A cross-town street through older neighbourhoods
Al Falah Street is a cross-town street on Abu Dhabi island that runs through some of the city's older neighbourhoods. This page is written for residents along it, and especially for anyone who used to train and wants to start again after a move, a demanding few years at work or simply a long gap.
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, rather than anywhere on Al Falah Street. The mapped estimates put it close by, so the trip need not decide anything. Your starting point matters more. For the general checks on any gym chosen by where you live, read a short guide to judging RPM from your own street.
Coming back after a break: the first month
- Begin with the free guided tour and one easy session: look round the club with a team member, then spend a short while on the machines and the cardio floor, well below what you used to do.
- Book a coached session early. A coach can set starting loads from where you are now rather than where you were, and check how your technique has held up.
- Settle into two or three fixed sessions a week. Keep each one shorter than feels necessary, and finish with something left in the tank.
- Add one new element at a time, such as free weights, a class or conditioning on the turf lane.
- Review the month with a coach before you push the loads up.
If you stopped because of illness, injury or a health condition, or have one now, talk to your doctor before you start again. A coach plans the training, while a doctor or physiotherapist judges whether you are ready for it.
Old habits that trip up a restart
| The temptation | What tends to work better |
|---|---|
| Going straight back to your old weights | Starting well below them and building back over several weeks |
| Training every day in the first week to make up for lost time | Two or three sessions, with rest days between them |
| Copying the programme you followed before the break | A plan from a coach that matches where you are now |
| Judging progress after a single week | Looking back after a month |
| Training alone on low-motivation days | A class, or a booked session where someone expects you |
Classes take place in both sections on a timetable that changes, which suits anyone who would rather someone else set the session while the habit comes back. Ask the team which classes run at the hours you can make.
Fitting a restart around home life
- Choose the hour when the house is quietest, such as early morning before the school run or later in the evening.
- Women at home who prefer a women-only floor can use the Ladies section, where the Pilates studio and its reformer classes sit alongside a separate strength and cardio floor.
- Teenagers can join coach-supervised youth fitness, arranged by a parent or guardian. Ask which ages each session accepts.
- If the car is shared, tie your sessions to the days you have it, or to errands that already take you across town.
| 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.
The club runs shorter hours on Fridays, and the times can change for Ramadan, so a household plan needs a Friday version and a Ramadan version as well as the everyday one.
Where the trip is mapped from
Al Falah Street crosses a good part of town, so homes along it start from different points. The route box begins its measurement at the section of the street that lies closest to RPM. If your home is further along, add that part of the drive yourself, and try the whole thing at the hour you mean to train.
When you arrive, AD HUB's car park costs nothing and the lift goes up to Level 4.
Questions, answered.
Where exactly is RPM in relation to Al Falah Street?
Not on it. RPM is a single club in Al Manhal, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex, and the route box gives the mapped estimates from Al Falah Street.
Is this page about the Al Falah community off the island?
No. It is about Al Falah Street, the cross-town street on Abu Dhabi island. Al Falah the residential community is a separate place on the mainland, and the trip from there to RPM is a long commute.
I used to lift seriously. How soon can I go back to my old weights?
There is no fixed answer, because it depends on how long you stopped and how your body responds. Build back over weeks rather than days, let a coach judge when to add load, and stop any exercise that hurts and have it checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.
I have not trained for years and I am older now. Where do I start?
With a conversation rather than a workout. Book the free guided tour, then a coached session, and talk to your doctor first if you have a health condition or take regular medication. Machines guide the movement, which makes them a sensible place to begin.
Can I try a session before committing to a membership?
Ask whether a day pass is available. Passes come and go, so availability, price and what is included come from the team.