Lift like a girl. Handstand like a man: Gym Rules

Walk around any gym in Dubai and you will find women lifting weights, doing push-ups and using dumbbells. Also, it is not surprising to see men doing yoga, pilates, cardio: sports which were traditionally limited to females. When it comes to working out, males and females are finally on the same page. We spoke to three Dubai trainers to understand the ground reality to get more perspective on the male-female ratio in Dubai gyms.
 
Christina Guastella, Co-Founder and Director, NRG Fitness
Do you think the gender divide has vanished in the gym these days and why?
The gender divide has definitely vanished over the years as women are more confident training in the weight rooms and are also more competitive with the male fitness crowd, whereas in the past there was an obvious congestion of women in the cardio rooms with an almost intimidating male crowd in the weight rooms which wasn't so inviting for the average female gym-goer. Conflicting fitness goals of both males and females at gym certainly contributed to the gender divide in the past - fundamentally the men worked toward a bulking/bodybuilding goal, whereas the women strived for a slim, skinny physique. These days both male and females share a common body image goal to have more strong, athletic physique, hence share the same training techniques to reach their fitness goals.
 
Do males actively participate in pilates, yoga, Zumba, body balance, tai chi classes as well in your studio?
While Zumba classes are predominantly women, all other programs at NRG are mixed with both male and female attendees. Men are becoming more aware of the benefits of flexibility that Yoga, Body Balance and Pilates classes offer, as it positively supports their sports overall training performance.
 
Are females actively interested in weight training?
Absolutely, gone are the days of women spending their workout time with hours on the cardio machines. As the sought after female body image has progressed from skinny to athletic, strength training is a regular part of females' fitness regimes as there is more awareness that weight training is not only for muscle building but it is most effective in toning and shaping the body.
 
Do you think these days more people are coming to the gym to become stronger and not just to lose weight?
Yes, the focus has definitely shifted to be strong, not skinny, they are focused on achieving endurance, fitness and overall wellbeing.

According to you, what is the approximate ratio difference between the number of male and female trainers in Dubai?
Group Fitness Trainers: Approximately 50 - 50. However specifically typed to the program, for example, Dance GX Trainers would be more Female. Personal Trainers: Approximately 70% male to 30% female - this is due to the fact that Western expat women also prefer to be trained by a male. 
 
John Karpathakis, General Manager and Head Trainer at F45
Do you think the gender divide has vanished in the gym these days and why?
Besides the obvious religious restrictions, many females avoid mixed gyms because they feel intimidated. Here at F45, we all train as a team, motivating and helping each other. It's so much better to train in a group setting than training in isolation, you push yourself harder and you don't want to quit easily.
 
Do males actively participate in pilates, yoga, Zumba, body balance, tai chi classes as well in your studio?
Some of our male members, especially the ones that have plenty of free time engage in other sports and fitness activities like the ones you mentioned. The kind of training that we do at F45 is based on functional movements that help you improve your balance, strength, coordination, stamina and speed amongst other aspects of fitness. This all around approach of training really helps our members perform better in any other sport or activity they might practice.
 
Are women actively interested in the weight training?
Lately, women educate themselves more and more regarding health and fitness and they finally overcame the common myth that they shouldn't get involved in weight training because they might look "bulky". The buff physiques and extreme conditioning that you sometimes see in professional female athletes are impossible to achieve without the use of pharmaceutical agents and excessive calorie intake. Strength training has many benefits for women of all ages. Increased bone density, raise the basal metabolic rate and decreased body fat levels just to name a few.
 
Do you think these days more people are coming to the gym to become stronger and not just to lose weight?
Each person that joins the gym has their own genuine reasons and goals. Fitness is not only about the way we look though. Definitely losing weight and looking toned is a very welcome result of training and proper nutrition but this is just one part. Being able to cope with everyday tasks such as lifting your groceries or luggage or carrying your baby in your arms is another reason why functional training is so important.

According to you, what is the approximate ratio difference between the number of male and female trainers in Dubai?
I would say that the ratio of female to male trainers in Dubai is 50/50. There is a great variety of trainers of many nationalities and backgrounds working together which is great.
 
Sharon McConnell, Operations and Program Manager, NRG Fitness
Do you think the gender divide has vanished in the gym these days and why?
The gender divide is on the way out in gyms these days, females are more confident and comfortable training in the weights area and are more focused on changing their body shape through lifting weights rather than cardio. I remember during the 90s walking into gyms over the decades and being growled at by guys for stepping foot in the weights area because it was unheard of or rarely seen.  Moving into the late 2000s and over the last decade it is great to see so many females understanding the concept of weight training and moving away from cardio, they all want the bubble butt and love the squat rack, now it's the men who feel intimidated.

Do males actively participate in Pilates, yoga, Zumba, body balance, tai chi classes as well in your studio?
We have a few men who come along to the yoga and swing classes at NRG Fitness, although the ratio may be 1/3, men are starting to understand that flexibility training is just as important as weight training and if anything it helps to increase their strength during their weight training workouts.
 
Are females actively interested in weight training?
Females are genuinely interested in weight training these days as they know the myths surrounding the lifting of weights - that you get bulky or look like a bodybuilder if you lift anything that is over 5kg.  But the truth is when you pick up heavy things your muscles get stronger and not bigger, if you are eating a calorific deficit (eating the right kinds of foods) as your muscles get stronger and denser you will burn the fat that is on top of the muscle - which means you look more toned!
 
Do you think these days more people are coming to the gym to become stronger and not just to lose weight?
Strong is the new skinny was the 'in' quote over the past decade, along with the increase of Crossfit style workouts which showed many females sporting little tops and six-packs with curves in all the right places.  The 'skinny' word now is used for catwalk models who are underweight and have no curves with a straight up and down figure. This look has been washed out over the last decade or so and many females have icons they want to look up to with a more athletic body showing definition and having curves to hold up jeans without relying on a belt.  The media/magazines and Instagram have a massive role in contributing to the fitness model role showing what a realistic body can look like, by going to the gym, lifting weights and eating healthy.  I am excited to see what the next decade brings to support a healthy body. We used to look at Kate Moss and other underweight models to aspire to, giving off unrealistic goals to maintain unless you are under-eating and doing two hours of cardio per day.
 
According to you, what is the approximate ratio difference between the number of male and female trainers in Dubai?
The ratio difference between the male to female trainers in Dubai is around a 70/30 split.  The majority of trainers in Dubai are male, even though we have a lot of female-only gyms and in the culture we have, females are only allowed to train with females. There is still a demand for female trainers in Dubai in comparison to male trainers. However, most mixed gyms in Dubai will have a 90/10 split ratio, male to female trainers, as expat female clients will usually prefer to have a male trainer than female.