Fitness expert visits gyms nationwide, shouts out 4 clubs for 'getting it right’

Gym rank successful nan U.S. deed a grounds precocious successful 2025, according to nan Health & Fitness Association, giving consumers much workout options — and much choices to benignant done erstwhile picking nan correct fittingness space.

Amid today's wellness renaissance, galore gyms and fittingness clubs tin costs hundreds of dollars per month, depending connected nan level of entree and amenities offered.

In an question and reply pinch Fox News Digital, Kenny Santucci — New York City fitness trainer, gym proprietor and big of nan "Strong New York" podcast — revealed nan attributes of a awesome gym.

FITNESS EXPERT REVEALS SIMPLE RULE TO GET IN SHAPE WITHOUT DREADING THE GYM: 'JUST MOVE'

"A batch of group traditionally look astatine gyms [as if] they person to person each nan bells and whistles," he said. "Spa, bathrooms, each these things. For me, a gym is simply a gym. I spell location for nan equipment, I spell for nan culture, I spell for nan look and consciousness of nan place."

He added, "You tin person an unthinkable gym [that's] a car shed gym, and you tin person an unthinkable gym [that] personification could person built for $10 million."

Amid today's wellness renaissance, galore gyms and fittingness clubs tin costs hundreds of dollars per month, depending connected nan level of entree and amenities offered. A New York City fittingness trainer (not pictured) has a different position of what makes nan champion gyms.

Santucci, who visits caller gyms crossed nan state and posts his experiences connected societal media, said he looks for a equilibrium betwixt aesthetics and instrumentality quality, arsenic good arsenic "great people."

"I deliberation you could spell and get successful a sweat aliases a workout anyplace — but if nan group are great, that's what creates that awesome culture," he said.

MEET THE 80-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO HELD A PLANK FOR 50 MINUTES — AND LEARN HOW HE STAYS FIT

"If you inquire nan mean personification who goes to astir big-box gyms, nan things they show you they emotion astir nan gym are, ‘Oh, I emotion nan showers. They person really bully towels.’ It's thing that really pertains to nan gym, and I judge that group should spell to nan gym to progress and get better," he added.

With these goals successful mind, Santucci revealed immoderate of his top-rated gyms successful nan U.S.

Life Time Fitness

Life Time is simply a concatenation of luxury health clubs successful nan U.S., offering amenities for illustration indoor courts, swimming pools, saunas and group fittingness classes.

Santucci applauded nan gym's laminitis and CEO, Bahram Akradi, for being a "very hands-on proprietor and operator," overseeing hundreds of gyms crossed nan country.

The destruction of an upscale Lifetime gym is shown successful Walnut Creek, California, connected April 8, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

"[Bahran’s] mentality and belief strategy astir nan fittingness space, I perfectly love," he said.

"I springiness a batch of in installments to nan guys who are owners and operators," Santucci added. "They’re successful nan space, they're making judge things are going really well. I deliberation if you're going to beryllium successful nan gym business, you should beryllium 1 of those people."

Anatomy Gyms (Florida)

Santucci besides shouted retired Marc Megna, co-founder and co-CEO of Florida-based Anatomy Fitness for building a must-visit space.

NYC UNVEILS FIRST INDOOR PICKLEBALL COURTS AS GAME TRENDS IN US: SPORT IS FOR 'EVERYONE,' LIFE TIME CEO SAYS

"It's an unthinkable civilization there, and I deliberation that's what they really push astatine that gym," he said.

"The measurement nan gym’s group up, nan cleanliness of it, nan aesthetics – you locomotion successful that place, and you want to train … and those are things you can't conscionable bargain ... You person to unrecorded it, emotion it and beryllium progressive successful nan day-to-day operations."

Powerhouse (New York/New Jersey)

In a newer recommendation, Santucci said he’s enjoyed stopping into Powerhouse Gym successful New York City.

The New York- and New Jersey-based gym focuses connected weight training and bodybuilding, including a powerlifting room and boxing rig astatine its locations.

"I conscionable started going there, erstwhile aliases doubly a week," he said. "I really emotion nan group and nan culture."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

The Training Lab (NYC)

For much of a group fittingness and Hyrox training experience, Santucci recommends The Training Lab successful New York City. (Hyrox is simply a world fittingness racing marque and training strategy pinch affiliated gyms and training clubs.)

FITNESS EXPERTS SAY VIRAL WORKOUT FEELS 'TOO EASY' BUT DELIVERS REAL HEALTH BENEFITS

"The guys complete astatine Training Lab are incredible," he told Fox News Digital. "Another owner-operator who's progressive successful nan business, who partakes successful everything. I deliberation they're different awesome gym."

"If you're looking for group training, Training Lab's a awesome space."

Participants compete successful nan burpee wide jumps arena during nan Hyrox fittingness title astatine nan Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre successful Bangkok connected March 21, 2026. (Amaury Paul/AFP)

The value of wellness

While immoderate premier gym memberships tin costs upward of $300 a month, Santucci said it isn’t basal to walk a batch to get results, though it whitethorn consequence successful much of an "experience."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

"We request to restructure nan measurement we deliberation astir health and wellness," he said. "People aren't going retired arsenic overmuch anymore. They're not spending arsenic overmuch connected alcohol.

"It's each what you prioritize. I prioritize fitness," he went on. "I beryllium to aggregate gyms. I person a rank to TMPL Gym present successful [New York City]. I person a rank to Renzo Gracie's. That's what I for illustration to do pinch my money."

While immoderate premier gym memberships tin costs upward of $300 a month, Santucci emphasized that it isn’t basal to walk a batch to get results. (iStock)

Santucci said what he’s paying for goes beyond nan instrumentality — pointing to nan staff, organization and wide ambiance arsenic portion of nan value.

"If you want that elevated experience, you're going to salary for that conscionable for illustration you would astatine a edifice aliases a edifice aliases thing else," he said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The master suggested that wellness has precocious go a "third shape of hygiene."

"It's for illustration you return a shower, you brushwood your teeth and you spell to nan gym," he said. "I deliberation those are 3 non-negotiables for almost everybody connected a regular ground erstwhile it comes to your hygiene."