I'm an expat who's been living in Rio for the past year. I tried out several gyms before joining…read moreone and I believe this is the nicest gym in the zona sul (although you pay for it! It's not cheap). They have a wide range of classes and I regularly go to spinning, functional training, and some of the many abs/glutes focused classes. The only one I haven't liked is yoga because I thought it was boring. I also use the pool which is clean - only complaint is it's a little small (2 wide lanes) and the hours for open swim are limited due to classes going on. Another nice feature is that there are always trainers in the weights areas who you can meet with in the beginning without extra cost to get started on a training plan, and ask advice from anytime about your form or new exercises. I pre-paid for a year membership since I knew I was staying, but the gym also offers shorter-term options if you're only in Rio for a little while, and they're willing to negotiate on those.

I've been a member at this gym since age 12 - needless to say, I'm a big fan. Though I now live…read moreabroad, Bodytech is one of the places I love to go to the most when I'm back in Rio. It is very well equipped (the best, according to personal experience), and the instructors are all very well qualified. Most importantly, both staff and members are overall very nice and helpful. It's just a great place to stay fit, and stay happy.

For those of us not looking to shell out a month's salary for a gym membership, there's the…read moreaffordable and decent Smart Fit. Located all throughout the city, and country, this local chain is where I get my run on. While every location offers a little something different, this particular Leblon outpost is pretty tiny, so if you go during the morning or after-work rush, you may find yourself waiting for a cardio or weight machine. What I do like is the new and high quality equipment that you'll find. The upstairs area is where the weights and loads of people are located. It's usually pretty hard to find even a small area for stretching and you'll have to jump in between reps if you want to get on a machine. Then again, if you can go during off hours, you'll likely have a better experience. Because of convenience and cost (just R$69 a month), I choose this gym.

It's a pretty good place to work off the beers and caipirinhas you drank last night. The front desk…read moreis very helpful getting you a day pass for something like 19 reis (you could go to body tek and pay 150!)The inside is small but the equipment works. They have nice big lockers so bring a lock. While equipment worked most was outdated. The water fountain inside shoots out so slow, so I found myself dehydrated after long workout and people waiting to drink. But like I said the price is right