The Best Workouts in America

Broga Yoga

Big-name pro athletes such as LeBron James and Kevin Garnett swear by yoga because it's an ideal low-impact workout to improve strength, balance, and reduce injuries. And while there's nothing wrong with your average yoga studio, there's a lot about them that turns off most men from reaping the benefits of a class.

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Broga is a testosterone-infused version that infuses functional fitness exercises with traditional yoga poses. The blend of vinyasa-style yoga, interval training, and bodyweight exercises makes for a workout that not only rejuvenates and refreshes, but also strengthens and tones.

Try it yourself:

• Downward dog, 30 second hold
• 1 minute plank
• 25 push-ups
• Upward dog, 30 second hold
• Warrior one, 30 second hold
• 20 split squats
• 20 lunges with a twist, each leg
• Bridge, 1 minute hold
  Complete two rounds

Location: Nationwide

More Info: brogayoga.com

CrossFit Sunset MetConFX

If you thought there was nothing new that could be added to your CrossFit repertoire, Ty Vincent, the owner of Crossfit Sunset in Los Angeles will prove you wrong with his MetConFX class. Just like other CrossFit classes, it hits the 10 components of fitness but uniquely hones in on stamina, endurance, and respiratory function by making you go all out, all the time. There are no stations because there is no stagnant rest. "It's nonstop movement for 30 to 45 minutes, because we don't rest by walking to different stations or trading reps with a partner," says Vincent. "We aren't reinventing the wheel here, we are just improving your CrossFit workout."

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A typical warm-up for the class is doing 100 burpees for time. Follow that up with over a half hour of constant box jumps, air squats, dumbbell thrusters, and the like, and you won't have to worry about your heart rate dropping.

Try It Yourself:

• 50 burpees
• 25 box jumps
• 50 squat jumps
• 25 dumbbell thrusters
• 50 jumping jacks, as fast as possible
  Complete three rounds, no rest in between exercises

Location: Los Angeles, CA

More Info: crossfitsunset.com

Monkey Bar Gym Boot Camp

Monkey Bar Gym's hour-long boot camp class combines natural movements with interval training. The class has four essential movements — running, climbing, crawling, and jumping — that become high-energy exercises that work on form and functional fitness at the same time.

Starting with a dynamic warm up on agility ladders and doing football practice-style footwork and crawls, the five sets at each of the three circuit stations begin. Each set is 40 seconds on with 20 seconds rest of exercises such as partner battle ropes, log jumps, and medicine ball twists. The goal is to sweat for the entire hour, but to do so in a way that teaches you how to keep moving long after you leave.

Try It Yourself:

• Grapevine run
• Football agility run
• Battle rope swing
• Tuck Jumps
• Medicine ball twists
• Bear crawl
• Lateral tuck jumps
• Burpees
  Perform each exercise for one minute, complete three rounds 

Location: Nationwide

More Info: monkeybargym.com

Dethrone Basecamp

Basecamp is a heart-pumping, cardio-heavy workout created by Nick Swinmurn, the founder of Zappos.com and the MMA-inspired Dethrone clothing company. Swinmurn and Dethrone employees wanted to train with the non-contact aspects of UFC fitness, so they repurposed a company warehouse in Burlingame, California as an elite workout space for the Average Joe. "The workouts are designed to always challenge you, there is a method to the madness," says Dethrone CEO Ramon Castillon. "We've had everyone from wide receivers on the Oakland Raiders team to new moms in class, and the combination of the bike and strength moves challenges everyone."

The 35-minute workout doesn't waste a single second. You start every workout on the Air Assault bike (also called an Airdyne), which increases air resistance the harder you pedal. After that, it's a one-minute bodyweight or weighted exercise such as push-ups, kettlebell swings, or squat jumps. Then, it's back on the bike for 60 seconds. Repeat this cycle for as may as thirty rounds, and by the end of the workout, you have completed a total body workout and done your time on the Air Assault bike.

Try It Yourself:

• 5 minutes on the Air Assault bike
• 1 minute squat jumps
• 1 minute Air Assault 
• 1 minute push-ups
• 1 minute Air Assault 
• 1 minute burpees
• 5 minutes Air Assault
  Complete two rounds of the 1 minute intervals

Location: Nevada and California

More Info: dethronebasecamp.com

Velo Performance Fitness Cycle Boot Camp

This is no stylish spin class with blaring club music and dim lighting. Cycle Boot Camp is a class that caters to cyclists who actually love to ride, as well as athletes who are looking to train hard. The class fuses traditional bike interval training with off-bike functional fitness moves to create stronger, more balanced cyclists. Off-bike progressive power sessions use TRX suspension training, core work, and kettlebells to improve power and strength. On-bike intervals feature sprint bursts, hill climbs, and endurance.

