Number 1 – Credentials
The first you thing you need to consider are the trainers credentials.
By credentials we mean training qualifications, membership of professional organisers and trainers insurance policies.
There are numerous qualifications in the health and fitness industry. These qualifications mean that a trainer or fitness coach has reached a certain level of experience in order to obtain and maintain the qualification. Qualifications are not just related to being qualified as a fitness coach. There are other ‘micro’ type qualifications too like being qualified to work on a specific piece of exercise equipment or being qualified to work with special populations like seniors or pre and post natal ladies.
You should always check a trainers qualifications before you enter an agreement, just to be sure the coach is qualified to provide you with the right advice and the right training methods to match your fitness goals.
Number 2 – Specialities
Personal trainer and fitness coaches will often specialise in a few different areas of fitness. As you can imagine, no one trainer can be specialised in all areas of fitness. For example, some coaches will be specialised in kickboxing training, MMA, Weight management and more while others will concentrate on bodybuilding and body transformation.
If you have a fitness goal in mind, whether that’s weight loss, yoga or learning a contact sport (to name but a few) it’s a good idea to choose a trainer that matches your goal. This ensures your coach is experienced in working with the training types and training equipment required to reach your goal.
Number 3 – Experience
Trainers who have been in the personal fitness industry for longer will obviously have more experience under their belt. However, all trainers had to start somewhere.
When looking for a personal fitness coach in the UAE you need to take into account the experience of the trainer but new trainers will also has some experience even before they are qualified.
Many will have had an active interest in health and fitness for many years which does count towards the experience they have obtained.
Number 4 – Cost
So much does a personal trainer in the UAE cost? This is probably one of the questions we get asked most. The price of personal training in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or RAK is usually different from one trainer to the next but why is there a difference?
Experience. Usually when a trainer has been in the business for longer they will charge more for their services because they are more experience, have helped more clients and therefore will have built up a good track record which demonstrates their ability in helping you get great results.
Qualifications. Trainer’s who are more qualified can sometimes charge more because these qualifications mean they can work with different client types.
Specialism. Trainer’s who are specialised at specific needs will be a higher price because they are in more demand. For example, the best prenatal fitness coaches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are in high demand and therefore the price of their service can increase.
Location. In some smaller areas of the UAE there are less personal trainers. This means those coaches and their services are in high demand too which tends to bump up the price.
The important thing to remember is that the cost of hiring a freelance fitness coach in all areas of the UAE has dropped as more trainers are now in the UAE than ever. More trainers means more competition which in turn leads to price drops.
The best thing to do is set a budget for your personal training needs. Cheaper is not always better but the same can be said in reverse. It really does depend on what you expect to achieve from your training and also what you expect to receive in your PT program. For example, training once or twice a week with a coach simply to help you improve your physique will be cheaper than hiring a PT who will provide you with a customised program that includes diet advice, expert nutrition advice and support via telephone at any time of the day.
If you really want to make positive changes to the way you look and feel think of personal training in the UAE as a great investment in yourself. In the long run the cost doesn’t seem so prohibitive when compared to the result.
Number 5 – Personality
Personality does count when it comes to finding the right PT.
You need to feel comfortable with the trainer because you will be spending time with them.
This is why it’s never a good idea to simply book a personal trainer in the UAE without meeting them first.
If you meet a coach and you find you don’t get on that well then it would be difficult to work with them. Meeting a coach for an initial consultation is also a great idea because it will help you understand more about their approach to training you, their methods and their policies.
Some people prefer a trainer to be tough on them while other prefer a more motivational, encouraging approach.
Number 6 – Availability
Of course you need to know that your trainer is available, especially if you have a longer term fitness goal.
Many coaches in the UAE get booked up quickly so it’s important that you find out whether the coach can book you in for regular time slots at a time and location to suit your schedule.
If for example a trainer is unavailable for a couple of weeks at a time this could interfere with your overall progress.
So, make sure you ask for regular slots on a weekly or even daily basis before you commit to hiring a coach.
Number 7 – Philosophy
It might sound strange to include this in things to check when hiring a freelance personal trainer in the UAE but a trainer’s approach to health and fitness needs to be a fairly good match to yours.
Some trainers take a military style bootcamp approach with clients to get them best out of them but if thought of that approach doesn’t appeal to you then you’ll find it difficult to work with that kind of trainer.
Other coaches believe the best way to get the best results are to educate their clients about fitness, why an exercise is done and not simply showing you how to do it.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to a trainers way of thinking about how to get his or her clients the best results but the way they achieve it needs to work for you.
Number 8 – Location
Where you live and where your trainer is based is another thing to consider.
Even though Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and RAK are not huge cities being closer to your trainer can often be of more benefit. This is especially true when you consider that some trainers will charge for travel time and rightly so.
With this in mind check the location before you hire a coach. Sometimes if you have a specific goal finding a trainer locally can be difficult so you will need to factor in things like travel time, the cost of travel time and more into your budget.