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Dec 14

11 Best Gyms in America 2024 – Men’s Health

Fitness Comments Off on 11 Best Gyms in America 2024 – Men’s Health

TODAY'S TOP GYMS are thriving, thanks to supportive communities, innovative training, and environments (and equipment!) that help everyone build strength and have fun. Finding the country's best gyms was no easy task. We started by polling our staff, our advisory board, and the trainers in our Strength in Diversity Initiative. Our internal team then evaluated each gyms equipment and training methodologies. These ten picks (plus one special bonus) are the best of the best.

Where: Smyrna, Georgia

There are group fitness classesand then theres Team Training at

Team Training workouts often open with what Finao Fit owner Denzell Jones calls a hot start, a light-speed circuit that swiftly skyrockets your heart rate (and gets you focused!). Do 20 kettlebell swings, then place a miniband around your knees and do 10 lateral shuffles in each direction. Repeat for 4 or 5 sets, resting minimally between them.

Where: Various locations in Maryland and Virginia

Jared Ciner, C.P.T., was a part-time trainer who worked a day job as a support counselor for people with disabilities when he noticed that his clients didnt have the tools they needed to gain muscle and strength. So more than ten years ago, he founded Spirit Clubthe gym now has eight locationswhich specializes in training those with physical and developmental disabilities. For a lot of people looking to benefit from fitness, the most effective way working out is going to impact them is by using exercises as a way to practice day-to-day lifestyle ac- tivities, says Ciner. That means moves like the cable chop, which mimics the motion you make to put on your seat belt in a car.

The stepup, which has you place one foot on a box and then simply step onto it, is a quintessential Spirit Club moveand one you can always adjust. Start with an 18-inch box. Want more quad burn? Bump it up to a 24-inch box. Nagging knee pain? Switch to a 10-inch box. Do 2 or 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg at all heights.

Where: Austin, Texas

Texas powerhouse The Kollective wants you to rethink your gym experience. Youll love the training space, which includes a robust cardio area, with rows of curved and automated treadmills, and a full 100-yard turf field. In the weight room, youll find next-gen cable machines that blend magnetic resistance with force plates that track the pressure youre pushing into the floor. Theres also a full recovery floor (think saunas and cold plunges)and a coworking space for those WFH days.

Boost your sauna recovery to the next level by taking a sip of water before you enter. Hold it in your mouth, says trainer Eric Rakofsky, to focus on breathing through your nose the whole time.That nasal breathing will help cool the air as it enters your system, critical in the ultrahot sauna. Aim to hit the sauna for two or three 20-minute sessions a week.

Where: Salt Lake City

What began as a garage-style indoor- climbing co-op in 1989 has morphed into the most complete climbing facility in the nationand a place that will challenge far more than your grip strength. Rock-climbing, rope-climbing, and bouldering walls remain the centerpieces at Front Climbings three locations. But conquering the wall here means training for more than the wall.

You can limber up on some days with yoga, build catlike reflexes with jujitsu, and pack on raw strength in the fully equipped weight room. Its a one-stop shop for all your fitness needsand itll transform you into a rock climber, too.

The underrated secret to killer core strength (and serious gains on the wall as well) is the mixed-grip pullup. To do it, grasp a bar with your left hand using an over- hand grip and with your right hand using an underhand grip. Tighten your abs and pull your chest to the bar. Lower. Do 2 sets per side, aiming for 6 to 8 reps.

Where: Various Locations

For all of Planet Fitnesss faults (were not fans of the lunk alarm), the budget chain (just $10 per month) blends easy-to-use equipment with a friendly atmosphere to keep beginners coming back. To some, the lack of barbells prevents major gains, but to novice gymgoers, the racks of dumbbells and smartphone-friendly weight machines (each has a QR code that teaches you how to use it) offer a solid muscle- building sweat. And PF is always innovating: Over the summer, teens could sign up for free.

Take on this all-machines circuit when you need a speedy workout. Start with 10 to 12 reps of seated rows, then do 10 to 12 reps of chest presses. Finish with 10 to 12 leg-press reps. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between moves; complete 3 rounds for a stealthy total-body burn.

Where: Various Locations

Thanks to an initiative that added stations with compression boots, massage guns, and cryotherapy chairs to most locations, Life Time now offers high-quality recovery options to match its high-quality strength equipment. Its perfect training/recovery balance.

Where: Los Angeles

The ideal hotel-gym experience, the Dream moves past basic dumbbells-and-treadmills setups to include a full squat rack, a punching bag, and a VersaClimber.

Where: Missouri City, Texas

Imagine Disneyland as a gym and you have Alphaland, a 30,000-square-foot space that features three full gym areas, two basketball courts, and outdoor running slides to simulate hill runs.

Where: Los Angeles

Just Train HQ aims to be more than the state-of-the-art functional-fitness space it is, combining nutrition classes with workshops on different fitness modalities (including CrossFit) for a holistic fitness experience.

Where: Mount Vernon, New York

Mount Vernon Barbell is a gritty strength-focused gym that mixes bodybuilding gear with specialized equipment for bench-press and squat max-outsin addition to five Atlas stones and a yoke for strongman training.

Where: New York City

Mens Healths own gym, optimized for video shoots and filled with the latest gear from Life Fitness, opened in the fall. Expect to see plenty of content from here, with special video workouts and Q&As, regular guest trainers, and much more!

This article originally appears in the December 2023 issue of Men's Health.

Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men's Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He's logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.

Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men's Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.

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11 Best Gyms in America 2024 - Men's Health

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