Try It Yourself:

On the bike:

• 1 minute sprint
• 3 minutes high-resistance pedal
• 2 minutes pedal
• 1 minute sprint
• 3 minutes high-resistance pedal
  Complete two rounds

Off the bike:

• 2 minutes resistance band monster walk
• 2×20 kettlebell swings
• 2×1 minute plank
• 2×10 weighted single-leg squat, each leg
• 2×10 resistance band leg lift, each leg
  Complete two rounds

Location: Portland, OR

More Info: c-velocycling.com

Burn 1000

Creator and owner Liane Levy has over 17 years of international training experience and is a marathon runner. Her goal with Burn 1000 was to create a workout that combined running with strength to consolidate training into 60 minutes by splitting time in the weight room and on the treadmill.

“To do all of your cardio and strength training in one day used to mean committing to two and a half or three hours every day,” says Levy. “But with interval training you can get the benefits and do everything in one hour.” Just like the name suggests, Burn 1000 aims to torch 1,000 calories during every class with strength and cardio HIIT intervals — but there is one caveat — you choose your weights and your pace on the treadmill, so it’s up to you if you really want those 1,000 calories gone.  

Try It Yourself:

• 10-minute run
• 25 Overhead press
• 25 dumbbell squats
• 10-minute run
• 50 medicine ball sit-ups
• 3×1-minute planks
• 10-minute run
• 25 curls
• 25 weighted lunges, each leg

Location: St. Louis, MO

More Info: burn1000usa.com

November Project

November Project is free and open to everyone. And any city can have their own November Project group. All it takes is a couple of people, a meeting location at 6:30 a.m. on a Wednesday, and a weatherproof workout plan. This grassroots fitness project started when two guys in Boston, Brogan Graham and Bojan Mandaric, wanted to hold each other accountable for cold winter workouts, starting back on November 1, 2012. They invited anyone who wanted to join them to show up at a local stadium at 6:30 a.m. and the rest is history.

Now as many as 300 participants show up at the 6:30 a.m. workouts across the country to do scalable workouts depending on their fitness level. Workouts include stadium runs, burpees, and hill sprints, and good vibes courtesy of group hugs. 

Try It Yourself:

• 10 hill sprints
• 50 push-ups
• 5 stadium stair runs
• 1 minute burpees
• 3×1 minute plank

Location: Nationwide

More Info: november-project.com

9Round

The 30-minute kickboxing-inspired workout is composed of nine stations with everything from speed bag skills to jumping rope. Stations one and two focus on strength building and incorporate equipment such as dumbbells and medicine balls. Stations three through eight are the “old school” stations, where you get to strap on your boxing gloves and beat up on the 100-pound heavy bag. Station nine strengthens your core stronger with Bosu ball crunches and medicine ball twists. Since there is always an instructor available and no set class times, the schedule is up to you. 

Try It Yourself:

• 25 dumbbell curls
• 10×3 dumbbell jabs, each arm
• 20×3 single-leg kick, each leg
• 50 exercise ball crunches
• 50 medicine ball twists
  Complete two rounds

Location: Nationwide

More Info: 9round.com

Equinox Tabata

Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata developed the Tabata training method to give you the best results in the least amount of time. Sounds like an infomercial, but the minutes-long workout consists of intense exercise and very short rests to increase anaerobic fitness most effectively. Equinox makes the most of the method in its 20-minute workout, which requires four minutes of near-max exertion in eight rounds of 20 seconds with 10 seconds’ rest. It’s a complicated formula that has the simplest results: being in great shape.

Try It Yourself:

• Burpees
• Jumping jacks
• High knees
• Split squat
• Tuck jumps
• Mountain climbers
• Scissor kicks
• Push-ups
  Perform each for a 20-second burst followed by 10 seconds rest, complete three rounds

Location: Nationwide

More Info: equinox.com

SoldierFit Basic Training

Led by an 11-year Army veteran, a former Fitness First gym manager, and a professional MMA fighter, Basic Training at SoldierFit's tagline is, "get comfortable with being uncomfortable." There are no sergeants yelling at you, but the workout is based on the United States Army's basic training program. Danny Farrar, the founder of SoldierFit, lost over 150 pounds after joining the military. He wanted to bring the proven effectiveness of military training to the masses without the intimidation. The workout is a mix of strength and cardio with battle ropes, sledgehammer swings, and 40-yard dashes.

