West Hartford Gyms and Fitness

At Studiomixx, owner and trainer Shandi Rooney applies the principle of muscle confusion—adding variety to a workout’s exercises—to help her students avoid plateaus as they evolve through her intense, calorie-burning Mixx fitness classes. Her main class, Mixx, keeps muscles guessing and stimulated under the influence of Pilates, yoga, and callisthenic exercises. Rooney, who has trained with Bravo channel personal trainer Jackie Warner and _The Biggest Loser_’s Jillian Michaels, also offers a handful of spinoff classes such as Mixx Lite for less advanced students, CardioMixx, and Circuit Mixx, as well as grueling, detoxifying Xtreme Barre classes that can burn hundreds of calories per session, or one pile of freshly raked leaves.

The toughest part about working out isn't loading a beached whale onto your back before a breakneck swim; it's finding the motivation to strap on the mammal and go. A start-up consultation with Fitness by Design's knowledgeable personal trainers ($60 value) will get you jazzed about the work ahead and determine your fitness abilities and goals. Cracking open calorie-free fortune cookies of workout wisdom, the able-bodied body shapers at Fitness By Design will show you how 20–30 minutes of slow, concentrated muscle exercises 2–3 times a week can generate superior physical health.