock...what’s in a watch? Well, quite a lot as it turns out!
Music is your best friend when training so be sure to choose the right headphones.
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51 top time savers Free up more time for the gym with these clever futuristic gadgets.
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52 london travel We visit the Lancaster London and discover a gem in the heart of England’s capital city.
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Training
Reebok CrossFit Nano 5.0 Tough sports need tough shoes CrossFit is one of the fastest growing fitness trends in the world. It utilises a huge variety of functional movement-based exercises which call for some hard wearing, protective, training shoes and that is where Reebok has proved itself to be the world leader. The brand is the official CrossFit footwear and apparel partner and to mark the five-year anniversary of the partnership they are launching the ultra-durable CrossFit Nano 5.0 shoe. It utilises super-strong Kevlar material throughout the upper of the shoe for extra durability and abrasion protection with a 360 degree BulletCage designed specifically to endure the most gruelling CrossFit workouts. The sole offers great traction and there’s also a newly engineered heel and footbed for high rebound and cushioning. “We know how important it is for CrossFit gear to stand up to the rigours of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity while not interfering with performance,” said Mark Greiner, General Manager of RBK Middle East. “We work very closely with Reebok and the CrossFit community on footwear and apparel that continues to develop and evolve as the boundaries of fitness are pushed.”
THE REEBOK CROSSFIT NANO 5.0 IS AVAILABLE FROM JULY 13 AT THE DUBAI MALL REEBOK STORE AND THROUGHOUT THE GCC FROM JULY 15. 48
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CHECK OUT THE 2015 REEBOK CROSSFIT GAMES JULY 22-26 IN CARSON, CALIFORNIA TO SEE INCREDIBLE ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING FOR THE CROWN OF FITTEST ON EARTH WHILE WEARING THE REEBOK CROSSFIT NANO 5.0. AED525
football
APepeLegend Returns Launches Umbro Speciali Eternal
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EAL Madrid defender Pepe really loves Umbro football boots. So much so that having switched to wearing Nike in 2012 he came back to the brand of his own accord two years later. The Brazilian Portuguese national team player wore the iconic Speciali boots as a kid growing in Alagoas. These are the boots that have been centre stage during many unforgettable moments on football’s biggest platforms. Think eccentric mop topped Columbian Carlos Valderrama’s flair at USA ’94. Alan Shearer’s Golden Boot winning exploits at Euro ’96. Roberto Carlos’ 35-yard ‘banana’ free kick at Le Tournoi in 1997 or Michael Owen’s careerlaunching solo strike against Argentina at France ’98. You get the picture. Well now they’re back and Pepe is launching the new Speciali ‘Eternal’ set to become the latest jewel in the Umbro crown with some re-engineered features to meet the demands of the modern game. The original Speciali was the lightest boot on the market when it launched in 1992 and the Eternal again features a superlightweight soft, yet durable, leather upper. The A-Frame overlay offers exceptional support and stability, while the iconic fold-over tongue also returns but with a touch fastening to keep it in place. A dipped Achilles heel tab reduces foot fatigue and pressure, and the pre-moulded sock liner gives enhanced fit and support. One of the most memorable features of the original was the ‘Wishbone’ outsole. The new ‘Wishbone’ technology allows for controlled support throughout the full length of the soleplate providing increased rigidity in the mid-foot and controlled flexion in the forefoot. A matt finish on the outsole completes the classy look of the Eternal.
UMBRO SPECIALI ‘ETERNAL’ ARE AVAILABLE GLOBALLY FROM JULY 1 PRICED AED 540. www.umbro.com SFME
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swimming
Hit The Beach
with Speedo A
S summer gets into full swing residents of the Middle East will be jetting off around the world on holiday in search of a more pleasant climate. And if you’re hitting the beach, you’re going to want to look your best – which is where Speedo comes in. More commonly known as a serious swimwear brand, they also make some very cool beachwear.
RETRO PT LEIS, 160AED
SPDFIT PINNACLE KBCK AF, 325 AED
XDRY PRT, 195AED
SPDSCU CRYSTAL SUN AF, 345 AED
AVAILABLE AT STADIUM AND ALL REPUTABLE SPORTS STORES IN THE UAE.
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Fashion
Get The Real Man Look with Ecco
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entlemen. There’s no point in spending all of those hours in the gym honing that manly physique if you’re going to swan around in girly footwear when you’re out and about. Each to their own, of course, but if you really want to pull off that ’just came in from chopping down trees in the woods’ masculine lovemagnet look, you’re going to need a pair of proper men’s shoes. The Rugged Heritage collection from Danish footwear pioneers Ecco is just the ticket. Made from top quality, hard-wearing leather, they’re are as durable as they are stylish and are most definitely the sort of boots a man would wear if he was prone to fighting bears with his bare hands in the mountains.
INSPIRED BY TRADITIONAL WORKMAN STYLES, THE ECCO HOLBROK MID-CUT, LACE-UP BOOTS WILL KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE DOING. LEATHER-WELTED SOLES AND RICH, OILED LEATHER GIVE THE BOOTS A RUGGED, CLASSIC LOOK. THE UPPERS FEATURE HYDROMAX®-TREATED LEATHER – SO WHATEVER THE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE, YOU’LL BE FINE AND DANDY.
THE ECCO FINDLAY INFUSES SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY INTO A MODERN BUSINESS DRESS BOOT. FEATURES EXCLUSIVE CALF LEATHER UPPERS AND ELASTIC ANKLE STRIPS FOR AN EASY INSTEP.
