There is one place where I can go physical (almost) on someone and not worry about being stopped by the police in the UAE.
That would be in ContenderMMA.
I have recently joined the recently launched mixed martial arts in the UAE, and all I can say that in less than four weeks I have seen tremendous results regarding my overall fitness.
Those who have been keeping up with my blog know that I am freak when it comes to the words weights & lifting, but one thing I haven't mentioned - is my interest in boxing. By all means, I know NOTHING about the MMA world Per Se, but I always dreamed of owning my own punching bag and before last year, I have bought one and have been practising on my own with my own drills. Oh, little did I know.
But before I move on...
To most people in the UAE, perhaps the class bodycombat by Les Milies seems familiar or have been heard of. I have attended that class for over a year, and have mastered most of the moves. I admit, bodycombat is a high intensity class if you properly follow the movement, but it's nothing like the RAW experience at ContenderMMA where you see your sweat dripping into the floor, bruises and red marks all over your body, all from the aggressive nature of the workouts.
We move on from one thing to the other with very little time to breathe - sometimes you'd think you'd pass out, but if you put your mind into it, you'll find the strength to go on. With a mix of circuit training, drills, kickboxing and boxing - it's the whole package; cardio, strength, and conditioning of the whole body.
Not until today, I did not even sip a tiny bit of water (except my salty sweat), during the 60-minute workout and half an hour before. Just 4 weeks ago, I needed to sip water after just doing 60 jumping jacks (killer, btw!) Not wanting and managing not to drink water could only mean your body is getting stronger and fitter, says our instructor M.M.
I know for a fact that I have neglected my lung & heart fitness for a while with only one cardio-session a week, but now I could say that I look forward to my training sessions at ContenderMMA as much as I look forward to my weight training days.
I do have to mention what parts of the classes are my favorites though, and skip the things I don't like....haha! We have been recently introduced to pounding, and at first I was frightened by it - especially with our instructor's punches, but I have gotten accustomed to liking it and wanting to do it more. Since it's a ladies-class only & we're beginners - we hold a bag on top of us in which the other person pounds on. No worries, we don't get literally hit, but I do have bruises from hitting in my elbow. But you DO feel the straight punches through the bag, the elbows and hammer fists.
Another thing I really enjoy is how each class has different drills and exercises, from spider walks to piggy backs, from punching and kicking, and to punching to sprawling to sprinting - it's extremely high intensity and requires more mind power than physical in my opinion.
That's why I say that Boxing is therapy to my soul. Weightlifting is therapy to my mind. A combination of both is therapy to my body. Strength. - ASA.
It is truly "Real training. Real Fighters," as written on the walls of the center. No one can deny the hard work of our instructor either, who's doing a great job on trying to help each one of us work on our "weak spots" personally. Mine being my damned roundhouse kicks, but they're getting there.
It's true it has been only 8 sessions, but I can feel the difference. I am definitely looking for more sessions in the near future.
To know more, visit the website: Click Here
Yours truly,
GymFreak at 999-Fitness.
p.s. this is my personal view of the place and the training I am getting. It is not associated with any organization and I am not gaining anything from writing this review - except maybe educating others ;).
