Powerlifters of Dubai
Inside the massive warehouse, where some of the region's strongest people train
In a large warehouse in the midst of a crowded network of car repair workshops and general trading stores, some of the Middle East’s strongest people come together to train.
Desert Barbell, in Dubai’s industrial area of Al Quoz, is the UAE’s only dedicated powerlifting club.
Inside, the sound of metal clanging together over shouts of encouragement echo through the air.
Each day, 60 to 70 people push the limits of their bodies, hitting new milestones along a seemingly limitless journey of strength.
And the sport has become popular. Since the gym opened in 2018, the powerlifting community has swelled from 15 to more than 250 registered athletes.
Although perhaps not as well known, powerlifting differs from weightlifting as it involves only one movement.
In powerlifting, the weight must be lifted in a single movement and in one of three ways: squat, bench press and deadlift.
While in weightlifting, during either a snatch or clean and jerk, athletes will carry out two movements.
As a result, powerlifting focuses more greatly on attaining maximum strength – arguably with no frills.
Amna Almahri’s love for powerlifting began after she volunteered in the 2019 Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi.
Assigned as a referee, she presided over powerlifting and watched athletes with intellectual disabilities use the strength of their bodies to lift more than double their weight.
They inspired her to challenge herself.
“Some of the competitors were women aged 60 and 70 and they were performing. They truly motivated me, and I started asking myself ‘what about me? Why couldn't I participate and try this sport?’”
During the day, Amna Al Mahri works at Dubai Municipality, but she spends her evenings lifting weights at Desert Barbell
During the day, Amna Al Mahri works at Dubai Municipality, but she spends her evenings lifting weights at Desert Barbell
She spoke to some of the other referees, who doubted she would ever be able to lift 100kg the way the trained athletes could.
But she refused to be dissuaded.
“I set myself a goal of achieving this within three months,” says Amna.
The timing worked out perfectly as Desert Barbell had just posted their competition schedule.
“That was my first meet, and I lifted 110kg,” she says, beaming with pride.
Amna was inspired to start lifting after volunteering in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi
Amna was inspired to start lifting after volunteering in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi
She has since trained enough to lift up to 132.5kg in squat – a personal record she earned during the UAE National team try-outs in Ras Al Khaimah. She hopes to be able to lift 140kg soon.
"As a woman and an Emirati, it can be challenging to be in the powerlifting world,” she says.
During the day, Amna works in the audit department at Dubai Municipality but referees at powerlifting events and competitions.
She trains three times a week with the dream of becoming a professional powerlifter.
"Every time I finish a work out I feel so good and happy. It motivates me to keep going.”
'As a woman and an Emirati, it can be challenging to be in the powerlifting world'
Amna Almahri
When it comes to kilogram-for-kilogram lifts, there is no powerlifter in the UAE stronger than Adam Fulat.
A freelance strength coach and competitive athlete, Adam lifts the most weight relative to his bodyweight.
"I started powerlifting movements approximately eight years ago, initially only to improve my athletic performance and overall strength for rugby.”
He says he found the three types of powerlifts – squat, bench and deadlift – engage every part of the body using proper form and everyday movement, providing great benefit for almost every sport.
Adam Fulat trains almost every day of the week and works as a full-time strength coach
Adam Fulat trains almost every day of the week and works as a full-time strength coach
"After a few years of training the three lifts consistently, I fell in love with the results. There's honestly no better feeling than seeing your lifts go up on a weekly basis. With every kilogramme, I was motivated to lift more and train harder.”
Adam entered his first powerlifting competition with Desert Barbell in 2016 and has competed every year since.
He can dead lift up to 315kg, bench press 192.5kg and squat 292.5kg.
In 2019, he travelled to the UK to participate in the British national powerlifting championships but faced a small hiccup when he weighed over the limit of 93kg for his categories.
“[It] was one of the most nerve-racking moments while competing for me.”
He was given 30 minutes to lose almost 1kg of weight to qualify for the competition.
“Thankfully with a combination of sweating and spitting techniques, I was able to drop the weight and make it with minutes to spare. With months of preparation behind me, it was absolutely agonising.”
Adam entered his first powerlifting competition in 2016 and has competed every year since
Adam entered his first powerlifting competition in 2016 and has competed every year since
One of Adam’s favourite things about the sport is its simplicity.
“There are three movements, and you don't need any special equipment or machines to get started. Just a barbell, plates and commitment is all it takes. Stick to a plan, and you'll be hooked in no time."
He trains throughout the week, taking time to focus separately on each type of lift.
“I work all week with rests and nutrition. It’s all about training with a balance of rest and recover.”
He is set to compete in the British national championships again this month and hopes to bring home some silverware.