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WATCH this
GOODTIMES T-TOUCH EXPERT Tissot
One thing we can be sure of here in the Middle East is that the sun invariably shines which makes the new Tissot T-Touch Expert Solar the perfect timepiece for this region. It’s the first touch screen watch to be powered by solar energy and it features loads of cool functions that will please adventure lovers. By pressing on the screen you can access 20 functions including compass, weather forecast, air pressure, altimeter, chronograph timer, calendar and alarms. There’s a crystal clear display using Super-Luminova technology so you can see it even in the dark while the leather strap has a Velcro extension so that you can wear it over your climbing equipment or attached to your rucksack. www.tissot.ch
COPPERHEAD Police The Police Copperhead is a great choice for water lovers and general sports fiends. Encased in stainless steel or brown ion-plating with a tough wearing stylish leather strap and a protective scratch-resistant crystal screen, it is water resistant to 50m. www.policelifestyle.com
QUEEN OF GOLF UICC Jaermann&Stübi For golf-loving ladies, Jaermann&Stübi has reinvented the golf watch with a mechanical golf counter: a 38 mm stainless steel case with rounded pushers and a mechanical counter for the number of strokes taken on each hole and a totalizer for the score after 18 holes have been played. This beauty comes with an A10-2 caliber automatic movement, visible through the glass back and protected by a shock absorber. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the brand created this Special Edition to support the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Find out more on www.jaermann-stuebi.com Watch out: New shop Jaermann&Stübi shop at Dubai Creek Golf &Yacht Club is opening soon!
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BESTBUDS T
uning in to some block-rocking beats is an essential element to most people’s workouts or running sessions and the headphones you use can have a huge effect on sound quality and comfort levels. Here are three of the best sport headphones options currently on the market.
JABRA SPORT ROX WIRELESS
These clever little beauties from Jabra are completely wireless, and connect to your device via Bluetooth, which is a great hassle free bonus when running or working out. You can control music playback, volume and take calls with a quick tap on the earbuds and the sound quality is really impressive – even more so when you use the included ‘Jabra Sound App’. Believe it or not these headphones have been tested to US military rain, shock, sand, and dust standards and are sweat and storm proof! They lock into place snugly and offer a good level of comfort. AED 599
YURBUDS INSPIRE LIMITED EDITION
If you’re looking for a set of headphones that stay firmly in place no matter how vigorous the exercise then these are ones for you. They use TwistLock technology with ergonomically designed buds that stay snugly in place as you run. Yurbuds Inspire also come with a rugged hardwearing Kevlar cable with an inline control for adjusting volume, skipping tracks, or taking calls. AED 745
MONSTER ISPORT VICTORY
Featuring a robust, durable and comfortable design, Monster iSport Victory, deliver exceptional noise cancelling sound quality and great bass. They’re also waterproof, making it easy to clean sweat off, with a handy tangle free cord and secure SportClip earbuds while there’s a ControlTalk in-line mic with iOS control support that delivers decent sound quality for hands-free calls. AED 720
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HOT LIST
TOP TIME
SAVERS
W
E’RE all good at coming up for excuses for why we haven’t got time to go to the gym. “I’ve got too much work to do, “I have to clean the house”, “I’ve got to make tea” etc. Well the good news is, we’ve scoured the internet to find the best time-saving gadgets out there to allow you to spend all those banked hours getting into shape. We know....we’re too kind!
LIVESCRIBE 3 SMARTPEN
You need never spend precious time writing up your meeting or lecture notes again. This nifty pen from Livescribe turns physical notes into digital ones. Using handwriting recognition, the nifty gadget types what you write into your paired iOs or Android device making notes easily searchable at a later date. It also features an audio record function which will store the audio file next to the relevant notes giving you a comprehensive recall system. AED 745
DURACELL POWERMAT
Why waste time looking for your various chargers or figuring out how to free up enough plug sockets to use them all at once when the Duracell Powermat can replenish power to up to three of your favourite devices when you simply lay them down on it. AED 257
IROBOT SCOOBA 450
Let’s face it, nobody likes cleaning floors, so why not get a robot to do it for you while you hit the gym? The iRobot Scooba 450 is an ingenious little device that cleans hard floors like never before using a three-step process. First it sweeps and pre-soaks with a thin layer of water or floor cleaner. Then it scrubs and uses a squeegee vacuum to suck dirty water off the floor. Finally, it performs a ‘squeegee’ finish with a final once over to leave you with a gleaming surface. You set up the parameters of the area you want the robot to clean using a sensor device that stops it from crossing a designated infrared line and the iRobot even talks to you to tell you when it’s finished the job and its ‘dirty tank needs emptying.’ AED 2,200
SMART MICROWAVE
Already a classic time-saving household appliance, microwaves can now save you having to spend time working out how long to cook something for. Simply scan your packet of frozen veg or can of soup and this Samsung MG34F602M Smart Microwave will automatically work out the perfect time setting. It also has all sorts of other clever functions such as ‘Slim Fry’ which uses hot and a grill to mimick the cooking of crispy fried food but in a much healthier manner. AED 599
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FOOD
LOCAL SCENE
TWO OF THE BEST AT VIDA DOWNTOWN DUBAI 3 IN 1 - RAMADAN DELIGHTS
TOKO
T
he sumptuous Iftar at 3 in 1 is a great option during Ramadan whether you’re fasting or not with plenty of healthy options on offer. There’s a huge variety of tasty creative salads, soups, and delicious traditional Arabic appetisers while the main courses are made to order and delivered to your table with a mix of vegetable dishes and a mixed grill of lamb chops, kebabs, chicken and beef. We loved the super-tasty ouzi lamb which is mixed with spicy rice, sultanas and nuts while you can wash it all down with a selection of hand crafted fruit juices. If you’re feeling naughty there’s a dessert counter to die for or you can opt for a selection of fresh or dried fruit. The setting is stylish and the atmosphere is much more relaxed and laid back than many Iftars so 3 in 1 is definitely worth a look this Ramadan. Date: Available throughout Ramadan Time: From sunset until 10pm Price: AED 170 per person for adults ED 85 for children aged between 6 and 12 years Kids below 5 year dine for free
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f you’re a fan of creative contemporary Japanese fusion cuisine and are looking for something chic and healthy for that special occasion then Toko is the place for you. They say you get what you pay for and while Toko isn’t cheap, the food and service are exceptional and the ambience is delightful. Think dimly lit Manhattan cocktail bar with a touch of Oriental elegance. A pet gripe with many restaurants in Dubai is that the waiting staff aren’t often knowledgeable enough about the menu but nothing could be further from the truth where Toko is concerned. Our friendly and welcoming hostess guided us expertly through the variety of equally delicious
sounding choices and made some terrific recommendations. Sharing plates of Wagyu beef gyoza with soy chili dressing and shiso along with langoustine tempura with wasbi and jalapeno mayo whetted the appetite nicely for what was to be a taste sensation in the mains. We opted for braised short rib (one of the most flavorsome we’ve ever tasted) along with the equally delectable black cod marinated in saikyo miso with sides of asparagus and the surprisingly fitting grilled avocado in sweet soy and lime. Despite an array of wonderful sounding desserts – we tried to be good and requested a single scoop of homemade green tea sorbet to round off a memorable evening at Toko.
