The FitBodega 100
Top 100 Gyms in the World 2026
The most influential training grounds on earth — ranked. Iron meccas, champion factories, luxury clubs, and the outdoor pits people cross oceans to train in.
Reviewed monthly · Updated 2026-08-05
How we rank
The Gym Influence Score
Specific, visitable gyms only. Chains enter through individual locations judged as places — never as a brand in the abstract. Independent gyms and chain flagships are scored on the same scale.
Reach is log-scaled and recomputed from each gym's researched follower counts. The five judgment factors — legacy, talent, facility, community, destination — are calibrated across research segments so no category is scored on an easier curve. Counts marked verified were browser-checked at the listed date; the rest are approximate.
Details are editorial estimates (2026) and the ranking is reviewed monthly. Inclusion is not an endorsement; gyms open, move, and close — check before you travel.
The ranking
The 100
Cookeville, Tennessee
Score
CrossFit Mayhem
Rich Froning's home box and training compound, anchor of the Mayhem Nation programming and apparel brand.
Base for a four-time individual and multiple-time team CrossFit Games champion; drives one of the sport's largest media operations.
Seek out the Mayhem Nation programming boards and train alongside the culture that built a four-time champion.
Columbus, Ohio
Score
Westside Barbell
Private, invite-only powerlifting gym founded by Louie Simmons, birthplace of the Conjugate Method.
Produced more elite raw and equipped powerlifting world records than any gym in history; the sport's acknowledged mecca.
You cannot drop in — but you can run its conjugate method: rotate max-effort and dynamic days.
Venice, California
Score
Gold's Gym Venice
The original Gold's Gym, founded on Venice Beach in 1965 and now on Hampton Drive.
Known worldwide as "the Mecca of bodybuilding" — Arnold Schwarzenegger and generations of champions trained here, and it still draws lifters on pilgrimage.
Go early, train among the pilgrims, and study how the old guard structures a session.
004MBMuscle Beach Venice
Venice, California77
City-run open-air weight pit and gymnastics platform on the Venice Beach boardwalk, running since 1963.
The original stage where 1970s-80s bodybuilding performed for the public; still free, outdoors, and open to any visitor.
Free and open to all — claim a spot on the platform where 1970s-80s bodybuilding first performed for the public.
005ATAmerican Top Team
Coconut Creek, FloridaFlagship77
Large MMA super-team headquarters with dozens of pro fighters training under one roof.
Produced numerous UFC and Bellator champions since 2001; a repeat MMA Gym of the Year winner.
Watch dozens of pro fighters share one roof and see why titles keep coming from this single training floor.
006MGMetroFlex Gym (Original)
Arlington, Texas76
The original MetroFlex warehouse gym, running since 1987, marketed as "the gym that built Ronnie Coleman."
Home turf of 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman and 2x Arnold Classic champion Branch Warren; raw, no-frills training culture that spawned a national gym chain.
Skip the polish — this raw, no-frills warehouse floor is the culture that built Ronnie Coleman.
007CCompTrain (formerly CrossFit New England)
Natick, Massachusetts75
Ben Bergeron's strength-and-conditioning gym, rebuilt from the de-affiliated CrossFit New England.
Produced Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir; its whiteboard-and-mindset culture became a template copied across the sport.
De-affiliated from CrossFit HQ and rebranded CompTrain; no longer an official CrossFit affiliate but still the same physical gym and program lineage.
Study the whiteboard-and-mindset culture that shaped Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir into champions.
008TMTiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp
Phuket74
Large international training camp offering Muay Thai, MMA, and BJJ to thousands of visiting fighters yearly.
A global bucket-list combat-sports destination, with a training population and social reach far beyond any single team.
Join thousands of visiting fighters training Muay Thai, MMA and BJJ side by side at this bucket-list camp.
009ECEliteFTS Compound
London, Ohio74
Dave Tate's training compound and equipment-company headquarters, the other pole of American powerlifting alongside Westside.
Decades of educational content, sponsored lifters, and the elitefts media machine make it a reference point for the whole strength-training industry.
Treat it as a classroom — decades of Dave Tate's educational strength content live on this training floor.
010AKAmerican Kickboxing Academy (AKA)
San Jose, California73
Wrestling-and-striking MMA gym in San Jose, co-founded by Javier Mendez.
Produced multiple UFC champions (Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier) and hosted Khabib Nurmagomedov's fight camps.
Watch the wrestling-and-striking blend that produced multiple UFC champions and hosted Khabib's fight camps.
011CrossFit Invictus
San Diego, California73
Longstanding San Diego box and one of the sport's most influential coaching-education and programming brands.
Its methodology and seminars shaped how competitive CrossFit is coached worldwide since the mid-2000s.
Sit in on the coaching methodology and seminars that shaped how competitive CrossFit is coached worldwide.
