Miami gyms are not only great places to get in shape but also awesome arenas for building community and socializing with people who share similar interests. Boredom will never be a reason to throw in the towel; whether you're searching for a weekend adventure, something poolside, or more routine workouts, there are myriad options to choose from in the Magic City.
The following are the ten frontrunners in the Miami fitness race. Many of them offer free first classes, so be sure to visit their websites for more information.
Anatomy
1220 20th St., Miami Beach786-213-1220
3415 NE Second St., Miami
786-300-7415
anatomyfitness.com
Founded by nightlife entrepreneur Chris Paciello and former NFL player Marc Megna, Anatomy offers a holistic wellness experience with a Miami club vibe. There's a full weekly class schedule, with 30-to-60-minute sessions for yoga, glute camp, high-intensity interval training, and personal training. For postworkout relaxation, this gym offers hot and cold plunges, an infrared sauna, physical therapy, a steam room, facials, and endermology — a body-contouring treatment. Prices range from $155 per month for an annual membership to $272 for a month-to-month option.
Barry's Bootcamp
3250 NE First Ave., Miami786-725-5791
barrys.com
Barry's red rooms are always filled to capacity with people getting their butts kicked into shape. Encouraging celebrity trainers lead the classes, which pack all the benefits busy people need to reap in an hourlong unique interval technique. Meshing high-energy bursts of activity with a short period of lower-energy exercise, the heart-racing classes are broken down into half an hour on a treadmill and 25 to 30 minutes of strength training targeting different areas of the body, followed by a much-deserved cool-down. Prices start at $32 per class, and packages range from $145 for five classes to $1,200 for 50. With Miami Barry's Legend membership, you enjoy 30 classes in 30 days for $400.
Element Aqua
6200 NE Fourth Ct., Miami786-332-2163
elementaqua.com
Dive into a world of aquatic training at this indoor studio. The premise is simple: Find overall well-being by exercising your body as well as relaxing your mind. Water supports the body's weight and reduces stress on joints, which makes for a more comfortable cardio experience and a more balanced total-body conditioning. Aquatic cycling, circuit, boxing, yoga, and aerobic classes range from restorative to challenging and are designed for maximum performance with minimal impact. Individual classes run $30, and a $480 pass gives you access to 20 sessions. Month-to-month memberships cost $249.
Equinox
Various locationsequinox.com
An elite studio with outposts scattered throughout the Magic City, Equinox takes the concept of a one-stop wellness destination to the next level. Equipped with state-of-the-art yoga, pilates, and cycling studios, clubs also offer personal training, running experiences, a spa, locker rentals with laundry service, eucalyptus steam rooms, and retail shops. There are also juice bars and cafés where you can network; the Coral Gables location allows members to finish their workout with a swim in the indoor lap pool, and the Brickell Heights Equinox offers a sun deck and recreational pool where you can float their cares away. Membership prices vary, but most include an initiation fee of $300 plus $172 to $260 per month for full club access.
Fitbox Method
1756 N. Bayshore Dr., Miami305-978-3961
fitboxmethod.com
This group fitness studio in Edgewater offers a unique boxing and weightlifting boot camp experience. The methodology involves short, effective 60-minute, two-for-one total body workouts — a mix of cardio boxing and resistance training through high-intensity interval training, fitness boot camps, and circuit training. The one-hour "lifestyle workouts" are designed to improve cardiovascular health, agility, balance, confidence, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin sensitivity. Plus, your body will continue to burn calories up to 38 hours after classes. Resistance training is thrown into the mix so you can also build muscle and as you move your body to music in a studio filled with dim, ambient lighting. Classes start at $15, and a month-to-month membership costs $169 for unlimited access. A location in Brickell is slated to open in 2020.
Miami Beach Jewish Community Center
4221 Pine Tree Dr., Miami Beach305-534-3206
mbjcc.org
With heart-pumping programs and great locations for gathering, the Jewish Community Center in Miami Beach goes beyond fitness by offering social, educational, recreational, and cultural programs in a Judaism-oriented setting, but they're open to everyone the community. Members benefit from more than 75 weekly group classes, a 3,200-square-foot cardio and weight room, cycling and Pilates/physical therapy studios, as well as a basketball court, racquetball court, turf field, and lap pool. At the facility's Parent Place, families can participate in classes and workshops on everything from hypnobirthing to nutrition to holiday celebrations and events. The facility also features after-school enrichment programs, teen clubs, aquatic fitness, sports leagues, as well as summer and vacation camps. Individual memberships cost $80, and the family rate is $134.
Magic City Rock Gym
13972 SW 139th Ct., Miami305-233-6623
magiccityrockgym.com
If rock climbing is on your bucket list of things to try in 2020, head to Magic City Rock Gym in West Kendall, where national-level competitors and neighborhood folks alike have been coming together to practice the recreational sport since 1997. Rock climbing is a high-intensity option that challenges your strength and stamina, but if heights are not your thing, you can still find something to do here. With 14,000 square feet, this welcoming training center also offers a range of weekly fitness and yoga classes. Day passes with rental gear are available for $29, monthly memberships cost $76, and family packages start at $116.
Orangetheory Fitness
Various locationsorangetheoryfitness.com
This is not your usual transformational gym, but the regular 60-minute group workout classes at Orangetheory Fitness will sculpt your body beyond what you thought was possible. Instructors will guide you through a treadmill and rower and floor exercises that incorporate weights and pushups, all while you're wearing a heart-rate monitor to keep track of how hard you're working. The high-intensity interval training breaks heart rates down into five color-coded zones, from gray to red. All the sweating will result in better endurance and power. After class, you get a summary of how you performed. Membership ranges from four to unlimited classes per month. Prices vary depending upon location.
Sobe Pilates
950 Arthur Godfrey Rd., Miami Beach305-763-8878
sobepilates.net
At their fully equipped Miami Beach studio, Susie Karvelis and Tina Bassanese are sharing their love for Pilates, a series of moves that are exponentially gaining popularity in the 305. In addition to helping develop precision and control, the positions and techniques are also known for giving practitioners a stronger, beach-perfect core. Sobe Pilates offers customized private and duet sessions with instructors who coach clients through back-pain relief, postural correction, pre- and postnatal work, and injury rehab. Reformer classes demand breathing and concentration, and there are private sessions for Ki-Hara and active isolated stretch, complemented by manual therapy. Individual classes cost $35, and a 20-pack class package runs $540.
SoulCycle
Various locationssoul-cycle.com
Keeping your new year's resolution to get fit is made easy at SoulCycle, a boutique indoor-cycling studio with classes combining fat-burning cardio and a full-body workout with hand weights and core work. Ride out your stress and torch more calories than you can count in candle-lit studios through vibrant 45-minute choreography. You won't regret the time you spend sweating at SoulCycle — the ambiance, good music, and networking opportunities here are so plentiful you'll find yourself skipping out on local bars and nightclubs. Rates range from $30 per class to $775 for a 30-pack.