AVERAGE MEAL FOR TWO (INCLUDING DRINKS): AED 900
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travel
THE LANCASTER LONDON HOTEL www.lancasterlondon.com
By Mike Gallemore
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ONDON is one of the most popular summer getaways and with over 10,000 accommodation choices listed on TripAdvisor, choosing where to stay can pose a real headache but we’ve found a gem for you. The Lancaster London Hotel has everything a visitor to England’s capital could wish for. Situated overlooking Hyde Park and just five minutes’ walk from Marble Arch and Oxford Street, it is within easy reach of a variety of London landmarks and facilities. Lancaster Gate underground station is literally round the corner, a Barclays Cycle Hire Point is only a minute away and the Heathrow Express by Paddington Station is within five minutes’ walk. The lure of the Lancaster London is that it is so close to the bright lights yet it is a peaceful haven away from the madding crowds.. Once you walk through the door a warm welcome is guaranteed. When you become aware of the myriad of amenities within the hotel there is little reason to go elsewhere. With the hotel being Thai owned it boasts one of the finest Thai restaurants in the country, Nipa Thai, which serves exotic Oriental dishes of the highest calibre in comfortable, relaxing surroundings. There is also the contemporary Island Grill with its excellent variety of European cuisine in a friendly and informal setting with views from the wall-to-ceiling windows of the Park. There is also the Lounge Bar a comfortable place to relax with a drink or a snack. It’s a well known meeting place and the ideal spot to start your evening. The Lancaster London is certainly an hotel for all occasions, renowned for its wide variety of meeting facilities that can accommodate every conceivable kind of function, with a reputation for its friendly and helpful staff.
LANCASTER LONDON
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FITNESS FIRST
NEWS WHAT'S NEW AT FITNESS FIRST?
vision tower opens its doors
Find out the latest news from the region's leading health and fitness club chain
Vision Tower becomes the 31st Fitness First club in the UAE.
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FOOTBALL WIN FOR FITNESS FIRST
member stories
The Fitness FIrst team scoop an amateur football title in Jordan.
Inspiring stories from two Fitness First members.
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WHAT’S NEW AT FITNESS FIRST? The latest news from the region’s No.1 health and fitness club chain THE CHANGE PROJECT Having introduced ‘The Change Project’– an eight week programme focusing on weight loss goal and change in lifestyle habits, Fitness First is now concentrating on fitness and education through nutrition to not only enable and support participants reach their weight loss goals in eight weeks, but also sustain the momentum in the long run by inculcating lasting healthy habits. And if that wasn’t inviting enough, Fitness First is also offering nutritionist-led meal plans along with paid meal delivery options through its exclusive Fitness First Nutrition initiative. With an impressive fan-following, this innovation-led meal pattern has engulfed fitness enthusiasts and is now available at nine locations in the region. FITNESS FIRST JOINS HANDS WITH DUBAI SPORTS WORLD It also marked its debut recently as Dubai Sports World’s exclusive wellness and fitness partner to manage and operate remodeled gym and fitness areas for the region’s largest indoor sporting arena. Functioning as the core component of this mega event, Fitness First is also offering a purpose-built fitness studio and a Group Exercise studio at this free-to-enter gym. The goal remains to bring fitness into people’s lives and to sprint further with the right balance in training and healthy nutritional habits.
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FITNESS FIRST
NEWS
FITNESS FIRST OPENS ST ITS 31 CLUB IN THE UAE T
HERE’S another great addition to the Fitness First family in the region in the shape of the new Platinum Club at Vision Tower, Business Bay in Dubai. Spread across 21,000 square feet, it is the 31st Fitness First club to open in the UAE and is the first club to feature the new, vibrant and energetic look of the brand. The state of the art club offers its members platinum facilities, best-in-class exercise equipment and free group exercise classes with certified instructors in an outdoor GX (Group Exercise) studio. The expansive facility also features an impressive Cycling studio, a Core Juice Bar, extensive free weights, strength and exclusive freestyle and Fitzone areas purpose built for functional training. Other facilities include an open area for Yoga, multifunctional exercises, Synergy 360 training system, Escape Octagon Olympic lifting platform, video wall, and Nutrition by Fitness First offering a complete solution for wellness and fitness. Members can opt for personal training by worldclass, internationally certified fitness instructors and trainers, and also avail of the luxurious changing rooms with saunas and a relaxation area, and the exclusive indoor members lounge with wireless internet and complimentary drinks or the outdoor member’s lounge to socialise, play or watch games.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
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FITNESS FIRST
NEWS
FITNESS FIRST TAKE AMATEUR JORDAN FOOTBALL TITLE T
HE Fitness First football team, which is comprised of staff and members from its branches in Jordan, triumphed at the first ever amateur-dedicated football league in the country. The league, which was was run by Amman FC, consisted of eight corporate teams and lasted for four months and in the end it was the Fitness First lads who emerged on top by a single point to take the championship. “We worked hard to win the league and we faced
What you post on
FITNESS FIRST MEMBERS FOCUS
@fitnessfirstme
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many hardships but still we came out on top as Champions,” said Fitness First coach Aseel Barbarawi, who is a personal trainer at Fitness First VYJ in Abdoun, Jordan. “I am extremely proud of this achievement.” Barbarawi, who says she is ‘crazy about football’, took the reigns as coach after being approached by her General Manager at Fitness First, Mudassar Khan. “I started to work with the team before the league began and initially we started by having small group
classes based on functional training in one of the studios in VYJ,” Barbarawi said. “Then we moved to friendly matches to recognize strengths and weaknesses. I was able to assess each player and put forward a strategy to win the league.” Having previously worked with the Jordan Football Association for six years, Barbarawi was just the right person for the job. She also has an A License Coaching badge is currently working on attaining a Pro License.
