Have you given the dumbbell some love lately?
One of the biggest trends right now in fitness is weight training to build lean muscle and strength. But you don’t have to go the personal trainer route to learn how to target different muscle groups, the number of reps you should do or even what to do with a kettlebell. Here’s where to find group classes that focus on strength training.
DavidBartonGym
The upscale gym is known for its tough workouts, and with a name like Pain & Pleasure, this strength training class is no exception. The 45-minute workout targets three muscle groups through multiple sets using medium to heavy weights. The gym also encourages women to lift more with its 45-minute W.O.W. (Women on Weights) class, which helps build lean muscles through weight training. Membership-based; multiple locations, davidbartongym.com
TMPL
David Barton’s newest gym, TMPL, offers more than 100 group classes a week. Among them is TMPL Strength, a 55-minute, low-impact workout that builds total body strength and lean muscle through reps with primarily dumbbells. A slower pace encourages participants to lift more. Membership-based; 355 W. 49th St., 917-521-6666, tmplgym.com
New York Sports Clubs
The club is bringing the boutique studio experience to several of its locations with The FlexSystem — three group classes developed with the studio BFX. Among the offerings is Lift, an hourlong, three-circuit workout that uses heavier weights, from barbells to kettlebells, as well as body-weight exercises, to build muscle and increase strength. FREE for both members and nonmembers from Oct. 10-31; 200 Madison Ave., 212-686-1144, 128 Eighth Ave., 212-627-0065, mysportsclubs.com/flex-system
BFX
BFX also offers a version of the Lift class at New York Sports Club. Called BFX PTC Lift, it’s similarly an hourlong, three-circuit workout that uses heavier weights with fewer reps. $32/class; 555 Sixth Ave., 917-382-5573, bfxstudio.com
Crunch
The gym chain’s group classes run the gamut from dance-based cardio to yoga to cycling. Among its weights-based workouts, which use hand weights and body bars, there’s Chisel, which uses both weights and calisthenics to sculpt and tone muscles over the course of 30 to 45 minutes, and Diesel, a 45-minute interval training class that incorporates a mix of high-rep, low-weight strength training and cardio interval bursts. Membership-based; multiple locations, crunch.com
New York Health & Racquet Club
The club offers a variety of studio classes in cardio, cycling, HIIT, yoga, barre and, of course, strength. Offerings there include Total Sculpt, Body Sculpt, Power Sculpt, a full-body, 45-minute workout that uses weights, bands and body bars to strengthen and tone muscles, while Arms/Abs/Assets targets arms, abs and glutes using body bars and free weights over the course of 30 to 60 minutes. Membership-based; multiple locations, nyhrc.com
