Selected by our panel of fitness advisors, these gyms feature top-quality equipment and trainers versed in the latest exercise science. Use their secrets to reach your goals faster.

Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning
Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning
Winchester, MA

Secret:  Think "wholistically" 
"Do total-body workouts every time you visit the gym. Individual body-part workouts are inefficient compared with a full-body approach," says Mike Boyle, A.T.C., of Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning. But don't be afraid to split up your workout in original ways, says Boyle, whose facility has 2,000-plus square feet of multiuse turf for sprinting, jumping, and sled work, along with 70 feet of walls for a barrage of medicine-ball exercises. Create your own complete workout by including four components every time you train: push (bench press or pushup), pull (chinup or row), knee-dominant (squat or lunge), and core. "If you include each emphasis—regardless of the exercise—you'll experience balanced improvements." 

Results Fitness
Results Fitness
Santa Clarita, CA

Secret:  Avoid the treadmill 
"You need cardio for fitness, health, and fat loss, but traditional cardio like running isn't the most effective option, and it's stressful on your joints," says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness. The cure: a circuit-training routine that builds strength and endurance in one workout. Do each exercise for 60 seconds—as many reps as you can. Then rest 60 seconds and move on to the next exercise. Complete the circuit twice, performing squats, pushups, alternating lunges, inverted rows, and burpees with a jump. (Start standing up and then bend and put your hands on the ground and kick your legs back so that you end in the plank position. Then thrust your legs forward between your arms, and jump into the air.) 

Peak Performance
Peak Performance
New York, NY

Secret:  Strengthen your grip 
"To break through plateaus, focus on changing little variables," says Joe Dowdell, founder of Peak Performance, a 10,000-square-foot facility that prides itself on having the latest machines. For a quick jolt, try wrapping a towel around dumbbells or a pullup bar to add extra thickness to the grip, suggests Dowdell. "A thicker diameter causes you to recruit more muscle fibers, which will provide an additional increase in size and strength." Just be sure to decrease the weight when you first add this technique—your body needs time to adjust. 

DeFranco's
DeFranco's
Wyckoff, NJ

Secret:  Engage your back for a bigger bench
"When you're bench-pressing, don't think about pushing the bar away from your body. Instead, focus on pushing your body into the bench and away from the bar," says owner Joe DeFranco. The change in your mindset helps activate your back muscles more, and provides a stronger and more stable press, which in turn allows you to lift more weight. And DeFranco would know: He recently trained NFL prospect Brian Cushing to bench 225 pounds for 30 reps. 

Parisi Speed School
Parisi Speed School 
Fair Lawn, NJ

Secret:  Lower the weight slowly 
"Ignoring lifting tempo is a common mistake," says Parisi Speed School co-owner Martin Rooney, M.H.S., P.T. "That's because taking more time to lower the weight can lead to more tissue changes that increase muscle size and strength." Take 2 or 3 seconds to lower the weight, pause for 1 second, and then complete the lift as fast as possible. You may have to use less weight, but the technique improves your form and increases the time your muscles are under tension. The result: bigger muscles and improved performance, which is what you expect from a school with more than 40 outlets that trains hundreds of NFL players and UFC fighters.

The Institute of Human Performance (IHP)
The Institute of Human Performance (IHP)
Boca Raton, FL

Secret:  Use more functional equipment
"Don't be narrow minded when you train. The best results come from using many types of exercise equipment," says J.C. Santana, the owner of IHP, an indoor-outdoor training facility that caters to military specialists and pro athletes. Santana recommends substituting traditional barbells and dumbbells on a weekly basis with kettlebells, sandbags, medicine balls, and bands to build a complete physique. "Functional pieces of equipment offer variety that helps prevent overuse injuries. And the different shapes and sizes force more muscle coordination, which improves your performance in any athletic activity," he says. 

Competitive Athlete Training Zone (CATZ)
Competitive Athlete Training Zone (CATZ)
Pasadena, CA

Secret:  Warmer muscles produce bigger gains
"You may hate warming up, but an excited muscle exerts more force and allows you to lift heavier weights," says CATZ founder Jim Liston, whose athletes won 15 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "If your body isn't fully prepared to train, you'll never be able to maximize your efforts." Try this routine before you start your normal program. (Perform the workout as a circuit, completing one exercise after the other with no rest between them.) Grab a light pair of dumbbells, and then pyramid the reps—that is, complete 3 reps of each exercise on the first set, followed by sets of 4, 5, 4, and 3 reps. Perform alternating shoulder punches, alternating bent-over rows, squats, biceps curls, forward lunges, and overhead triceps extensions. 

Fitness Quest 10
Fitness Quest 10
San Diego, CA

Secret:  Superset power and speed
"One of the best ways to redesign your body is by focusing on exercises that combine multiple movements into one," says Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., founder of Fitness Quest 10. Go outside and try the medicine-ball pushup and shuttle-sprint exercise, a drill that Durkin uses to fine-tune the bodies of his A-list NFL clientele, including LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, and Kellen Winslow Jr. Here's how to start building your NFL body: Assume a pushup position (your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles), but place both hands on top of a medicine ball. Keeping your back flat, lower your body until it's just above the ball, and perform 15 pushups. Immediately stand up, sprint 20 yards, and return to your starting position. Without resting, do another 15 pushups and then run 2 shuttles. Once back at the ball, complete 1 more set of pushups and then 3 shuttles. Time yourself and try to become quicker each week. 

Philippi Sports Institute
Philippi Sports Institute
Las Vegas, NV

Secret:  Put your foot down 
"The way your foot contacts the ground during strength-training exercises could be the detail that allows you to make significant strength improvements," says Mark Philippi, C.S.C.S. "During most exercises, keeping most of your body weight on the ball or inside front edge of your foot allows better balance and generates more power," says Philippi, a former America's Strongest Man champ. "Set your base by digging your feet into the ground like a baseball batter as you apply pressure to the balls of your feet." For one-leg moves, Philippi recommends letting your knees move slightly forward over your toes. 

Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training
Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST)
Indianapolis, IN

Secret:  Close your eyes for growth
"Quality sleep enhances recovery after hard workouts," says Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S., co-owner of IFAST, where the specialty is improving athletic performance and eliminating muscular imbalances. Try these two activities before bedtime to promote relaxation. Lie with the middle of your back (just below the shoulder blades) over a foam roller or basketball. With your hands behind your head, arch backward over the ball or roller 20 times. Follow this with 3 to 5 pelvic lifts: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor (so your shins are vertical), and your hands behind your lower back. Gently flatten your back toward the floor until you make contact with your hands. Now lift your hips 4 to 6 inches.