What the extra privacy buys you
Privacy is worth paying for only if it changes what you do. For many women in Abu Dhabi it does. They train on days they would otherwise skip, change into lighter clothes or remove a headscarf if they choose, ask a coach for help without an audience and try a new lift without feeling watched. If none of that applies to you, the women-only label adds little.
Start by being honest about what you would actually do differently, then judge the women-only space as a gym in its own right. RPM's private ladies section page sets out what RPM confirms about its women-only section and what to check in person.
Who tends to get value, and who does not
| Your situation | Likely to be worth it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You skip sessions because a mixed floor makes you uncomfortable | Yes | The women-only space removes the reason you stop going |
| You train fully covered and would prefer lighter clothes | Yes | You can dress for the workout rather than for the room |
| You want women-only Pilates in the same club | Often | Studio and weights come under one membership and one trip |
| You want a female coach for one-to-one sessions | Often | Ask how many female coaches work in the section, and when |
| You lift heavy and need more than one rack | Only if the section has the kit | Smaller women-only areas can run short of heavy equipment |
| You train with your husband or brother | Partly | You can share a club and a car, but not the women-only floor |
| You are comfortable on any floor and care mostly about price | Probably not | You may be paying for something you will not use |
A starting point, not a verdict. Two women with the same goals can reach different answers.
The trade-off: range of equipment
Women-only sections inside mixed clubs are often smaller than the main floor, so ask whether the section covers your plan rather than whether it matches the mixed floor. A section with a rack, a cable station and dumbbells that go heavy enough suits most programmes. A room of cardio machines and light weights may feel private but stall your progress within months.
Take your weekly plan to the tour and tick off each exercise against the equipment in the section itself. For the detail of what a lifter should find there, see choosing a ladies gym for weight training.
Does mixed access add value?
A women-only section inside a larger club offers something a standalone ladies gym cannot. You can train in the section most days and use the mixed floor when you want a machine the section lacks, or when the section is busy. Whether that is worth paying for depends on how often you would really use it.
- If everything you need is in the section, mixed access may be money you do not need to spend.
- If your plan relies on kit that only the mixed floor has, a section-only membership will frustrate you.
- If you train at busy hours, a second floor gives you somewhere to go when the section's equipment is taken.
At RPM, women can train in the Ladies section and also in the Mixed section if their tier covers it, while men train in the Mixed section. Ask which of the three tiers, Floor, Engine and Atelier, include each section.
Pricing it when no price list is published
RPM does not publish prices online, and many clubs share theirs only on enquiry. Rather than comparing headline figures, ask each club to quote the same items, then compare what you would pay for the training you would really do.
- The tier that includes the women-only section, and whether the mixed floor comes with it
- Whether Pilates sessions are part of the membership or sold as packages
- Rates for one-to-one sessions with a female coach
- Whether the recovery suite and grooming area are included
- Joining terms, the minimum term and how freezing works over the summer
Then set that total against the number of visits you will realistically make. Deciding if a membership is worth it walks through the arithmetic.
Check the privacy is real before you pay for it
A women-only label can cover very different arrangements, from a section walled off from the rest of the club to set hours in a shared hall. Before you put a value on privacy, confirm what you would actually get.
- Is the space women-only at every hour it is open, or only at set times?
- Can it be seen from the mixed floor, a corridor or the lift lobby?
- Which way do you walk in, and who might you pass on the way?
- Where is the changing room you would use, relative to the section?
- Are the staff and coaches in the section women?
The route in is often where privacy is won or lost, which is why the question of an entrance just for women has its own guide. To line up several clubs side by side, use the ladies gym comparison sheet.
Weighing RPM's Ladies section
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. Its Ladies section is for women only and has its own strength and cardio equipment, along with the Pilates studio, where reformer classes run. Female coaches on the roster work in the section, among them Coach Maria (strength and conditioning) and Giana Suleiman Daqnoush (Pilates and aerobic).
What a web page cannot tell you is how the section feels at your hour. Book a free guided tour at the time you usually train, walk the route in and the changing area, and ask for the tier inclusions and prices in writing. If you would like a friend or relative with you, mention it when you book.
Questions, answered.
Can I start with the women-only section and add the mixed floor later?
Ask before you join. Some clubs let you move up a tier during your term and some only at renewal. At RPM, ask which tiers cover each section and how a change of tier works.
Is it worth it if I only want Pilates?
Perhaps not as a full membership. Compare a Pilates package on its own with a membership that includes the studio, and choose whichever matches how often you will go. At RPM the studio is inside the Ladies section, so ask how Pilates sessions are sold.
Will I outgrow a women-only section?
Only if your plan needs more than it holds. Check the heaviest dumbbells, the rack and the cable attachments now, and ask whether the mixed floor is available if you need more later.
Is it worth it if I am comfortable on a mixed floor?
Possibly, for other reasons such as a female coach or women-only Pilates. If none of those matter to you, choose on the equipment and the location, then compare contract terms.
Does a private ladies gym mean every member of staff is a woman?
Not always. Ask who works in the section, whether male staff ever enter it, and how members are told beforehand.