New Brighton Gyms and Fitness

Phil Martens, 501Fit’s founder, invented the patented G-Werx system to orchestrate his versatile, small-group strength-training workouts, which have been named to Minnesota Monthly's Best of the Cities list and chronicled in the New York Times in 2008. A one-on-one consultation with Phil helps determine each student's personal fitness level, which pinpoints the appropriate G-Werx program best suited to their abilities and goals. The 45- to 90-minute training sessions deploy tactics from an arsenal of more than 100 moves, using free weights and a patented lifting machine to target particular muscle groups, such as legs, buns, and abs; chest, shoulders, and triceps; or heads, shoulders, knees, and toes. Each session's energetic trainer pairs with trainees individually, ensuring that persistent perspirers have access to feedback and undiluted encouragement.

For most of the year, the outer concourses of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome fill with the aromas of hot dogs and grilled onions to feed hungry fans during Vikings and Twins games. But from November through April, the smooth concrete floors of those same concourses become the skating surface for the Rollerblade RollerDome. Skaters have taken over the Metrodome every winter for decades, including in 1993, when Jonathan Seutter set a Guinness World Record there by skating 271 miles in 24 hours. The half-mile concrete loops provide the ideal conditions for speed skaters and beginners alike. On the upper level, experienced skaters get a cardio workout with separate alleys for speed skating and leisurely coasting. On the lower level, kids and novices can take their time while skating along to music spun by onsite DJs and really hip spiders.

Choose one of the following eight options based on which location (or set of locations) is most convenient for you:

Running on a treadmill and blasting through the same reps over and over again can become monotonous. But at Knockout Bodies, the enthusiastic instructors focus on making working out fun. They help gals of all fitness levels chisel rock-solid bodies in alternative fitness classes, which range from pole dancing to kickboxing to Zumba. In pole-fitness classes, they help ladies develop core and upper-body strength as they sensually twist and turn around poles. They also lead high-energy kickboxing classes that motivate students to tone muscles as they learn basic self-defense moves to take down assailants or large stuffed animals that look like assailants without the lights on. Students burn copious calories in Zumba classes, which set easy-to-follow aerobic dance moves to infectious Latin-inspired tunes. When not leading empowering classes, the instructors open the studio for parties to celebrate birthdays or bachelorette festivities.

According to Minnesota Monthly, "The Firm is a sexy sort of gym." Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Self, and Seventeen all agree, having identified it as the go-to gym for an incredible workout. But it's not just the museum-sleek aesthetic or rigorous classes that make The Firm great. Rather, it's the fact that the gym constantly evolves to accommodate new fitness trends. When spinning became the hot new workout, The Firm met the demand, offering the best spinning classes in Minnesota, according to CBS Minnesota. And now that CrossFit has risen to superstardom, The Firm offers it seven days a week. The Star Tribune reports that industry veteran Kelly Miyamoto is the visionary behind the scenes. Having started her career in the 1980s, she's witnessed the rise and fall of various workouts as well as the concurrent fluctuations in the market for neon leotards.

Yoga Center of Minneapolis' team of attentive instructors brings a range of expertise and teaching styles to each studio, leading a dynamic collection of classes and workshops for yogis of all experience levels. The studio's robust schedule takes place within citrus-hued walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and gleaming hardwood floors, which provide a comforting atmosphere for new students and performance-anxious mats during the four-week Absolute Beginner class series. During the educational, intensive series, fledgling flexers build the foundation for their practice by mastering the basic postures, breathing techniques, and centuries-old secret yogi handshakes under the guidance of a patient mat maven.