Fit for you

When it comes to exercise, Los Angeles is a study in contrasts. Splashy fitness gurus bask in the spotlight while lesser-known innovators work miracles in the shadows. Mammoth glass-and-chrome fitness centers peacefully coexist with pocket-sized neighborhood gyms grooming the next Rocky.

These competing realities have powered the L.A. fitness community into a vibrant, intriguing and inspiring trendsetter for the rest of the country.

Scanning the vast fitness horizon, we take a look at the instructors, trainers and coaches who are constantly improving the way we work out by challenging assumptions, big and small, about exercise and what it means to be healthy.

We’re also taking a spin through an often-overlooked feature of L.A.’s fitness community: small, unsung gyms and fitness centers serving micro-communities. Though most Angelenos know about big-box fitness centers, smaller studios and gyms, often tucked away on side streets and in mini-malls, offer first-rate classes or individualized training in a more intimate setting.

If 2008 is your year to get in shape or expand your fitness goals, these people and places, and the ideas and opportunities they’re cooking up may help you ring in a more healthful new year.