Day in the life: Dubai personal trainer of the year has it all planned out

As the UAE's personal trainer of the year, Jarred Lowson practises what he preaches to his clients - working out daily and only eating food he prepares himself.

As a fitness professional Jarred Lowson likes an early night. Anna Nielsen for the National

Jarred Lowson has just won personal trainer of the year at the Sport 360 Fit Awards. The 30-year-old South African did his final three years of high school in Dubai before going back to Port Elizabeth for a degree in Human Movement Science, specialising in exercise science and sports management.

He returned and has been working in Dubai as a personal trainer for 10 years now – at Smart Fitness in Jumeirah Lake Towers for the past four – and also works as the operations manager for its sister company Smart Nutrition, which produces sports supplements. He is married to Dana, a Canadian schoolteacher.

5am

I have clients from 6am, so it’s important that I get up early to allow myself enough time to shower and have a good, healthy breakfast – and catch up on sports news and scores. I eat a fairly large breakfast – six egg whites and one whole egg, scrambled or in an omelette, plus oatmeal with almond milk and blueberries.

6am

On average, I see four clients for an hour each back-to-back in the morning. Each session begins with an aerobic warm-up, some myofascial release on the foam roller to release muscular tightness and align the body, and some warm-up exercises. While using the foam roller may be painful at first, continued use aids flexibility and reduces injuries. Then we discus nutrition – one of the more challenging aspects for most clients. For most, it’s simply a matter of healthy eating and portion control.

I also check up on their “homework” sessions . Then we get into the body of the workout, which is customised to suit their goals and progress through their mesocycles – phases in their training plan – to prevent plateaus.

10am

This is generally my first break, when I catch up on email or schedule meetings for Smart Nutrition. My role as operations manager includes liaising with the warehouse and keeping stock levels up for existing clients, meeting prospective retailers and distributors, and working with the rest of the team on marketing and promotional strategies. I meet the managing director regularly to brief him on progress.

12 noon

I review client files and start work on the next phase of their training and nutrition plans. The approach for their next mesocycle will depend on progress, feedback and the follow-up tests and measurements I take. This is often work that runs into the weekends, as there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

1pm

I try to drive home to Motor City as often as I can for lunch – it’s normally already prepared. Generally I’ll have grilled chicken or turkey with broccoli and a large sweet potato or brown rice. Saturday is the only day I take completely off from work, and I’ll spend the afternoon preparing my meals for the upcoming week. I am quite strict with my diet and practice what I preach. The only way I know how a meal is prepared is if I prepare it myself.

2.30pm

My time to train. I train six days a week and prefer this time, when the gym is quiet – I don’t have to rush and can disconnect. It’s important for me to keep fit and healthy as well as giving a good balance between work and exercise. Training helps clear my mind and energises me for the rest of the day.

4pm

I normally do three sessions in the late afternoon. I train project managers, media professionals, chief executives, teachers, oil and gas specialists, lawyers and full-time mothers, with ages ranging from the mid-20s to mid-60s. Women make up probably 70 per cent of my client base. Clients’ goals vary from weight loss to strength and a healthier lifestyle. I currently have five clients undergoing rehabilitation sessions after injuries or surgery .

7pm

I try to finish by 7pm, as I’m doing a course to become a certified physical preparation specialist (a global standard for personal trainers) and would rather study in the evening, so I have more free time over the weekend. I just finished a rehab injury management master course too. After dinner, my wife and I catch up on each other’s days and watch a bit of TV if there’s time.

9pm

We go to bed early in the week – Dana is a teacher, so getting a restful sleep is very important to both of us. I definitely feel better when I get to bed before 10pm.