Best gyms & fitness studios for getting fit

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to getting fit. So, finding the best gym in Singapore for you is a worthwhile investment in your wellbeing. From one-on-one fitness coaching and group workout classes to nutrition support and triathlon training, here are 15 gyms in Singapore that go beyond the basics with holistic health and fitness offerings.

Ultimate Performance Singapore

At Ultimate Performance Singapore (U.P.), it’s all about no-nonsense training; this gym in Singapore has a proven “maximum results, minimum time” method was designed for those who mean business and want to achieve significant, hard-evidence results. (If you’re looking for a one-hour, once-weekly workout, this place isn’t for you!).

Situated in the CBD’s Manulife Tower, the private training facility goes beyond what a standard personal trainer would do at a commercial gym. U.P. takes an all-encompassing approach, customising realistic solutions for each client’s individual lifestyle, ability and goals. So, in addition to weight-based, high-intensity workouts that have clients burning fat long after they leave the gym, there’s everything from advice on diet and supplements to travel health, and stress and sleep tips. This means you not only get a physical transformation but a lifestyle overhaul too.

In addition to a sleek, 9,000-square-foot indoor space that’s dedicated to personal training, U.P. has an outdoor area where semiprivate group classes are held. The gym’s got a shake bar, too, where gym-goers can grab pre- or post-workout protein shakes, coffee and even intra-workout drinks.

U.P. clients can also sign up for EatUP, a weekday meal service that aims to help individuals eat healthily through a selection of high protein, low-carb dishes.

#01-01 Manulife Tower, 8 Cross Street 6536 8649 | ultimateperformance.com

UFIT

As one of the largest health and fitness communities in Singapore for over a decade now, UFIT aims to help those looking to build strength, get in shape or improve their health for the better. It offers a holistic approach to health and fitness, with personal training, group classes, onsite nutritionists, physiotherapists, osteopaths and rehab specialists at its hubs around town, including Club Street, One-North and Orchard. There’s also a fourth location at Fairmont Hotel, Raffles City, which offers private and group classes, personal training and sports programmes, including tennis for kids and adults. You can even do a popular Tennis Burn session at UFIT’s Savitar Tennis Centre at Fairmont Hotel; this blends the skills and movements of tennis with elements of functional fitness to create an on-court conditioning sweat sesh.

If you’re looking to really push yourself to your limit, you’ll want to consider UFIT Performance, a progressive indoor group-training programme designed to unleash participants’ full potential. Led by experienced coaches and former athletes, the sessions focus on strength, power and cardio, and involve targeted, high-performance training akin to that undertaken by elite athletes.

You can find out more about getting fit at UFIT Performance here ufit.com.sg

ATP Fitness

As the winner of both “Best Gym in Singapore” and “Best Personal Training in Singapore” in our most recent Readers’ Choice Awards, ATP Fitness clearly knows how to help clients get real results. In fact, their mantra is “fast results, sustainable change”. So, once these guys get you into the best shape of your life, you can count on them helping you to maintain it for the long term. To achieve this, ATP Fitness takes a holistic, collaborative approach, and combines cutting-edge science with time-proven coaching strategies – and a big dose of accountability! They’ll audit every part of your current lifestyle – from work, sleep and downtime patterns to overall activity, dietary habits and any pre-existing health conditions – to ensure that any potential limiting factors are addressed and removed.

The professional coaches work together with clients to set clear, realistic goals that can help each individual build healthy habits and routines that support proper nutrition and exercise. Before you even start your fitness journey, your coach will assess your training capacity to guarantee that you’re trained with extreme efficiency and minimum risk – it’s a fully personalised plan that will change and evolve as your body adapts.

If this type of total transformation is what you’re after, you’ll want to check out the gym’s recently launched Sustainable Transformation Challenge – a focused 12-week plan designed to help you getting fit and into the best shape of your life, and for the rest of your life.

ATP Fitness #01-01 The Octagon, 105 Cecil Street
8189 1789 | atp.fitness

Options Pilates

Options Pilates has been voted “Best Pilates Studio in Singapore” for four years straight in our Readers’ Choice Awards – and for good reason. Focused on supporting clients’ wellness, strength and fitness goals, the studio offers a wide variety of private and group classes across its three locations: Orchard (Wheelock Place), Oxley Rise (One Oxley Rise) and Bukit Timah (Sime Darby Centre). They’ve even got specialised pre- and post-natal classes, post-rehab-focused sessions and dedicated classes for older adults. So, whether you’re looking to improve your chronic back pain, correct your posture, boost your mind-body connection or simply want to get back in shape but don’t know where to start, you can count on Options Pilates having a class for you. The studio even offers year-round classes for those who’d like to become certified Pilates instructors themselves.