“My bigger dream would be to compete at the world championships one day. For now, it's time to get stronger.”
'There's honestly no better feeling than seeing your lifts go up on a weekly basis'
Adam Fulat
Four years ago, Bec McCafferty was working as cabin crew but a back injury changed the course of her career.
She was referred to Patrik Hedqvist, founder of Desert Barbell, who then worked as a physiotherapist.
“Long story short, he introduced me to powerlifting,” she says.
“After we met, I remember Googling 'what is powerlifting', and my interest in the sport snowballed from there.”
Three months later, Bec competed in her first powerlifting competition and the rest, she says, is history.
Bec McCafferty left her job as a flight attendant to become a full-time fitness instructor and nutritionist
Bec McCafferty left her job as a flight attendant to become a full-time fitness instructor and nutritionist
As her love for the sport grew, she began attending seminars and learning to become a qualified personal trainer, graduating from The Institution of Performance Nutrition.
“Just before the pandemic I decided to step out of my comfort zone and change career. But it was the best move I ever did.”
Today, she can lift up to 145kg in deadlift and works at Embody Fitness gym.
She pushes herself to excel but says the sport is just like any other when you may have off days too.
"I can be pretty tough on myself when a lift doesn't go as planned.
“I tend to place a lot of pressure on myself to perform well consistently, but some days you just don't have as much fight in you as you do on other days.”
Although Powerlifting is an individual sport, she says the best part is the sense of camaraderie within the community.
Bec's introduction to powerlifting came through Desert Barbell co-founder Patrik Hedqvist, whom she had been seeing for physiotherapy sessions
Bec's introduction to powerlifting came through Desert Barbell co-founder Patrik Hedqvist, whom she had been seeing for physiotherapy sessions
“I have made some of my best friends through the gym and powerlifting, in particular.
“That support you feel going for a big lift is very powerful.”
Her goal is to continue to compete and hopefully inspire more women to get involved.
"I aim to continue pushing my limits and keep getting stronger.”
'I decided to step out of my comfort zone and change career. But it was the best move I ever did'
Bec McCafferty
One of the oldest powerlifters at Desert Barbell, Vladan Hasecic began lifting weights at 15.
“Back then, the original idea was to build a stronger and bigger body. There was no literature or internet when I started, so I learned from the older lifters in the local club back home.”
Alhough he was never interested in becoming a bodybuilder, he was impressed by the strength of Italian bodybuilder and powerlifter-turned-actor Franco Columbu.
“Franco inspired me to start training strength and I enrolled in my first meet in 1990.”
Vladan Hasecic has been lifting for almost 40 years
Vladan Hasecic has been lifting for almost 40 years
There, he met Radovan Gavrilov, one of the strongest powerlifters in then Yugoslavia. Radovan went on to become his coach until 1997. He remains his friend today.
Vladan says the hardest part of powerlifting was to learn to love training for the right reasons – to love the sport rather than the accolades and media attention.
"Once I learned this, I realised there will always be things to overcome in powerlifting, and that is fine because I love this sport for the process and the training I am going through and not just for the results.”
He competed in and won several Yugoslavian and Serbian national powerlifting championships in the 90s, but says his favourite accomplishment was placing second in the World Masters Championship in 2021 in the 105Kg category.
Although he no longer competes as he did in Serbia, Vladan continues to train and teach others in the gym
Although he no longer competes as he did in Serbia, Vladan continues to train and teach others in the gym
At his strongest, he squat lifted 305kg – the weight of 100 bowling bowls – benchpressed 190kg and deadlifted 275kg.
He moved to the UAE in 2004 to take an engineering job in construction. Although he could not find a powerlifting community, he continued to train and lift.
“I knew I wouldn’t compete at that point but I never quit the lifting. You can lift in any country, you can find any kind of dream wherever you are. I’m old fashioned, I don’t find excuses.”
He says he views powerlifting as a marathon, not a sprint.
“It is not about how quickly you can get success. It is more about how long you can last to get the success. You simply need to train smart and enjoy the process. It is like building lego blocks. One brick at a time."
The community is also a big draw.
“This sport teaches you to be fair, help others, and be organised and mentally tough.”
Vladan says he enjoys the contrast between the simplicity in the form but the complexity and careful skill required in the execution.
At this stage in his life, his main goal is to mentor other powerlifters while also competing on an international level a few more times.
"I would love to create some free time in the future for coaching and to support the local club. That would be a perfect retirement plan for me."
'I’m old fashioned, I don’t find excuses'
Vladan Hasecic
For Melanie Mueller, powerlifting is a way of reclaiming her strength, after a sickness left her frail and feeling insecure.
"It was hard to leave the house alone, and I was tired of the constant headaches and neck pain.”
