# Sadem Benkacem (Coach Ben)

> Sadem Benkacem, known as Coach Ben, is a calisthenics athlete, artistic gymnastics coach and personal trainer based in the United Arab Emirates. He coaches one to one across Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, in English, Arabic and French, covering calisthenics and bodyweight strength, gymnastics and movement skills, hybrid strength and conditioning, and competition preparation. He has almost 15 years of coaching experience, completed the World Calisthenics Organization's StreetSport Level 1 and Level 2 courses in Dubai in 2019, and in 2020 set a world record of 13 consecutive one-arm muscle-ups, featured by Calisthenics World Records.

## About

- Works across artistic gymnastics, calisthenics and hybrid strength and conditioning.
- Almost 15 years of coaching experience, including gymnastics at the NRBSM club in Algiers from 2015 through the 2018 season.
- Competes in team obstacle and functional events at the Gov Games in the UAE, where he has led the Umm Al Quwain team.
- Holds a master's degree in chemistry from USTHB in Algiers — a background that shows in how he structures and records training.
- Coaching principles: skill before load; progressions, not shortcuts; structure you can measure; train the way you compete.
- How it starts: enquire, then a short conversation about goals, training history and injuries, then an assessment session, then a plan.

## Coaching

- Format: one to one.
- Calisthenics & bodyweight strength — training built on bodyweight movement: pulling, pushing, levers and static holds, worked on the bar, the rings and the floor.
- Gymnastics & movement skills — artistic gymnastics fundamentals: shapes, body tension, handstand work and basic acrobatic skills, adapted for adults.
- Hybrid strength & conditioning — resistance training combined with conditioning: barbell and bodyweight strength alongside running, carries and circuit formats.
- Competition preparation — for obstacle and functional-fitness events: event-specific skills such as carries, climbs, ramps and water obstacles, and pacing across heats.
- No pricing is published. Sessions are arranged directly.

## Locations & languages

- Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain (United Arab Emirates).
- English, Arabic and French.
- No fixed studio address; coaching is delivered one to one in these cities.

## Credentials

- 2019 — WCO StreetSport Calisthenics, Level 1. World Calisthenics Organization, certificate of attendance, Gravity Calisthenics Gym, Dubai, UAE, 22 November 2019.
- 2019 — WCO StreetSport Calisthenics, Level 2. World Calisthenics Organization, certificate of attendance, Gravity Calisthenics Gym, Dubai, UAE, 23 November 2019.
- 2017 — Initiator in Artistic Gymnastics, training and refresher course. Algiers Gymnastics League (Ligue Algéroise de Gymnastique), 23–24 September 2017.
- 2015–2018 — Gymnastics coach, NRBSM amateur sports club (Nadi Riadhi Baladiet Sidi M'Hamed), Algiers.
- 2016 — Master's degree in Chemistry, USTHB, Algiers (theoretical chemistry, computational chemistry and spectroscopy).
- 2013 — Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, USTHB, Algiers (fundamental chemistry).
- Certificates available on request.
- Note: "personal trainer" is a role description, not a certification.

## Competition timeline

Newest first. Dates on training photographs are the dates they were posted.

- Oct 2025 — Arabian Warriors League OCR Championship, 2nd place.
- 2025 — Gov Games, 1st place, Battle of the Government. UAE Ministry of Defence team.
- Feb 2024 — Gov Games 2024, 4th place in qualification. Team leader, Umm Al Quwain.
- May 2023 — Led a muscle-up workshop, Dubai.
- Mar 2023 — Ramadan Games, Dubai Police Community Obstacle Challenge. 200 m obstacle course, finished 13th of 85, 31 March 2023.
- Mar 2023 — Gov Games 2023, competed with his team.
- Dec 2021 — Led a muscle-up workshop.
- 2020 — World record, 13 consecutive one-arm muscle-ups. Featured by Calisthenics World Records, October 2020.
- Dec 2019 — Battle of the Bars, Dubai. Took part.
- Nov 2019 — WCO StreetSport Calisthenics Level 1 & Level 2 courses. Gravity Calisthenics Gym, Dubai, 22–23 November 2019.
- 2015–2018 — Gymnastics coach, NRBSM amateur sports club, Algiers.
- Sep 2017 — Initiator course in Artistic Gymnastics, Algiers Gymnastics League, 23–24 September 2017.
- 2016 — Master's degree in Chemistry, USTHB, Algiers.
- 2013 — Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, USTHB, Algiers.

## Contact

- WhatsApp (primary): +971 50 822 1434 — sessions are booked directly over WhatsApp.
- Email: hello@coachben.life
- Instagram DM: @sadem_benkacem
- Helpful to include in an enquiry: your goal, training background, any injuries, preferred days and location.
- There is no contact form and no online booking system.

## Links

- [Home](https://coachben.life/)
- [Portfolio (PDF)](https://coachben.life/assets/Sadem-Benkacem-Portfolio.pdf)
- [Instagram — @sadem_benkacem](https://www.instagram.com/sadem_benkacem/)