012Binous Gym
Dubai73
Bodybuilding gym founded by Tunisian trainer Anis Binous, built around rare specialist equipment and a serious-athlete training floor.
Draws top international bodybuilders, celebrities, and influencers visiting the Gulf; runs its own Binous Classic muscle show.
A larger second location was under construction in Jumeirah Village Circle at last check; the original Al Quoz gym is the current flagship.
Seek out the rare specialist equipment that draws elite bodybuilders, and ask about the Binous Classic show.
013Dogpound
New York, New York72
Invite-only strength and conditioning studio founded by trainer Kirk Myers, with a sister location in Los Angeles.
The most photographed personal-training gym in the world; actors and models train there, gated by a roughly 100-person waitlist.
It's invite-only with a roughly 100-person waitlist — this is where actors and models actually train, not pose.
014Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Albuquerque, New Mexico72
MMA academy co-founded by coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.
Trained Jon Jones and Holly Holm among many champions; a pilgrimage stop for serious strikers and grapplers.
A pilgrimage stop for strikers and grapplers — study the system that trained Jon Jones and Holly Holm.
015Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ)
Costa Mesa, California71
Competition-focused BJJ academy founded by Rafael and Guilherme Mendes.
Produces a steady stream of IBJJF and ADCC world champions and draws competitive grapplers worldwide.
Watch competition-focused BJJ drilling from the Mendes brothers' system that keeps producing IBJJF and ADCC champions.
016PRVN Fitness
Nashville, Tennessee71
Garage-style training facility built by coach Shane Orr for his wife Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr's programming brand.
Home base of the most decorated woman in CrossFit Games history, now a widely followed methodology and gear brand.
Study the garage-style programming built around the most decorated woman in CrossFit Games history.
017Kachalka Muscle Beach
Kyiv71
Sprawling free outdoor gym on Dolobetskyi Island with 200-plus homemade machines welded from scrap metal since the 1970s.
One of the biggest DIY outdoor gyms on earth, spanning roughly 10,000 square meters; famous for training champions, celebrities, and factory workers side by side.
Historically reopens fast after disruptions, but day-to-day status during the ongoing war was not independently reconfirmed for 2026.
Try the homemade scrap-metal machines and train shoulder to shoulder with champions, celebrities, and factory workers alike.
018Zoo Culture
Encino, California70
Members-only gym and social club built by bodybuilder-YouTuber Bradley Martyn, a fixture for LA fitness creators and celebrities.
One of the first gyms built entirely from a creator's personal brand — turned Bradley Martyn's online fame into a real-world hangout-and-train destination.
A members-only social club built on Bradley Martyn's brand — go see how online fame becomes a real training culture.
019Wild Card Boxing Club
Hollywood, California70
Small, famously no-frills second-floor boxing gym in Hollywood run by trainer Freddie Roach.
Trained Manny Pacquiao to multiple world titles; open 365 days a year and a bucket-list stop for boxing fans.
No-frills and open 365 days a year — watch the system that trained Manny Pacquiao to world titles.
020Equinox Hudson Yards
New York, New YorkFlagship69
Equinox's largest club, anchoring the Hudson Yards tower with a dedicated E by Equinox training floor and rooftop pool.
The most recognized luxury gym brand in the US; Hudson Yards is its architectural showcase and a status symbol for Manhattan members.
Go for the E by Equinox training floor and rooftop pool — the brand's architectural showcase.
021Barry's West Hollywood
West Hollywood, CaliforniaFlagship69
Barry's rebuilt flagship on Santa Monica Boulevard, replacing the original 1998 La Cienega studio with a larger Red Room.
The birthplace of the 'world's best workout' brand and celebrity-favorite HIIT franchise; still its cultural home base.
Take a Red Room class at the birthplace of the 'world's best workout,' still the brand's cultural home base.
022Renzo Gracie Academy
New York, New YorkFlagship69
Historic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academy in Manhattan founded by Renzo Gracie.
One of the founding academies of the US BJJ and MMA boom; produced champions in both grappling and the cage.
Train at one of the founding academies of the US BJJ and MMA boom, still producing champions in both.
023IMG Academy
Bradenton, Florida69
Multi-sport boarding-school and training campus in Bradenton, Florida, covering a dozen sports.
World-unique in scale and facilities; alumni include top tennis, golf, and football pros across five decades.
Tour the world-unique multi-sport campus that has produced top tennis, golf, and football pros for five decades.
024Fairtex Training Center
Pattaya69
One of Thailand's oldest and most famous Muay Thai training camps.
Produced generations of Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium champions; a top pilgrimage stop for Muay Thai.
A top Muay Thai pilgrimage stop — train under the lineage that produced generations of stadium champions.
025Bev Francis' Powerhouse Gym
Syosset, New York68
An independent hardcore gym on Long Island founded by IFBB legend Bev Francis, billed as "the East Coast Mecca of bodybuilding."