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BEFORE
ANFAL ABDUL SAHEB
Fitness First member’s story I
T’S true, time does fly. I can’t believe that my daughter is almost three years old. I still remember that feeling I got when I learnt that I was pregnant. Excitement, happiness, fear, nervousness and whether or not I will be a good mother. Well, nine months later my beautiful angel was born and along with it came the effects of pregnancy. It was so difficult in the beginning. I didn’t know what to do with such a tiny baby and I was worried that I’d hold her wrong. But then she held my finger with her tiny hand and it was like she was telling me everything will be alright and everything was until I looked in the mirror and saw that I had gained 25 kg. I had hit the maximum weight of my life. I took another step on the scale hoping it was wrong but no, it stayed at 82 kg. I was depressed and I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t want to leave my house. I just wanted to hold on to my daughter and cry. I didn’t know how that happened. My lovely husband was so supportive and didn’t make me feel bad one bit he always tried to cheer me up. He told me how beautiful I am and that’s when it hit me – I am the only one who is in control of my weight and I am the only one who can make a difference.
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Trainer
Louise Shields Fitness Manager, Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi.
I knew I needed to set a great example for my girl. I needed to let her know that she needs to be comfortable with whatever she decides and I knew I wasn’t comfortable with my body so in August 2013, my journey began. I signed up for Fitness First and I still remember how I was motivated, excited and most of all, was determined. I work 10 hours a day so I knew I needed to make time to go to the gym. I lost 5 kg in the first month and I was flabbergasted. That made me push even harder until one day, while I was on the treadmill praying for the love of God to end this cardio session, a fit and healthy lady approached me. She started talking to me but I was too out of breath to respond. She offered me a free training session with her to try her method out and I just nodded to say okay as I couldn’t speak. And that’s how I met my savior, my hero and my role model Louise Shields. When I went to my free session, Louise started showing me some moves and I just kept asking myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ It was so exhausting but all I could picture was my daughter cheering me on. By the end of the session, I thought I was going to die but Louise kept motivating me and saying that it’s all in my head.
I eventually signed up with her in September 2013 and started training with her. Till today, Louise is my personal trainer. It was not a piece of cake. During every training session I thought I would give up from how intense it was but she was adamant. She got me into weight lifting, HIIIT, XFit, you name it. Louise cheered me on till the end and believed in me and most importantly, made me believe in myself. She helped me reach milestones I thought I could never achieve. She helped me squat my personal record of 80 kg and helped me deadlift my best of 60 kg. I lost over 20 kg of fat at delightful expense of muscles and I can confidently say that i have never looked so healthy and fit in my life. Not even before my daughter, not even before marriage. Louise gave me the confidence that I had lost and she helped me inspire so many people around me. I look different but most importantly, I feel different. I am happier, healthier and I can keep up with my little girl. I owe a lot to my husband who supported me throughout my journey and looked after my daughter while I looked after myself. So thank you so much, thank you for everything. And thank you Louise and thank you Fitness First for Louise.
FITNESS FIRST
NEWS
MOHAMED AL KARBI Fitness First member’s story N
O pain, no gain. This is a statement I hear all the time, but I never thought that I would reach the point where I would feel it myself. Before I turned to Fitness First, I spent several luckless years trying to reduce and control my weight. In December 2014, I visited my doctor and I was given the news that no one likes to hear – that I am in the pre-diabetes stage. Not only that, but also my cholesterol and uric acid levels were dangerously high. For me, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I knew I needed to change. I went directly to Fitness First in Dalma Mall and enrolled in their Personal Training program. From that day till today, I have lost an incredible 25 kg. Many factors helped me to achieve this stage. First and foremost was discipline. Hard work over one week can vanish in one day if you are not disciplined. The second factor was patience. What I gained in 30 years could not have been taken out in one week. The third factor that contributed to my successful transformation was my Personal Trainer, Jonathan Mills. He gave me the full support and supervision I needed and I can safely say he went above and beyond to guide me through the correct ways of training. Importantly, Jonathan helped me choose the best foods I should eat in order to achieve my goals. I can say now without any doubt that I am a new person and I will never go back to my previous life style. Thank you Fitness First! Starting weight Current weight Total loss
BEFORE Trainer
Jonathan Mills Assistant General Manager, Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi. Talk to us on
TRAINING PROGRAMME
Consists of weight training using big compound movements like Deadlits, Bench press, Pullsowns, Olympic lifts. HIIT (High intensity interval training) – using battle ropes, core bags, Ankorr, weighted bar and bodyweight movements
after
“Mohammed came to me with a very w w werratic diet. Sometimes he would eat nothing for two days and then sometimes he would eat five times in one day but he would eat all the wrong foods. The first step was to get some consistency in his daily eating so we started with making sure he had his three main meals a day and then over time we added in snacks in between meals.” Jonathan Mills
Your
TWEETS
twitter.com/fitnessfirstme
FITNESS FIRST MEMBERS FOCUS
facebook.com/fitnessfirstme
November 2014 – 137.3KG Apr 2015 – 112.3KG 25KG
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Trainer
ﺗﻨﺎول اﻟﻄﻌﺎم ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ
ﻓﻲ ﺷﻬﺮ رﻣﻀﺎن اﳌﺒﺎرك
دائما ما يكون شهر رمضان بداية جيدة لالشخاص الذين يريدون البقاء بصحة جيدة وإنقاص وزنهم. ً الغذاىى إذا لم أيضا .يمكن بسهولة أن يزداد وزنك وتُدمر نظامك سالحا ذا حدين ً مع ذلك ،قد يكون شهر رمضان ً تأخرى ،إليك بعض النصائح الرسيعة لمساعدتك ىڡ أي دون من ، ثم ومن إفطارك، تتناول الطعام بشكل صحيح بعد َّ تناول الطعام بشكل صحي خالل شهر رمضان المبارك.