In addition to Reformer Pilates and Mat Pilates, Options Pilates offers strength and functional movement, and Jungle Sports Suspension training for body conditioning. All group classes are kept small to guarantee each participant gets just the attention they need.

Orchard, Oxley Rise and Bukit Timah 9739 7085 | optionspilatesstudio.com

FitNut Loft

FitNut Loft is not your typical gym. What initially served as a “safe” space for FitNut owner Aly Khairuddin to get stronger after cancer treatment, without feeling self-conscious in a traditional gym setting, has become a full-on fitness community for women over 40 who want to transform into stronger, more confident versions of themselves. In fact, the boutique fitness studio has trained over 300 women in just over five years.

There are three main pathways at FitNut Loft: Pilates with Reformer and Mat Pilates Flow; pure strength training with the HEAT Circuit class; and Strong & Lean, which is a combination of HIIT, weight training and Pilates. And, as a certified nutrition coach, personal trainer and STOTT- Pilates instructor, Aly combines these workouts with mindfulness and nutrition for a fully holistic experience. This winning formula, combined with a sense of community that just can’t be replicated at any large, co-ed gym, are what keep devoted FitNutters coming back consistently.

In addition to personal training and group training, Aly offers the popular 12-week Amazing 12 (A12) body transformation programme, and is currently the only A12 coach here in Singapore.

What’s more, the studio’s FitNut Academy is now offering a seven-week certification course in anatomy, mat and Reformer Pilates, strength training and coaching skills, for anyone who wants to learn more or turn their passion into a career.

2 Pandan Valley, #01-201 | 8686 8299 | fitnutloft.com

True Fitness

True Fitness has been a fixture on the Singapore fitness scene for almost two decades now, thanks to the gym’s wide variety of fitness offerings, spacious set-ups and over 200 experienced trainers. Each of the six locations serves as a fitness haven for gym-goers, with a comprehensive range of fitness equipment, bespoke one-on-one training, and loads of group classes for every fitness level and mood.

Personal training sessions are customisable, based on members’ individual goals – whether to improve strength and cardio, or for recovery and rehabilitation. You can expect a training plan that’s tailored to you, using equipment and techniques that have been specially selected to suit your needs and goals. TRX Suspension Training, kickboxing, Power Plate Training, Functional Movement Training and Rehabilitation Training are among the many programmes that can be incorporated into one-on-one fitness training.

Group classes at True Fitness are popular too. From challenging HIIT and LesMills BodyCombat sessions to cardio heavy dance-based workouts to relaxing yoga and Pilates, there’s really something for everyone. All classes are regularly refreshed and can be enjoyed by members of all fitness levels.

Djitsun Mall @ AMK, Great World, HarbourFront Centre, Income @ Tampines Junction, Millenia Walk, and Velocity @ Novena Square truefitness.com.sg

SmartFit Pilates

Aimed at helping clients to live feeling confident, energised and pain-free, this Tanglin-based boutique Pilates studio offers private, duet and small group classes for every age, body and fitness level.

Private Pilates sessions incorporate Pilates Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and Ladder Barrel apparatus, and are tailored to individual clients’ needs. In fact, the studio’s certified instructors specialise in everything from pre- and postnatal Pilates to injury rehabilitation to spinal realignment. So, whether your goal is to build strength and core stability, improve posture, reduce pain or tone up, there’s an instructor who can help – and, in your own language! Sessions can be conducted in a variety of languages, including English, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Bahasa, Hindi and more.

You’ll get lots of personalised attention in the studio’s Reformer group classes too. With just two to six participants per class, you’ll have the guidance you need to get the most out of every class. If you want to get your heart pumping, we suggest SmartFit’s signature Full Body Challenge and Burn classes, which blend Reformer, TRX and Reformer HIIT for effective, total-body sweat sessions. Afterward, you can grab a bite at the in-studio vegetarian café, Necessary Provisions.

To book your first class, email info@smartfit.com.sg or WhatsApp 8571 8549 – you’ll get 50 percent off your first group or private class!

#01-01 & #04-03 Tanglin Place, 91 Tanglin Road 8571 8549 | smartfit.com.sg

Anytime Fitness

Tanjong Katong and Pasir Panjang If you can’t get enough of group fitness classes, you’ll love the offerings at Anytime Fitness’s Pasir Panjang and Tanjong Katong gym locations. Both offer a no-commitment, unlimited group class membership, which gives you over 100 group classes to choose from each month, and 24/7 gym access. They’ve got everything from Les Mills Body Pump, Body Combat, Grit and Body Balance to Spin, Yoga, Pilates, Muay Thai, Zumba, Circuit Training and HIIT classes.

