Is Pilates too passive? RPM too repetitive? If you’re ready to up your game then try these insane workouts – which will seriously test your limits. You know what they say: Go hard or go home

Ultimate circuit

Ever since Haddins Fitness popped up in Zayed Sports City in 2010, the team has been committed to making sure its members get results. Haddins has a variety of programmes and classes including boxing fitness, a workout of the day (WOD) that features various exercises from running to pushups and the infamous Primal Transformation, a programme that basically promises to take you from flab to fab.

But its Ultimate Circuit class has a reputation as the toughest workout on the roster, according to Michael Haddin, the man behind the madness. He says you never know what you’re going to get, because the trainers are free to plan whatever they want. The 60-minute class is a mixture of everything from kettlebell exercises and barbells to running and flipping tyres – we’re talking 18-wheeler tyres not bicycle ones.

Michael says, “Ultimate Circuit fits all components of fitness into one session. You don’t know what you’re walking into. You could run 1km, flip a tyre 100 times, then repeat six times.”

As it’s a circuit, you’ll repeat exercises with little rest, helping boost mental and physical strength.

“The class is ideally for people who’ve been doing other programmes, but we can alter the workout for beginners,” he adds. “It’s designed to push you to your limits; it’s extremely hard but we’ve got a bit of tongue in cheek humour so people have fun while they’re dying.”

Free for members, AED 80 for non-members, AED 600 for 10 classes.  International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City. Wed 6pm and Fri 9am. Contact: 02 403 4233 www.haddins.com

Gomax

GoMax is billed as a combination of a boot camp, CrossFit, circuit training and HIIT – high intensity interval training. Sound intense? Yeah, it is.

The class, which is held at Abu Dhabi Country Club, is hosted four times a week and we’re told it’s so popular you have to call several days in advance to reserve a spot. When we try it out, the 40 people in the class seem to be regulars and are warming up by doing pull-ups and skipping rope.

There are ten stations, each of which has two or three exercises. You spend 20 seconds doing each exercise with a 10-second break in between. After four minutes at the first station, you’ll move on to the next. Each stop has slightly different exercises from burpees and running on a trampoline to doing squat jumps with a bag of sand on your shoulders or flipping tyres – yes, the 18-wheeler ones again.

If you’re new to the class, be sure to tell the instructor, who will guide you through each station. Because of the setup, it’s easy to moderate the level of each exercise according to your level of fitness. But the energy from the other participants helps push you to your max.

Free for members, AED 50 for non-members.  Abu Dhabi Country Club, Al Saada Street,
Al Mushrif. Contact: 02 657 7777 www.adcountryclub.com

Insanity

Insanity is known as one of the most challenging fitness programmes on the planet. So you’ll need willpower, commitment – and mental stability.

Trainer and former track star Shaun T created Insanity, a fitness and workout DVD programme that promises to transform people’s bodies and boost their fitness levels in just 60 days.

Although it’s a DVD, the team at Stay Fit in Abu Dhabi is qualified to teach the actual class. So if you’ve put off doing the programme because of lack of motivation, now there’s no excuse – becuase Hayley and the Stay Fit team will sort you out.

The workout follows max interval training, which features three-minute bursts of intense exercise followed by 30-second breaks. You’ll work to your maximum capacity in each exercise by doing as many reps as you can. Insanity is the definition of testing your limits so this class isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Throughout the class you’ll alternate cardiovascular exercises such as jogging on the spot to burn fat, plyometrics and sport drills to boost speed, agility and power, resistance training for muscle definition and core exercises.

If you still don’t believe us, Hayley took Insanity off her group fitness schedule because people couldn’t handle the intense workout. But if you’re serious about getting into shape and getting your best body ever, Insanity is worth a try.

AED 75 for 60-minute class. Various locations. To arrange a class, contact Hayley: 02 550 3875 www.stayfitme.com

Power yoga with Tina Bock

Have you reached a plateau in your yoga practice? This power yoga class is an intense workout that focuses on ashtanga, a style of yoga that involves synchronising your breath with a progressive series of postures. Sound simple? That’s where the instructor, Tina Bock, comes in. She’ll push you to try new poses while breaking it down, making it easy for you to achieve your goals whether that’s a crow’s pose, a headstand or warrior three.