ننصحك بأال تُفوت أي وجبات .يعد السحور هو وتعترى هذه الوجبة فطارك، ½ الصباحية بشكل عام هي الوجبة خصوصا اال Ïكرى أهمية ىڡ نهارك ً صائما .إنها تساعدك عندما تكون ً عىل االحتفاظ بطاقتك وشحنك بها ىڡ نهار صومك. صغرىة .يفرط ■ بعد إفطارك ،تناول وجبات متكررة االفطار، كثرى من االشخاص ىڡ تناول الطعام ىڡ وقت ³ وهو ما يؤدي إىل مشاكل ىڡ الجهاز الهضمي ومضاعفات صغرىة ½عرى جرب تقسيم وجباتك إىل أجزاء أخرىّ . ساعتںى . تناول الطعام كل ■ يحب جميعنا تناول االطباق الحلوة ،لكن في رمضان،
احرص على تجنب تناول الحلويات التي تحتوي على نسب عالية من الدهون والسكر .احرص على أن تكون اختياراتك صحية لنفسك وأسرتك وضيوفك عن طريق تقديم الفواكه الطازجة والمكسرات.
Ú الىى يجب عليك تجنبها االطعمة
■ االطعمة المقلية ■ االطعمة عالية السكر واالطعمة عالية الدهون ■ االطعمة المطهية عالية الدهون استهالك الدقيق االبيض ■ تقليل منتجات االلبان ■ ■ Ï المرسوبات الغازية ■ الحليب المبخر
Ú الىى يجب عليك تجنبها طرق الطهي
القىل العميق ■ القىل ■ ■ االستخدام المفرط للزيت
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SFME
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كتبه شاهںى بنںى مدير التغذية واللياقة البدنية، الرسق فيتنس فرىست االوسط
فيما يىل بعض االطعمة الجيدة للسحور
بياض البيض )صفار واحد( صدور الدجاج الشوفان المجروش الس ِميذ َّ Ï الرى وتںى مرسوب ½ القرفة الموز العسل الخام االسود الزبيب أو التمر أيضا. الخرصوات الليفية -ستساعد عىل زيادة شعورك باالمتالء ً السوداىى الطبيعية جميع أنواع زبدة الفول زيت بذرة الكتان زيت الزيتون -يُفضل البكر الممتاز )هو الذي تتم معالجته بار ًدا ويحتفظ بأحماضه الدهنية االساسية( الكثرى من الماء
■ ترطيب جسمك ،ثم ترطيب جسمك ،ثم ترطيب جسمك .احرص على شرب الماء باستمرار خالل المساء .ليكن هدفك هو شرب ثمانية أكواب من الماء قبل وقت النوم .ولمساعدتك على تتبع هذا جيدا ، امال زجاجة ماء ً بقدر محدد من الماء واحرص على شربها كلها.
طرق الطهي الصحية
القىل البسيط )عاد ًة ما يكون هناك اختالف بسيط ىڡ المذاق( ✓ الخبرى صحيا Ï يعترى الشوي أو أكرى ،ويحافظ عىل المذاق ✓ ½ ً االصلية والنكهة وخصوصا الدجاج والسمك لالطعمة ً
أيضا خطط وجبات رمضان الخاصة من خالل تقدم فيتنس فرىست ً برنامج التغذية .اتصل باستقبال النادي للحصول عىل مزيد من التفاصيل أو تفضل بزيارة موقع الويب .www.fitnessfirstme.com
ﺍﻟﺼﻴﺎﻡ
TRAINER
االفطار ،احرص بعد ³ دوما عىل تناول كميات ً صغرىة من الغذاء لزيادة الغذاىى وللحفاظ عىل التمثيل اتساق مستويات طاقتك
جدا أن من المهم ً تُقلِّل حصتك من االطعمة المالحة والسكرية حيث إنها ُÚ سرىيد عطشك ،وقد تسبب مزيدا من الجفاف ً
تجنب ممارسة تدريبات رفع االثقال أثناء صيامك، حيث إن هذا قد يؤدي إىل زيادة ىڡ الهرمون الهدمي، الكورترىول ،قد تؤدي إىل فقدان القوة بسبب الجفاف.
يعترى ترطيب ½ أمرا أساس ًيا جسمك ً الزما خالل شهر رمضان ً ³البقاء جسمك تحت السيطرة. يجب أن تحقق المأكوالت احرص عىل Ï ب الماء رس الرى توازنًا تناول سيعمل وتںى بںى ½ االفطار عىل يعد ³ قدر ما تستطيع ىڡ Úفرىة الطعام قبل نصف والكربوهيدرات أرسع أحد والماء التمور االفطار. ساعة من بدء جلسة ³ والدهون الجيدة Ú الجسم طيب لرى الطرق تدريبات رفع االثقال عىل الكيمياىى بسبب التفاعل للفركتوز والجلوكوز والماء.
