Gyms & Fitness Centers in Culver City

At Club P-fit, the bottom line is ripped, the color palette is bright, the locker rooms are pristine, the atmosphere is friendly, and every cardio machine is majestically crowned with a television. Sling weights and scream out squats like a classic chunkhead, or whittle yourself down with a cutting-the-top-of-the-line-edge TechnoGym stationary bike. Partner up with a one of P-fit's skilled, attentive personal trainers to push your limits or better discern your fitness goals.

Fitness guru and founder of Burbank Athletic Club Greg Bedrossian knows what it means to beat the odds. Born with a hole in his heart, he was advised throughout his life to avoid strenuous exercise. But instead of giving up, Greg dug into deep personal reserves of will and became a personal trainer, eventually opening Burbank Athletic Club.

Today, his CPR- and AED-certified trainers have picked up on his knack for bypassing perceived physical limitations. Through their fitness classes and training programs, the staff strives to help their students embody the same grit and determination in shaping their own bodies. The high-intensity classes—including cardio kickboxing and a boxing-Pilates fusion known as Piloxing—ramp up the difficulty as time goes on. Vinyasa, flow, and other forms of yoga are available as well, led by experienced yogis. These are contrasted by low-impact, high-intensity spinning classes, which work the body but also the mind, as clients must recognize that no matter how hard they pedal, in the end they go nowhere. Classes are often supplemented with individual workouts in a vast gym filled with weight machines, free weights, and cardio machines.

After years of figure skating, soccer playing, and jazz and tap dancing, co-owners Lori Allen and Jenny Geyser needed a fitness program that developed muscle strength and flexibility without terrorizing their joints. They landed on the Purre Barre method, and after years spent as students, they decided to go pedagogical, teaching others.

In their cozy, mirrored studio practitioners stabilize and stretch limbs on the ballet barre that surrounds the walls before assaulting the abs, hips, glutes and arms with a barrage of small isometric movements. By eliminating jumping by enforcing a strict no-pogo-stick policy, the exercises help bodies prevent undue stress on the joints.

The first beads of sweat form on the cyclist's hairline, and he quickly wipes them away before leaning back down and gripping the bike’s handlebars. His feet move at an incredible speed, rapidly spinning the two wheels around an imaginary river bend and then struggling against the resistance of a simulated hill. At Blazing Saddles Indoor Cycling, spinners of all fitness levels pedal specially designed stationary bikes to the beat of a high-octane soundtrack. During 45- to 60-minute classes, participants build their strength and stamina while burning calories to whip into shape or train for an upcoming cycling race or penny farthing journey up to ye olde mill and back.

For more than three decades, locally owned Spectrum Athletic Clubs have aimed to create a resort-like experience for patrons with upscale perks and personalized care. After workouts, gym-goers can avail themselves of unlimited towel service and change in comfortable locker rooms. Other amenities include saunas, steam rooms, healthy cafes, specialized workout areas, and complimentary Internet access.

In addition, racquetball courts let athletes improve their game independently, and patrons can sweat solo on cardiovascular equipment with individual viewing screens. Group classes, more than 1,200 of which are held daily, include Zumba, Pilates, Body Combat, and CXWorx sessions and enable trainees to draw motivation from each other or from each exercise studio's complimentary tank of moxie. The Spectrum Kids Club gives kids a place to play while adults work out and hosts such events as pool parties and pizza parties throughout the year.