The human body – yes, even mine after all the years of neglect and abuse I’ve put it through – is a thing of never-ending wonder. It’s something I’ve been pondering after my second and third training sessions at Iconic Fitness in Dubai, where I enrolled on the Lower Back Fix programme. The aim is to get into a shape that isn’t round, and banish the aches and pains that I’ve developed in my back due to a mostly sedentary lifestyle. And the reason for my musing? After a bit of a duff start, where I ended up nearly passing out, I have quickly adapted to this new regime.
My form, says my trainer, Hannes Loubser, has vastly improved after just a couple of sessions, and already I’m lifting heavier weights. I’m doing inverted rows, push-ups and other exercises without let-up, and the back treatment – which involves rolling about on various balls to target areas that need stimulation – is hurting less. I might still feel like the unhealthiest person alive as I saunter home for a shower before heading to work, but Loubser says I’m responding well and that, right now, is all that matters.
The LBF programme is about more than exercise, however. There’s a diet element to it, too, and this is where I can see problems on the horizon. Because whatever I end up eating will impact my wife and son, especially as Mrs H does the lion’s share of the cooking at home. Nevertheless, as Loubser points out, when it comes to losing weight, the best results come about via the kitchen, not the gym.
I'm provided with a meal plan that covers breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and another snack in the evening. As expected, it's devoid of processed food (which I'd mainly cut out of my diet, anyway), and heavy on healthy fats, fruit, vegetables and meat. It all looks good, with hardly anything that I dislike enough to completely avoid (life is too short for celery).
“The idea behind it is to have quick and easy-to-prepare meals,” says Loubser. “You’ll see that the snacks are ‘in-front-of-the-computer friendly’. The dinner can be used for lunch the next day; it just needs some heating up. The meals repeat themselves, so that you can get into the habit of saving time when preparing.”
He suggests that we try this for a fortnight and see how I adapt to it, with me making notes about which elements (if any) prevent me from following it to the letter. "Keep in mind that it takes a meal plan four weeks to show its true value and effect," he tells me, "so I'm happy to make a few adjustments if needed, but let's try our best to push through."
He says he’ll be sending me a new nutrition plan each week. “It will have all the recipes and meal plans for the whole week, as well as the shopping list. Prep work is key – if you don’t prepare the food the day or the evening before, it will be difficult to maintain.”
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Read more:
From fat to fit: Getting started with the first workout
From fat to fit: Facing the hard truths
From fat to fit: Sedentary with sciatica, it’s time for a fitness fix
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As Oscar Wilde once said, I can resist everything except temptation, so I explain to Mrs H that I’ll need her to help police my eating and drinking habits if I’m to have a chance of succeeding with this. It’s not that we have a bad diet, it’s just that if someone offers me something I really shouldn’t be eating, chances are I’ll say: “Oh, go on then”, without stopping to think about the consequences. And if we ever eat out, discipline and self-control tend to be left at the door. Like most men, I am a creature of habit – I just need to adjust some of them, which should become easier if and when I start to see some positive results.
In the meantime, while I’ve not yet reached the stage where I’m actually enjoying the gym workouts, the fact that I’m getting better with each one is a cause for minor celebration. Only it won’t involve cake, biscuits, chocolates or anything else verboten by he who must be obeyed. When I’m next on his scales and he’s got his tape measure out, there will be no hiding.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Scores
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace
Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)
Racecard:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5