شحن طاقتك بشكل فعال. حاول تناول الدجاج والخرصوات والسلمون والسلطة. َ
جرعتںى من تناول الفيتامينات المتعددة أكرى من ىڡ الصباح مع كمية ½ وتںى والدهون الجيدة .وتتمثل الرى ½ تتمرى ممارسة الخيارات الجيدة ىڡ زبدة تدريبات التخلص السوداىى والشوفان الفول من الدهون قبل السحور المجروش والبيض. )وجبة ما قبل الفجر( بفعاليتها البالغة! استيقظ عىل الماء وكوب تناول نصف Úلرى من واحد من الشاي االخرص، وانتظر ٣٠دقيقة بعد تناول الطعام ،وحينئذ تكون مستعدا للبدء. ً
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التمارين الرياضية
◀ أثناء الصيام ،يستخدم جسمنا بالدرجة االوىل دهونه عند ممارسة التمارين الرياضية أسبوعيا تدريبںى ◀ يجب تقليل عدد تدريبات القلب إىل ً مناسبا لك هذا كان إذا الرياضية التمارين كثافة ◀ أصغ إىل صوت جسمك ،وقلِّل ً ◀ أوقف ممارسة التمارين الرياضية إذا شعرت بدوخة أو غثيان االمثل لممارسة بعض أنواع الرياضات ◀ يعد هذا هو الوقت االقل ِش ّدة مثل اليوغا والبيالتس وتوازن الجسم صعب البداية من جديد ويؤدي إىل فقدانك هيئتك ◀ ال تتوقف عن ممارسة التمارين الرياضية! فإن التوقف عن ممارستها يُ ّ وتقسيم عضالتك برسعة. ◀ تكون تدريبات رفع االثقال متأخرا بالنسبة الوقت هذا كان إذا ذلك، ومع فطار. اال من ساعات 5 إىل 4 بعد فعالية أكرى ¾ ً االفطار لكن النتيجة ستكون أدىى من التوقيت االول من حيث فائدتها. إليك ،يمكنك ممارستها بعد ساعة من ¾ ◀ إذا كان هدفك هو التخلص من الدهون ،فإن أفضل وقت للتمرين هو الوقت قبل السحور )وجبة ما قبل الفجر(. احرص عىل أداء تمارين متوسطة الكثافة لمدة 30إىل 45دقيقة. االفطار مبكرا ال يناسب أسلوب حياتك ،فإنه ال يزال يمكنك ممارسة تمارين التخلص من الدهون بعد ¾ ◀ إذا كان االستيقاظ ً عاىل الكثافة ) .(HIITسيكون التدريب الشاق لمدة 30ثانية والراحة لمدة 30ثانية لخمس المتقطع بإجراء جلسة للتدريب كافيا لمساعدتك عىل التخلص من الوزن. مراتً ، ◀ إذا كان هدفك هو الحفاظ عىل لياقتك الصحية بوجه عام ،فإن أداء تمارين القلب لمدة 20دقيقة وتدريبات المقاومة لمدة 20دقيقة أخرى ٌ كفيل بالمحافظة عىل شعورك بالنشاط. ◀ تذكر أنه لز ٌام عليك أن تحافظ عىل ترطيب جسمك!
SFME
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كتبه شارلوت ستبنج مديرة لياقة بدنية بفيتنس أبوظىى مول فرىست فرع æ
ﺍﻟﺼﻴﺎﻡ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻘﺎﺑﻞ ﻣﻤﺎﺭﺳﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻤﺎﺭﻳﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﻳﺎﺿﻴﺔ شهر رمضان المبارك
Ü عىل مع حلول شهر رمضان المبارك هو ̋هل يجب االستمرار ىڡ ممارسة التمارين أحد أكرى االسئلة شيو ًعا الىى تُطرح َّ Ü وتحضرى جيد ،ستحافظ ممارسة التمارين الرياضية مع تفكرى وتخطيط الرياضية؟̋ دائما واحدة :مع وإجابىى تكون ً الصيام ىڡ شهر رمضان المبارك عىل تحقيق أهدافك وربما تعطي لنتائجك دفعة قوية! مع ذلك ،فمن المهم أن تحرص عىل االصغاء لجسمك نظرا الن كال منا يختلف عن â االخر وكال ً منا يستجيب بطرق ً ¾ ً مختلفة عند ممارسة التمارين الرياضية مع الصيام Ü . االرشادات الموضحة ىڡ هذه اعںى بنفسك من خالل اتباع ¾ المقالة واحرص عىل التحدث إىل مدربيك لمعرفة المزيد.
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SFME
FITNESS FIRST
NEWS
بعد
قبل
أﻧﻔﺎل ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺼﺎﺣﺐ شهادة أحد عمالء فيتنس فرىست