Try It Yourself:

• 25 push-ups
• 3×40-yard dash
• 20 split squats
• 25 push-ups
• 20 hammer swings
• 20 walking lunges with dumbbells
  Complete two rounds

Location: Maryland

More Info: soldierfit.com

Soul Train Fitness Bell's Out

Originally used by the Russian military for strength training, kettlebells may are one of the best multipurpose fitness tools for targeting strength, amping up cardio, and building coordination. Bell’s Out, developed by Soul Train Fitness founder Jonathan Medeiros, works on both fundamental kettlebell exercises such as swings and lifts, but also challenges you with sequences and weight progressions so the exercises become more of a routine than just reps.  

Try It Yourself:

• 3×10 kettlebell swing
• 3×10 kettlebell row
• 2×25 kettlebell squat with overhead lift
• 2×25 kettlebell lunge press
• 3×10 kettlebell deadlift
• 2×50 kettlebell seated twist
  Complete two rounds, take 20 seconds of rest between sets

Location: Boston, MA

More Info: soultrainfitness.com

Flywheel

This fast-growing spin studio is undeniably trendy, but the 45- and 60-minute workouts are legit. There's literally no coasting on Flywheel's bikes, so your legs are engaged from the warm-up, through the hill repeats and sprints, then into the upper-body strength portion to wrap up the hour of burning muscles.  What helps set Flywheel apart is a no-nonsense approach to exercise (unlike some hip spin classes) and performance tracking on each bike for miles, speed, and calories — expect to burn 500-800. Every participant can opt-in to appear on the big-screen, in-class leaderboard, adding friendly competition to the mix.

Try It Yourself:

• 10 minutes on easy resistance with a sprint every 90 seconds, gradually increase sprint length and resistance
• 10 minutes on medium, alternate spinning in and out of the saddle, gradually increase resistance
• 5 minutes on hard, with 15-second sprints sitting in the saddle
• 5 minutes on hard, with 15-second sprints standing out of the saddle
• 5 minutes on easy
• 5 minutes on medium, alternate standing intervals and sitting recovery

Location: Nationwide

More Info: flywheelsports.com

PLYOGA

The hour-long class is a mix of plyometric exercises like burpees and rocket jumps, with yoga poses thrown in for recovery. The plyometrics send your heart rate through the roof and the yoga poses challenge you to focus, balance, and breathe even when your vision is going blurry. “Surprisingly enough, once you experience PLYOGA you realize that, if you’re not a ‘yoga’ person the plyometrics are just as much an active recovery for the yoga poses as the yoga is for plyos,” says Stephanie Lauren, the creator and owner of PLYOGA. Also, unlike a lot of group exercise classes, plyos in this class are to be done at your own pace.

Try It Yourself:

Warm up with a few minutes of light stretching. Repeat the sequence five times.

Lunge-Squat-Lunge: Start in a right lunge. Push up and jump out of the lunge, landing in a wide squat stance. Squat, then jump out of the squat, this time landing in a left lunge. Lunge and return to the squat position. Do as many as possible in 25 seconds.

Warrior One: Stand in a lunge with your front knee bent at 90-degrees and your back heel off the ground. Sink towards the ground as you arch your back and, with palms together, reach up for the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds.

Single Leg Hops: Stand on one leg and hop as high as you can, working to really explode off the ground. Switch legs and repeat. Continue for 25 seconds.

Tree Pose: Standing upright, tuck your right foot up and onto the inner thigh of your left leg, knee pointed to the side. Using your core for balance, raise your arms, palms together, towards the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds.

Starfish Sit Ups: Lay flat on your back with your arms and legs spread wide. Bring your right leg and left arm up until they touch, then lower back to the ground. Repeat on the other side. Continue for 25 seconds.

Boat Pose: Balancing on your tailbone, bring your legs up and off the floor, while your arms extend forward, parallel to the ground. Hold for 10 seconds.

Location: 20 states. 