Joining the gym will score you some other perks too. You’ll get four personalised introductory sessions that include goal setting, guidance on proper use of gym equipment and a complimentary workout. It also includes movement assessments and an Evolt 360 body composition analysis to see just where your body’s at before embarking on your fitness journey.

For those who are simply interested in a gym membership, the gyms offer one-, six-, 12- and 18-month memberships at attractive rates – and personal trainers are always on hand with advice!

• Pasir Panjang: Block #A01, 44 Pasir Panjang Road 9839 6017 | facebook.com/anytimefitnesspasirpanjang
• Tanjong Katong: 174/176 East Coast Road 9018 7538 | facebook.com/anytimefitnesstanjongkatong

Meta Performance

This boutique personal training gym at Raffles Place is all about long-term sustainable results rather than short-term weight-loss solutions.

Understanding that every single body is unique, the Meta Performance team customises individual workouts for each and every client. This includes helping them set realistic deadlines to their goals and keeping them accountable every step of the way. To do this, Meta Performance takes an all-encompassing approach to health, factoring in more than just exercise alone. In addition to customising diets for clients to continue with in the long run, the team works with them on managing injuries and stress levels. They also help clients make small lifestyle changes that can benefit their long-term health.

Additionally, you can expect daily emails and messages from the trainers to make sure you’re staying on track – and on the way to becoming the best version of yourself! That said, it’s safe to say that the Meta Performance team’s end goal is to see happy clients who can be independent in both their training and nutrition selection process. Bonus points for the gym’s sleek, spa-like facilities, high-end equipment, shake bar and fun neon signs!

55 Market Street, #02-01 | 8218 8489 | metaperformance.sg

TSquared Lab

Focused on helping clients achieve the best versions of themselves, TSquared Lab is a “bespoke body transformation ecosystem” that takes an all-encompassing approach to physical and mental fitness. The philosophy here is that true, sustainable transformation can only be achieved when fitness training, recovery, nutrition and mindfulness are addressed holistically. And, the gym’s multi-phase transformative journey does just that, weaving in all key factors that enable lasting, maintainable results.

So, in addition to one-on-one training with world-class trainers who specialise in fat loss, body composition and muscle gain, the gym has experienced therapists on hand to offer recovery therapy. This includes massage therapy, assisted stretching and physiotherapy to help speed up the healing of old injuries and prevent new ones.

The holistic journey is further augmented with science-based, calorie-controlled meals that have been carefully designed by certified nutritionists. It’s rounded off with Pilates and yoga classes to strengthen both body and mind.

Of course, the luxurious gym facilities at both gym locations (Alexandra Road and Cecil Street) don’t hurt either; they’re spacious, with top-notch equipment and a gorgeous strength-training area that will make you want to move in!

• HarbourFront location: 991F Alexandra Road
• CBD location: #01-01A/02 Keck Seng Tower, 133 Cecil Street
8891 8313 | tsquaredlab.com

F45 Training

With over forty F45 studio locations across Singapore, it’s safe to say that these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to getting real results. The winning formula is a high-intensity, 45-minute group workout class designed by leading training professionals, athletes and exercise scientists from around the world, including celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. The instructor-led sessions are extremely varied – with cardio-heavy workouts on certain days, and strength training on others – to ensure that the body is consistently being challenged for maximum results.

What’s more, F45 Training offers a popular six- to eight-week Challenge programme that encompasses fitness and nutrition coaching, for a total body and lifestyle transformation. From daily meal plans, home workouts and calorie tracking to digital app support, the Challenge programme is designed to help members ditch the “all or nothing” mentality centred on fad diets for more sustainable solutions to maintain long-term results.

And, while the 45-minute workouts and Challenges keep members coming back for more, so do the upbeat vibes that come with the inclusive and energetic F45 community. In fact, members have been so thrilled with their experiences and results that they have opened their own studio locations across Singapore. F45 is now the largest fitness franchise in the country!

Reach out to your nearest F45 studio to get details of their trial offer.
f45training.sg

Equilibrium MMA

Located on Orchard Road, Equilibrium MMA offers a variety of martial arts classes including Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Boxing, taught by world-class instructors. They’ve also got a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) class that’ll get your heart pumping with short bouts of intense exercise, followed by short periods of active recovery.

But, you certainly don’t have to be an aspiring fighter to get in on the action here. Equilibrium MMA has classes for students of all ages and fitness levels, seven days a week. So, whether you’re looking to lose weight, get in shape, or learn a new skill or self-defence, there’s a class for you.