Trains top NPC and IFBB competitors — Chris Bumstead used it during a 2022 Olympia prep stretch — and keeps a coaching-floor culture built around Francis's own competitive record.
Seek out the coaching-floor culture Bev Francis built from her own competitive record — Chris Bumstead once prepped here.
026CrossFit Reykjavik
Reykjavik67
Iceland's flagship box, training ground for the country's cluster of world-class CrossFit athletes.
Home of two-time Games champion Annie Thorisdottir and an international 'super team' of transplant athletes drawn to Iceland's training culture.
Meet the international 'super team' of transplant athletes drawn to Iceland's training culture around champion Annie Thorisdottir.
027Kings MMA
Huntington Beach, California66
Huntington Beach MMA gym led by striking coach Rafael Cordeiro.
Carries the Chute Boxe striking lineage and has coached Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, and other elite strikers.
Train the Chute Boxe striking lineage that shaped Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva under coach Rafael Cordeiro.
028Team Alpha Male
Sacramento, California66
Sacramento MMA team founded in 2004 by former UFC champion Urijah Faber.
Produced three UFC champions (T.J. Dillashaw, Cody Garbrandt, Deiveson Figueiredo) out of one training room.
One training room produced three UFC champions — watch how Urijah Faber's team builds them.
029Thor's Power Gym
Kopavogur66
Strongman gym built by Hafthor Bjornsson ('The Mountain'), fitted with equipment custom-made by Rogue Fitness for his own training.
A genuine pilgrimage stop for strongman tourists in Iceland, doubling as a small museum of Bjornsson's world-record lifts and trophies.
Study the custom Rogue equipment Bjornsson built for himself, and browse the trophy wall of his world records.
030P3 Applied Sports Science
Santa Barbara, California65
Sports-science and athletic-performance lab in Santa Barbara using force plates and 3D motion capture.
Trusted by a majority of NBA teams and the default stop for pre-draft prospects preparing for the combine.
Expect force-plate and motion-capture testing over barbells — this is where NBA prospects prep for the draft combine.
031Dragon's Lair Gym
Las Vegas, Nevada64
A 12,600 sq ft hardcore training facility owned by 7x 212lb Mr. Olympia Flex Lewis, with 115+ machines and dedicated power racks.
Gives fans a direct line to a reigning Olympia-class champion's personal training approach, with regular pro visits and seminars.
Check the seminar schedule — regular pro visits give you a direct line to Flex Lewis's own training approach.
032Temple Gym
Birmingham, England64
The gym built by 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, now relocated to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.
Defined the 1990s "blood and guts" high-intensity training era; still draws UK and international lifters tracing Yates's method.
Study the high-intensity 'blood and guts' method Dorian Yates built here — brief, brutal sets, not marathon sessions.
033Gold's Gym Harajuku
TokyoFlagship64
24-hour, four-floor Gold's Gym club steps from Harajuku Station, open since 2002 with a hardcore basement floor known as Classic Gold.
Japan's best-known Gold's Gym location, regularly drawing athletes and entertainers from the surrounding entertainment district.
Head down to the hardcore Classic Gold basement floor, the part of this 24-hour club athletes actually seek out.
034Gymshark Lifting Club
Solihull, EnglandFlagship64
Gymshark's own gym and innovation hub at its Solihull HQ, built to test product and shoot athlete content on-site.
The physical anchor of the biggest fitness-apparel creator economy in the world — sponsored athletes train and film here.
Watch sponsored athletes film content on the same floor where Gymshark tests its own gear.
035Bondi Beach Outdoor Gym
Sydney64
Council-built calisthenics park in Bondi Park with pull-up bars at multiple heights, dip bars, parallel bars, and monkey bars.
Free, open 24/7 every day of the year, and famous for turning workouts into a beachfront show for passersby.
Free and open 24/7 — bring your calisthenics skills, because Bondi turns every set into a beachfront show.
036Straight Blast Gym Ireland
Dublin63
Dublin MMA academy led by coach John Kavanagh, hub of the SBG international affiliate network.
Developed Conor McGregor from teenager to two-division UFC champion, making it a global MMA pilgrimage site.
Study the coaching patience that took Conor McGregor from teenager to two-division champion under John Kavanagh.
037EXOS
Phoenix, ArizonaFlagship63
Human-performance training campus in Phoenix, headquarters of the EXOS athletic performance company.
Trains NFL Combine prospects and pro athletes across major leagues with sports-science-driven programs.
Expect sports-science-driven programming built for NFL Combine prospects, not a typical gym-floor workout.
038Training Think Tank
Roswell, Georgia63
Atlanta-area box built around a coaching staff of CrossFit Games veterans, led by nine-time Games athlete Travis Mayer.
One of the deeper competitive coaching benches outside the traditional CrossFit power centers, with a fast-growing following.
