South River, NJ Health and Fitness

Winner of more than 100 mixed-martial-arts competitions, Tiger Schulmann shares his pride and love for fighting and self-defense with both adults and children in gyms across five states. From first-time grapplers to expert muay thai fighters, students of all fitness and experience levels are welcome to dive into a class at Schulmann’s. At more than 47 locations, adults can take classes in kickboxing, MMA, and jujitsu—the last of which instills students with the skill and confidence to take down opponents of any size, strength, or telekinetic ability. Kids, meanwhile, can learn martial arts for fun, or gain useful experience in bully prevention; the kids’ classes help victims immediately identify and safely diffuse situations when pitted against an aggressor.

The NASM-certified personal trainers at Gifted Bodies strive to improve lives, not just bodies. Driven by the belief that all clients have the potential to become gifted, trainers redefine clients' limitations and push them toward progressive goals with a mixture of firm motivation and compassion. During boot-camp classes and group sessions, which include kickboxing, Zumba, ab work, and yoga, they guide patrons of all backgrounds through invigorating routines.

They also visit homes for one-on-one appointments—as long as they have a 5'x5' space or a permit to punch through drywall, trainers can commence a custom exercise routine. To instill sustainable habits for healthier living, they place emphasis on nutrition as well as gym drills. Troy Samuels, Gifted Bodies' creator and nutritional counselor, likens one's diet to the fuel put into a car: the proper fuel allows the vehicle to hit maximum speed.

Dr. Dibling has topped thousands of implants with crowns and performed a panoply of implant procedures since 1988. The general, cosmetic, and implant dentist is passionate about lavishing every single patient with personalized care and attention. A variety of sedation options, including non-IV treatments and masks that pump out smooth jazz, assuage the worries of anxious patients.

Designed by 10-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber, Knob Hill Golf Club’s 18-hole course bobs and weaves through 145 acres of scenic, dense woodland terrain. The first McCumber course to grace the American Northeast, the 6,408-yard layout seamlessly incorporates imposing tree lines and 15 manmade, natural, and caddy-tear ponds into an elegant, golf-clap-worthy fairway chain. The course’s most difficult hole—the 464-yard, par 4 fourth hole—showcases characteristic challenges with a tee shot that must carry a pond and bisect a tree-ensconced fairway on its path to a green fronted by a sandtrap. After rounds, duffers can replenish with a sudsy drink and a nosh from a menu of casual, gourmet fare at The Sycamore Grill, named for the 185-year-old sycamore that casts its shadows on the clubhouse and sheds celebratory leaves for players who score under par.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Mark McCumber

• 18-hole, par 70 course

• Length of 6,408 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 71.3 from the farthest tees

• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• View scorecard here

Tiger Hall: Play Zone and Activity Center spreads fun and interactive-learning opportunities throughout its 2,800-square-foot facility, offering everything from a spacious playroom to a relaxing parents lounge. On weekdays, the center provides families with private programming and preschool options. Come the weekend, Tiger Hall transforms into an energized hub of entertainment, complete with open-play hours, workshops, and a variety of classes, including in art, dance, and music.

Gold’s Gym’s staggeringly expansive 65,000-square-foot facility stands as a ziggurat built to fitness. A phalanx of personal trainers—muscles bulging from heaving around armloads of certifications—team up with exercisers, ripping pages from the Total Transformation Training system playbook to handcraft custom fitness routines and practical nutrition plans that help clients to lose weight, build lean muscle, and learn which barbells are for lifting and which are for eating. For a more communal experience, patrons can leap into all manner of group classes, pedaling through spin, limbering muscles in yoga, or tussling with water resistance in aqua classes held in the 25-lap pool. Inside the Cardio Cinema, projectors pipe movies such as Argo and Looper into engaged retinas to infuse bodies with the endurance needed to power through intense workouts.

The fitness emporium also trains athletes in sport-specific or general programs. During performance training, coaches work one-on-one with their charges, focusing on all-around speed and functional movements to forge sportspersons capable of traversing the field faster than an antelope riding piggy-back on a lion.