Birmingham Gyms and Fitness

Dr. Keith Pierce was a zoology major at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, but it was at Wayne State University Medical School that he found his calling in internal medicine. The board-certified internist now draws on 20 years of experience to bolster patients' daily health with practical regimens that include consultations, analyses, and vitamin boosts.

Dr. Pierce's services range from routine checkups and x-rays to EKGs, ultrasounds, and minor surgeries to remove warts, skin tags, and stubborn glitter makeup. Dr. Pierce also makes house calls for all homebound individuals, offering them all his normal services.

Spinergy Fitness's RealRyder cycles replicate the calorie-burning benefits of riding on the open roadways. The stationary bikes add upper-body and core strengthening to the lower-body workouts generally found in spin routines by leaning from side to side in much the same way a real bicycle does, especially when it's trying to escape from a bike rack. A high-definition projection system adds to the simulated outdoor experience. A jumbo screen floods with scenic routes from Napa Valley and Colorado National Park as a high-fidelity sound system blasts a motivating soundtrack and lends the whole enterprise a cinematic air.

Head instructor Jeff Emmerling—a black belt in freestyle karate—and Joseph Robinson—a personal trainer and a practitioner of all arts martial—throw their stockpile of disciplines into Clubkickbox's ring. The two turn mealy-muscled students into kicking and jabbing dynamos, outfitting fists and feet with power-ups honed over thousands of years by traditions such as muay thai, and Indonesian silat. Sessions engage students with rigorous kickboxing and fitness training that eschews the stuffy, traditional uniforms in favor of comfortable T-shirts and exercise shorts. Students cinch up boxing gloves or forearm-length pads before stepping onto the mats to spar or play the most frustrating game of patty-cake ever while trimming fat, boosting cardio, and leveling up muscle.

For personal trainers Phil Wehrman and James Nalepa, the path to fitness is paved with goals, inspiration, and an abundance of heavy objects. At Fitness Evolution, LLC, the duo cements the will to succeed, whether the client wants to slim down for a wedding or bulk up for a bodybuilding competition. During one-on-one training, they draw upon more than 20 years of experience to tailor workouts and nutrition plans to specific goals and lifestyle considerations. The motivational power of teamwork fuels group training sessions, where three–six exercisers build strength and endurance with functional fitness tools such as battling ropes and TRX suspension straps. In addition to swathing their charges in personal attention, Phil and James stress safety by teaching proper form for lifting free weights, kettlebells, or babies dressed in chainmail.

Natural sunlight streams in from the windows, illuminating the soft floors and a sturdy brass bar that extends the length of the mirrored wall. Here, a staff of expert instructors teaches students of all needs and goals in a range of cardio and strength-training fitness classes up to nine times a day.

Instructors specialize in Barre Method classes, drawing from classical dance techniques to work the entire body with free weights, a ballet barre, and human-size nutcrackers filled with sand. Additionally, they break out suspension straps for TRX training, mount stationary bikes during spin sessions, and push play on heart-thumping Latin music during cardio-centric Zumba dance classes.