Learn from a coaching staff stacked with CrossFit Games veterans led by nine-time competitor Travis Mayer.
039Pahlevanpour Zurkhaneh
Tehran63
One of Tehran's oldest active zurkhanehs ("houses of strength"), a domed hall for varzesh-e pahlavani, Iran's ritual strength-and-ethics sport.
The clearest surviving link to a training culture that predates the modern gym by centuries, combining calisthenics, wooden clubs, and live drumming and poetry.
Watch varzesh-e pahlavani performed with wooden clubs, live drumming and poetry — training as ritual, not reps.
040Alphaland
Missouri City, Texas62
18.5-acre fitness compound built by YouTuber and Alphalete founder Christian Guzman — three gyms, courts, a sauna, a cafe, and a retail store under one roof.
The most ambitious creator-built gym in the world, a self-described 'Disney World for bodybuilders' that pulls visitors from across Texas and beyond.
Treat it like a day trip — three gyms, courts, a sauna and a cafe built by a YouTuber into one compound.
041Evolve MMA
SingaporeFlagship62
Asia's largest MMA academy network, headquartered in Singapore across multiple branded locations.
Trained numerous ONE Championship world champions; the default combat-sports stop for visitors to Southeast Asia.
Default combat-sports stop in Southeast Asia — train alongside the system that produced ONE Championship world champions.
042Gleason's Gym
Brooklyn, New York62
The oldest active boxing gym in the United States, operating in Brooklyn since 1937.
Trained generations of world champions from the Ali era to modern pros; a living museum of boxing history.
Walk through boxing history — this living museum has trained world champions from the Ali era to today's pros.
043Third Space Canary Wharf
LondonFlagship61
Three-floor, 100,000-square-foot luxury health club with a pool, climbing wall and in-house medical centre.
Widely cited as the largest luxury gym in Europe; sets the bar for the UK's premium health-club format.
See the pool, climbing wall and in-house medical centre that make this the largest luxury gym in Europe.
044Original Muscle Beach
Santa Monica, California61
Restored 1930s beach gymnastics ground next to the pier, considered the birthplace of the US fitness boom.
Site of the WPA-built rings and bars that started outdoor physical culture in America; dismantled in 1959, rebuilt and reopened by the city in 1989.
Try the rings and bars on the WPA-built ground considered the birthplace of America's outdoor fitness culture.
045Academia Publica do Arpoador
Rio de Janeiro61
Free oceanfront outdoor gym between Ipanema and Copacabana with squat racks, benches, and free weights, not just bodyweight bars.
A daily pilgrimage spot for locals and tourists who want to lift with an Atlantic Ocean backdrop; confirmed active as of 2026 travel guides.
Lift with real squat racks and free weights, not just bars, against an Atlantic Ocean backdrop, for free.
046Oxygen Gym
Kuwait CityFlagship60
Leading hardcore bodybuilding gym brand in Kuwait, a hub for the country's outsized competitive bodybuilding scene.
The best-known gym name in Gulf bodybuilding culture, with a huge regional social following and heavy competition-prep traffic.
Expect heavy competition-prep traffic — this is the anchor gym of Kuwait's outsized competitive bodybuilding scene.
047B-Team Jiu-Jitsu
Austin, Texas60
Austin no-gi grappling team founded in 2021 by former members of the Danaher Death Squad.
Built a large online following around elite no-gi grappling and continues to produce top ADCC competitors.
Founding roster has shifted since 2021 as some members split off to form separate teams.
Watch the elite no-gi grappling system built by former Danaher Death Squad members, still producing ADCC competitors.
048Boss Barbell Club
Mountain View, California60
Powerlifting-focused gym in Silicon Valley owned and coached day-to-day by 10x world-record raw powerlifter Dan Green.
One of the few US gyms run hands-on by an active elite competitor; the anchor of the Northern California powerlifting scene.
Rare chance to train under an active 10x world-record powerlifter who coaches the floor himself.
049Sorinex Strength Compound
Lexington, South Carolina60
Manufacturing headquarters and private training facility of Sorinex, the strength-equipment maker used by NFL, NBA and major college athletic departments.
World-unique showroom/training floor that visiting college strength coaches and pro athletes treat as a pilgrimage stop for equipment and technique.
Go for the equipment as much as the training — visiting strength coaches treat this showroom as a pilgrimage stop.
050Tempelhofer Feld Calisthenics Park
Berlin60
Free outdoor calisthenics setup on the former Tempelhof Airport airfield, one of the largest open-air training grounds in Europe.
A gathering point for Europe's competitive calisthenics scene, prized for its scale and for training in the open field of a decommissioned airport.
Free and vast — join Europe's competitive calisthenics scene training out in the open field of a decommissioned airport.
