Marcus Smith, the owner of Inner Fight, works with one of his clients. Antonie Robertson / The National
Marcus Smith, the owner of Inner Fight, works with one of his clients. Antonie Robertson / The National

External success begins with developing what's on the inside



Back in 2008, Marcus Smith launched his exercise regime advice website as a way of promulgating his passion for keeping fit with the world at large.

These days, www.innerfight.com is a massively popular portal for the country's fitness community, and it's not unusual at any given gym to see people following his specifically designed regimes to the letter.

Smith, a 33-year-old British former professional rugby player, moved to Dubai in 2004 because his wife worked for Emirates Airline.

Originally, the site was just a hobby that competed with his day job at an international sports goods company. But, such was its popularity, in 2010 he quit to concentrate fully on the website and his personal training business.

Each week he takes to his website to announce five different daily plans for people to follow by themselves in their gyms. He also posts these via Twitter to his 800 followers.

As a contender in the forthcoming CrossFit World's Fittest Man competition in South Korea and a highly qualified fitness instructor, his credentials are not in doubt.

Nevertheless, is it really possible to come up with a ubiquitous training regime to fit everyone? In between swigs of a murky-looking protein shake in the Evolve Gym in Satwa, Dubai, Smith argues his case.

"The thing about my programme is that you can change the weights or change the speeds according to your fitness level or what your goals are," he contends.

"So, I've had people who want to use weight, or build up muscle or get to a fitness level to run a marathon say they've found it helpful. I've had people from 60 years old to six-year-old kids using my programme, and they've all shown improvements."

Smith goes on to explain how he chooses each exercise technique.

"All the workouts are between 30 and 40 minutes and they all use quite simple movements. So, if you're in and out of the gym quickly, it doesn't use overly complicated equipment or moves and it will give you a good workout in a short time."

While the spartan lifestyle Smith lives himself gives him an extraordinary degree of fitness, he estimates most people don't aspire to reach his levels.

"I think the majority of people just want a basic level of fitness," he says. "But also, they want to enjoy themselves - nice food, nights out with friends and the like. If they follow my programme seriously, I'm confident they can have a good level of fitness and still live the lifestyle they want."

And he claims that, generally, he has received positive support from the public at large.

"You know, I get emails from people saying, 'I've started your training three weeks ago and my life has changed'. But equally, I do get plenty of criticism, both locally and internationally. People say what I do is a little bit extreme. They ask, 'Why do you need to push yourself that hard?' I admit it is just my opinion really and I'm not saying that I'm definitely right. But it's difficult for people to argue that I'm wrong because I think my fitness levels are proof that it works."

As well as the website, Smith also personally trains a handful of clients, both professional sportsmen and keen amateurs, and runs exercise classes.

Yet, he remains realistic that not everyone will respond to the Inner Fight ethos. "As it's free, the website is kind of like my service to the community. If they benefit from it, that's awesome. If they don't, it's no skin off my nose."

An Inner Fight workout is not for the faint of heart. All workouts can be done in 30 to 40 minutes. One recent line-up demanded 250 metres on a rowing machine, 10 dead lifts, 10 shoulder presses, 30 squats, then two 45-second planks on each side. For more information, go to www.innerfight.com, email winning@innerfight.com or follow @InnerFight on Twitter.

Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.

 

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')

Chelsea 0

Company%20Profile
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

RESULTS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Bullet%20Train
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Leitch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%2C%20Brian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Sandra%20Bullock%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SANCTIONED
  • Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
  • Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB. 
  • Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.  
  • Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
  • Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Suad%20Amiry%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pantheon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20304%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA


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