Group classes are a great way to stay motivated in your fitness journey. Besides helping you lose calories and build stamina, cardio health, strength and balance, such fitness classes are also helpful in finding some entertainment or socializing.
There are a number of famous gyms that offer group fitness classes, where you can work out through fun and of course, under proper training.
Through this article, we will be introducing to you the 11 best gyms with group classes that you can find near you.
Read along!
11 Best Gyms with Classes
There are several factors that determine if a gym is good for group classes.
Like,
- Whether they have good trainers
- How diverse are their classes
- How affordable are their group classes
- In how many locations are they present
- Quality of equipment
- Overall workout environment
- And other Miscellaneous factors
While coming out with our list of the best 11 gyms for group classes, we considered all these factors. Here goes the list; the list isn’t necessarily in any particular order
Crunch Fitness
If you ask which gym is best for group classes in the United States, Crunch Fitness is one of the very first names we would suggest. They have earned a reputation as one of the best big gym chains for such classes.
Here are some most popular group classes that a majority of Crunch Fitness clubs offer:
- Advanced HIIT, and its varieties
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Kickboxing
- Cycling
- Pilates
HIIT, which stands for High Intensity Interval training, is a newer alternative to longer duration cardio workouts like jogging. At crunch fitness, they have different types of HIIT workouts that vary in terms of intensity, duration, exercises combination, etc.
So, you can pick the cardio routine of your choice. Likewise, all other group classes at Crunch Fitness are specially designed, making it one of the best gyms with group classes.
Currently, crunch fitness has more than 400 clubs across the globe, most of which are located in the United States. So, unless you are living in a very remote town, you might be able to find one of their clubs near you.
Another great attraction of Crunch Gym is the pricing. Monthly membership fees there start from as low as $10, making it also one of the most affordable gyms in America.
So, if you are looking for an affordable gym membership with classes, crunch gym is a name you should consider. But if you are looking for a luxurious gym to work out at, we have some other options, like Equinox!
Equinox
Equinox is one of the most premium gym brands in the US. different from crunch fitness, the monthly prices at Equinox start at $150 and can go all the way beyond $500!
So, what do you get in return for such high pricing? Of course, premium facilities. Equinox clubs are equipped with the finest quality, fancy machines for weight training as well as group classes.
Here is a list of group classes that you can attend at Equinox:
- Yoga
- Boxing
- Kickboxing
- Cycling
- Barre
- Stretch and recovery
- Athletic training
- Pools (probably)
The biggest attraction with Equinox when it comes to group classes is athletic training. Most of their clubs do have an athletic track, although not Olympic-sized ones!
Additionally, Equinox has its own dedicated fitness application, called ‘Equinox+’ which allows you to stream their classes and engage in their classes virtually.
In short, if you can afford to spend some bucks in exchange for premium facilities, there can hardly be a better option than Equinox. They also have more than 300 gym locations mostly in the United States, and also in Canada and London.
YMCA
YMCA is yet another gym brand that we can’t afford to miss out on when we speak about the best gyms that offer group classes.
Even the motto of the YMCA is more about creating opportunities for social interactions between its members, although they also have excellent training facilities.
Here are the fitness classes that most YMCA clubs offer to their members:
- HIIT
- Group Strength Training
- Aqua Classes
- Cycling
- Functional Fitness
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Zumba
Let us make it clear that not all YMCA clubs offer all these classes. In fact, a number of their clubs are usually smaller in size and capacity. So, you can expect a combination of these group classes at each club.
But what makes YMCA great for group classes is the flexibility they offer for classes. Unlike in most other clubs, at YMCA, you may be able to start off your group classes just with your buddies (or buddy!).
In addition, YMCA is also great for seniors and teenagers (that being said, they are good for the youth people as well).
Speaking of the presence, YMCA is present in a whopping 10000+ locations across the globe, a quarter of which are in the United States.
Finally, the pricing at YMCA comes around $40 per month, making it basically a mid-range gym. And considering the facilities they offer and the comfortable workout environment they have for group classes, the pricing is quite reasonable.
Gold’s Gym
Perhaps no other gym cares how much you progress in your fitness journey than Gold’s gym. They have the reputation of having perhaps the best workout culture among all gyms.
So, if you are looking for great results that come as an outcome of a well-organized, disciplined, but entertaining group training program, Gold’s Gym is a choice worth considering.
To start with, here are the most common group classes offered by Gold’s Gym:
- Group Strength classes
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Spinning
Maybe not the longest list of classes that we discussed, but what matters at Gold’s gym is, discipline. Even during the covid period, this renowned gym chain has been inspiring its members to work out.
Speaking of which, Golds gym also has a dedicated mobile application using which you can engage in classes virtually. Be it online or offline classes, Gold’s gym trainers will be always there to motivate you!
Coming to the pricing part, Gold’s gym is basically a mid-range gym with monthly fees coming close to $40. They are present in 700+ locations so finding one of their clubs near you won’t be a hard job.
LA Fitness
LA Fitness is another mid-range gym that offers classes to its members. Their Zumba and pilates classes are particularly famous.
Here are some of the most important group classes that LA Fitness offers in their clubs:
- Zumba
- Pilates
- Boxing
- Cycling
- Tai Chi
- Boot Camp conditioning
- Aqua Fit
Just keep in mind that some of these classes come with a price tag, for instance, Zumba. So, if you could find one of their clubs near you, reach out to them and inquire about what classes they offer, which of them are free and which of them need payment.
