The city of Chicago serves as your gym during a Bulldog Bootcamp workout. Five days a week for four- or twelve-week sessions, classes meet at Grant Park and Lincoln Park (also in South Barrington) to get people in shape "the old fashioned way—with sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, running and a whole lot of sweat," as its website puts it. The group is much larger than you'll find at other alterna-gyms, and part of the appeal is the relationships formed with other bulldogs. Classes meet early in the morning or in the evening, even when there's snow on the ground and super cold outside. But your heart will be pumping so fast that you'll hardly notice the chill in the air. Sessions start at $160, and Bulldog requires that you can at least speed walk for a full mile.

Centerstage Reviewer: Maya Henderson