Keep the gym downstairs and add a full club
Al Khubeirah is a district on the western side of Abu Dhabi island, along Corniche Street. If your building has a residents' gym, you do not have to give it up to train somewhere better equipped. A small gym handles some sessions perfectly well, and it costs you nothing but a lift ride.
The trick is to give each place the sessions it does best, so the cross-island trip is kept for the days that need it. That makes RPM a second gym rather than a replacement, which changes how often you have to cross. Before you plan, read how to test RPM against your own trip.
Which sessions stay in the building, and which travel
| Session | In your building | Worth the trip to RPM? |
|---|---|---|
| Easy cardio or a warm-up walk | Usually fine on a treadmill or bike | No, unless you are going anyway |
| Light dumbbell work and core | Fine while the dumbbells go heavy enough | Only once you outgrow them |
| Heavy squats and presses | Rarely possible without a rack and plates | Yes: squat rack, colour bumper plates, fixed barbells |
| Machine work for legs and back | Depends on the building | Yes: plate-loaded leg press and pulldown, cable towers |
| Conditioning with a sled and ropes | Almost never possible | Yes: turf lane, sled, battle ropes, heavy bags |
| A coached session | Not usually offered | Yes: personal training, or the coached programming in the Engine tier |
| Reformer Pilates, for women | Not offered | Yes, in the studio inside the Ladies section |
| Heat and cold after training | Rarely offered | Yes, if your tier includes the recovery suite |
The Ladies section is for women only, with its own strength and cardio equipment, and reformer classes run in its Pilates studio. Check with a doctor before using the sauna or ice bath if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.
Three sample weeks with two gyms
| Your month | In the building | At RPM |
|---|---|---|
| Building strength | Two easy cardio days | Two lifting sessions, one on a weekday evening and one at the weekend |
| A block with a coach | Short walks or warm-ups on rest days | Two coached sessions a week, reviewed with the coach after a few weeks |
| A busy month at work | Three short sessions downstairs | One weekend visit for heavy work and, if included, the recovery suite |
In the cooler months, a walk or run on the Corniche can stand in for a cardio day downstairs. From May to September, bring it back indoors. Plan the RPM days around the opening hours below, which run from early morning to late evening with shorter Fridays and can change in Ramadan.
| 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.
If your office is also on the island, the guide for professionals living on Abu Dhabi island shows how to place a gym on your daily line.
Crossing from the Corniche side
The mapped route uses Corniche Street and Zayed The First Street (Electra Street), and finishes on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street (Airport Road) into Al Manhal. By the figures in the route box above it is a short cross-island trip, and downtown traffic at office hours can stretch it.
Once there, AD HUB's own car park is free, and a lift runs up to Level 4. On the free guided tour, spend your time on the parts your building cannot match: the free weights, the functional area and, for women, the Ladies section.
Questions, answered.
Is RPM based in Al Khubeirah?
No. RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, and the trip from Al Khubeirah crosses the island. The mapped estimates are in the box at the top of the page.
Why pay for a club when my building gym costs nothing extra?
Only pay for the sessions your building cannot host. If those come up twice a week or more, a membership earns its place. If they are rare, ask whether a day pass is available, since availability and price change and are confirmed by the team.
Can I use RPM only at weekends?
Yes, and it fits a two-gym week well: weekday sessions downstairs, then one longer weekend visit for heavy work or coaching. Ask which tier suits that pattern.
Someone at home would prefer to train with women only. What does RPM offer?
The Ladies section is for women only, with its own strength and cardio equipment, the Pilates studio and female coaches on the roster. Confirm that her tier covers it.
Does a walk on the Corniche count as my cardio?
It can, in the cooler months. In the summer heat, move that session indoors, to the building gym or the cardio floor at RPM.