Recently a friend recommended that we go along to a Tribal Fitness exercise class. Here at Abu Dhabi Week we love to try out new things, so we wasted no time in signing up

However, we began to feel slightly nervous when words and phrases such as: "monstrous", "tyre-lifting" and "there are no-beginners only people who have yet to be converted", were bandied about.

As we drive out to Al Ghazal Golf Club, we have visions of being asked to wave a tree trunk in the air using one arm, with someone bellowing, “Move faster!” in our ear.

Our instructor, Aaron, greets us with a warm smile. We are instructed to remove our trainers and we join a barefoot group of people doing warm-up lunges and squats.

Aaron points out that we are not stretching; we are actually doing dynamic movements. “Stretching prior to exercise reduces your power output, so it’s better to get the muscles moving by doing slow lunges,” he explains.

After that, Aaron incorporates the use of a tyre for the Farmer’s Walk drill, which is a whole body workout.

Participants stand in the middle part of a tyre (the weight depends on your ability level), they lift they tyre and walk approximately 30 metres.

We watch as the first person carries the tyre easily, the second person struggles a bit, then it’s our turn and we can’t lift it at all! Thankfully, our kind group-members step in and help us to complete the task.

Next up we lie on the ground and support the weight of the tyre using our legs – it’s actually a lot easier than it looks.

Then it’s time for some good old log-lifting. Participants work together to hoist the log onto the lifter’s shoulders. Once the log is in a secure position they release it and the lifter supports it while doing squats. We admit to sitting this one out!

And finally we cool down by partaking in a series of hilarious group activities, you really are going to have to go along and see this for yourself, we don’t want to spoil the surprise.

The aim of the class is to have fun exercising and to take fitness back to nature. And it works.

Catriona Doherty

What? Exercise class
Where? Tribal Fitness, Al Ghazal Golf Course
Cost: AED 50 per session
We say: Embrace your inner desire to lift a log
Contact: 050 123 6391