More Info: PLYOGAFitness.com 

Mobility WOD

Have you thrown out your back just by sneezing? Has it been more than a decade since you last were able to touch your toes? Would you just like fewer aches and pains when you move? If so, spend some time with MobilityWOD. This program helps athletes increase range of motion and movement efficiency while also soothing achy muscles and joints. It’s a combination of myofascial release techniques (done mostly with a lacrosse ball), stretches and strengthening exercises. Since a daily Mobility WOD is something you’d do in addition to your regular workout, the exercises are short. Fifteen minutes should be all you need. “It’s like daily maintenance, like brushing your teeth,” says Kelly Starrett, the physical therapist that co-founded the program. “Ten to fifteen minutes a day can aggregate to real tissue change in a week,” he says, adding that these changes can help protect you from injuries and just the general aches and pains that come with getting older.

Try It Yourself: The Bone Saw

This exercise targets the fasciae within your feet and ankles while increasing your ankle range of motion. Kneel on the floor with your right foot and ankle supported by a rolled up towel or folded yoga mat. Cross your left leg over the top of the calf of your right leg. Slide the top leg back and forth over your right calf. Then, move your hips up and down to contract and relax your muscles. With your legs still crossed, sit back and put as much pressure on your bottom leg as possible. Finally, work your left shin all the way up the back of your bottom leg, targeting any knots in the calf that you come across.

Location: San Francisco, California, but the website offers tons of free videos and workouts.

More Info: mobilitywod.com

C9 Challenge

In just 39 minutes, the C9 Challenge will work every major muscle group. The class developers used new exercise physiology research to develop the shortest, most effective workout possible for both strength building and calorie burning. Routines use both light and heavy weights plus bodyweight exercises to hit nine key areas, including your core, chest, back, shoulder, and legs. Between each area, there’s a minute-long cardio burst, which boosts metabolism and burns calories.

Try It Yourself:

BLOCK 1

2 minutes of renegade rows. Start in a push-up position with a small dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your core tight, row with alternating arms.

2 minutes of squat heel raises. Perform a full squat then finish with a heel raise.

2 minutes of butterfly sit-ups. Lay on the floor with the bottoms of your feet pressed together and your knees out. Roll up and repeat.

1 minute of standing mountain climbers. Standing upright, mimic the motion of a traditional mountain climber. Bounce from leg to leg as you pull your knees up.

BLOCK 2

2 minutes of push press with a light bar or dumbbells

2 minutes of alternating standing lunges

2 minutes of plank rotations. Start in a front plank, move to one side, move back to center and then move to the other side. Repeat.

1 minute of burpees

BLOCK 3

2 minutes of floor press with a light bar or dumbbells

2 minutes of deadlifts with knee up. Perform a dead lift holding dumbbells but finish by bringing one knee straight up and into your chest. Switch which knee you raise every single rep.

2 minutes of reverse crunches. Laying with your back on the ground, bring your knees to your chest.

1 minute of knees and toes: Sprint in place, as fast as you can, tapping right fingertips to left knee, then left fingertips to right knee, then right fingertips to left toes, then left fingertips to right toes.

Location: Nationwide at most Lifetime Fitness locations. 

More Info: lifetimefitness.com

CITYROW

A single stroke on a stationary rower engages 85 percent of your muscles. But rowing endlessly without actually going anywhere isn’t very fun — unless you’re doing it as part of a high-energy workout class. At CITYROW studios, athletes bounce between sprints on stationary rowers and bodyweight exercises on the floor. “The constant on and off and nonstop movements keeps the heart rate high while also keeping the muscles engaged,” says Alex Silver-Fagan, who teaches at two New York-based CITYROW studios.

Try It Yourself:

Warm-up: 5 easy minutes on the machine.

On the floor perform this circuit two times:

5 inchworm walk-outs

10 shoulder taps in plank

10 v-ups

Row a 30-second sprint (aim for 125-150 meters)

10 bodyweight squats

Row a 30 second sprint

10 bodyweight reverse lunges on each leg

Row a 30 second sprint

10 dumbbell thrusters

10 reverse lunges with dumbbell curl on each leg

Finish with the following pyramid:

Row a 100-meter sprint

5 push-ups

5 renegade rows each arm

Row a 200-meter sprint

8 push-ups

8 renegade rows each arm

Row a 300-meter sprint

10 push-ups

10 renegade rows each arm

Row a 200-meter sprint

8 push-ups

8 renegade rows each arm

Row a 100-meter sprint

5 push-ups

5 renegade rows each arm

Location: New York City 

More Info: CITYROW.com

Phoenix OCR

Get specialized training for obstacle races, like the Spartan Race or Tough Mudder. Sessions include drills that push your aerobic capacity, coordination, strength, and agility. Expect to run, carry heavy things, and maybe scurry up a rope or pole.

