WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO WORK OUT at one gym over another? Is it that
certain hardcore, no-nonsense atmosphere? The plush locker rooms? Maybe
it's the clientele--after all, who wouldn't want to work in with Brad
Pitt on cable crossovers? It may be a little bit of all these things.
Here, we single out each of our 10 favorite gyms in America for its
unique merits. Whatever criteria you have for your best gym, you're sure
to find a spot among our picks.
BEST GYM IN THE HEARTLAND
QUADS GYM | 3727 N. Broadway, Chicago 745 Torrence Ave., Calumet City, Illinois
The famous Quads Gym is actually plural--it's two gyms in the
Chicago area. The north side location is the city mouse, while the
south-side site (in Calumet City) is its country cousin. The north-side
gym covers a whopping 45,000 square feet and is housed in a former BMW
warehouse. The south-side locale is slightly more hardcore, which is
just fine by longtime member Ed Coan, who just so happens to be
pound-for-pound the strongest man in the world. And if it's good enough
for Ed....
Dues: $600 (north side), $450 (south side) per year
Contact: (773) 404-PUMP (north side), (708) 862-9779 (south side); quadsgym.com
--Shawn Perine
BEST CORPORATE GYM
NIKE WORLD HEADQUARTERS | 1 Bowerton Drive, Beaverton, Oregon
Snag one of the 5,000 jobs at Nike's World Headquarters
just for this perk: The campus has two sports centers totaling nearly
110,000 square feet. Also open to employees' families, the centers
feature free weights, cardio equipment, free fitness assessments, 2,800
square feet of climbing walls, a 25-meter lap pool, more than 100 weekly
group fitness classes in eight studios, as well as racquetball, squash
and basketball
courts. The company's commitment to fitness doesn't end indoors. You
can schedule playtime on the outdoor sand volleyball court, multiuse
grass field, turf field and basketball and tennis courts. Need a midday
break from your cubicle? Go for a run on the outdoor track, constructed
out of (what else?) recycled shoes.
Dues: $40 per month (individual); $85 per month (family,
including spouse or partner and dependents under 23 years old). Contact:
nikebiz.com
--Jeanine Detz
BEST HOTEL GYM
GRAVITY FITNESS AND SPA AT LE PARKER MERIDIEN | 119 W. 56th St., New York
Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, Gravity Fitness
isn't your ordinary hotel gym. Its glass-enclosed penthouse pool and
sundeck have views of Central Park and the surrounding skyline that are
sure to inspire you as you work out. And it's not merely for hotel
guests--monthly memberships are available to city dwellers. The
multilevel 15,000-square-foot center has the same cardio machines you'd
find in a pro sports gym, plus a full range of free weights and
machines. If your interests lean more toward competitive sports, it
offers a basketball court and tournament-caliber racquetball courts. You
can also choose from a wide array of daily classes you'd never find at
an ordinary hotel fitness center. Finish off with a rejuvenating massage
at the adjoining spa. It's finally good to be on the road....
Dues: $96-$154 per month. Contact: (212) 708-7340
--J.D.
BEST OLDSCHOOL GYM
DOUG'S GYM | 2010 Commerce St., Dallas
The wooden floor creaks. Past members include bodybuilder Ken
Waller, actor Chuck Norris and gunman Jack Ruby. The closest thing to
cardio equipment is one of those electric fat-jiggling belts. But for
rusty iron and a trip back through time, the gym 74-year-old Doug Eidd
has run for the past 42 years should be experienced before it fades into
history.
Dues: $150 for three months
Contact: (214) 742-3758
--Greg Merritt
MOST HARDCORE
METROFLEX | 2921 S. Cooper St., No. 109, Arlington, Texas
Heavy-metal music thunders while heavy metal is hoisted. Car
carcasses rust in the gravel parking lot. The floor is crumbling from
abuse. Nothing is clean and nobody cares. If you want luxuries like air
conditioning, you must be lost. These are reasons why Metroflex is the
most hardcore gym in the world, but it's mostly because this is where
seven-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman reps out 800-pound deadlifts and
600-pound rows on 110-degree days.
