Best Gyms in Austin
Castle Hill Fitness
Castle Hill has everything you would want in a gym—150+ group fitness classes, steam rooms and saunas, pools, a large gym, Pilates reformer studios, spa treatment rooms, a clean locker room with showers, childcare, acupuncture, and more. They offer all of this while still being an approachable local neighborhood gym with a welcoming staff and a no-frills attitude. When we think of Austin gyms, Castle Hill is the one that combines the perfect amount of everything.
Castle Hill underwent a huge a transformation of their gym spaces in 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have divided their common gym spaces into personal workout pods. Members reserve pods through the website and app, and each pod contains a variety of equipment, sanitizing supplies, HEPA air filters, and physical barrier walls. Short video here. Castle Hill also added a large virtual schedule, on-demand fitness library, and outdoor classes to their pandemic era group ex programs. The large sauna, eucalyptus steam room, and hot tub are now reserved as single-occupancy Recovery Pods. Castle Hill still offers an array of spa services, personal training, and Pilates reformer instruction. They offer all of this while still being an approachable local neighborhood gym with a welcoming staff and a no-frills attitude. When we think of Austin gyms, Castle Hill is the one that combines the perfect amount of everything.
COVID-19 Precautions: Castle Hill requires reservations, temperature screenings, and masks while inside. They have a dedicated contact tracer on staff and have added 100+ HEPA air-purifiers in their buildings. Full list here.
Locations: Downtown (12th and Lamar) and Westlake (Westlake Drive and Hwy 360)
Favorite Instructors: Virtual fitness instructors Jeremy and Veronika will keep you fit from anywhere. On-Site try Pilates with Brooke or any of their Yoga teachers. Jess Clark also teaches there, and she is one of our favorite instructors in the city!
Cost: $89-199/month – discounts for couples and families. They also offer a free 7-day trial for all new visitors.
Parking: In parking lot or free on street
Check out more on Castle Hill, here.
Equinox
Not only is Equinox a super nice gym, they are known for their classes. They take instructors from the best studios like SoulCycle, CorePower, Barre, etc. and bring them to Equinox. Complete with a eucalyptus steam room, cafe and juice bar, personal training, state-of-the-art equipment, and a perfectly central location—this is a place to be and be seen.
Location: South Congress (closer to Riverside)
Favorite Instructors: Miguel Romero (Best Butt Ever), Matt & Kiley (Athletic Conditioning, Upper Bod & Abs) Miguel Hernandez (cycling), Jamie Rouso (Stacked), Jess Clark (Metcon & Precision Run), Gustavo Padron (Yoga & Athletic Conditioning)
Cost: $150-180/month (Depending on if you go with the Early Bird Special)
Parking: Free parking for two hours in the garage
Lifetime
Lifetime is like a spa—the South and North locations even have a pool and eucalyptus steam room! You can truly spend all day here; they have child care, basketball courts, tons of classes, etc. This place is a dream! They also have a ton of classes from yoga, spin, barre, weights, and personal training.
Locations: South (William Cannon and Mopac), Downtown (West 5th – where the old Pure used to be) , Arboretum (Quarry), and North (45 and 183)
Cost: $40/day pass
Downtown: $129/month for young adults under 29 years old, otherwise $149/month
South & North: $99/month for young adults under 26 years old, otherwise $109/month
Arboretum: $119/month for young adults under 26 years old, otherwise $129/month
Parking: Free parking in garage or lot
Golds Gym
Golds is a great budget option with over 20 locations, decent facilities, and frequent discounts.
Locations: 20!
Cost: $40/month – option for paying $20/biweekly, frequent discounts that run and a lot of employer discounts here (be sure to ask!)
Parking: Depends on location but all are in parking lots or garages for free
*Classes and open gym time on ClassPass for 1-3 Credits.
Onnit
This is more of a CrossFit style gym with fewer machines and more weights, kettlebells, ropes, bands, and more. The group fitness classes really challenge you in a full body HIIT type workout, building lean muscle. They also have a sports recovery area, which includes Cryotherapy machines and an infrared sauna. They offer nutritional guidance, and also have a nice cafe in the facility.
Location: South – 35 & 71 (St. Elmo & Friedrich Lane)
Favorite Instructors: Juan, great at improving your form and will always push you to the limit!
Cost: $150-200/month
Parking: Free Parking in lot
*Classes on ClassPass for 5-8 Credits.
YMCA
Another budget friendly option with multiple locations in Austin, and membership discounts for lower-income members.
Locations: Townlake, Southwest, East, North, Northwest, Cedar Park, Buda (Hayes), Dripping Springs, and Bastrop
Cost: $30-60/month depending on number of members and Income
Parking: Free parking in lot
TruFusion
Tons of classes! Over 65 class types and over 240 classes a week featuring Yoga, Barre, Pilates, Bootcamp, Cycle, Kettlebell, Battle Ropes, Boxing, and TRX.
Location: South Lamar near Target
Favorite Instructors: Megan and Kay (Hot Pilates), Miguel Romero (Kettle Booty)
Cost: $30 for First 30 Days (Unlimited), $50-150/month depending on how many classes you want to take per month
Parking: Free parking in lot
*Classes and on ClassPass for 5-7 Credits.
CRUX Climbing
This place is more than just rock climbing—they have Yoga, Circuit/Bootcamp workouts, and multiple climbing classes.
Locations: South Austin – South Congress by Cosmic Coffee; and Central Austin/Highland – Opening Mid-2020
Cost: $17/day pass or $70/month
*Classes on ClassPass for 4 Credits.
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