Try It Yourself:

Set One: Work with a team to carry a 250-pound tire around the block. No workout partners or giant tire? Carry a 45-pound plate or dumbbell in front of your hips.

Set Two: Spend three minutes on each of the following:

Monkey bars

Sled pulls (Pull one way and push on the way back)

Rope climbs

Slosh tube overhead lunges. Slosh tubes are PVC pipes filled with water. You can also use a sandbag.

Set Three: Do five rounds for time.

250-meter run with sandbag

10 sandbag squat cleans

5 jump up muscle ups. On a bar or rings, this is a muscle up that starts from the top of a box, instead of the traditional kipping.

Location: West Hollywood, California

More Info: phoenixeffectla.com

Treat While You Train

“This class is about taking the time to put oneself back together in a helpful way,” says Jill Miller, who designed it for 24 Hour Fitness. “But it’s not jut restorative yoga. You’re not just laying there and breathing,” she says, adding that the class is actually work. You’ll be rolling on a therapy ball, stretching, and doing core and breath exercises. “At the end you feel like you’ve gotten a massage and a workout,” she promises.

Try It Yourself:

Add this abbreviated workout sample to the end of your training session. Lay with your abdomen on an exercise ball or a Bosu Ball (this class uses a proprietary ball called the Coregeous but you can adapt with a small exercise ball). Breathe into the ball and try to reshape the ball with the force of your breath. Continue for two minutes.

Next, slowly roll the ball from side to side across your abdomen while breathing deeply. This will help relax your core muscles. Continue for 1-2 minutes.

Finally, ditch the ball and press up into a plank and engage your abdominals from the inside out. Hold for one minute.

Location: Treat While You Train is available in most 24 Hour Fitness locations that offer group classes. 

More Info: 24HourFitness.com

Burn60

Treadmill classes are the new spin, and Burn60 is our top choice. It has participants alternating running intervals and bodyweight strength. “It is a heart rate training class so that you are competing against yourself, staying below your lactate threshold, burning body fat, and getting stronger,” says Michelle Lovitt, who teaches Burn60 in West Hollywood. All clients are urged to have a lactate threshold test performed before they take the class, and appropriate interval levels are set from that number. At the end of class you get a full data set from the day’s workout. “It is all about training smarter not harder,” says Lovitt.

Try It Yourself:

Treadmill Block 1

Run 30 seconds at a medium to fast pace, 30 seconds of recovery pace

Run 1 minute fast, 30 seconds of recovery

Run 90 seconds at a medium/fast pace, 1 minute of recovery pace

Run 90 seconds at a medium/fast pace, 1 minute of recovery pace

Run 1 minute fast, 30 seconds of recovery pace

Run 30 seconds at a medium/fast pace, 30 seconds of recovery pace

Run 90 seconds at a medium/fast pace, 1 minute of recovery pace

Strength Block1

2 minutes of push-ups

2 minutes of bent over rows

2 minutes of squats

2 minutes of reverse Lunges

Treadmill Block 2

Run 30 seconds at a medium intensity followed by 30 seconds at a fast pace.

Take one minute of recovery. Repeat this interval sequence four more times.

Strength Block 2

2 minutes of sumo squats with a high pull. With two hands on your kettlbell or dumbbell, pull the weight to your chest.

2 minutes of alternating lunges with a bicep curl

2 minutes of side lunges to a shoulder press

2 minutes of chest presses

2 minutes of bicycle abs on bench

Treadmill Block 3

Run 60 seconds at a medium intensity, then finish with a 30-second fast burst

Take one minute recovery, then repeat four more times.

Strength Block 3

Two minutes of renegade rows with tricep kickback

Two minutes of T-Squats. Bodyweight squat with chest held up, arms straight out to side.

Two minutes of single leg squats with kettlebells

Two minutes of cheese graters with slides

Location: Brentwood, California

More Info: burn60.com

RiseNation

When you run or cycle, momentum does a fair bit of work for you. But when you climb, gravity is fighting you every inch of the way. At RiseNation, you’ll spend 30 minutes switching between a climbing machine, yoga poses, and bodyweight strength moves. The climber does take some getting used to, so expect to feel awkward during the first session, but you’ll pick it up fairly quickly. Unlike a treadmill or spin class, RiseNation relies on upper body strength for the cardio components, so get ready to get super ripped.

Try It Yourself: Check out the Rise Nation workout Matt Damon used to get in shape for Bourne.

Find It: West Hollywood, California 

More Info: rise-nation.com