Starting from zero is the normal starting point
Everyone on a strength floor once lifted a first dumbbell. This routine assumes you have never trained with weights and fixes the next eight weeks: what to do, in what order, how heavy and when to change it. For one club's strength floor and what to check on a tour, see strength training at RPM.
Can beginners start strength training at a gym in Abu Dhabi?
Yes. A gym with machines and a dumbbell rack lets you begin with very light loads and add weight in small steps. WHO's 2020 guidelines advise adults to start with small amounts of activity and build up gradually, and the first fortnight of this plan does exactly that. The NHS suggests speaking to a doctor first if you have not exercised for some time or have a medical condition or concerns.
Is weight training for beginners the same as strength training?
At this stage, yes. Weight training means working against dumbbells, barbells, machines or cables, and a first programme builds the base for every goal. The ACSM position stand recommends similar exercise choice and weekly frequency whether the aim is strength or muscle size. Loads and rest periods only start to differ as you gain experience.
Sessions A and B
Run the exercises in this order. Sets and reps apply from week three, and the first fortnight is lighter.
| Order | Session A | Session B | Sets and reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leg press | Goblet squat to a bench | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 |
| 2 | Dumbbell bench press | Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 |
| 3 | Pulldown | Seated cable row | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 |
| 4 | Kettlebell deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 |
| 5 | Farmer's carry | Suitcase carry, one side at a time | 2 to 3 walks of a lane |
| 6 | Forearm plank | Side plank | 2 to 3 holds you can keep still |
Big movements come first, following the ACSM advice to train large muscle groups and multiple-joint exercises before smaller and single-joint work. If a station is busy, swap the machine for its nearest free-weight version, or the reverse.
Alternate the two sessions and leave at least a day between them. On a three-day week, run A, B, A, then B, A, B the week after. A common Abu Dhabi layout is Saturday and Tuesday for two days. For three, try Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, leaving Friday for prayers and family.
The eight weeks in four stages
| Weeks | Sessions | Sets | How hard | Move on when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | 2 a week | 2 sets of 10 | Light: you could do several more reps with the same form | Every exercise feels familiar and your machine settings are written down |
| 3 and 4 | 2 or 3 a week | 2 sets of 8 to 12 | Find your working weights: the last reps are hard and form holds | You have a working weight for each exercise |
| 5 and 6 | 2 or 3 a week | 3 sets of 8 to 12 | Hard last reps, adding load by the rule below | Most exercises have gone up at least once |
| 7 and 8 | 3 a week if you can | 3 sets of 8 to 12 | As before, then review your log at the end | You know which lifts moved and which stalled |
Lost a week to work, travel or illness? Repeat the stage you were in rather than jumping ahead.
Finding your starting weight
- Pick a weight you are sure is light, and do 10 smooth reps.
- Ask yourself how many more reps you could have done with the same form.
- Five or more left in the tank: go up one step for the next set.
- Two to four left: from week three, this is your working weight.
- Form broke before rep 10: go down one step.
- Write the weight, or the seat and pin settings, in your phone before you leave the station.
The NHS describes useful strength exercise as work done to the point where you need a short rest before you could repeat it. In practice, the last two or three reps of a working set should feel like real effort while each rep still looks like the first.
When to add weight, with a worked example
The ACSM position stand recommends raising the load by 2 to 10 per cent once you can complete the current load for one or two reps more than your target. Here is how that plays out on the pulldown with a target of 3 sets of 10.
| Session | Reps achieved | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| First at this weight | 10, 10, 9 | Stay at this weight |
| Second | 10, 10, 10 | Stay: the target is met, not beaten |
| Third | 12, 11, 11 | Beaten by one or two reps on every set: move the pin up one step |
| Fourth, heavier | 10, 9, 8 | Normal after a jump: stay here and build back towards 12 |
- Light dumbbells often jump far more than 10 per cent from one pair to the next. Build to 12 reps first, then move up and drop back to 8.
- Add load only when every rep of the set kept its shape.
- If a lift stops moving for several sessions in a row, the guide to breaking a strength plateau sets out what to check.
Keeping the plan alive through an Abu Dhabi year
- Summer: the routine is indoor training, so the heat changes the trip to the gym more than the sessions. Keep a water bottle with you and the same plan running.
- Ramadan: many people train after iftar. Drop to two sets per exercise and two sessions a week for the month, then pick up where you were.
- Business trips and school holidays: a session at home or on the road of goblet squats, push-ups and dumbbell rows holds the pattern, and you repeat your last stage on return.
Running the routine at RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. Every exercise above has a home on its floor: the photos show a leg press and a pulldown among the plate-loaded machines, multi-station cable towers for rows, benches and dumbbells, with kettlebells and a turf lane for carries in the functional area. The women-only Ladies section has its own strength equipment.
- Floor covers the training floor, for people who will follow this plan alone.
- Engine adds coached programming, if you want the plan adjusted and checked as you go. Atelier is built around one-to-one coaching.
- Inclusions and prices are confirmed on enquiry, and the free guided tour is a walk-through with a member of the team, not a workout.
If you are still choosing a gym to learn in, read what a learner needs from a gym first.
Sources
Questions, answered.
How long does each session take?
Six exercises at two or three sets, with a short warm-up and sensible rests, usually fit within an hour. First-fortnight sessions are shorter.
What should I do on the other days?
Walking, cycling or other cardio. WHO also advises adults to build up to 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, and that sits alongside strength work rather than replacing it.
Do I need a coach to follow this routine?
No. The movements are simple enough to start from written instructions. One or two coached sessions at the start, to check each lift, are worth considering if you feel unsure.
What comes after week eight?
Keep the same two sessions while the weights still rise. The ACSM position stand describes people with around six months of consistent training as intermediate and suggests a wider range of loads from then on, which is the point to move to a more varied plan.