Ü ابنىى قاربت ما من شك أن الوقت يمر ً رسيعا .ال أصدق أن بلوغ ثالث سنوات من العمر .ما زلت أذكر المشاعر الىىÜ االيجابية عىل عصا اختبار الحمل. اودتىى عندما رأيت النتيجة ¾ ر باالثارة والسعادة والخوف والتوتر ،وفكرت هل لقد شعرت ¾ سأكون ًأما جيد ًة أم ال. الىك الجميل ،وقد صاحب حس ًنا ،بعد تسعة أشهر، وضعت َم ذلك آثار الحمل .لقد كان االمر غاية الصعوبة ىڡ البداية .لم الصغرى ،وكنت عىل فعله مع هذا المولود أعرف ما كان ينبغي َّ بشكل خاطئ .لكن بعد أن أمسكت Ü طفلىى أقلق من أن أحمله إصبعي بيديها الصغرىة ،بدى االمر وكأنها æ ىسء تخرى ىى أن كل سيكون عىل ما يرام ،وقد سار كذلك إىل أن نظرت ىڡ المرآة وزىى قد زاد ٢٥كيلوجر ًاما. ورأيت أن Ü المرىان مرة حياىى ،صعدت إىل لقد وصلت إىل أقىص وزن ىڡ وزىى ظل عند ٨٢ أخرى عىل أمل أن يكون ما رأيتها خطأً ،لكن كيلوجر ًاما. نفىس ىڡ المرآة .لم كنت مكتئبة ولم أكن أستطيع أن أنظر إىل أكن أريد أن أخرج من مرى ىل .كل ما كنت أريده هو فقط أن أحمل Ü أبىك .لم أعرف كيف حدث ذلك. صغرى ىى وأظل بجانبها يجعلىى أشعر جدا ،ولم داعما ىل ً لقد كان زوجي الحبيب ً بالضيق ولو مرة واحدة ،إنما كان يحاول إسعادي ورفع Ü معنوياىى. يخرى ىى بأىى جميلة ،وعندها قررت أىى أنا الوحيدة الىىÜ كان æ
المدرب
لويز شيلدز
أبوظىى. مديرة لياقة بدنية ،فرع دلما مول æ ،
أستطيع التحكم وأىى وحدي من بإمكانه إحداث الفرق. بوزىى ، Ü ائعةً البنىى .أردت أن أدركت أىى بحاجة إىل أن أكون قدو ًة ر أعلمها أنها يجب أن تحب ما تقرره ،ولم أكن أنا أحب ما كان Ü رحلىى. عليه جسمي ىڡ أغسطس ،٢٠١٣ومن هنا بدأت Ü اشرىكت ىڡ فيتنس فرىست ،وال زلت أذكر كم كنت متحفزة ومتحمسة ،وفوق ذلك كله ،كنت ُم َص ِّممة. توفرى عىل كنت أعمل ١٠ساعات ىڡ اليوم ،ولذلك كان يلزم َّ وقت أذهب فيه لصالة االلعاب الرياضية .فقدت ٥ كيلوجرامات ىڡ الشهر االول ،وكنت مندهشة . دفعىى هذا إىل بذل المزيد من الجهد Ü حىى جاء يوم ما وكنت عىل جهاز الجري وجاءتىى سيدة رىى أن أنتهي من جلسة تمارين القلب أدعو æ لكىى كنت ألهث الئقة وجيدة ً إىل ، صحيا .لقد بدأت الحديث َّ ولم أكن أتمكن من الرد عليها. عىل جلسة تدريب مجانية معها الُجرب طريقتها، لقد عرضت َّ أىس لها بالموافقة ال ىى لم أستطيع الكالم .وهكذا وأومأت ر Ü Ü Ü وقدوىى لويز شيلدز. وبطلىى بمنقذىى التقيت ريىى عندما حرصت جلسة التدريب المجانية ،أخذت لويز تُ »لم أفعل هذا؟« لقد كانت نفىس َ بعض الحركات ،وكنت أسأل صغرى Üىى وهي تهتف ىل لكىى ال أتذكر إال حركات شاقة ً جدا ، برسور .بنهاية الجلسة ،شعرت أىى عىل وشك الموت ،لكن لويز واصلت تحفرىي وقالت أن كل هذا مفهوم. أخرىاÜ ، سبتمرى ٢٠١٣وبدأت التدريب اشرىكت مع لويز ىڡ شهر æ ً
Ü مدربىى الشخصية .لم يكن معها .وإىل اليوم ،ال تزال لويز هي االمر سهال ً .فخالل كل جلسة تدريب ،كنت أشعر أىى سأتوقف االرصار .لقد بسبب شدة التدريب ،لكن لويز كانت أشد ىڡ ¾ عاىل الكثافة دربتىى ىڡ رفع االثقال والتدريب المتقطع شجعتىى لويز Ü حىى وتدريبات كروس فيت ،سمها ما شئت .لقد النهاية ووثقت ىى واالهم من ذلك أنها نفىس. æ جعلتىى أثق ىڡ ساعدتىى ىڡ أن أحقق أهداف عظيمة ظننت أىى ال يمكنىى لقد ساعدتىى ىڡ أن أداء تمارين القرفصاء بوزن تحقيقها مطلقًا .إنها قياىس بلغ ٨٠كيلوجر ًاما وتمارين الرفعة المميتة بوزن ٦٠ كيلوجر ًاما. Ü عضالىى، لقد فقدت ٢٠كيلوجر ًاما من دهون جسمي لصالح بناء صحيا هكذا أنىى لم أبدو الئقة وجيدة ً ويمكنىى القول بكل ثقة Ü Ü Ü Ü طفلىى وال حىى قبل حياىى .ولم أبدو هكذا حىى قبل والدة ىڡ Ü الىى كنت أفتقدها ،كما زواجي .لقد منحتىى لويز الثقة حوىل. ساعدتىى عىل أن أكون مصدر إلهام للكثرىين أصبح مظهري مختلفًا ،واالهم من ذلك أن شعوري أصبح مختلفًا أيضا .أنا â االن ويمكنىى أكرى سعاد ًة وأحسن صحةً ، ً بالكثرى لزوجي الذي متابعة Ü دعمىى طوال إنىى َمدينة صغرى ىى . Ü رحلىى Ü بنفىس. أعتىى واعتىى بصغرى ىى عندما كنت وأشكرك لويز ىسء. ِ لذلك ،أشكره جزيل الشكر ،أشكرك عىل كل وأشكرك فيتنس فرىست عىل أن أتيت ىل بلويز.
