Before the first session: dates and timing
Many people freeze or pause a membership over a long summer away. Check the date yours restarts, and whether a freeze has to be ended in writing. RPM's membership options and their terms are confirmed on enquiry, so ask rather than assume.
If you are still deciding how a freeze should work, two guides cover it: the freeze section of the membership contract checklist, and the advice on travel months in choosing a gym for the Abu Dhabi summer.
When schools reopen, the evening slot you used in June may be fuller than you remember. Plan the first fortnight's sessions before you land, so the restart does not depend on finding time in a busy week.
Jet lag days: what to do, and what to hold back
The NHS describes jet lag as a disturbed sleep pattern after a long flight. Its symptoms include tiredness, difficulty staying awake during the day and problems with concentration and memory, and it usually improves within a few days as your body adjusts. The NHS advice after arrival is to move your sleep to the new time zone as quickly as possible, avoid sleeping during the day and go outside in daylight.
| While jet lag lasts | Train like this |
|---|---|
| Sleepy in the day, awake at night | Short, easy sessions at the hour you plan to keep |
| Concentration is poor | Machines and familiar exercises, with heavy technical lifts left for later |
| Tempted to nap after training | Train in the morning or early afternoon, then stay up until a normal bedtime |
| Feeling fine but sleeping badly | Normal exercises with fewer sets, and no maximum attempts |
In an Abu Dhabi August, getting daylight may mean an early-morning walk or time by a window rather than a stroll at noon.
How long you were away sets the length of the rebuild
A 2013 meta-analysis by Bosquet and colleagues found that the strength lost after stopping resistance training grew with the length of the break. The loss was larger in people over 65 and, for maximal strength and power, in previously inactive people. What you did while away matters too: a summer of walking, swimming and the odd session leaves you in a different place from six weeks on a sun lounger.
| Your summer | Plan to rebuild over | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Two or three weeks, staying active | About two weeks | Your usual programme, one set fewer |
| Four to six weeks, mostly active | About three weeks | Your usual sessions at lighter loads |
| Six weeks or more, or little activity | About four weeks | Two full-body sessions a week at moderate loads |
| Months away, or a much longer break | Longer than this page covers | A full restart plan |
For the last row, use restarting after a long break. These are plans, not promises: move on when you are ready, not when the calendar says so.
A four-week rebuild, step by step
This is the longest version. After a shorter summer, start at week two or three.
| Week | Sessions | What changes | Before moving on, check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two | Familiar exercises, moderate loads, several reps in hand | Sleep has settled and stiffness clears between sessions |
| 2 | Two or three | Add a session, keep loads the same | You kept every planned session |
| 3 | Your usual number | Add back the missing sets | Sets feel controlled to the last rep |
| 4 | Your usual number | Raise loads towards your pre-summer levels in small steps | Form holds as the weight goes up |
The order follows WHO's 2020 advice for adults to start with small amounts and build up gradually. If a step leaves you flat for days, repeat the week before it.
Back in the heat
Coming back from a cooler country in August or September, the heat outside can feel harder than when you left. WHO's fact sheet on heat and health notes that high temperature and humidity make it harder for the body to shed the heat it produces, and lists athletes among those exposed to exertional heat stress. Keep runs and long walks on the treadmill or cross-trainer for now, follow official heat guidance for anything outdoors, and cool down after the walk from the car before you start.
If running is your main habit, gym cardio versus outdoor running in summer covers moving it indoors until the weather turns.
When the whole family lands at once
- School runs restart: your old morning or after-school slot may have moved, so rebuild the week around the new timetable before adding sessions.
- Work catches up: the first fortnight back at the office is often heavy, and two good sessions beat four rushed ones.
- Another trip soon: keep a two-session minimum running between trips rather than starting over each time.
- Children's activities: if your children want to train as well, ask about youth sessions separately. RPM's youth fitness is coach-supervised and arranged with a parent or guardian.
Restarting at RPM after the summer
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking and a lift up. The training floor photos show treadmills, cross-trainers, an upright bike and spin bikes for indoor cardio, along with machines and free weights for the rebuild itself. The hours below are the usual ones.
| Days | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 06:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
Hours can change, for example during Ramadan. Confirm with the team before a late or early visit.
Men train in the Mixed section, and the Ladies section is a women-only space with its own strength and cardio equipment. Freeze terms, prices and inclusions are confirmed on enquiry, so ask the team before your first visit back.
Sources
- NHS, Jet lag
- Bosquet L, Berryman N, Dupuy O, et al. Effect of training cessation on muscular performance: a meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 2013
- World Health Organization, WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)
- World Health Organization, Climate change, heat and health (fact sheet)
Questions, answered.
Can I train while I am still jet-lagged?
Light sessions, yes. Keep them short and familiar, and leave heavy or technical work until your sleep is back to normal.
I trained a lot on holiday. Do I still need a rebuild?
Probably only a short one. If you kept lifting, a week of your normal programme with one set fewer is often enough to settle back in.
Should I add extra cardio after a summer of eating out?
Go back to your normal plan first. Piling on extra work in the first weeks makes the rebuild harder to keep.
Is September a good time to join a new gym?
It can be, since your routine for the year is taking shape. Visit at the hour you will train, after schools reopen, to see how busy the floor gets.