The list at a glance
Take this list on your visit and tick a line only when you have seen it, in the women's space, at the hour you would train. RPM's ladies gym page shows how one women-only section is laid out.
- Strength: a rack with barbell and plates, dumbbells from light to heavy, adjustable benches, a cable station and lower-body machines.
- Cardio: treadmills with incline, bikes and cross-trainers, enough of them for the after-work rush.
- A studio: a closed room for Pilates, classes or stretching.
- Changing: lockers that take an abaya and a handbag, private changing space, and showers you have asked to see.
- Grooming: well-lit mirrors, working hairdryers, sockets and products.
- Coaching: female coaches and floor staff during your hours, with personal training on request.
Strength kit beyond a rack of light dumbbells
Some women's areas stop at light dumbbells and a few machines. If you lift, or plan to, check that the women's space holds what a strength programme actually uses.
- A squat rack or power rack with safety arms, and a barbell with plates that go up in small steps.
- Dumbbells from very light to heavy enough for your rows and presses a year from now.
- A hip thrust bench or machine, a leg press and hip abductor and adductor machines.
- A cable station with handles and an ankle strap, for kickbacks and face pulls as well as rows.
- Benches that adjust from flat to upright, plus floor space for stretching and core work.
Cardio for the hours you actually train
- Treadmills with a good incline range, for the walking many women move indoors from May to September.
- Bikes and cross-trainers for sessions with less impact.
- Enough machines that you do not queue after work or straight after the school run.
- Room between machines, and a view or screens that make a long session pass.
A studio, and what runs in it
A closed studio gives you classes, Pilates or simply a quiet room to stretch away from the main floor.
- A door that shuts and glass that is covered, so classes stay private. The design details behind that are in what makes a ladies gym feel private.
- Apparatus that matches the classes sold, such as reformers for reformer classes.
- A timetable that fits around school runs and office hours.
- Mats and small kit that are cleaned and stored, not piled in a corner.
Changing and grooming you can leave for work from
- Lockers tall and deep enough for an abaya, a handbag and a laptop.
- Private changing cubicles, and enough bench space for the busy hour.
- Showers: ask to see them, and ask whether towels are provided or you bring your own.
- A grooming area with lit mirrors, hairdryers that work, sockets for your own straighteners and room to pin a hijab or redo make-up.
- Products such as shampoo or moisturiser, or a clear answer that you bring your own.
How to judge the mirrors, dryers and space at the morning peak is covered in choosing grooming facilities.
Coaching and staff in the women's space
- Female coaches who work in the section at your hours, not only in the morning.
- Floor staff who can show you a machine or spot a lift.
- Personal training with a female coach when you ask for it.
- Classes led by women, if that matters to you.
- A named woman to speak to if anything makes you uncomfortable.
Extras worth weighing
None of these is essential for everyone. Each earns its place only if it fits your week.
| Extra | Worth it if | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery suite with heat and cold rooms | You will use it after training most weeks | Which tiers include it, and when women can use it |
| Children's area or crèche | You train with young children in tow | Which ages are accepted, who supervises and at what times |
| Prayer space | Your session often runs across a prayer time | Where it is, and whether it sits inside the women's area |
| Functional or boxing area | You enjoy conditioning or combat fitness | Whether women can use it, and at which hours |
| Covered parking with a short walk to the lift | You train after dark or bring children | Where you park, and how the walk feels at night |
Before using heat or cold rooms, ask your doctor if you are pregnant or have a heart or blood-pressure condition.
RPM's Ladies section against the list
RPM has one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, and its Ladies section is for women only, with its own strength and cardio equipment and the Pilates studio, where reformer classes run. Female coaches on the roster work there. The club has keypad lockers in the changing area and a grooming hub, a vanity area with hairdryers and products.
Neither showers nor towels are confirmed here, so ask about each. Ask too which tiers include the recovery suite, with its Finnish sauna, aroma steam room and ice bath, and whether your membership covers the Mixed section as well. For the wider decision, from the trip in after dark to childcare, read what women should look for in a gym.
Questions, answered.
Is a Pilates studio essential in a ladies gym?
Only if you will take classes there. If you mainly lift, a strong strength area matters more. If Pilates is half your week, a studio inside the women's space saves you a second membership elsewhere.
Should a ladies gym have a crèche?
It helps mothers of young children a great deal, but many gyms do not have one. Ask rather than assume, and if there is one, check the ages, the supervision and the hours.
What if the women's area is missing one item on the list?
Decide whether you can work round it. A missing hip thrust bench can be replaced with a barbell and an ordinary bench. A changing room outside the section usually cannot be worked round.
How many female coaches should a ladies gym have?
There is no right number. What matters is that one is on the floor at your hours and that you can book one for personal training.