Dues: $100 initiation fee; $350 per year
Contact: (817) 465-9331; metroflaxgym.com
--G.M.
MOST STAR STUDDED
THE SPORTS CLUB/LA | 1835 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles
If sipping a smoothie next to Mark Wahlberg sounds appealing,
this club is for you. While The Sports Club/LA is known for its
clientele, its size, services and equipment are also A-list. The
100,000-square-foot complex boasts every athletic feature you can think
of, including a massive weight room. Even better: valet parking, salon,
day spa and executive locker room with laundry service.
Dues: $1,200 initiation fee; $150 per month
Contact: (310) 473-1447; thesportsclubla.com
--J.D.
BEST BODYBUILDING GYM (WEST COAST)
GOLD'S GYM VENICE | 360 Hampton Drive, Venice, California
This is The One--the big daddy of gyms. The Venice Gold's is
the flagship of the largest coed gym chain in the world, and although it
isn't the original location (it's No. 3), it's still considered the
mecca of bodybuilding. History melds with modernity everywhere you look,
from the pantheon of bodybuilding greats on its walls to its healthy
mix of old and new equipment. The gym is spread out over three floors,
plus a loft area for stretching, cardio and Spinning rooms, and a posing
room for elite bodybuilders. It's also one of the best places to catch a
glimpse of celebrities doing something we rarely see them doing on
camera--sweating.
Dues: Call for rates
Contact: (310) 392-6004
--S.P.
BEST BODYBUILDING GYM (EAST COAST)
BEV FRANCIS' GOLD'S GYM | 235-C Robbins Lane, Syosset, NY
From the moment you step foot into the cavernous
30,000-square-foot building, you know Bev's means business. Legendary
bodybuilding couple Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger have applied their
vast experience to assembling a gym that meets the needs of everyone,
regardless of experience or goals. The gym floor is spacious and
chock-full of free weights and myriad machines for working every
bodypart from every angle, not to mention 70 pieces of cardio equipment.
When you're done pumping and pushing, you can recharge at the front
counter with a cold protein drink. Little wonder Bev's is the unofficial
home of fitness celebs Davana Medina and Frank Sepe and former hoops
star Chris Mullen.
Dues: Approx. $44 per month (depends on length of contract)
Contact: (516) 933-1111
--S.P.
BEST PROTEAM FACILITY
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER | 2500 Victory Ave., Dallas
If Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley seem more ripped than the
average NBA all-star, credit ever-generous Dallas Mavericks owner Mark
Cuban for installing the plushest workout facility in pro sports today.
Adjacent to the Mavs locker room and practice court at American Airlines
Center, the 19,000-square-foot carpeted facility houses dozens of
Hammer Strength machines, intricate power racks, stationary bikes,
treadmills (one of them located underwater in the training room), tons
of dumbbells and bumper plates and other state-of-the-art equipment
nestled within its brick walls. Frankly, the place looks more like a
Barnes & Noble than a weight room.
Dues: Free (provided you play for the Mavericks)
Contact: dallasmavs.com
--Joe Wuebben
BEST URBAN ESCAPE
THE SPORTS CENTER AT CHELSEA PIERS | Pier 60, 23rd Street and the Hudson River, New York
Located on the edge of Manhattan's Lower West Side, The Sports
Center at Chelsea Piers yanks city stress right outta ya. Measuring
three football fields in length and situated on the water, the pier
features a 14,000-square-foot strength deck, 100 cardio machines, a
quarter-mile track and a pool. For those who really want to break out,
there's also a boxing ring, a 10,000-square-foot climbing wall, the
city's only indoor sand volleyball court, a juice and sushi bar, two
sundecks and a day spa. Certified instructors offer more than 140
classes a week and head up competitive running, swimming and triathlon
clubs. Plus, members get a discount on other Chelsea Piers activities,
including ice and roller rinks, a driving range and batting cages.
Dues: $450 initiation fee; $154 per month
Contact: chelseapiers.com
--Steve Mazzucchi
Compiled by Jeanine Detz & Joe Wuebben
Illustration by Joe Zeff
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