051Siro One Za'abeel
Dubai59
132-room fitness-and-recovery hotel inside the One Za'abeel tower, built around dedicated Fitness and Recovery Labs.
The world's first hotel purpose-built for training and recovery, not a gym bolted onto a hotel; a genuine trip destination for serious trainers.
Book the Fitness and Recovery Labs, not just a room — this hotel was purpose-built for training and recovery.
052Tracy Anderson Studio New York
New York, New YorkFlagship59
Flagship studio of Tracy Anderson's branded dance-cardio method, which now runs ten studios worldwide.
Built the celebrity-trainer-to-global-method playbook; the studio her A-list clientele and the tabloids still associate with the brand.
Take the dance-cardio class that built the celebrity-trainer-to-global-method playbook still followed by an A-list clientele.
053Kill Cliff FC
Deerfield Beach, Florida59
South Florida MMA team, formerly the Blackzilians, Hard Knocks 365, and Sanford MMA.
Home to UFC standouts Michael Chandler, Gilbert Burns, and Robbie Lawler after several rebrands.
Renamed several times (Blackzilians, Hard Knocks 365, Sanford MMA, then Kill Cliff FC in 2022).
Train where Michael Chandler, Gilbert Burns and Robbie Lawler built their games, under whatever name it currently carries.
054Alliance Jiu-Jitsu San Diego
San Diego, CaliforniaFlagship59
San Diego branch of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, one of the most decorated BJJ organizations in the world.
Alliance has won more IBJJF World titles than any other team, and the San Diego room trains competitive black belts.
Roll with competitive black belts from the team that has won more IBJJF World titles than any other.
055Doherty's Gym
Melbourne58
Australia's best-known hardcore bodybuilding gym group, anchored by its 24/7 Melbourne City location.
The default training base for Australia's competitive bodybuilding and powerlifting scene for decades, open every day of the year.
Open every day of the year — this has been the default base for Australia's competitive lifting scene for decades.
056Ironberg (São Paulo)
São Paulo58
A 24-hour flagship of Brazil's Ironberg chain, self-described as Latin America's largest bodybuilding training center.
Anchors Brazil's large, IFBB-heavy bodybuilding scene inside one of the region's biggest and busiest training floors.
Expect one of the region's biggest, busiest training floors anchoring Brazil's IFBB-heavy bodybuilding scene.
057KX Chelsea
London58
Private members' health, fitness and beauty club on Draycott Avenue, open since 2002 with a spa, pool and training floor.
One of London's original luxury gym-clubs, still a fixture for the Chelsea and Kensington set more than two decades on.
A private club fixture for the Chelsea set for two decades — go for the spa-and-training-floor combination, not lifting volume.
058Anatomy Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida58
Boutique strength and wellness club on Lincoln Road, co-founded by former NFL player Marc Megna, with sister locations across greater Miami.
Anchors Miami's fitness-and-wellness scene, drawing athletes, models and the city's wellness-influencer circuit.
Expect a wellness-influencer crowd — this club anchors Miami's fitness scene for athletes and models alike.
059Strength Asylum
Stoke-on-Trent58
13,500 sq ft bodybuilding/strongman gym in Stoke-on-Trent, training base of former World's Strongest Man Eddie Hall.
One of the best-known strongman gyms in the UK; Eddie Hall's decade-long membership put it on the map internationally.
Check out the strongman setup Eddie Hall trained in for a decade — his membership put this gym on the map.
060THENX Fitness Studio
Miami, Florida57
Calisthenics training studio in Miami built around Chris Heria's THENX brand, the home base seen throughout his videos.
Anchors one of the largest calisthenics content ecosystems online; THENX and Heria Pro programs trace back to this floor.
See the calisthenics setup behind Chris Heria's videos, home base of one of the biggest content ecosystems online.
061Untamed Strength
Sacramento, California57
Alan Thrall's strongman/powerlifting gym in Sacramento, built around raw barbell training and heavy YouTube documentation.
Thrall's instructional videos turned an ordinary local gym into one of the most-watched strength channels in the world.
Watch the raw barbell fundamentals Alan Thrall built into one of the most-watched strength channels in the world.
062Barbell Brigade
Los Angeles, California57
5,500 sq ft powerlifting and strength-sports gym in downtown LA with 16 squat racks, 11 benches, and its own apparel/media brand.
Hosts USAPL and USPA meets on-site and built one of the largest powerlifting-apparel followings out of a single physical gym.
Catch a USAPL or USPA meet on-site, then train on the same racks that host them.
063California Strength
San Ramon, California57
Olympic weightlifting gym and coaching program, one of the longest-running dedicated weightlifting clubs in the US.
Coached multiple national-level weightlifters over nearly two decades and remains a reference program for USAW-style training.
Learn USAW-style Olympic lifting from one of the longest-running dedicated weightlifting clubs in the country.
