California is synonymous with health, sunshine and the radiant faces of people who are enjoying the benefits of a lifestyle steeped in exercise and nutrition. Everyone is familiar with the song by the Beach Boys about the iconic California girls.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that California has such a diverse selection of the ultimate in gym facilities, complete with everything you could possibly need to get your act in shape. In this article we’ll review several of the gyms in the Los Angeles area, giving you all the information you need to make the right choice. The amenities they boast are so luxurious and well-appointed you may be tempted to join more than one. Let’s just hope you can afford it.
The Sports Club
We’ll start with the sports club in L.A. The sports club is a national fitness center, with locations in Washington, D.C., Dallas and Miami, to name a few, and this club rocks. The eye-popping state-of-the-art features and equipment, not to mention the cafe with bar, garnered it a compliment from no less than Vogue, who called it a “super store for the body”.
The Sports Club pulls out all the stops. They have multiple floors, featuring the finest in cardio and weight training equipment, a fully-equipped spa, a junior Olympic-sized pool and award winning fitness classes. It isn’t just a building, either. The interior looks like a decked out hotel rather than a gym, and the cafe offers an array of cocktails to treat you for your hard work.
Taking a quick tour of their website will allow you a peek at their famous clientele, from Tom Cruise to Sharon Stone. Even the Rock can be seen dipping into the Sports Club to get his stair climbing fix. If you want everything, and have the cash to pay for it, here’s your gym.
Bally Total Fitness
By comparison, Bally Total Fitness may seem to pale against The Sports Club, but don’t let yourself be fooled. Though not nearly as luxurious, Bally offers everything the person serious about getting fit and staying that way needs. Award-winning classes and instructors, the best in machines and equipment and plenty of amenities will make this a great work-out stop. Though it doesn’t have the sexy cocktail bar, it does have a juice bar, a reasonable alternative to boozing it up real quick after your workout.
Their website does no name-dropping. If Paris Hilton walked through the doors, they aren’t telling. But what they do offer is a seven-day free pass to let you give the gym a try, and that’s awesome.
In addition to their heated lap pool and kid area, Bally offers trainers to help you figure out what’s best for your fitness needs. Bally is a solid choice for fitness.
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Remember when I said The Sports Club looked like a gorgeous hotel? Well this one is a hotel.
This private club is a decadent oasis. You’ve got hotel rooms. You’ve got billiard rooms. You’ve got an Olympic swimming and tennis and racquet courts. You’ve got a basketball court and you’ve got a bar that looks like it belongs in a Phillip Marlow movie.
And, of course, you’ve got the fitness facilities, complete with instructors and aerobic classes. If you’re in the class to enjoy this type of prestige, you’ll be happy to know that this Athletic Club is all over the country in the biggest cities. When you join this club you are automatically a member in each of them. That makes for easy planning when you’re taking a business trip.
Crunch
Crunch is young, lively and full of action. This club is serious about fitness and serious about movement. Their selection of classes are fun and designed to bring you to your knees. They have a hip hop dancing class where everyone looks like they’re dirty dancing to latino music. Their faces shine with sweat and their bodies look great.
They offer anti-gravity yoga classes, where you do much of your movements suspended by material dropping down from the ceiling like curtains. They offer “gunning”, where you exercise with an arm machine guaranteed to blast your biceps. Pole dancing is also on the class schedule. Yes – pole dancing. Didn’t you know that has become a fitness craze? It takes a great deal of strength and control to operate on a pole like a true stripper. Here you’ll be able to reap the benefits without feeling like you’ve taken a moral step down.
The scene inside is no-nonsense. When you walk in it’s all about getting down to business. If you’re sporty, like exploring new trends in exercise and like to move your booty, Crunch will be your spot.
Ultrabody Fitness
Tony Wisniewski is a professional body builder, small part actor and stunt man. He’s won numerous awards for his heavily muscled physique and has been named one of the top personal trainers in America. One of his clients is Dean Cain, who got Tony’s help to make him pretty enough to be Superman.
Tony’s gym, Ultrabody Fitness, is simple. There are no frills, no clutter and very little in the way of amenities. Massage therapy is offered, but the rooms are very small and you have to bring your own oil and towels. The gym facility itself is very small and offers a limited amount of equipment.
However, this seeming drawback is offset by Tony’s experience and professionalism. Even though his gym might be a bit basic, if you’re dedicated he’ll whip your behind into shape. Go for Tony if you’re ready to get chiseled.
Burbank Athletic Club
This is a fresh club with everything you need to get in shape. Their yoga classes are diverse and plentiful, applying many different styles and techniques of yoga. Boxing and military fitness classes ought to get you sweating in no time. And believe it or not, these guys are actually affordable, advertising a membership fee of $39 a month with a $25 start up fee. If you want to be able to swing back and forth between both of their Burbank locations, the monthly fee is $44. How nice is that?
They offer spinning and training as well, and even throw in the fluffy white towels for you to use. Just don’t take them home.
This was an overview of just a few of the fitness centers that the Los Angeles area has to offer, and you can see the great diversity among them. From the simplest and most basic grunt gym to the pinnacle of luxury and pampering, Los Angeles brings it all. Treat yourself to a martini and a stair climber, or get down to a raw barbell workout and get some ripped veins. The selection is wide and varied. It’s all up to you.
And your wallet.