The prospect of only having to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes and it equating to about two hours in the gym, sounded a little too good to be true. That was my sceptical attitude, at least, when I arrived for a trial session at My30minutes workout studio in Dubai’s smart Jumeirah 1 district.
The concept is simple: clients are strapped into an electrode-lined bodysuit before performing a series of exercises for half an hour, much as they would in a gym.
The difference is that through the magic of EMS – Electro Muscle Stimulation – the workout’s intensity is ramped up.
And so it was that I willingly placed myself in the capable hands of my personal trainer (PT) Mauricio Gomez. After filling out a questionnaire, I was escorted to a private, mirrored workout room in the deceptively spacious villa. I was handed matching black cotton cycling shorts and a T-shirt, into which I duly changed in the en-suite bathroom. When I emerged, I was Velcroed tightly into leg straps, armbands and a gilet containing eight pairs of hidden electrodes.
The instructor then pumped up the music and switched on the current, which flowed from a free-standing unit and into my high-tech gym kit. He gradually increased the impulses around my main muscle areas until the intensity became just barely tolerable. The sensation was akin to pins and needles in some areas and like firm repetitive squeezes in others. It’s not meant to be comfortable but neither is it meant to debilitate you.
After a quick warm-up, I was asked to do a series of squats, lunges and arm-work with weights. Given the extra effort, my heart rate soon skyrocketed and maintaining good breathing was key to keeping up with what was to come.
As the music increased in volume, so did the tempo of our workout. It followed a wall chart of supposedly simple moves, made ever more challenging by the constant muscle stimulation.
After a surprisingly exhausting 20 minutes and a five-minute cool-down, it was time to shower and change before a final debrief.
My PT revealed that the sessions were particularly popular with Emiratis, not least for the privacy closed-door sessions provided as opposed to public, or even segregated gyms. He also mentioned that the idea had caught on with expatriates who aren’t able to spend hours in the gym or who lead a particularly sedentary lifestyle. That said, as with any exercise regime, the benefits of EMS are limited unless accompanied by a sound nutritional plan.
Two to three sessions a week for a sustained period, he advised, would result in a client tightening tissue, losing excess pounds and activating their metabolism. For men, in particular, the machine’s promise of sculpting abs and arms in record time, compared with using only free weights, has also proved especially popular since My30minutes opened in April last year.
As for me, well, one session wasn’t enough to cause me much muscle pain, although I have no doubt a week of classes would have. Which is no wonder, considering the full-body programme is said to activate more than 90 per cent of muscle fibres simultaneously during every contraction.
If you’re time poor and cash rich, this could be the trend to make you fit and keep you current.
Don’t let the discomfort or volts put you off – just keep in mind the PT’s reassuring words that with this type of post-workout pain, there is rapid and measurable gain.
• My30minutes is located on Al Wasl Road, Dubai. Individual sessions cost Dh515 and a package of 10 starts from Dh3,600. Sign up for your free EMS trial at www.my30minutes.com or call 04 385 5353 for more details
artslife@thenational.ae
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
MATCH DETAILS
Chelsea 4
Jorginho (4 pen, 71 pen), Azpilicueta (63), James (74)
Ajax 4
Abraham (2 og), Promes (20). Kepa (35 og), van de Beek (55)
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
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