The gyms that ended up on top:
New York City
Peak Performance You'll only get one-on-one, customized training here, utilizing unorthodox exercise equipment (like sleds and nonmotorized treadmills) to keep your workouts anything but boring. peakperformancenyc.com
Sports Center at Chelsea Piers A sportsman's dream: regulation boxing ring, rock wall, pool, indoor track, sand volleyball court, three basketball courts—plus more than 100 classes a week. chelseapiers.com/sc
Clay Health Club Every detail is accounted for, from the expected (top-notch trainers and fitness classes) to the surprising (disposable flip-flops in the locker room? Yes, please!). insideclay.com
Boston
Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning He's one of the leading strength and conditioning specialists in the country, yet there's nothing elitist about this gym. You'll find more busy moms and accountants than Olympians and Hall of Famers. bodybyboyle.com
Total Performance Sports You won't see members glued to the TV or playing with their phones—people here are serious about scoring results. total performancesports.com
Philadelphia
ACAC Just 30 miles from downtown is a gym. . .no, wait, a fitness megaplex. With tennis and basketball courts, an indoor track, and even an outdoor water park, every inch is a reminder that fitness can be fun. acac.com
SEAL Team Physical Training Created by a former Navy SEAL, this boot camp gives you the chance to train like the country's finest, without having to go totally G.I. Jane. sealteampt.com
Washington, D.C.
CrossFit D.C. CrossFit comes down to two things: community and coaching. This box excels at both. Classes are on a donation basis and in the heart of downtown. crossfitdc.blogspot.com
Down Dog Yoga Ninety minutes in a crowded, heated room might sound torturous, but teachers at any of the three studios turn it into a totally awesome power vinyasa flow. downdogyoga.com
Boca Raton, FL
Institute of Human Performance As a beta-testing site for the fitness industry's leading manufacturers, you'll use the most innovative training tools. And that's just considered a perk to the first-rate personal training. ihpfit.com
Miami
Reebok CrossFit Miami Beach In a locale that demands year-round beach-body readiness, the dynamic workouts and coaching staff will keep you on track. reebokcrossfitmiamibeach.net
Cincinnati
TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion This resortlike certified medical fitness center has been voted one of the Top 100 Clubs in North America for 12 years straight by Club Industry magazine. http://trihealthpavilion.com
Detroit
Results. Performance. Mind. (RPM) With classes no larger than 10 people (and at least two trainers), this is truly personalized attention. The payoff: constant progress. rpmbirmingham.com
Chicago
Flywheel Sports Stadium seating ensures you always have a clear view of the instructor and the indoor cycling chain's real-time leader board. flywheelsports.com
Chicago Athletic Clubs With access to any of seven locations—all stocked with equally phenomenal classes and instructors—you can always squeeze in a sweat session. chicagoathleticclubs.com
Indianapolis
Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST) Muscular imbalances can lead to pain, injury, and poor posture. These guys specialize in boosting results by eliminating imbalances before they snowball into a problem. indianapolisfitnessandsportstraining.com
Minneapolis
Tiger Fit Studio After years of leading fitness programs all over the Twin Cities area, the Tiger Athletic team has opened up shop to bring their dynamic, coach-driven training to one place. tigerathletics.com
Dallas
Camp Gladiator These outdoor workouts break the mold on traditional boot camps: Instead of a drill sergeant kicking your butt, you'll find an infectious motivation to do it yourself. campgladiatordallas.com
Exhale The signature Core Fusion programs at this luxury wellness chain are a high-energy blend of yoga, ballet exercises, and Pilates. exhalespa.com
Boulder, CO
RallySport Health and Fitness Club The only thing more impressive than the amenities are the exceptional credentials carried by every trainer. rallysportboulder.com
Phoenix
Athletes' Performance It's the Canyon Ranch of fitness and athletic training: state-of-the-art facilities, with a premier staff led by internationally known training innovator Mark Verstegen. athletesperformance.com
Off the Grid Fitness The machines at this eco-friendly fitness center are either self-powered to conserve energy or equipped to use your workout effort to produce usable energy for the city. offthegridfitness.net
San Diego
Fitness Quest 10 Accomplished strength coach Todd Durkin has an all-in training approach that drives results—from Super Bowl rings to shedding those lingering post-pregnancy pounds. fitnessquest10.com
Barry's Bootcamp Kind of feels like you're walking into a night club—only instead of wearing stilettos and sipping cocktails, you're sweating through your tank and blasting calories with a blend of treadmill intervals and strength training. barrysbootcamp.com
San Francisco
Fitness Court Built by the National Fitness Campaign as "a fresh-air fitness platform for today's urban America," this outdoor training site is all about accessibility (it's free) and functionality (it has seven body-weight stations that can be used by people of all exercise levels). nfchq.com
Portland, OR
Barre3 Leaner, longer stronger—the results from this yoga-Pilates-ballet blend are so coveted you can now find the studio in 19 cities. barre3.com
Los Angeles
Results Fitness Get scientifically designed programs led by the country's top husband-and-wife training duo, Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove (also MH and WH contributors). results-fitness.com
Burn 60 Celebs flock to this studio, which combines treadmill intervals and strength training into an intense 60-minute workout. burn60.com
SoulCycle Indoor riding, revolutionized, thanks to high-energy instructors and a relentless total-body workout (with hand weights). soul-cycle.com
National Treasures
J.Crew. Chipotle. Target. Just like these cool chains, the five national health clubs here are awesome for good reason: You can trust the quality and service, they're always on-trend, and there's likely one near you.
Anytime Fitness: A membership gets you into all locations (there are more than 2,000!). And it's open 24 hours. No more excuses. anytimefitness.com
Equinox: It may be a pricier monthly membership (think triple digits), but you get what you pay for: cutting-edge classes, the latest equipment, and spalike locker-room amenities. equinox.com
Gold's Gym: "Basic" usually gets a bad rap. Here, it translates into 700 locations with the equipment you need at a cost you can afford. goldsgym.com
Life Time Fitness: Go beyond typical training—join a running club, prep for a triathlon, or even get a personal assessment of your jump shot. lifetimefitness.com
Sports Club/LA: Local classes—like Mommy Bootcamp in Boston and Aqua Zumba in D.C.—give these clubs a personalized feel. The common denominator: nutrition counseling and tons of other wellness perks. sportsclubla.com
