Best Trainers
EXCEED FITNESS 1477 Third Ave.
(212) 481-5300
Trainers at this Upper East Side boutique gym specializes in HIIT — High-Intensity Interval Training. Exceed’s signature session, “The Workout,” is a serious 50-minute piece designed for athletes or wanna-be athletes at all levels. Trainers like kick-boxing specialist Ian Allen craft individual plans for their clients, who rave about the “high-energy” workouts.
X 93 FITNESS 673 Amsterdam Ave.
(212) 280-0689
Trainer Chris Fernandez and his colleagues pay attention to detail to design individual plans based on the client’s needs and level at this Upper West Side gym that specializes in “total body training.” One customer said of his trainer: “He listened and created a workout that was made just for me.” Their motto is “Training you Can Afford,” and there are no enrollment or membership fess — you pay for each class or workout session.
Tribeca Health and Fitness 107 Chambers St.
(212) 732-9466
Allison and Frederick Thompson took over this gym and have turned it into a fitness factory using holistic methods, or what they call “Lifestyle Optimization.” Their staff of professional trainers take clients through challenging workouts in the tri-level, 10,000 square-foot space, which is clean and well-maintained and stocked with strength machines and free weights for fitness buffs or people recovering from injuries. Customer Chiara says, “it’s a terrific, no-nonsense gym that very few people know about.” They do take drop-ins.