064Gold's Gym Golden Heights
New CairoFlagship57
One of Gold's Gym Egypt's flagship compound clubs, part of the brand's largest Middle East-North Africa footprint.
The clearest Gold's Gym presence in the Arab world's biggest fitness market, drawing on the same brand equity as Venice's original.
Reach figure is for the national Gold's Gym Egypt brand account, not this location specifically.
Trades on the same Gold's Gym name as Venice — go see how that legacy plays in the Arab world's biggest fitness market.
065Armbrust Pro Gym
Denver, Colorado56
Josh Bryant's strength-and-physique hybrid gym, known for a dedicated leg room with eight-plus Olympic power racks.
Trains IFBB pros and elite strength athletes and serves as a serious destination for hardcore leg and powerlifting-style training.
Hit the dedicated leg room with its stacked power racks — where IFBB pros go for serious leg work.
066Choopan Classic Gym
Shiraz56
A 130-plus-machine gym Mr. Olympia champion Hadi Choopan built in his home region of Iran.
A symbol of Iran's rising bodybuilding pipeline and Choopan's effort to give back to the community that produced a world champion despite travel barriers to Western training hubs.
See what a Mr. Olympia champion built for his own community when travel to Western training hubs wasn't an option.
067SoulCycle Tribeca
New York, New YorkFlagship56
Long-running flagship studio of the candlelit indoor-cycling chain that popularized boutique group fitness in the US.
Along with SoulCycle's original Union Square studio, defined the 2010s boutique-fitness boom that Barry's, Rumble and 1Rebel all followed.
SoulCycle has closed many studios nationwide since 2023; check this location is operating before visiting.
Book the candlelit ride that helped define the 2010s boutique-fitness boom — confirm the studio is still open first.
068Xtreme Couture MMA
Las Vegas, Nevada56
Las Vegas MMA gym founded by UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, now run by his son Ryan Couture.
Historic UFC pedigree from the Couture era continues under family ownership, with an open floor for visitors.
Train on an open floor that still carries Randy Couture's UFC Hall of Fame pedigree under his son's ownership.
069Smart Fit Copacabana
Rio de JaneiroFlagship56
Headquarters location of Smart Fit, Latin America's largest gym chain (2,100-plus locations), with an attached beach-sports arena for futevolei and beach tennis.
Represents the low-cost mega-gym model that reshaped fitness access across Latin America; the beach arena add-on is a rare format extension.
Try the attached beach-sports arena for futevolei and beach tennis, a rare add-on at the chain's flagship.
070Heimat
Los Angeles, California55
75,000-square-foot members-only fitness and lifestyle club in Hollywood with a rooftop pool, spa and six specialty studios.
Billed as the first standalone luxury gym concept in LA; blends training with a social club and carries a long waitlist.
Get on the waitlist for a club that blends training with social life — LA's first standalone luxury gym concept.
071Saint Haven Collingwood
Melbourne55
Members-only luxury wellness and social club combining strength training, recovery labs and a lounge-and-dining floor.
Built a reported 15,000-person waitlist; the clearest sign Australia's premium fitness scene has gone full country-club, now expanding to Sydney.
A 15,000-person waitlist tells you fitness has gone full country-club — go for the recovery labs and lounge, not just the weights.
072Mike's Gym
Amsterdam (Oostzaan)55
Dutch kickboxing gym near Amsterdam led by trainer Michael "Big Mike" Passenier.
Produced Glory kickboxing champions such as Murthel Groenhart and Joerie Mes, a hub of Dutch kickboxing.
Train in the hub of Dutch kickboxing that produced Glory champions Murthel Groenhart and Joerie Mes.
073Iron Religion Gym
Orlando, Florida55
24/7 hardcore bodybuilding and powerlifting gym on International Drive, open since 2016.
A regular stop for pros passing through Orlando for the Olympia Expo, built on old-school equipment mixed with modern plate-loaded gear.
Catch touring pros stopping through during Olympia Expo week on this mix of old-school and modern equipment.
074Raw Athletic Club
Port St. Lucie, Florida55
Premium gym opened in 2024 by five-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead's Raw Nutrition brand, with a barber, smoothie bar, and apparel shop attached.
The newest major creator-gym launch in bodybuilding, already drawing touring pros to train and film on camera.
Newest creator-gym on the circuit — watch touring pros train and film on camera at Bumstead's Raw Nutrition floor.
075Quads Gym
Chicago, Illinois54
A 40,000 sq ft hardcore bodybuilding gym on Chicago's North Side, running since 1976 and nicknamed "Land of the Giants."
A Midwest bodybuilding institution with decades of old-school iron culture; voted a top-10 gym in America.
Old-school iron culture since 1976 — earn your spot in what regulars call the Land of the Giants.
076Lanserhof at The Arts Club
London54
Six-floor medical gym and wellness clinic inside The Arts Club, with an in-house MRI, cryotherapy and a Spine Lab.