Speaking of which, LA Fitness is basically a mid range gym with monthly fees coming in the range of $40 per month. This fee is for a multi-club membership.
One advantage of the multi-club membership is that sometimes, one club may offer certain classes for free but in some other clubs, it may have a fee. So, if your home club has a fee for a particular class but another club in the neighborhood offers it for free, it will be great, right?
But is LA Fitness present in many locations? Yes, they are currently present in close to 600 places across the United States.
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Lifetime Fitness
Lifetime Fitness is a great choice for group classes, if you are looking forward to doing some bodyweight exercises. And in terms of classes they offer, Lifetime Fitness is certainly among the gyms with most classes.
Here goes the long list of group classes that Lifetime Fitness offers to its members:
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Pilates
- Kettlebell classes
- Cycling
- Group cardio and HIIT classes
- Barre
- Alpha Conditioning
- Aqua Fit
As you can guess, the diversity in the classes they offer, is the biggest plus point of Lifetime Fitness. A membership including access to all these classes will cost you anywhere north of $120.
That means, the membership may be a bit expensive if you are looking for budget options. But one big benefit with such membership at Lifetime Fitness is that you can access any of these classes without extra payment.
The only thing is, you need to inform them in advance if you wish to take part in classes. Also, they have just over 150 clubs across North America. So, check if they have a club in your neighborhood as well!
Onelife Fitness
Another gym chain that offers a vast variety of group classes- Onelife Fitness. But before we list the classes they offer, here is the catch, they are only present in just more than 40 clubs in all of America.
Almost all of Onelife fitness’s clubs are located in Maryland, Georgia, Missouri, and Virginia. So, if you belong to any of these states, you may have got a decent gym deal!
Here is a long list of Group classes offered by lifetime fitness:
- Yoga (Several variations)
- Zumba
- Pilates
- Barre
- HIIT
- Cardio group classes
- Kickboxing
- Bodycombat
- Cycling
- Strike
Speaking of the pricing, the cost of a one life fitness membership comes close to $40 per month, which is reasonable for the diversity of classes they offer. Some of their clubs also offer lifetime memberships.
So, reach out to their nearest clubs to you and learn more about packages.
World Gym
World Gym is a growing fitness chain with currently close to 250 gym locations across the globe, most of which are in the US.
Similar to onelife fitness, world gym also offers a number of group classes, such as:
- Strength based classes
- Boot camp
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Zumba
- TRX
- Cycling
- Kickboxing
Besides the physical classes, World gym also has a mobile app, ‘World Gym Anywhere’ which will enable you to take part in their classes from anywhere in the world.
Speaking of the pricing, the monthly prices at World gym start from as low as $14.99 and can go all the way up to $34.99, depending on what kind of plan you choose. However, you usually won’t have to pay extra for group classes, as they come along with the membership plan.
24 Hour Fitness
As the name suggests, 24 Hour Fitness is open 24 hours a day. Here is the list of group classes that 24 Hour Fitness offers:
- Group strength training
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Pilates
- Cycling
- Barre
That is still a decent variety of classes. But keep in mind that although their clubs are open the whole day, they may not conduct group classes round the clock.
So, try reaching out to the 24 Hour fitness club near you, and inquire about group class timings, the exact list of classes that the club offers, and of course, pricing.
Usually, the monthly fee at 24 hour fitness comes close to $59.99, making it a mid range gym. They are also present in 280 locations spread across 11 states of the US.
F45
F45 is famous across the globe for their high-intensity group training program. In fact, they mostly have more cardio workout facilities than weight training.
So, that brings an advantage as well as a disadvantage. The advantage of F45 is that it is great for cardio workouts through a very friendly environment.
The disadvantage is that F45 just isn’t that good for weight training. Of course, your strength will improve through their classes, but if you have big bodybuilding goals, you may have better gym options.
However, if you are looking solely to do high intensity cardio workouts, F45 is among those good gyms with fitness classes.
F45 doesn’t have a list of group classes. Instead, they have classes lasting around 45 minutes, which are combinations of a wide variety of exercises. These workout sessions are very intense, and are enough to burn off some serious amounts of calories!
Finally, the pricing at F45 really varies from location to location, but the average pricing in the US comes around $199 per month. They have around 650 clubs in the US and more than 2500 across the globe.
Orangetheory
Similar to F45, Orangetheory is also about fixed duration group classes. They conduct one hour long, intense, interval cardio training, that you will be doing with a group.
Each of these sessions is made up of a wide variety of exercises targeting all key parts of your body. The monthly prices at Orangetheory come around $60, which is cheaper than F45.
Speaking of their presence, Orangetheory is present in more than 1300 locations in the United States. So, it will be rather easy for you to find one of their clubs.
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Gyms That Don’t Have Classes
Well, the truth is that almost all kinds of gym chains do conduct group classes, one kind or another! But there are some gyms where you can rarely find group classes, such as:
- Planet Fitness
- Workout Anytime
- Blink Fitness
- YouFit
- Fit4Less
Most of these names we listed here are budget gyms. They offer really cheap plans for as low as $10 per month. So, we can’t just blame them.
Also, even these gyms, or at least some of their clubs may conduct group classes. So, contact them and learn if they offer any such classes.
Wrapping Up
That was a list of 11 best gyms that offer classes (as well as major chains that don’t). In addition to the gyms we have listed above, there may also be some local gyms with classes that you may be able to find near you. Sometimes such local gyms may also offer excellent group classes!
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