Oakville Gyms and Fitness

A full-service fitness center, St. Louis Workout hosts sweat sessions with a fleet of weightlifting equipment, high-tech cardio machines, and more than 25 weekly classes. Elliptical machines await patrons for bouts of calorie singeing, and free weights tone muscles more efficiently than replacing one's hands with bowling balls. A full roster of classes includes Zumba, yoga, and kickboxing sessions, and the brigade of seasoned certified personal trainers customize workouts, drawing from experience in such fields as running, health science, and bodybuilding. The onsite showers and whirlpool help patrons to soothe their muscles and unwind after a satisfying workout.

Having played and coached at the professional and Major League levels, instructors are equipped with a wealth of knowledge, which they tote to the indoor training facility where baseball and softball players of all ages hone their skills. Athletes can rent space and purchase memberships to rehearse technique on their own, or they can enroll in clinics, camps, and group or private lessons. Ten batting cages, which lock up feral mascots who escape from their plush zoo, stripe the space, and 25-foot ceilings give players plenty of room to train. Two 75'x75' turf areas can combine into one jumbo-size field, and pitchers practice in one of four lanes.

Inside the multistyle fighting gym at The House of Hardknocks Boxing, heavy bags sway and medicine balls roam throughout the full gym and training areas. Head trainer Tim Connors, 2007 World Combat League Champion and MVP, and his team of instructors guide students through boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial-arts classes. Connors, who holds a 9–1 professional boxing record and 12–1 professional kickboxing record, imparts wisdom gained through his own personal experience as he teaches ground techniques and practical methods for defending oneself against gangs of punching bags. Classes are guided by the Art of O'Conn, a specialty training system that enhances lessons with conditioning and skill drills such as practicing breathing techniques to help students to develop discipline, confidence, balance, and precision.

In drawing up the business plan for Bodywise 1-on-1, founder Skip Smith hoped to somehow short-circuit the feelings of intimidation associated with crowded gyms. At the same time, he believed that many people need the motivation and equipment of a formal training environment to snatch results from the candy-coated hands of lethargy. To that end, he created a studio where his team of trainers work one on one with their clients in a private environment, helping them achieve their weight-loss, strength, and overall health goals. Each individual program is designed around the client’s specific areas of concern, such as losing weight, building functional flexibility, or recovering from an injury. Clients may work with free weights and machines or toss medicine balls to build the strength necessary to shot-put their way through a watermelon patch. Trainers track progress throughout the fitness forays, keeping clients motivated with computer-tabulated results.

In addition to personal training, the center leads small-group fitness classes, such as spiced-up Zumba dance sessions and boot-camp cycling. Their staff also works with kids, training them for various sports or simply helping them build self-esteem with lessons on how to win basketball games by crushing the ball with their bare hands.

Todd Beckman, a three-decade veteran of the fitness industry, was curious to find out what works and what doesn't at big-name health clubs. After compiling his extensive research and drawing from his own experience, he set out to create the ideal gym. Hence, Xist Fitness was born. Beckman made sure to jam-pack the floors with rows of treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes, as well as to include a dimly lit Cardioflix cardio theater where members can distract themselves from their increased heartbeats by watching a movie or loudly guessing the dialogue before its spoken. Beckman also incorporated equipment designed to facilitate functional training workouts, including Power Systems and TRX training equipment.

Members who decide to upgrade can enjoy the facility's tanning services, massage beds, and red-light-therapy treatments.

Sunset Hills Community Center is home to 25,000 square feet of fitness and wellness facilities. Inside its 4,000-square-foot workout room, 20 cardio machines team up with strength-training machines, free weights, and kettlebells to whittle waistlines and carve chiseled physiques. Its expansive gymnasium metamorphoses into basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, and the sunlit multipurpose room resounds with the encouraging shouts of certified instructors as they lead an ever-changing mix of fitness classes, including Zumba, boot camp, and senior fitness.

In addition to group fitness classes, trainers lead individual or group training sessions and nutrition consultations to help patrons achieve their fitness goals. For youth fit seekers, the center hosts a summer hip-hop camp taught by the famed professional dancer and St. Louis–native Nick Gates, who teaches kids to serve even the smoothest of animated cat MCs. The center also sponsors a regular weight-loss challenge, in which competitors gain the tools to shed pounds while vying for cash prizes.