Have you been guilt eating all winter? That’s fine, you’re not alone. But summer is almost here and it’s the right time to start working out and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. We spoke to Nicky - a personal trainer in Dubai - who shared his motivating story with us and goes on to share some of his tips as a personal trainer and how he keeps his rapport with his clients. So, get ready to be both inspired and motivated.
The start line
Nicky is a fitness professional from the UK, who currently works and lives in Dubai. He started off as football player, but then he got injured. His injury wasn’t the end of his career, as a matter of fact, it motivated him to start a career in fitness. After his injury, he went to the University of Glamorgan - now the University of South Wales - where he gained a bachelor’s degree in Sports Coaching and Performance. This was the takeoff to a flourishing career in the fitness industry.
“This was the start of my fitness journey where I worked in management at private health club in the UK. I moved to Dubai to work for the biggest fitness company in the Middle East, before setting up my own business, Nicky Fitness.”
With 10 years of experience starting as a personal trainer to senior fitness management, Nicky’s vast experience and achievements includes him being the previous master trainer for SpartanArabia; where he trained the participants before the race. He is also a tutor, assessor & course writer for Empiric UAE, delivering Level 2, Level 3 & CPD Courses. Besides being a fitness columnist for Outdoor UAE Magazine’s monthly feature across Dubai and the UAE, he is an Adidas athlete ambassador and Amino app Personal Trainer.
The entrepreneur
His inspiration to start his own business stemmed from his passion to help others live a healthy lifestyle. So, when he got to the point when he felt that he could make it on his own, he launched Nicky Fitness.
“I have great passion for helping people live a healthier lifestyle and I wanted to establish my own brand to showcase this” says Nicky.
Nicky is an award-winning personal trainer in Dubai, who aims at making each session fun and challenging. Moreover, he provides fitness advice to people all around the world through the internet and online coaching. Nicky also writes and teaches fitness courses. His future plan is to help, inspire and motivate people to reach their fitness goals.
Online fitness and personal trainer experience
About 2 years ago, Nicky was looking for a domain name from GoDaddy, and as soon as he found the one he was looking for he started building his website using GoDaddy’s Website Builder tool. Although he had no previous experience in building websites, he watched online tutorials and self-taught himself to build his own website using GoDaddy’s Website Builder tool. He says that he found the tool both user friendly and very easy to use.
“My website provides a lot of informative content that can help anyone who wants to make a positive change.”
He also adds that currently technology is used on daily basis in the fitness industry and this is the key to his success. The personal trainer’s website is a ‘go to’ site where people can search for fitness related content and stay up to date with the latest fitness videos and trends of Nicky Fitness.
My website is a good reference point for clients to view that my credentials are real and legit.
Nicky chose to work with GoDaddy because he heard good reviews and decided to try it out himself.
“I found building my website very straightforward but I can see how people could find it overwhelming. The key for me and my advice is to start off gradually. I had only a few pages to begin, then added more to the website each week.”
The inspirational personal trainer
“When it comes to personal training, everybody is different, you need to find what works for you,” says Nicky. Most of Nicky’s clients interact with him via email or messenger first, then a face to face conversation or a meet and greet session.
“It’s important that I take the time to understand what my client wants exactly. We agree on action points and on how we can achieve results together, then we put a training and nutrition plan in action.”
“I’m not a trainer who enjoys shouting and pushing clients until they feel sick. We do work hard, but I prefer to educate my clients. I believe in helping others to live a fit, healthy and more active lifestyle. For me, that is the way forward. It is also more sustainable that way and you are more likely to see the long-term benefits” adds Nicky.
The personal trainer is always trying to be a role model for his clients, therefore, he is often training hard and practicing what he preaches. He communicates regularly with his clients and he constantly provide them with support and guidance. This helps keep his clients motivated and triggered, even when they are not in the session with him.
If you’re looking for fitness inspiration, you can check Nicky’s YouTube channel for motivating videos and workouts. Or his Instagram page filled with encouraging tips and advice.