She was introduced to Desert Barbell by a friend and found the combination of mental and physical strength required in powerlifting ideal for her.
“I was looking for a way to take control and regain a quality of life. The very goal-oriented and mindful personal training at Desert Barbell is a perfect match for me.”
She began training twice a week with an instructor ten months ago.
Powerlifting helped Melanie Mueller regain her strength after an illness left her feeling weak
Powerlifting helped Melanie Mueller regain her strength after an illness left her feeling weak
“The structure and framework of starting powerlifting gave me the security I needed to start pushing my boundaries again.”
After about four months of consistent training, she stopped having headaches and began setting new goals for herself. She can now lift up to 110kg in a deadlift and bench press 62.5kg – the milestone she is most proud of.
"I found powerlifting to be a sustainable workout practice where I am not pushing myself too fast, too hard, or being inconsiderate with my body but still achieving manageable goals that I benefit from daily.”
Melanie moved to the UAE in 2006, after an initial visit in 1994, to work in marketing and communications.
Balancing work as well as obligations with family and friends while maintaining a sustainable training routine has been her biggest challenge. But she says the community support from the gym has helped her keep up with her schedule.
"It is a great feeling to lift your personal best and to hear those training at the same time cheering you on while you are doing that.
“I've gained so much confidence in monitoring how I can do better every time.”
Melanie trains at least two times a week and can now lift up to 110kg
Melanie trains at least two times a week and can now lift up to 110kg
Powerlifting requires full-body co-ordination. Only when all the muscles are working together as they should will athletes be able to lift more weight.
The next target Melanie has set for herself is to successfully complete a pull-up.
“I know it doesn't have much to do with powerlifting directly, but I want to have the power to pull myself up.
“I want to have a strong back, agile muscles in my shoulders, and a fit body so I can enjoy life.
"I want to continue being amazed by how heavy I can lift, and I want to feel powerful, in charge of my body, and alive."
'I was looking for a way to take control and regain a quality of life'
Melanie Mueller
Patrik Hedvist’s love of lifting began in his teenage years, more than 30 years ago, when he began training with weights. In 1997, he earned his training degree and began working as a part-time strength instructor, but it wasn’t until 2002 that he started lifting competitively.
He worked as a physiotherapist for more than 20 years in Sweden before moving to Dubai in 2015.
For three years, he worked as a physiotherapist in tandem with powerlifting training at a gym. It was then that he and one of his clients, Marco Ciplot, now Patrik’s business partner and general manager of Desert Barbell, began dreaming of opening a dedicated powerlifting and weightlifting gym.
They opened Desert Barbell in 2018.
"We actually started hosting seminars and creating awareness about the brand and what we do a year before that. So we had awareness within the community already that created this home for the sport.”
In 1997 Patrik earned his training degree
In 1997 Patrik earned his training degree
Patrik says when he first visited Dubai in 2013, there were no powerlifters in the gym.
“Everyone thought I was the strongest person in the world, which I am not. Because there were no powerlifters around.
“When I eventually moved here and started training at the same gym all the time, a bunch of guys started taking notice. So I started training them, and the whole community started there. The entire foundation of our community trained at that gym at that point."
There had been powerlifters in Dubai prior to 2013, but Patrik says they did not have any recognition or a dedicated space to come together and train.
"When we started, the UAE Federation had about 15 lifters registered and now they have more than 250.
“So 95 per cent of that growth is from this community. That growth spurt comes from competitions and meets. Because in our competitions, you have to be registered with the UAE Federation.”
Powerlifting is divided into two variations: classic and equipped. In classic powerlifting, athletes will wear knee sleeves and a belt. While in equipped powerlifting, athletes can wear knee wraps, a squat suit, a bench press shirt, a deadlift suit, and a belt.
“Equipped powerlifting is much more technical,” Patrik says.
“You need to learn how to wrap your knees, how to use the suits, and how to master the bench press shirt. And these are all highly restricted and governed by the International Powerlifting Federation's international rules.
“That 'tree' is essential to understand the two subgroups of the sport. Along with the three disciplines within which is the Squat, Deadlift, and Benchpress.”
Both variations, including rehabilitation training, are practised at Desert Barbell.
He and Marco never expected to work in the fitness industry but the gym has become a passion project for the pair.
Their goal is for Desert Barbell to be at the forefront of powerlifting events, help spread the sport across the region and continue their collaboration with the local Powerlifting Federation.
"We see value in what we are doing from training complete beginners to super great lifters. Marco and I are lifters, but we train everyone. The level of respect is the same all around.”
'We see value in what we are doing'
Patrik Hedqvist
Words and photographs Antonie Robertson
Editor Juman Jarallah
Design Nick Donaldson
Photo editor Tim Knowles
Sub editor Liz McGlynn
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