Men’s Health’s Best Gyms of 2024

CONNECTED FITNESS? THAT’S so 2022. Brick-and-mortar gyms are red-hot again. Our editors and fitness advisors visited hundreds of gyms; whittled down our favorites based on innovation, vibe, and quality of instruction; and picked the best spots in America.

BEST OUTDOOR SWEAT

MILO – LIMITLESS FITNESS,

Del Mar, California

OVER THE PAST decade, Milo F. Bryant, C.S.C.S., has evolved the programs at Milo – Limitless Fitness (aka the Play- ground) to combine fun and strength. (In his spare time, Bryant is also anMH advisor.) His 12-year-old outdoor facility lets all comers build athletic skills with programming that can help you jump higher or swing a golf club faster. Net climbs and monkey bars test strength, balance, and agility. An Olympic weightlifting platform and free weights ensure it’s not just fun and games; you can still train heavy.

Hit This Playground Sesh!:

All you need is a bar to blast your back and abs.

• Pullup: Do 4 sets of 10 reps.
• Hanging Knee Raise: Hang from a bar with an overhand grip; lift your knees to your chest. Do 4 sets of 20.
• Hanging Scissor Kick: Hang from a bar. Alternately raise 1 knee to your chest and lower, then raise the other. Do four 30-second sets.

MOST INCLUSIVE SCENE

EVERYBODY

Los Angeles, California

CONCEIVED AS “AN antidote to oppressive gym culture” by co- owners Sam Rypinski and Lake Sharp, Everybody is less about PRs and more about making the gym less intimidating. The space has areas reserved for members who use wheelchairs and other assistive technology, as well as gender-inclusive locker rooms and saunas. Everybody also sidesteps classes built around aesthetic goals (big arms!) in favor of events that highlight marginalized communities. “Your body is the boss,” says Rypinski. “You decide what your personal goals are.”

BEST CIRCUIT WORKOUT

F45

Various Locations

STOP IN AT any of F45’s 1,700 global studios and you can expect a 45-minute high-intensity workout in four categories—resistance, cardio, hybrid, and recovery. Each workout uses every- thing from slam balls to dumbbells and battle ropes.

BEST COMMUNITY

OLD SCHOOL GYM

Granville, Ohio

CO-OWNERS DUSTIN MYERS, C.S.C.S., and Cory Gregory, lifting partners since the tenth grade, nurture a results-driven, no-nonsense vibe popular with pro athletes like UFC fighter Matt Brown, as well as others serious about their fitness. The gym’s exclusivity leads to a tight-knit community, too.

Old School’s Speedy Upper-Body Blast:

Gregory loves quick workouts, like this 3-round, no-rest circuit.

• Bench Press: Do 5 reps.
• Chest-Supported Row: Do 5 reps.
• Resistance-Band Face Pull: Do 15 reps.

BEST MEGA GYM

EAST BANK CLUB

Chicago, Illinois

LOCATED ON THE Chicago River, the East Bank Club is a 350,000-square-foot institution. EBC’s boutique studio, the Brickyard, features intense workouts like Crush, a strength class built around heavy compound lifts.

BEST MOBILITY WORKOUT

SOLIDCORE

Various Locations

THIS GROUP STUDIO combines Pilates with strength moves using a custom reformer that includes lines on its main board (for easy body positioning) and extra handles to help beginners maintain balance. It all lets you embrace the power of slow, controlled Pilates movements. It’s a good enough workout for anyone seeking a stronger, more mobile body. With 136 new studios expected to open by the end of the year, Solidcore is growing fast.

Solidcore’s Guide to Upgrading Your Pushup:

The Solidcore method focuses on controlled, deliberate movements that push your muscles to their limits. Try Solidcore’s take on the pushup.

• DESCEND: Move slowly toward the floor, engaging your core and glutes. Your chest works intensely through- out this controlled descent.
• ASCEND: Rise slowly to a high plank positon. This deliberate upward motion maintains constant tension on your pecs, biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
• REPEAT: Continue these slow repeti- tions to challenge slow-twitch muscle fibers. Do reps until failure; expect your chest muscles in particular to burn.

BEST BOXING WORKOUT

MAYWEATHER BOXING + FITNESS

Various Locations

EACH STUDIO OFFERS classes modeled after Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s training style. The Undefeated class is our favorite, pairing five rounds of boxing with three rounds of fitness.

BEST HARDCORE VIBE

DRAGON’S LAIR GYM

Las Vegas, Nevada

FOUNDED BY SEVEN-TIME Mr. Olympia bodybuilder Flex Lewis, this 12,632- square-foot iron paradise boasts more than 115 machines—and a sports-massage facility dubbed the “torture room.”

BEST TRAINING/RECOVERY HYBRID

LIFE TIME

Various Locations

WHAT YOU DO post workout is as import- ant as the workout itself. That’s why Life Time offers recovery spaces in most of its 170 locations. Expect mainstays like saunas and cold plunges in addition to fancy compression boots. Work through these therapies after a workout in the fully equipped gym, of course.

Ultimate Recovery:

Relax hips and back with these 3 moves that Life Time trainers love. Do each for 60 seconds.

• Child’s Pose
• Toe Touch
• Butterfly Stretch

BEST HOTEL SPACE

ANATOMY FITNESS

1 Hotel, South Beach, Florida

AT THE FIVE-STAR 1 Hotel, the gym is a must-hit feature near the beach. The space is stocked with cable machines, sleds, Rogue kettlebells, and a belt-squat machine, giving you plenty of muscle-building options.

BEST APPS

BRING THE GYM anywhere with these fitness apps.

This story originally ran in the November/December issue of Men’s Health.

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