What you are really comparing
Two gyms can list the same services and coach in very different ways. When you compare coaching, you are comparing five things: how a coach gets to know you, how the plan is built, how they correct you in the moment, how progress is tracked, and whether the coach suits you. Each section below gives you a way to check one of them before you commit.
RPM's personal training page explains how coaching works across the Mixed and Ladies sections. Apply the same checks there as you would anywhere else.
The first assessment
The first session tells you most of what you need to know. A coach who opens with a punishing workout is showing you a workout, and that is a different thing from coaching.
| Part | A good coach | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation | Asks about your goal, your week, your training history and any injuries or health conditions | Starts selling a package before asking anything |
| Health questions | Asks you to see a doctor or physiotherapist first if you mention pain, an injury or a medical condition | Guesses what is wrong and promises to fix it |
| Movement check | Watches you squat, hinge, push and pull at bodyweight or with a light load | Goes straight to heavy weights or a test to exhaustion |
| Baseline | Records a few repeatable measures, such as a load for set reps or a timed effort | Records nothing, or only your bodyweight |
| Plan | Explains what the first few weeks will look like, and why | Says it depends, and leaves it there |
Programming versus a string of workouts
A programme repeats the important things and makes them slightly harder over time. A string of random workouts feels hard every day and goes nowhere in particular.
| A programme | Random workouts |
|---|---|
| The same main exercises come back each week and progress | A new workout every session |
| Written down, so you can see week four before you start week one | Lives only in the coach's head |
| Includes easier weeks, and adjusts when you are tired or busy | Maximum effort every time |
| Each session has a stated purpose | The aim is to leave exhausted |
Ask any coach what week four will look like compared with week one. A clear answer is the strongest sign of real programming. If you are weighing a coach in the gym against coaching online, see online or in-person coaching.
Cueing and progress tracking
Cueing is what a coach says and does to change how you move. Good cues are short, come one at a time, and you feel the difference straight away. Tracking is how both of you know the plan is working.
- The coach watches the person training, rather than a phone or the mirror.
- Corrections come one at a time, each with a reason.
- The coach demonstrates when words are not landing, and lowers the load if form slips.
- Sets and loads are written down during the session, on paper or in an app.
- Every four to six weeks, coach and client review the numbers together and change the plan.
Watch a session before you book
Ask to watch part of a coached session or a class at the hour you would train. A gym confident in its coaching can usually arrange this, with the client's agreement. Score what you see from 0 to 2 on each line.
| Watch for | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attention on the client | Distracted | On and off | Constant |
| Quality of cues | None, or vague | Some, often too many at once | Short and specific, and the movement changes |
| Adjusting the session | Fixed whatever happens | Small changes | Load or exercise changed when needed |
| Pace and rest | Rushed or idle | Uneven | Planned and explained |
| Record keeping | Nothing written | Occasional notes | Every set recorded |
To watch in a women-only section, ask a female member of staff to arrange it. Only women will be allowed in.
Qualifications and registration
A certificate shows that a coach has studied the basics. It cannot show how well they coach, so use it as a minimum check alongside everything above.
- Ask the coach which certification they hold, which body issued it and when.
- Ask whether they hold any UAE registration as a trainer, and check it with the body that issued it.
- Ask whether their first-aid training is current.
- Ask how much of their experience is with people like you: beginners, women, older adults, or people returning after a long break.
At RPM, ask the coach directly for their certification and any registration, as you would at any gym. The coach roster shows who works in each section.
Female coaches and finding the right fit
Some women prefer a female coach, and some need one. Check that a female coach is available at your hours and in the space you will use, and that you will see the same coach each time rather than whoever happens to be available.
| Coach | Roster role | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Coach Maria | Strength and conditioning | Ladies |
| Giana Daqnoush | Pilates and aerobic | Ladies |
| Imen Hasnaoui | Combat and self-defence | Ladies |
| Issam Almasaalmeh | Personal training | Mixed |
| Awab Elsheikh | Physique and fitness classes | Mixed |
A sample of RPM's roster, by role only. Ask each coach about their background directly.
Fit also covers language and personality. Ask which languages a coach works in, and book a single session before you commit to a package. Female personal trainers at RPM explains how to book in the Ladies section.
Questions, answered.
Is a more expensive coach a better coach?
Not necessarily. Price reflects demand and the gym's pricing as much as skill. Judge the assessment, the plan and the cueing, then decide what that is worth to you.
How soon should I know whether a coach is right for me?
Within the first few sessions you should be able to say what your plan is, why it is built that way and how progress will be measured. If you cannot, ask. If the answer stays vague, try another coach.
Can I change coach at the same gym?
Ask before you buy a package, including what happens to sessions you have already paid for. At RPM, ask the team how a change of coach works.
Should my coach give me a meal plan?
A coach can give general guidance on eating around training. A detailed or medical diet plan is a job for a registered dietitian, especially if you have a health condition.
What if I have an injury or ongoing pain?
See a doctor or physiotherapist first. A coach can then work within what they advise, but a coach is a fitness professional, not a clinician.