It’s slated to open later this year…

Known and loved for its high-energy fitness classes, six years after arriving in Al Quoz, CRANK is set to open a second Dubai studio (and third in the UAE, with one in Abu Dhabi).

On track to open at the end of the year, the new CRANK Town Square will have all of the best bits of the original, with a few new surprises in store. Nuno Costa, the co-founder of CRANK, chats exclusively to What’s On about opening his third fitness studio in the UAE…

Nuno, you’ve just announced your third CRANK studio in the UAE, congratulations! What inspired you to choose the location for this new studio?

Thank you so much! It’s really exciting. We have two studios in well-known landmarks, both in Dubai (Alserkal Avenue) and Abu Dhabi (Shaikha Fatima Park). We felt it was time to expand our brand into a neighbourhood in the suburbs of Dubai where there are many residents who don’t have access to boutique fitness studios, and so we are opening in the amazing community of Town Square! Given our strong community focus, it makes perfect sense for us.

CRANK has become a well-known brand in the UAE fitness scene. Did you ever imagine it would grow this big when you first started?

To be honest, I never envisioned making a career in the fitness industry when I first started out. Becoming a co-founder of CRANK was never part of my initial plan. But with the amazing team we have and how hard everyone works, it makes sense that CRANK is a big brand, and we’ll keep on growing.

What sets CRANK apart from other boutique studios/gyms in the region?

For us, three factors set us apart. First, our approach to classes is the closest to a nightclub experience you can find in the market. We were the first studio in the region to introduce lights and a state-of-the-art sound system in fitness classes, it’s something that we are really known for. Second, our strong community feel and the efforts we make to keep our CRANKsters happy, from outdoor events to themed classes.  We are a team of truly “people’s people”. There won’t be a day where you won’t feel welcome here. And thirdly, our great team environment, which is essential in fitness. You need a team where people respect and care for each other. We are so lucky to have an ego free team where everyone wants each other to succeed. We all take each other’s classes, share music, and team teach with each other. Your vibe definitely attracts your tribe, and that’s why we have such a great community.

When are you planning to open and can you share any exciting features or unique offerings that the new studio will have?

We aim to open by the end of the year. We’ll be offering our signature RIDE and SHAPE classes, but we’re also launching a new class. This workout will be fun and unique, but I can’t give any more details for now (sorry!). What I will say is our instructors cannot wait to teach it!

What’s your go-to playlist for a high-energy spin class? Any favourite tracks you always include?

I love to include EDM and Drum and Bass tracks in all my classes. I have many favourite tracks, but Swedish House Mafia are my all-time favourites! If I had to choose one song to play in class, it would probably be the infamous Greyhound track, which was the song we used to test the sound system in our first ever studio, it will never get old.

@crank.uae