Yes, we too are tired of being reminded that summer is fast approaching, and with it, less and less places to hide those body parts that have for some time needed a bit of work.
One area that’s particularly hard on women and men alike is the arms. Luckily, we’ve found just the class to get a grip of this week that will help strip those chicken wings and boost your confidence levels on the beach and about town – no sleeves necessary.
Think Spinning for the upper body. Or more accurately, Kranking, a hit group class concept that’s exclusive to Abu Dhabi Country Club (ADCC) right now until others catch on.
Kranking instructor and ADCC’s Group Fitness In-Charge Paula Teasdale explained the thinking beind the success of their new upper body cardio cycling craze.
She said: “Kranking – created by Johnny G, the godfather of spinning – is the first exercise programme to focus on the upper body as a way to build cardio fitness.
“It provides a new way to build aerobic capacity, upper body strength and core stability while burning nine to 11 calories per minute!
“Kranking is fun, intuitive, and easy to learn. It also represents an unprecedented opportunity for physically challenged individuals and welcomes a wide range of ‘special populations’ with open arms,” adds Paula.
We had instructor Leonardo Lopez leading our first go, and despite a catchy playlist, we admit to initially being a little worried about how he would keep it interesting for a full 45 minutes.
Well, he did. Kranking is far more interesting than pumping barbells with those same arms in your local gym. And 45 minutes is not as long as you might think…but there’s a lot that can be done in that time if you’re as creative as the inspirational Johnny G.
The inventor made the machinery pretty ergonomic and efficient – the seat is removable, not just to cater to those in wheelchairs or with lower body injuries, but for incorporating some standing and squatting sequences during the short and straightforward workout.
The pedals themselves too can be used back to front and front to back with the flip of a lever, ensuring that all muscles in the arms and shoulders are accounted for.
Much like the spin bike though, there is a resistance dial so you can up the intensity or cool it down when your arms start to quake (they might). And, according to Lopez, usually one arm is slightly weaker than the other and requires a different dial number anyway.
Our favourite thing about the ‘Krankcycle’ unit is its unique cross-training properties for athletes, as helpfully demonstrated by Lopez during the session.
The back to front rotation of the arms on the pedal can be likened to some low punches, or done by both arms in unison, is very much like swimming a Butterfly stroke.
Anyone in the sport of overusing the upper body can benefit from this engaging training method as much as your average Jane or Joe.
ADCC have also placed a number of their Kranking classes just before and after their RPM/Spinning classes, the idea being to encourage pairing the two low-impact fullbody workouts together as they complement each other.
Lopez adds: “You can do so much with these machines – they offer the same kind of pulling/pushing movements of a lot of things you find in the gym, it’s just more fun.
“Even kids can use this, it’s made so no one gets injured – as soon as your hands are off the pedals they stop automatically so nothing gets caught like laces might on a spin bike, for example.”
ADCC’s Kranking classes offer small group training with a maximum of 12 participants, and run throughout the day with Ladies Only and mixed classes available.
There are two formats – a 30-minute class and a 45-minute class at a variety of times throughout the week. They are free for members or Dh50 for non-members.
What: Kranking
Where: Abu Dhabi Country Club
When: Throughout the week
Contact & information: www.adcountryclub.com or call them on 02 6577777
