You have been following your training schedule at the gym religiously. At least four days a week you spend at least an hour there, and it’s the same every time. You warm up on a cardio machine, stretch, and then off to the weight machines. You will hit an interesting class every once in a while, and sometimes you’ll splurge on a few lessons with a personal trainer. You are fit, you look great and couldn’t be happier.

Then comes the day when you head off on a long vacation, and you have to lift a 50 kilogram bag into the back of the car. Your back goes out the moment you pick it up, even though you can bench almost double that at the gym. The injury is no doubt surprising considering your dedication to your fitness, but this is a common situation for frequenters of traditional gyms.

Vie Fitness Studio, Kuwait’s newest gym located on the 32nd floor of the Panasonic Building offers a break from the regularly scheduled gym session with one of the hottest trends in physical conditioning: functional training. The idea is simple, rather than work specific muscles such as your triceps or quads, the exercises are designed to help your body work in unison to help you perform everyday movements better. Imagine all the physically demanding activities you have to do throughout the day: when you pick up your toddler, carry the groceries, reach high up for something or even just get up out of your chair. Each of these actions need strength, posture, and balance training, all readily available at Vie.

“Our functional training concept works on ‘specificity.’ The concept of ‘specificity’ states that you get what you train for. Hence if you train complex movements, you get better at moving, breathing, living.”

Functional training is ideal for all body types, from the athlete to the senior citizen, or even those recovering from physical injuries. The overall program offers improved balance and stability by concentrating exercises on the core, while performing exercises that replicate every day movement such as picking something up. Less weights are used in sessions than traditional strength training exercises, which minimizes injury. So, rather than sit on a leg press and work out your thighs, your trainer would ask you to do a squat, emulating the proper way to bend down and pick something up. With your body in the proper squat position you are then asked to pick up a small weight. As you progress, your body gets used to the movement, and you can lift heavier dumb bells. However, with a strong emphasis on the movement, and not on the muscle, you can quickly see a full body transformation.

This type of full body movement helps you burn calories faster. This complete workout is great for weight loss, but it is also ideal for those with weak joints and bones. Since the body is moving as a unit, and no part is isolated during any part of the training, you have less wear and tear on the body.

Vie Fitness Studio, whose name is derived from the word ‘strive’, has created an environment for their clientele to truly strive for their goals. The six trainers are also certified to provide body weight assessments and nutritional plans. During your first visit, one of the trainers will evaluate your lifestyle and general fitness ability. Then, they will design a program based on your own personal goals, and be there to encourage and cheer you towards an overall healthy lifestyle.

While the facility focuses training on unconventional movements that go beyond regular gym equipment, it is well equipped with some of the best machines in functional training. Rather than a traditional treadmill with little shock support and a motorized belt that guides your body through movement, Vie is equipped with the Woody Treadmill. The machine burns 30% more calories than the regular cardio machine we all use. With no motorized belt, users are forced to push the belt, which activates the entire body, not just the legs. Its shock absorbing slats give the additional perk of reduced harmful blows that cause or exasperate back and knee problems.

Most important, the team at Vie Fitness Studio wants to make sure that each of their members is enjoying their workout, no matter how strenuous it may be.

“All of these benefits go along with one of the best features of functional training – it’s safe, effective, and fun. Instead of sitting on endless machines and doing mundane sets of repetitions on each, functional training creates a playground-type training environment,” they told bazaar.

With weekly challenges, and outdoor routines guided by the unique encouraging and informative spirit of the trainers, you are part of a community that will help you get where you need to go. This boutique personal training gym, the only training facility with a panoramic view of the Arabian Gulf, is guaranteed to get you in the best shape of your life and help you start truly living it.

Vie Fitness Studio is located on the 32nd floor of the Panasonic Tower in Kuwait City and is open Saturday to Thursday 7 AM – 11 PM. Call 2227 9365 or visit vfitnessstudio.com for more information. Follow them on Instagram @vfitnessstudio.