Richard Geres Personal Training

Richard Geres Personal Training, often shortened to RGPT, is a private coaching studio on the St George's Bay waterfront in St Julian's. It has been operating since 2005 and has trained thousands of clients, and its method is built on assessing each person, setting realistic goals, coaching, and then measuring progress rather than assuming it.

What makes it different from a typical gym is that the training floor is reserved for personal training clients only. There are no members, hotel guests or visitors using it. For readers comparing options on our list of gyms in Malta or nutritionists in Malta, it sits at the private, coach-led end of the range.

The founder and the team

Richard Geres has more than 25 years in the health and fitness industry. After running a health club for some years, he began to specialise in personal coaching for people who were not getting results exercising alone in a commercial gym. Demand grew, and he built a team of trainers under one training method so that every client receives the same standard of coaching whichever trainer they are assigned.

He holds numerous fitness and nutrition certifications, including a Master's degree in nutrition, and is a registered nutritionist in Malta with the Council for Professions Complementary to Medicine. His particular focus is fat loss and exercise programming for people with conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes, raised cholesterol, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. He is also available as a speaker on fitness, nutrition, healthy lifestyle and behaviour change.

Since 2017 the studio has recorded workouts and assessments in its own app, which clients can open on a smartphone to see their sessions and progress at any time. The details on this page describe what the business offers and are not medical advice.

How progress is tracked

The framework behind every programme is the same. The trainer discusses the underlying issue, assesses your current condition, sets realistic goals, usually over 12 weeks, and then provides programming and coaching. Progress is reassessed frequently, and the plan is tweaked if you are drifting from your targets.

Weight is normally recorded weekly, while body fat percentage, girth measurements and fitness tests are taken monthly or when your trainer thinks they are useful. All workouts and assessments are documented, and you can see your data from your phone, so the trainer can adjust the programme according to what is actually happening rather than guesswork.

The studio is frank that long-term results depend on lifestyle after a programme ends. Once you reach your goal, the eating plan can move from a weight-loss pattern to a maintenance one, so you can enjoy favourite foods in moderation, and the team encourages clients to keep exercising to hold on to what they have achieved.

The private studio at the Corinthia

Training takes place in a dedicated facility at the Corinthia Hotel St George's Bay, entered through the hotel spa. The idea is privacy and calm: equipment is always free when you need it, and the room is quiet compared with a busy commercial gym. Showers and lockers are available, and personal training clients have free parking in the hotel car park.

Clients also receive a complimentary health club membership at a second gym, so they can exercise on days without a booked session, along with free towel service, free water and free use of the indoor pool, jacuzzi and sauna. Sessions run on weekdays from early morning to 9:00 pm and on Saturdays from 7:00 am, and the health club gym is open all day on Sundays.

St Julian's is one of the island's main resort and nightlife areas, so a studio here suits visitors on a longer stay as well as residents. Our guide to hotels in Sliema and St Julian's and our where to stay in Malta page help you pick a base nearby, and the Malta weather guide shows when an air-conditioned indoor session is most welcome.

Body transformation and muscle building

The body transformation programmes fall into three groups. Weight loss looks at the habits behind weight gain, such as portions, snacking and calorie-rich drinks, and works to change them gradually while building regular training into the week. Fat loss and toning suits people who need to lose only a few kilos but want firmer muscle, combining nutrition coaching with strength training and some cardio.

Muscular development is for people whose priority is building size and strength. Beginners are advised to train at least three times a week with full-body sessions, at least two of them supervised so safe lifting technique is taught, before moving to a split routine that focuses on different muscle groups on different days. Nutrition is built into each programme, and body fat and fitness are measured regularly. Women who worry about bulking up are told that weight training is used to build a firmer, shapelier body, and that toning always combines fat reduction with muscle development rather than one or the other.

Typical goals are set over about 12 weeks, with frequent reassessment and adjustments if you drift off course. First sessions include health questions, measurements such as weight and body fat, and sometimes a simple fitness test, so the programme starts from your real baseline.

Injury rehabilitation, health and over 50s

Injury rehabilitation exercise is aimed at people with back pain or those finishing a physiotherapy course. The studio designs programmes for the back and for the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist, aiming to rebuild strength and mobility. A personal trainer usually steps in at the end of physiotherapy, and clients are encouraged to keep moving with the right kind of exercise rather than waiting for complete healing.

Healthy lifestyle programmes cover getting moving after a sedentary period, fitness for people with health conditions, and fitness for the over 50s, including clients in their 60s and 70s. The approach is small, repeated changes to training and eating habits that become routine. The team works alongside your doctor where necessary, and you should always take medical advice from your own doctor before starting.

Ways to train and corporate wellness

One-to-one training gives uninterrupted attention for the whole session and is recommended for beginners, intensive goals or conditions needing special care. Small group training for two to four people shares the cost of a session between participants. The home weight loss programme coaches and monitors you for three months without personal training sessions, and there are also options for training in your home, online personal training and health club access.

Employers can choose from a three-part seminar series covering nutrition, exercise programme design and posture, a team fitness challenge run through the studio's app, or 12-week one-to-one exercise and nutrition coaching for staff. The challenge is team based, with divisions that can represent departments or offices, scoring by minutes exercised or points for activities such as running, cycling, swimming or football, and weekly reports on rankings. It is recommended to run for 10 to 12 weeks at most, because enthusiasm tends to fade after that. The exercise coaching includes an individual assessment, a programme design, five short one-to-one sessions and progress reviews every three weeks. The nutrition coaching includes an initial one-hour consultation, a lifestyle review and a personalised eating plan.

Planning a visit and getting started

If you are moving to the island, our Malta relocation guide and digital nomad guide explain the practicalities, and building a regular training routine early can help you settle. For a break from the studio, browse things to do in Malta, the best beaches in Malta or our overview of Malta holidays.

The first step is a free consultation, where the team discusses the underlying issue and what you want to achieve. Fees are not printed, so these are discussed there. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Richard Geres Personal Training.