Meet the #Fitgals of Dubai

Top Stories

DEADLIFTS? KETTLEBELLS? BENCH PRESSES? No problem. Strength training is the new battle cry for these women and, no, they're not lumbering around like female versions of The Hulk either.

By Karen Ann Monsy / Photos by Juidin Bernarrd

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Thu 18 Feb 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 21 Nov 2023, 3:36 PM

You've probably seen these fiercely fit femmes all over Instagram: tracking their fitness routines on social media with pictures of toned abs, or short video clips of them doing weights or even attempting the human flag (an incredibly difficult technique that involves holding your body perpendicular to the ground for a few seconds - just like a flag). The posts usually come with tags like #girlswholift, #stronglikeagirl, #fitfam and so on. But back up there for a second. Strong like a girl? Does that not fall under the bastion of male privilege alone?

Not anymore, it seems. There's a new generation of inspirational fitness models out there - ones that don't shy away from picking up dumbbells or a bout of boxing - and they're loving the confidence that comes with their newfound strength.


Hanlie Signorini

Hanlie Signorini is 50 years old - but she doesn't look a day over 30. Age is clearly just a number for this South African expat, as she demonstrates handstands and pull-ups, and clears hurdles with ease at the Talise Fitness facility, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai. It's enough to give anyone (interviewers who don't work out, for instance) a real complex.


The mum-of-two hits the gym everyday for an hour and half, runs about eight kilometres around the Marina three times a week, and regularly signs up for marathons and obstacle course races. Even if she's home watching TV, she prefers doing simple stretches on the carpet, instead of slouching on the couch. She's fitter now than she's ever been but says her rigorous routine would've been unthinkable about two decades ago. "I wouldn't have attempted to do a tenth of the stuff I do now back then," she says, animatedly. "Twenty years ago, if you'd told me to run 10km with you, I'd have said you were crazy."

Yet, Hanlie says she can't imagine her life without a daily workout now. With both her kids grown up and living in London, she also has a lot more time on her hands than she did before. And the dedicated gym sessions are really paying off. "I feel so much better, confident and energetic now - and women are always asking me how I get my arms to look like that, which feels great!"

Keeping fit is hard work, but it's all about constantly challenging yourself, she says. Last month, Hanlie completed the Almas Tower Building Run-up Challenge, where participants had to run up 64 floors - that's 1,600 steps - of the fifth tallest business building in Dubai. Though she finished the feat in 13 minutes, she declared the experience a tough one. "I thought I was going to die," she recalls. "My lungs were burning for hours afterwards - but the feeling at the finish line was amazing."

Even though she loves pushing herself, at the end of the day, Hanlie says she has to remind herself that she can't compare herself to other participants who are "actual athletes and so much younger" than her. But she doesn't intend to slow down. "Every now and then, I think about my age and wonder how much longer I can do this. I'm hoping for another 10 years at least. Maybe when I get to 70, I'll take up aqua aerobics. but I definitely want to stay involved in something."

Hinna Hussain

For most people, the first excuse for not having a fitness routine is the lack of time. Sri Lankan expat Hinna Hussain is a self-confessed workaholic and on call "all the time" due to the nature of her work in logistics. When the 28-year-old first started going to the gym two years back, it was mainly to "fix her proportions" (as she terms it) in order to ride her newly-acquired sport bike better. "I was a pretty scrawny girl two years ago," she says. "I was 5'3", weighed 45 kg, was very skinny on top and wide around the hips. For more than five years, I hadn't gained a kilo. Sport bikes are pretty heavy, so the main idea was to gain weight and better proportions so I could ride the bike better."

Hinna decided to try out the GoFit Gym next to her place in Dubai Silicon Oasis - and there's been no looking back ever since. Her coach, seeing her "abundance of energy", directed her to boxing, to start with. Gradually, she moved to bodybuilding, where she went from 45 kg to 55 kg in the first two months, and now she focuses on strength training.

It's all about managing your time, she says. "I work during the day, get home by 6.30pm and hit the gym an hour later. This is my routine five days a week. The other two days are my 'rest days', which I use to catch up with friends and chill." It sounds easier than it is, she concedes. "You're not going to feel your motivated best everyday. Sometimes, if I'm too tired or don't have my gym partner, I'd be tempted to drag my feet too. What counts is that you tie up your laces and get out there anyway - because you're only going to gain."

Hinna scoffs at the misconception that girls shouldn't lift weights. "Everyone should lift weights, if they can," she says. "There's only a particular percentage of muscle mass you can gain every year - and it's far lower in women than it is for men. So, all that lifting weights actually does is increase your strength - and make you look hot as hell," she adds, with a grin.

Choose your trainer carefully - and make sure to balance everything, advises Hinna. "Simply going hardcore without focusing on your form, core or posture will only result in injury. It's all about balance."

Anna Wallenten

Most people need a gym buddy to keep them going. Not Anna Wallenten. The 43-year-old Swede is a certified life coach and personal trainer, who works to "empower clients on every level of their lives". When it comes to herself though, the empowerment comes from within. "I've always been very self-driven," she admits. "I like to work alone. Perhaps it's because my training time is also my time to switch off from everything else. But I've never had a hard time finding motivation to go to the gym."

