Best Gym

Our dreams of feeling like we’re in a Step Up movie come true at DANCE 411 STUDIOS. The Adult Hip-Hop class playlist will make even the shiest dancer start moving, especially when the first notes of Missy Elliot’s “Get Ur Freak On” start playing. The studio offers an alternative to your run-of-the-mill gym workout with classes like pole dancing, twerking 101, interpretative hip-hop, ballet, and more — all with beginner level options for the easily intimidated. The hour-long classes are energetic, fun, and will have you sweating in no time. Cool down after class while catching a glimpse of real choreographers rehearsing their routines.  less...

Strong is sexy, y’all, which is why you need to be toning it up at the new EAST ATLANTA BARBELL CLUB, which recently opened up shop in the former Brother Moto boutique space in EAV. Founders Lis Saunders (a record-holding powerlifter and former CrossFit gym owner) and Jim Chambers (co-owner of the Henry & June boutique and former gym manager) opened this gym as a resource for all levels of lifting enthusiasts who didn’t feel like traveling toward the Perimeter to work out. Barbell Club offers several levels of memberships, so pros can simply walk in and use whatever weights and equipment they like, while newbies on the block can opt for personalized training sessions, coaching programs, and nutrition consulting. This gym aims to be inclusive, safe, and affordable (individual plans are based on income, and monthly memberships start at $60) — so lifters from all walks of life are welcome to join. 530 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. 470-242-1328. www.eavbarbell.com. less...

If your friend jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump, too? What a dumb question our parents used to ask us. Of course we wouldn’t. We don’t live in New York. BUT, if your friend (or, say, 20 of them - and a big, strong trainer dude) did a gazillion lunges in a public park on a hot afternoon, would you lunge, too? The answer is yes, at least if you invested in a four-week boot camp in Piedmont Park led by the Body Firm Atlanta. Lead trainer Dez White, a former wide receiver for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Chicago Bears, and our own Atlanta Falcons, says his plan is to push people to reach their personal fitness goals by figuring out where they’re starting - whether they’re fitness beginners or advanced exercisers. His rates are reasonable, too: $75 for four weeks of training. (There are other locations, mostly OTP, and programs that vary in price.) “Peer pressure” has a negative connotation, but when you feel like giving up, it sure is helpful to have people beside you urging you on. Not as painful as jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, but you’ll feel the burn. www.thebodyfirmatl.com. less...

There are some people in this world (lots of them, actually) who really like to exercise. The rest of us need incentive to get our fat asses off the couch beyond the possibility that we’ll no longer have such fat asses. Retro Fitness, a chain that’s heavily represented in the Northeast, but only has a few locations in the South, opened its 15,000-square-foot Buckhead location less than a year ago, and it’s awesome. All of the equipment is brand-spankin’ new, there’s a cardio room/theater where you can watch a movie on the big screen while you sweat, and the rest of the cardio equipment has individual TVs to take your mind off the agony. Probably the best thing about Retro Fitness: It’s cheap. There’s no sign-up fee, monthly membership dues are only $19.99, and for $5 extra you can either get unlimited tanning or massages in its nifty, computerized massage bed. 3050 Peachtree Road. 404-549-7126. buckheadga.retrofitness.net. less...

Located right off Ponce in Va-Hi in a two-level loft, URBAN BODY FITNESS is out to give you a more personal fitness experience than you’ll find hanging around those muscle-bound meatheads and White Goodman wannabes at your local Gold’s. And if you doubt it, just ask any one of the fiercely loyal members. The gym has the newest machines for cardio and strength training; an extensive schedule of yoga, Pilates and spinning classes taught by some of the best and most experienced instructors in the city; fresh-brewed gourmet coffee and tea; and even an in-house chiropractor for all your cracking needs. Its “try before you buy” approach (an introductory two-week membership that won’t cost you a dime) extends to its two-dozen personal trainers, whose full bios you can check out online beforehand to find your best match. They (bravely) even post their own phone numbers. less...