There are also daily classes for younger members of the family! The gym’s popular kids’ programme teaches useful self-defence skills, helps build overall fitness and motor skills, and offers a range of other benefits. As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about discipline and respect, you can expect your child to soak up some of these values, and build confidence in a safe and fun setting.

Muay Thai training is another great opportunity for your children to challenge themselves both physically and mentally. Not only is it physically demanding, but it also requires focus and the ability to stay calm under pressure. Plus, the social nature of Muay Thai class offers lots of interaction with classmates and instructors.

#B1-00 International Building, 360 Orchard Road
6634 0696 | equilibrium-mma.com

Ringside Fitness Boxing Gym

As Singapore’s first rooftop boxing gym, Ringside Fitness is well loved not just for its scenic views of the Kallang River and the CBD skyline, but also its high-performance boxing workouts that benefit both body and mind.

Mental health advocate Ray Sandhu says it best: “Punching a bag helps to release endorphins; it’s a therapist, a psychiatrist and a holistic healer, all rolled into a massive 60kg bag of leather.”

At Ringside Fitness, not only can you expect calorie torching workouts with all that punching, sparring and sprinting, but also improved concentration, confidence and feelings of flat-out fitness.

Held both indoors and out, group and private boxing sessions are led by experienced instructors, including head coach David Alexis, who is International AIBA certified and Singapore’s Elite National Coach. Even in group classes, personalised attention is accorded to all members to ensure proper form and technique.

And, while the boutique specialises in boxing, there are other classes too. In fact, there are over 10 different types to choose from that incorporate core strengthening, HIIT and circuit training.

Pico Creative Centre, Level 11 Rooftop, 20 Kallang Avenue
8141 9624 | ringsidefitness.sg

JR Fitness

If you’re into dancing off your calories, JR Fitness is your place! From Zumba Fitness to K-pop Fitness to Les Mills Barre, JR Fitness has got a wide range of dance-based and other group fitness classes to choose from across three studio locations (Bugis, City Hall and Novena).

Among the studio’s most popular dance-based offerings are Zumba Fitness and Zumba Toning, which takes the original Zumba workout to the next level with lightweight dumbbells. Also popular are K-Kardio Dance, K-pop Dance Choreo and K-pop Fitness. These incorporate fun K-pop moves, aerobics and body-toning exercises, set to 50 minutes of pop songs. Other fan favourites include Les Mills BodyJam, which will have you learning the latest moves set to hip-hop, house and electronic dance music, and Les Mills Barre – a harder-than-it-looks combination of ballet moves and weight training. In fact, JR Fitness is among the very few studios in Singapore to offer the Les Mills Barre workout programme!

If you’re not into dance workouts, the studio’s got classes for you, too! From Pilates and Vinyasa Yoga to Les Mills BodyPump, there’s really something for everyone. If you want to give martial arts a try, JR Fitness offers the always-popular Les Mills BodyCombat, which will have you punching and kicking your way to a stronger, more fit you in no time! 

All group fitness classes can be booked using credits that can be purchased in packages.

* #B1-19 The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street
* #02-02  Tan Quee Lan Suites, 9 Tan Quee Lan Street
* #05-02 Revenue House Clubhouse, 55 Newton Road
6909 5382 | jrfitness.com.sg

Fight Zone 

Whether you’re a mega busy mom or a working professional with little time to spare, Fight Zone is a great solution for you. The gym’s quick training concept not only pushes you beyond your normal fitness class, but it does so in just 30 minutes, which means you can do a high-intensity training session without compromising your daily schedule. 

There’s also no pressure to make it in time for a class booking. In fact, at Fight Zone, you don’t need to book anything, period. All you need to do is turn up to the gym (locations at Ang Mo Kio, Novena and Suntec City), snap on a Myzone heart rate monitor and get going with a curated set of exercises across nine different zones! Although the workouts change daily, you can always expect a total-body workout that blends Muay Thai moves and resistance training for the ultimate HIIT experience.  

Since the workout is powered by Myzone heart rate technology, you can keep track of your progress and monitor your training in real-time to help you stay in the fat burning or muscle building zone. This method has proven effective not only in delivering total body transformations but also in keeping members coming back consistently for those full-body sweat sessions.

Kids can get active here, too! Fight Zone offers a Muay Thai programme for children aged six to 12. These group classes are great for younger ones to develop flexibility, agility and strength, and have fun in a social, safe setting.

* #03-14 AMK Hub, 53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
* #03-57 Velocity@Novena Square, 238 Thomson Road
* #03-327 Suntec City North Wing, 2 Temasek Boulevard
6904 5612 | fightzonesg.com

This article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!