SFME
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المدرب
بعد
قبل
ﻣﺤﻤﺪ اﻟﻜﺮﺑﻲ شهادة أحد عمالء فيتنس فرىست
ال نتيجة من دون تعب .كنت أسمع هذه العبارة طوال الوقت، لكىى لم أكن أتصور ً Ü الىى أعيشها أبدا أىى سأصل إىل المرحلة بنفىس. قبل أن Üآىى إىل فيتنس فرىست ،قضيت سنوات عديدة من دون وزىى وأتحكم فيه. توفيق أحاول أن أُنقص طبيىى ىڡ بخرى ال يحب أحد قط æ وأخرى ىى æ æ ديسمرى ،٢٠١٤زرت æ سماعه وهو أىى ىڡ مرحلة ما قبل السكري. Ü الكوليسرىول أيضا أن مستويات أخرى ىى ً ليس هذا فحسب ،بل æ خطرى .كان هذا بالنسبة لدي مرتفعة عىل نحو َ وح ْم ِض اليوريك ّ Ü البعرى .أدركت أىى بحاجة إىل الىى قصمت ظهر ىل هي القشة التغيرى. توجهت وسجلت ىڡ مبارس ًة إىل فيتنس فرىست فرع دلما مولّ ، برنامج التدريب الشخىص .وقد فقدت منذ ذلك الحںى إىل اليوم ٢٥كيلوجر ًاما بشكل ال يُصدق. كثرىة أسهمت ىڡ بلوغي هذه المرحلة .وأول كانت هناك عوامل هذه العوامل وأهمها كان االنضباط .إن التمرين الشاق عىل مدار أسبوع قد يختفي أثره ىڡ يوم واحد إن لم يكن هناك
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SFME
جوناثان ميلز
المدرب
أبوظىى. المدير العام المساعد ،فرع دلما مول æ ،
انضباط. عاما ال يمكن ثاىى هذه العوامل كان æ الصرى .فما حققته ىڡ ً ٣٠ تحقيقه ىڡ أسبوع واحد. مدرىى العامل الثالث الذي أسهم ىڡ تحوىل الناجح كان æ الشخىص جوناثان ميلز. لقد واال رساف الذي أحتاجه ،وأستطيع منحىى كامل الدعم ¾ القول أنه تجاوز أبعد الحدود ىڡ إرشادي خالل الطرق ساعدىى ىڡ اختيار الصحيحة للتدريب .واالهم من ذلك ،أنه Ü أهداىڡ. عىل تناولها الحقق الىى ينبغي االطعمة َّ â أستطيع أن أقول االن أىى بال أدىى شك إنسان جديد ،ولن أعود Ü حياىى شكرا لفيتنس فرىست! السلوب الماىص مطلقًاً . نوفمرى ١٣٧٫٣ - ٢٠١٤كيلوجرام وزىى عندما بدأت ىڡ æ كان الحاىل ىڡ أبريل ١١٢٫٣ - ٢٠١٥كيلوجرام وزىى إجماىل الوزن المفقود ٢٥ -كيلوجر ًاما برنامج التدريب كان الرىنامج يتألف من تدريبات رفع االثقال باستخدام الحركات æ المركبة الهامة مثل الرفعات المميتة وتمارين الضغظ عىل ُ
المقعد وتمارين السحب السفل والرفعات االولمبية. عاىل الكثافة ) - (HIITباستخدام أحبال التدريب المتقطع المثقلة المعارك والحقائب االساسية وأحزمة Ankorrوالقضبان ُ وحركات وزن الجسم Ü إىل وهو التغذية -المدرب الشخىص جوناثان ميلز :أىى محمد َّ غريبا غرى منظم .فقد كان ىڡ بعض االحيان غذائيا نظاما يتبع ً ً ً ينقطع عن تناول الطعام ليومںى ،ثم ىڡ أحيان أخرى يتناول الطعام خمس مرات ىڡ يوم واحد ،ويتناول كل االطعمة الخاطئة. كانت الخطوة االوىل هي تحقيق بعض االتساق ىڡ نظام تناول الطعام اليومي ،لذلك بدأنا بالتأكيد عىل تناول ثالث وجبات يوميا ،ثم بمرور الوقت يضيف وجبات خفيفة بںى تلك أساسية ً االساسية. إن فكرة تناول المزيد من الطعام ¾النقاص الوزن صعب أن أكرى يستوعبها االشخاص ،لكن محمد وثق æىى وبدأ ىڡ رؤية النتائج.
FITNESS FIRST
NEWS
ﻣﺎ اﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪ ﻟﺪى ﻓﻴﺘﻨﺲ ﻓﻴﺮﺳﺖ آخر أخبار رسكة الصحة واللياقة اال æكرى ىڡ المنطقة.
Ï التغيرى مرسوع بعد طرح التغيرى« ،وهو برنامج لمدة ثمانية أسابيع يركز عىل هدف إنقاص الوزن »مرسوع وإحداث تغيرى ىڡ العادات الحياتية ،تركز فيتنس فرىست â االن عىل اللياقة والتعليم فيما يتعلق ُ بالتغذية ،ليس فقط بهدف المشاركںى ىڡ تحقيق أهداف إنقاص وزنهم خالل ثمانية تمكںى ودعم أيضا للحفاظ عىل الزخم عىل المدى الطويل من خالل غرس عادات صحية دائمة. أسابيع ،إنما ً خرىاء عدها ي غذائية لوجبات ًا ط خط ا أيض ست فرى فيتنس تقدم يكفي، بما ا ب جذا هذا وإذا لم يكن ً æ ُ ً تغذية إىل جانب خيارات تقديم وجبات مدفوعة التكلفة من خالل مبادرة التغذية الحرصية من المتابعںى ،اجتاح نمط الوجبات وليد االبتكار هذا فيتنس فرىست .وبفضل المتابعة المذهلة من المتحمسںى للياقة البدنية ،وأصبح متوفرا â االن ىڡ تسعة مواقع بالمنطقة. أوساط ً دىى للرياضة عالم مع ست فرى فيتنس تعاون ½ مؤخرا لتكون دىى مرة أُ الرسيك الحرصي للصحة واللياقة لعالم æ ً خترىت فيتنس فرىست الول ّ جددة وأماكن لياقة بدنية تتبع القاعة م رياضية ألعاب صالة وتشغيل إدارة بهدف للرياضة ُ َ االكرى ىڡ المنطقة .وبدورها المكون ساىس ىڡ هذا الحدث الضخم ،تقدم اال ّ الرياضية المغلقة æ خصيصا للياقة البدنية وصالة للدراجات ىڡ صالة االلعاب أيضا صالة ُمعدة فيتنس فرىست ً ً تحسںى اللياقة البدنية ىڡ حياة االشخاص هو الهدف ويظل هذه. الدخول الرياضية مجانية قدما نحو تحقيق التوازن الصحيح ىڡ التدريب والعادات الغذائية السليمة. والمىص ً فرع جديد انضم قري ًبا االمارات العربية المتحدة ىڡ برج أيضا ناديها الحادي لقد افتتحت فيتنس فرىست ً والثالثںى ىڡ ¾ الرؤية بمنطقة الخليج التجاري دىى ،وهو أول نادي ىڡ المنطقة يتماىس مع المظهر الجديد ىڡ æ البالتيىى الجديد النابض بالحيوية والنشاط لعالمة فيتنس فرىست التجارية .سيوفر النادي العضائه مرافق بالتينية وأجهزة تمرين هي االفضل ىڡ فئتها وحصص تمرين جماعية مجانية عىل مدربںى معتمدين ىڡ صالة خارجية للتمرين الجماعي ).(GX أيدي
SFME
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