Allentown Gyms and Fitness

Founded by Pilates master Susan Fox, The Core Center is a 4,500-square-foot facility featuring a large space for group classes and two areas for equipment classes. Along with select members of her staff, Fox holds a license in Fletcher Pilates, a variation of the original Pilates method that emphasizes movements that emerge organically throughout the routine. The center also plays host to Zumba, Yamuna, and dance classes, all of which welcome students with two left feet as long as they bring their own pairs of left shoes.

Helmed by 23-year PGA vet Scot W.R. Nei, TourBound Golf Academy hones the skills of golfers of all levels with a blend of professional training and high-tech analysis. In addition to learning from extensively experienced human trainers, students study under the cold, metal gaze of a training robot, which mercifully sets its kill-phasers to the "teach" setting as it offers up exact movement measurements and mechanically guided golf-swing practice. An indoor and outdoor facility hosts lessons in all weather, and TrackMan ball-flight trackers and digital-video scrutiny pinpoint improper postures and map out spheroid trajectories with computerized precision.

As a Zumba instructor, Diana Blandon saw how much people enjoyed burning calories while swiveling their hips to the Latin-inspired beats, so she decided to open her own Zumba studio. She recruited a team of certified instructors and decked the studio walls in yellow and purple to complement the high-energy classes.

Less than a year later, her studio's grown faster than she ever thought it would. "I'm actually looking for something bigger," she says. "Every [class], I'm getting more people."

Diana attributes the overwhelmingly positive response to a few factors. As patrons attend classes, they can rest assured their wee ones are safely frolicking with free childcare. Kids can watch movies, play games, or use the WiFi to work on homework assignments or download longer and more boring homework assignments. And then there's the workout itself: "It's a fun way to burn calories," Diana says.

In addition to adult classes, Diana hosts kids Zumbatomic classes, leading wee ones in games, dancing, and exciting exercises—welcoming their parents to join in and then stay for the adult class afterward. Her instructors also offer a weekly yoga class and dance lessons in Latin styles such as salsa and merengue.

[[m:####Thorndale Fitness & Tanning

A giant yellow barbell spans the wall above the Bar Bell Café, where protein muffins and smoothies await those seeking a boost post-workout. During the facility's more than 20 years in business, the staff at Thorndale has learned that these little extras keep customers enthused about fitness. Certified trainers helm one-on-one sessions on the same sprawling gym floor that houses ellipticals, treadmills, and weightlifting equipment. They also lead group-fitness classes in such disciplines as strength training and aerobics. The facilities round out with standup and horizontal tanning booths tucked into private treatment rooms.:m]]

Club Fit 247's two floors of fitness machines, free weights, and private training studios reverberate with the clangs of dumbbells and the clops of running feet on treadmills equipped with individual TV screens. Amid this bustling round-the-clock activity, a staff of professional bodybuilders, fitness models, and trainers—which collectively boasts a prestigious clientele that includes NFL defensive lineman Bob Kuberski and figure skater Claire Tannet—work one-on-one with clients to help them achieve their exercise goals. During personal-training sessions, they craft sport-specific conditioning plans that combine plyometrics and strength training with hopes of improving balance, speed, and agility. Additionally, this talented team offers nutritional counseling as well as coaching for aspiring or current competitive body builders.

The gym presents clients with a key card that grants them 24-hour access to the facilities and the international cabal of bodybuilders' top-secret lair. The facility also peddles workout supplements, including protein shakes and Ionics powders.

At Randolph Climbing Center, multistoried rock walls challenge guests to conquer gravity and strengthen their bodies one vertical step at a time. Those new to the sport can take classes that the cover fundamentals every climber should know, including how to use their rope to slow descents, provide leverage, and lasso dangling action heroes to safety.