Be an Olympian in Dubai
Be the first to comment 24 July 2012
The UAE is sending athletes to compete in eight sports at the 2012 Olympics. Holly Sands tried as many of them as she could – in one day. Here’s how she got on…
11am: weightlifting
I set off bright and early to attempt the first task of the day: weightlifting (I’m not exactly easing myself in gently). Fortunately, when I meet Olympic lifting instructor Kim at The Burn Room in Al Quoz, he doesn’t throw me in at the deep end; instead, he runs me through the basic movements before giving me any weights. I’m surprised to discover it’s a bit of a struggle to coordinate my movements, and I only manage a handful of decent lifts. When he does eventually hand me a 5kg bar, it only confuses me further, and by the time more weights are added (it’s still less than 20kg), I’ve lost it completely. My shins are an unlikely casualty of the session (it seems the bar has to be dragged up them), and some interesting bruising develops as I leave.
Dhs80 per session, Dhs600 for 15 sessions per month. The Burn Room, Intercoil Building, Al Quoz (04 380 6969).
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