Extravagant exerci$e?

Extravagant exerci$e?

‘I don’t charge enough’ says Dubai’s most expensive personal trainer much to Kipp’s amusement.

August 2, 2012 4:04 by Eva Fernandes

Talking money may make some uncomfortable, but when you live in Dubai the city of excess, the rule doesn’t always apply. Take for instance the comments of a personal trainer Amir Siddiqui who The National pegged as Dubai’s most expensive personal trainer.

“I really feel I don’t charge enough” says Siddiqui, who moved to Dubai two years ago… Anyway, he argues, his clients don’t view money like an average earner. “There’s a perceptual drift when you’re in the top tier of income earners,” he says.

Perceptual drift? Just a footnote here, Siddiqui charges a hefty Dh750 per session or Dh9,000 a month for thrice a week training. Kipp doesn’t know about how the fat cats with deep pockets may feel but as far as we are concerned at the end of the day Dh750 is still a lot of money to pay for a session with a personal trainer. Sure, when compared to personal trainers around the globe Siddiqui’s fees are rather conservative. Consider the fees of personal trainer of Heidi Klum, David Kirsch who charges nothing less than $500 per session (approximately Dh1,832). But in keeping with the standard of living here in the Emirates, Dh750 is still a lot of money.

Siddiqui who owns Symmetry Gym in Dubai’s Gold and Diamond Park credits the emotional changes in his clients as “one of the most rewarding parts of the job”—funny, Kipp’d think the outstanding change in his bank account to be just as rewarding.