Princeton Gyms and Fitness

Jorge Perez lay on the gym floor, panting heavily and in a state of disbelief. He had years of athletic-training experience and certifications under his belt, but after one CrossFit workout, he felt like a train had hit him. Impressed by the innovative program and determined to improve as an athlete, Jorge continued on to perform countless CrossFit workouts after leaving the gym that day, eventually earning his certification as a CrossFit level-one trainer.

Jorge Perez now shares the CrossFit training methodology with students of all fitness levels at his own studio—CrossFit BluePrint Doral. Towering ceilings loom over an expansive floor of free weights, pull-up bars, and resistance bands, where Coach J and his staff of fellow certified coaches lead high-intensity CrossFit and boot-camp workouts. Committed to encouraging healthy lifestyles outside the gym, they conduct free nutritional seminars and share healthy recipes to demonstrate proper eating habits and how to get a restraining order against Twinkies.

With a diverse range of fitness backgrounds and specializations—from injury rehabilitation and prevention to martial-arts training—Metropolis Fitness & Spa’s staff of 15 instructors ensures a helpful match for nearly every client. The team leads more than 70 group fitness classes per week, including familiar favorites, such as yoga, Zumba, and spinning, and a few of their own inventions, including Video Dance Jam, which pushes exercises through fast-paced choreography. The ballet and jump-rope classes for kids help wee ones burn off extra energy without requiring you to construct a giant hamster wheel in your home.

In the main studio, a slew of cardio machines with built-in TVs and weight-training equipment awaits members, in addition to a room stocked with dangling punching bags and TRX bands. To recover from sweat sessions, guests can fuel up with healthful drinks and snacks at the juice bar.

The licensed massage therapists at Inches Body Studio's three locations help clients slim down with a menu of noninvasive treatments. They harness powers such as ultrasound, radio frequency, and heat to break down fat and leave cellulite deposits smoother than a just-waxed ice rink. Electromassage aims to activate muscles at the cellular level, and traditional hands-on massages promote lymphatic drainage and relaxation in one fell swoop.

A fourth-degree black belt and international competitor for the national Cuban tae kwon do team, Alain Alvarez is no stranger to hard work. After retiring from international competition in 1998, Alain decided to turn his talents to training others through fun, inventive, and effective boot-camp classes and personal-training sessions. Each class maintains a furious pace, as students sweat and bound through body-weight exercises, sprints, agility drills, and anvil juggling. Sessions also integrate fun group activities such as tug of war, potato-sack races, and tag-team butter churning. Alain preaches that exercise can improve not just physical but also mental performance, and conducts classes on the beach, in a parking lot, or on the grassy fields of a local park.

Built on the scientific foundations of whole-body vibration, the Power Plate at Power Fit Studios can grant bodies such benefits as improved muscle tone, increased circulation, and higher bone density. When combined with exercise and a reasonable amount of rocket fuel, sessions spent atop the platform can speed users’ fitness goals. The studio also supports clients' inner and outer well-being with more traditional approaches, including Zumba, burlesque, and chakra-meditation classes as well as a range of soothing spa services.

Slim Trim Spa supplies all-natural weight-loss supplements to clients and specializes in modern services tailored to a variety of wellness needs. Ultrasonic cavitation heats up microscopic air bubbles to break up fat cells in problem areas then safely and naturally metabolize them out of the body. A number of massage modalities, including sports, deep-tissue, and trigger-point therapy, can assist the detoxifying effects by stimulating circulation and energizing muscles.