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Where to work out? Take your pick. Each individual has different personal fitness needs and requires a workout space that fits those needs. Though Austin has some great spots for getting fit outdoors, a weekly physical exertion regimen sometimes calls for more. Luckily, the wide variety of locally owned and national chain gyms in Austin provide workout options across the spectrum. From yoga to rock climbing, hardcore weightlifting to intense cardio kickboxing, check out this gym guide to pick the workout haven that’s right for you.
24-Hour Fitness
Six locations
The one obvious benefit of 24-hour Fitness is that it never closes. Even if you work crazy hours or just occasionally get the urge to work out at 3:00am, 24-hour fitness’s doors are open. Beyond that, they have a wide variety of classes, including their newest addition, Everlast Shadow Boxing. This specialty class has members training like boxers, with athletic drills and boot camp routines. If that level of intensity isn’t for you, they also have cycling, yoga, aerobic step, and even a few dance classes.
Austin Rock Gym
(South) 4401 Freidrich Ln / 512.416.9299
(North) 8300 North Lamar
As far as alternative workouts go, Austin Rock Gym challenges your strength, agility, and mind-power with 30-foot tall climbing walls. Even if you’ve never seen a carabineer in your life, the experts at Austin Rock Gym will get you ready to climb in their 10,000-square-foot gym (south location). Each climbing course provides a different test of your skills. Defy gravity as you engage your biceps and triceps by attempting a boulder that puts you parallel to the floor, or see how quickly you can make it to the top of a straight-up climb.
Boxing Brothers Gym
11416 RR 620
512.258.4269
Get ready to channel your inner boxer at Boxing Brothers Gym. With 32 150-pound heavy bags and a full professional boxing ring, this gym is ideal for getting that toned, boxer’s physique. The boxing ring is great for practicing or sparring, but don’t be intimidated if you’ve never thrown a punch. Boxing Brothers Gym has classes for every skill level in Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai boxing, and kickboxing. They also have an impressive variety of cardio equipment, making it easy to observe before jumping in the action.
Castle Hill Specialized Fitness
1112 North Lamar Blvd
512.478.4567
Two obvious requirements for killer abs are diet and exercise, and Castle Hill provides a great option for both. Castle Hill gym has fitness testing, so tracking your progress is easy. They also have muscle-working pilates classes, relaxing yoga, and high intensity group cycling. Adjacent Castle Hill Food for Fitness Café serves up delicious and nutritious food for every diet. The organic eatery centers its menu around tempting health items, including vegetarian dishes as well as wheat-free and dairy-free options, but they also have meat proteins for the carnivore.
Gold’s Gym
11 locations
With more than 600 locations in 42 states and 30 countries, members can stay fit even while traveling cross country or abroad. Gold’s specialty since 1965 has been weightlifting, but they also offer a variety of cardio and lift classes. One favorite is Body Combat, a class that focuses on kicking and punching set to some pumping music. Another signature Gold’s class, Body Attack is designed to increase stamina and is sure to attack those unwanted pounds. Whether you want to build muscle or shed some fat, Gold’s Gym has options for every goal.
Hyde Park Gym
4125 Guadalupe St
512.459.9174
Local exercise hub Hyde Park Gym is “all natural,” just like the painted sign on the window boasts. Remove the bells and whistles, trendy classes, and corporate salespeople, and you have a gym fit for a serious workout. Hyde Park Gym offers the best in weightlifting equipment. Squat racks, flat and incline benches, and barbells are all key staples to this gym. And though Hyde Park is often docked as a “weightlifters gym,” they also boast the regular cardio equipment for the average Joe.
Kratai Fitness Studio
3803 Hawkshead
512.914.5425
A unique approach to getting in shape, the Power of Six technique highlighted at Kratai Fitness Studio has proven to be highly intense and successful. During the three month program, clients exercise with a personal trainer four times a week, receive monthly cooking demonstrations for healthy eating, and attend workshops on dietary supplements to help meet their goals. During sessions, trainers will provide several different options for personalized fitness. Clients also receive six professional massages for those post-workout aches and pains. It’s more than a fitness studio; it’s a lifestyle designed for you by a fitness expert.
Lifetime Fitness
(North) 13725 FM 620 / 512.219.0909
(South) 7101 South MoPac Expwy / 512.358.8171
A mammoth of a gym, Lifetime Fitness has everything you could ever imagine in an exercise hotspot. Both indoor and outdoor pools, complete with waterslides are a great place to either cool off, swim laps, or try an aqua group course. Several sport courts are ideal for getting the gang together for some basketball or racquetball, and the child center gives young’uns a place to expend their energy while you pump up. Different membership options allow different club access, meaning you only pay for what you get.
Mecca Gym & Spa
524 North Lamar Blvd
512.381.2680
Environment is key at the Mecca Gym & Spa. Not only do they have top-notch cardio equipment, machines and free weights, but the space also plays on architectural aspects to make Mecca a serene and peaceful escape. A wall of windows overlooks downtown Austin, and dark wood accents meshed with a cool cream-colored wall make working out a pleasant experience. For your post-workout, eucalyptus steam rooms and private showers are available to members, and the attached Mecca Spa offers a full range of treatments.
NiaSpace
3212 South Congress Ave
512.443.3013
NiaSpace was the first movement fitness studio in Austin, and it still holds the same great reputation it did in upon opening in 1996. The studio specializes in nia, a low-impact cardio workout that incorporates martial arts, creative dance moves, and healing arts. Members benefit from the increased joint mobility and flexibility they have achieved from nia, but NiaSpace offers other classes as well, including belly dancing, tai chi, and yoga. Located just minutes from downtown, the innovative studio provides an alternative style of working out for those who want to enhance their body and spirit.
Premiere Lady Fitness
(North) 7028 Wood Hollow Dr / 512.418.9399
(South) 6800 Westgate Blvd / 512.707.7700
Premiere Lady Fitness is a gym designed with women’s needs in mind. A female-only exercise space, the gym offers childcare, tanning, and a salon and spa in addition to the regular cardio and weight equipment. Their group classes also focus on women’s fitness needs, such as muscle toning rather than bulking-up. Stretch Ball & Tone is a popular weekly class that requires the use of free weights and a pilates ball to increase strength and flexibility. Another class, Salsa Aerobics, will get your hips moving for fitness.
Pure Austin
(downtown) 907 West 5th St / 512.474.1800
(north) 4210 West Braker Ln / 512.342.2200
Pure Austin is an indoor gym for outdoor people, as their motto claims. The natural light pouring in through the second story windows provides an uplifting, bright environment for exercisers. For those seeking a deeper mind-body connection, Pure Austin offers a Hatha Flow Yoga class that focuses on flexibility, strength, and spirit. Adventuresome members can try out some of the more unique classes, such as Striptease Aerobics or Bosu Blast, which engages core strength utilizing balance. When the weather is fussy, Pure Austin provides a great alternative to those religious hike-and-bikers.
Randy Palmer’s South Austin Gym
1126 South Lamar Blvd
512.445.2348
South Austin Gym is an exercise hotspot with a stunning view. The gym windows frame a beautiful scene of downtown Austin, especially after the sun goes down. Beyond aesthetics, they have great certified personal trainers on site for specialized nutrition and fitness advice for a charge. Recently, South Austin Gym has joined forces with Vasquez Academy to provide kickboxing and multiple martial arts classes, including Brazilian jujitsu and even classes for kids. Full weight equipment is available as well.
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