Billed as the world's first medical gym; brings Lanserhof's German longevity-clinic model into a private London institution.
Expect medical diagnostics alongside training — an in-house MRI, cryotherapy and Spine Lab make this the world's first medical gym.
077Mayweather Boxing Club
Las Vegas, Nevada54
Floyd Mayweather's private boxing gym and training center in Las Vegas.
Where the undefeated five-division champion trained and still mentors fighters; a stop for boxing tourists in Vegas.
Stop in where an undefeated five-division champion still mentors fighters — a must for boxing tourists in Vegas.
078John Reed Fitness Club Berlin-Botzow
BerlinFlagship54
RSG Group's flagship John Reed club in central Berlin, built around the brand's nightclub-style design language.
Set the template for the DJ-decks-and-art-deco gym aesthetic that John Reed exported across Europe.
Go for the DJ-decks-and-art-deco design language John Reed exported across Europe, not a quiet lift.
079Iron Addicts Gym
Signal Hill, California53
The gym CT Fletcher built his brand around; still running under new ownership after Fletcher's exit from day-to-day operations.
Years of viral "It's a lifestyle!" training footage made this a global reference point for hardcore strength culture, and the location keeps that identity.
CT Fletcher is no longer associated with day-to-day operation of this location; the gym continues under different ownership.
Come for the hardcore strength-culture identity CT Fletcher's viral footage built, even though he no longer runs the floor.
080Ultimate Performance London City
LondonFlagship53
Private, no-membership personal-training gym; the original Ultimate Performance location, opened 2009, now heading a nine-gym London roster.
Set the template for premium one-to-one fat-loss and physique coaching that UP now runs in 20-plus cities worldwide.
No membership, just one-to-one coaching — this original location set the template UP now runs in 20-plus cities.
081McFit Flagship Berlin
BerlinFlagship53
RSG Group's flagship McFit club, rebuilt as what the company calls "the world's greenest gym."
McFit, founded 1997, grew into Europe's largest fitness chain by membership; this club is the brand's current showcase.
See the brand's current showcase, rebuilt to be what the company calls the world's greenest gym.
082Virgin Active Collection Green Point
Cape TownFlagship53
Virgin Active's rebuilt flagship club, a roughly $6.2 million, 5,500-square-meter "social wellness club" combining training, recovery, nutrition, and co-working space.
Africa's most ambitious gym rebuild to date, positioned by Richard Branson as the future format for the continent's largest health-club operator.
Explore the social-wellness-club format — training, recovery, nutrition and co-working under one roof, Africa's most ambitious gym rebuild.
083Roufusport MMA Academy
Milwaukee (Wauwatosa), Wisconsin52
Milwaukee-area MMA academy led by striking coach Duke Roufus.
Produced UFC and Bellator champions Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren under Roufus's striking system.
Study the striking system under Duke Roufus that produced UFC and Bellator champions Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren.
0841st Phorm HQ
Fenton, MissouriFlagship52
185,000 sq ft supplement-company headquarters with a full athletic facility, turf field, and basketball court, built by 1st Phorm founder Andy Frisella's team.
One of the most-toured facilities on fitness YouTube — a supplement brand's HQ built as a destination gym, not just an office.
Take the tour — this supplement company built its HQ as a destination gym, not just an office.
085XT Oslo
Oslo52
One of the largest and oldest CrossFit facilities in Europe, spread across three training halls.
Anchors Oslo's functional-fitness scene, which also hosts the Oslo Throwdown, one of Northern Europe's biggest CrossFit competitions.
Three training halls anchor a scene that also runs the Oslo Throwdown, one of Northern Europe's biggest CrossFit events.
086Gordon Beach Outdoor Gym
Tel Aviv52
Free municipal outdoor gym on the Tel Aviv beach promenade with bars, rings, and calisthenics stations.
A long-running fixture of Tel Aviv beach culture where regulars train daily regardless of weather or season.
Free beachfront bars and rings — join the regulars who train here daily no matter the season.
087MetroFlex Gym Long Beach
Hawaiian Gardens, CaliforniaFlagship51
MetroFlex's Southern California outpost, a hardcore bodybuilding and powerlifting gym near Long Beach.
Carries the MetroFlex chain's coaching culture and equipment standard into the dense SoCal bodybuilding scene.
Expect the same MetroFlex coaching culture and equipment standard as the original, dropped into the dense SoCal bodybuilding scene.
088FIBRA MAX
Barcelona51
"The Athletes' Factory," billed as the largest weight-training gym in Europe, opened in 2024 with 400-plus machines and dumbbells.
A new-generation European mega-gym putting Spain on the map for large-scale strength and physique training.
See the scale for yourself — 400-plus machines make this the largest weight-training gym in Europe.