The class has a rhythmic flow so as your body warms up, the asanas – or poses – will become easier. You’ll work on arm balance, core strength and flexibility to work up a real sweat.

Tina throws around some confusing terms – chaturanga dandasana, kapotasana and ustrasana to name a few – that some yogis may not be familiar with, but you’ll soon pick them up.

Pop-up class 22nd May. AED 90 including Nectar juice. Pre-registration necessary.  BodyTree Studio, corner of Hazza Bin Zayed (11th) and 26th Streets. 9am-10.30am.

Contact: 02 443 4448. For a schedule of other classes visit: www.tinabockyoga.com

Swing yoga

We admit, this one isn’t as much hard-core as it is strange and unique. If you are a seasoned yogi and want to spice things up a bit, you’ll want to give swing yoga a try.

The variation – which is also known as aerial, flying or anti-gravity yoga – is taught at Adrenagy, a new gym in Khalifa Park.

Swing yoga uses a specially designed fabric hammock that hangs from the ceiling to keep you suspended. Two more pieces of fabric with handles hang next to the larger piece. The class is designed to help you improve your balance, flexibility and coordination. Because you practice poses while suspended, you can practice more difficult yoga poses without putting too much strain on the body.

You’ll warm up with a few easy moves, using the swing to support you. As things heat up you can push your limits, trying handstands and splits with the support of the fabric. It takes some getting used to as you have to put your trust into the hooks that hold up the fabric when you’re hanging upside down. But once you get the hang of it – pardon the pun – you can push your limits and take the more advanced options.

AED 540 for 12 sessions for first 100 registrants, AED 900 after. Tue and Thu 8am. Adrenagy, Khalifa Park, off Eastern Ring Road. Contact: 02 444 1121 www.adrenagy.com

CrossFit

CrossFit – billed as the sport of fitness – is steadily gaining popularity in the capital and for good reason. As the name suggests, the workouts in the programme are varied and the exercises will keep your entire body guessing.

Every aspect of your fitness – from flexibility, endurance and speed to balance and agility – will be put to the test.

CrossFit features a range of exercises which, when put together in a circuit, will have your heart rate up in no time. Some of the most popular exercises include Olympic lifts, weightlifting, gymnastic movements that use your own bodyweight such as air squats, pull ups, ring dips and handstands and moves to boost your cardiovascular endurance. It doesn’t stop there – you can also expect box jumps – jumping up onto a box that’s at least 24in high – as well as wall balls – starting in a squat, you throw a medicine ball as high as you can against a wall as you extend your legs, then lower back down into a squat and catch the ball. All of these workouts are repeated for a certain amount of reps or within
a time limit.

When you register, you’ll receive software that you can access via your computer or phone. You can log your results and track your progress using measurable results such as how long it took you to run a mile or what your max rep was. This way you can see your improvement on paper as well as in the mirror.

Before signing up, you’ll have to complete the CrossFit On Ramp, an introduction to the sport that teaches you the basic fundamental movements that you’ll use throughout the programme.

CrossFit is a total body blitzer where you’ll not only see the difference, you’ll feel it too.

AED 300 for private On Ramp session, AED 120 per class, AED 950 per month, AED 2,700 for three months. CrossFit Yas, Vogue Fitness, Yas Marina.
Contact: 02 583 2380 www.vfuae.com

Hua Fit

You’ve probably heard of Eva Clarke, arguably the UAE’s fittest woman who’s also a six-time Guinness World Record holder, former body builder and ultra-marathon runner. She’s also a former member of the Australian Army and Air Force, which is where HUA comes in.

HUA stands for Hear me, Understand me and Acknowledge me, which should give you some idea of how tough this class is.

Eva spices things up each time, so you never know what you’re going to get. But generally you’ll be doing circuit-style training, using a series of resistance and cardio exercises such as deck squats, butterfly sit-ups, walking lunges, jogging and box jumps – without much rest.

Eva might be intimidating to look at, and she is the first to admit that HUA Fit isn’t for the faint-hearted, but she knows how to motivate her ‘soldiers’. We’ll warn you though; you’ll be sore after this class.

AED 249 per month. Sat 8am. Gems American Academy, Khalifa City A.

Free, Wed 7pm. Zayed Sports City. Contact: www.huafitness.com.au

Rachael Peacock