That's not to say she doesn't have bad days. "I have my moments of frustration," she says. "But because I'm a coach, I also forgive myself for them. If my body needs more rest than pushing, I'll give it that. I definitely have days when I choose to indulge, but I start over the next day. What happens with most people is that they fall off the wagon - and then don't come back."

At the moment, Anna's focus is on powerlifting, a form of competitive weightlifting, in which contestants attempt three types of lift - the squat, bench press and deadlift - in a set sequence. She is currently preparing for the Swedish Veteran Powerlifting Championships (for those above 40) that's coming up in May. But those are her personal goals. On the professional front, Anna is all about helping her clients achieve their goals. She is, however, no stranger to the numerous fitness fads that plague the industry and impact people's perceptions negatively. "The industry is very challenging at the moment, because people are constantly being pushed into trends and body images of what they are 'supposed' to have as opposed to what they feel like they'd like to have," she says. "I have loads of clients who walk in, wanting a six pack in six months - but I always try to redirect their attention to what it is they really want, while also setting realistic goals."

Ten years back, Anna says, you'd never have seen as many women interested in being 'strong' as there are today. CrossFit [an intense fitness programme] is a huge sport in Dubai at the moment, she notes. Though conceived in 2000, it only exploded in the last few years but "that's when people noticed that women were 'allowed' to become stronger (so to speak)."

Everybody is different though, and Anna believes fitness is more about finding something that inspires you. "If you're not having fun, you're not going to do it," she reasons. "But if you find something you like, that's most likely what will keep you going. Some people like to lift - others don't. It all depends on what works for you. But I'd say give everything a shot once."

Nadine du Toit

It was in 2006 that Nadine du Toit decided that a line had to be drawn. She'd come to Dubai two years earlier to work as cabin crew for Emirates Airlines, and had put on 20 kilos since. It wasn't the best phase of her life but it was about to change - and she remembers the exact moment it happened. "I was sitting on the couch, watching a show on Nick Vujicic - the motivational speaker born without arms or legs - and how he was changing lives, and I thought: here I am, fully functional, feeling sorry for myself and not doing anything at all! That was the moment I asked myself: when am I going to do what I was born to do. whatever that may be?"

The moment was a defining one in Nadine's life, who went on to study and get her life coaching accreditation as well as her personal training qualifications. She quit her job in 2010 and started a women's transformation programme called GloryGirl Fitness. "It sounds pretty cheesy," she laughs, "but through my own process, I was experiencing the first GloryGirl being born - and that's what I wanted to help other women achieve too."

But if you thought her life was perfect following her transformation, think again. "It's still the same journey, with the same old habits and temptations to fall back into. With me, for instance, if I could, I'd love to live on a couch and eat all day! It's pure pleasure in the moment, but there's always a reaction - and it's not a good one." She hates extremes though, and would never lay off the sweet treats altogether. "If I'm having a cronut, I enjoy every moment of it; no guilt. A balanced life is very important to me," she declares.

The struggle is constant - because working out doesn't come to her naturally. "I always throw 'tantrums' because I don't feel like training," she admits, a tad sheepishly. "Some people naturally like it - I don't. So I'm always trying to make it an adventure, a game. how can I make this fun today? And it works every time." From the time she wakes up at 4.30am till she hits the sack at midnight, the fitness enthusiast is constantly on the go. That's why she says it's important to find activities you enjoy. "It doesn't matter if it's dancing or going to the gym or playing with the kids on the beach - it just needs to be an active lifestyle."

What does she think of the constant social media showcasing of impossibly contoured body images? "When I was growing up, it was magazines playing that role," she muses. "There was always the comparison with the models of the day. Today, you have the 'fitspo' generation. But while 'fitspo' has helped highlight fitter women as opposed to unattainable body images, my problem with social media today is the oversexualisation of the fitness industry. Young girls look at all the Kim Kardashians and other women posting booty shots out there and make them their 'role models' - which is not at all healthy."

Nadine points instead to the new generation of "inspirational fitness role models", who women should follow instead. With an Instagram following of 17,000 herself (her handle is @glorygirlfit), the former model's personal rule for social media posts is pretty simple: "If I can show that picture to my father-in-law, I know it's okay to post online," she quips.

Her routine involves working out regularly with battle ropes and kettlebells (don't be fooled by how little they look; the one she's got raised on Pg 12 weighs 16 kg!), and some boxing too. "Women often shy away from the idea of weight training, but when I show them a picture of [American model] Gigi Hadid and tell them she lifts weights and boxes four days a week, then they're curious. We're not building bulky muscles - just lean lady ones," she laughs. "Weight training helps to sculpt the body's composition - you're basically increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat. And you end up feeling great!"

Not to say anything of looking great too. "A lot of people are always surprised when I say I'm 35," says Nadine, her bubbly chatter nothing short of infectious. "But there's a whole attitude shift that takes place when you start being active. You have so much more energy and laughter and positivity to go around; there's more of a problem-solving approach to things - I'd say that's what makes active people look younger too!"

karen@khaleejtimes.com


More news from Health and Fitness