089Hybrid Performance Method Gym
Miami, Florida (Wynwood)51
24-hour private strength facility in Wynwood built for powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, strongman and combat conditioning, home to Team HYBRID.
Founder Hayden Bowe's training app and podcast audience funnels a large online following toward one physical floor.
Expect a mix of powerlifting, Olympic lifting, strongman and combat conditioning under Hayden Bowe's Team HYBRID banner.
090Obsidian Gym Bali
Pererenan, Canggu, Bali51
The largest gym in Indonesia: a 6,000 sqm design-forward complex in Pererenan/Canggu with a pool, cold plunge, sauna, and the country's longest dumbbell row, opened 2023.
Went viral worldwide for its striking architecture and design, turning it into a bucket-list stop for Bali's digital-nomad fitness crowd.
Go for the striking architecture and the country's longest dumbbell row — this went viral for design, not just iron.
091Continuum Club West Village
New York, New York50
25,000-square-foot, $10,000-a-month members' wellness club in the West Village, capped at 250 members with AI-assisted biometric onboarding.
The newest and most expensive entrant in ultra-luxury fitness, setting a new price ceiling for what a gym membership can cost.
Expect AI-assisted biometric onboarding and a $10,000-a-month price tag — the new ceiling for ultra-luxury fitness.
092Cape CrossFit
Cape Town50
South Africa's most competitive CrossFit team gym, a fixture of the Cape Town functional-fitness scene.
The winningest team in Fittest in Cape Town history and a Regionals qualifier every year since 2011.
Train with the winningest team in Fittest in Cape Town history, a Regionals qualifier every year since 2011.
093Virgin Active Collection Kensington
LondonFlagship49
Flagship 'Collection' club on Kensington High Street with a 16-metre pool, spa and one of London's largest Dynamic Reformer studios.
Leads the redevelopment of Virgin Active's whole UK portfolio into a hospitality-led, studio-rich format.
See the pool and reformer studio leading Virgin Active's shift toward a hospitality-led, studio-rich club format.
094CrossFit Kailua
Kailua, Hawaii49
Community box on Oahu built around the Hawaiian concept of ohana (family), with a roster of CrossFit Games-level members.
One of the sport's early Games-era affiliates, still drawing fitness travelers to Hawaii's CrossFit scene.
Train inside the ohana concept — a community box with Games-level members still drawing fitness travelers to Hawaii.
095Fitness Time Pro Gym Riyadh
RiyadhFlagship49
Flagship performance club of Fitness Time, Saudi Arabia's largest homegrown gym chain.
Anchors a fitness brand family that expanded fast across the Kingdom's gender-segmented gym market.
Anchor location for Saudi Arabia's largest homegrown gym chain, built for the Kingdom's gender-segmented gym market.
096Ultra Gym at The Charlee Hotel
Medellin (El Poblado)49
Glass-walled wellness gym atop The Charlee Lifestyle Hotel in El Poblado, Medellin, with panoramic city views, a group-class studio, and a sauna/jacuzzi wet zone; day passes (about 60,000 COP) are sold to non-guests, so access is not hotel-guests-only.
Floor-to-ceiling city views and the hotel's celebrity-sighting reputation make it a photographed, sought-after stop in Poblado's boutique-hotel fitness scene.
Buy a day pass (about 60,000 COP) for the panoramic glass-walled views — you don't need to be a hotel guest.
097MetroFlex Gym Japan
Soka City, SaitamaFlagship48
MetroFlex's first Asia location, in Saitama Prefecture, importing the chain's rare equipment and hardcore culture.
A pilgrimage stop for Japanese and touring lifters seeking MetroFlex's specific old-school machines and floor culture outside the US.
Seek the same rare MetroFlex equipment and hardcore culture as the Texas original, now on the ground in Japan.
098Overtime Athletics
Elizabeth, New Jersey48
Powerbuilding gym associated with boxer and content creator Mike Rashid, known for raw, no-frills strength content.
One of the earlier gyms to build an identity purely from documentary-style YouTube training footage.
Expect the same raw, no-frills content style Mike Rashid built his following on — training filmed like a documentary.
099CrossFit Condesa
Mexico City48
800-square-meter box in central Mexico City, formerly branded Reebok CrossFit Plaza Condesa.
One of the largest and longest-running CrossFit facilities in Latin America's second-biggest CrossFit market.
Train in one of the largest, longest-running CrossFit facilities in Latin America's second-biggest CrossFit market.
100Wasatch CrossFit
Layton, Utah48
Davis County box coaching Salt Lake City-area athletes since 2007, one of Utah's first CrossFit affiliates.
2017 CrossFit Games Affiliate Cup champions, a genuine national title that put a small-market gym on the map.
Ask about the 2017 CrossFit Games Affiliate Cup banner — a genuine national title from one of Utah's first affiliates.
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