The Little Rock Athletic Club is the king-daddy and queen-mama of Central Arkansas gyms and is the flagship facility of The Athletic Clubs brand. Whatever sport, workout, equipment, activity or expertise you’re looking for, LRAC has something for you. And while we have outstanding facilities, services and amenities, everyone uses them differently. That’s part of what makes this place special. There are so many choices, you can make the club truly your own. Do it your way. It’s all good.
Happy Kiddos
We’re all about the families here, keeping your kids entertained (and energy-drained) from their nursery years all the way up to their college years.
We’ve got two swimming pools (a 25-yard lap pool, plus a recreational pool) and a SprayGround, a kids-only Down Under Center with a basketball court, party/craft rooms and a four-story adventure maze. It never fails to make kids’ eyes go wide when they see it. Want an easy birthday party? Bring your own cake and have a fabulous pool party or wear out their energy in our Down Under Center or on the SprayGround in summer. Private, semi-private and group swim lessons are available throughout the year for kids starting at six-months old (with a parent), and all ages beyond, whether they’re beginners or just need to further build their swimming skills.
Adult swimmers of all levels take advantage of our pools, including taking private lessons, and we have a Masters Swim program for adults who are serious about improving their swimming skills. (It’s challenging, but rewarding!) In the colder months, the glass walls go up around the 25-yard lap pool, and the inflatable bubble roof goes on, so we’re able to offer indoor swimming all fall, winter and spring until the weather warms up again.
We provide amazing after-school care and Kids’ Nights Out events, and have day camps during summer and school breaks. From elementary school onwards they can learn a sport in our Kids’ Tennis or Swimming Academies, plus the competitive swimmers can join the Arkansas Dolphins swim team, consistently top-ranked in the state. Kids (and adults) over 12 here and at our other clubs can even learn to row on the Little Maumelle and Arkansas rivers through our partnership with Rock City Rowing.
We have functional fitness and other fitness classes just for teens at various times of the year to build their strength and confidence in the gym. And our certified day care staff love looking after your babies and toddlers in our nursery during your workouts. We have members who were once looked after in the nursery now bringing their own babies to us while they enjoy the club!
Going courting
Where else in Little Rock can you find two racquetball courts, three basketball courts (one just for kids), 13 tennis courts (9 indoors, 4 outdoors), plus pickleball courts at designated times, and an outdoor volleyball court? We employ the best tennis pros in town, who are available for private or group instruction. Our tennis leagues are active teams who play with sportsmanship and varying levels of skill and experience, everyone having fun. Your tennis game is sure to improve here! We have a club championship every January and host junior and adult tournaments during the year.
We began offering pickleball in 2019, and have a lively group of enthusiastic pickleball players who get together to play on Wednesday nights and weekends. You’re welcome to try your hand at any or all of these sports. Join a league or just reserve a court for a pick-up game.
Fitness classes for everyone
We offer dozens of group exercise classes each week, all included in your membership, with no limit to how many you can take (well, your muscles may have a limit, but we don’t). At Little Rock Athletic Club we hire the best instructors in Little Rock and encourage them to create welcoming, fully supportive class environments for people of every shape, size and fitness level. We don’t allow body shaming (or any kind of shaming at all). We’re all here for our health, entertainment and other personal reasons. Being here means you’re accepted and welcome. Period.
Our yoga teachers have decades of combined experience. They’re amazing teachers and human beings, as are all of our instructors. Our yoga offerings include Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yoga Foundations, Yoga Stretch, PiYo and others. Among our many popular group exercise classes are Barre, Cardio Barre, Pilates, Hip Hop Cardio Dance, Sculpt, SH1FT, L1FT, Total Body Conditioning, Burn30, Foundation Training, BeachBody, and many others. We even have a Jump Roping class!
We offer highly popular RazorFit (formerly Razorback CrossFit) classes morning, afternoon and evening daily, also fully included with your membership. Our RazorFit communities support and compete with each other in the Workout of the Day (WoD) and keep each other accountable (and coming back).
Acres of Cardio, Weights and Strength Training
Sweat out some stress in our 12-screen cardio theater or find your favorite machines on our four different workout floor areas; they stay busy, but never crowded. We order only the best, top-grade cardio, weights and strength-training equipment to fill our ½ acre workout space. Along with North Little Rock Athletic Club, we even have a much-used indoor track for walking and running in any weather.
Spinning the Hits
Cycle through your favorite spin classes or go solo. We have a top-of-the-line dedicated spin area, our RYDE Studio, with popular daily spin classes from Rhythm Ryde to Performance Cycling, using specialized bikes. Pump the pedals to a laser light show and empowering tunes or ride with the class through the hills and towns of rural France on the screen; every class is awesome in a different way. Some of our RYDE classes become incredibly close-knit, but newbies are always welcome. We also have numerous free-standing stationary and recumbent bikes around the floor, including several Peloton and Keiser bikes for your private interactive workouts.
The Senior Experience
Our seniors join in all kinds of group exercise, including Tai Chi, and AquaFit classes, and senior-specific classes like Senior Weights or Legends (functional fitness for seniors). Then of course we have our Senior Tennis leagues (some of whom are simply amazing players). Many of our older members socialize in the club daily, playing MahJong or board games together or just enjoying each other’s company. We’re also the only gym in Little Rock to offer the acclaimed Rock Steady Boxing class, proven to improve balance and coordination for participants with qualifying neurological/movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Our personal trainers often work with seniors to create workout strategies that build strength and balance and keep them as active as ever, and our massage therapists and physical therapists can offer essential services to keep them feeling great.
Full-service services and amenities
We hire only the best personal trainers, all certified professionals with years of expertise in their fields. Personal training is available individually or for couples, in 30-minute or one-hour sessions. Your trainer will work with you on a strategy session and come up with a customized plan to meet your training goals. They’re easy to work with and have a well-earned reputation for helping people get results.
Also known for getting results is our Physical Therapy department, complete with physical therapists and massage therapists, with staff certified in additional specialties like Grafton Technique or Women’s Pelvic Floor therapy. They can help not only if you’re injured, but can work with you preventatively so you know how to adjust your workouts to your body’s specific needs and limitations safely.
Little Rock Athletic Club’s in-house Pro Shop next to the Cardio Theater stocks all kinds of tennis and athletic supplies, clothing, shoes, gifts and accessories, with deep sales year-round and a well-curated selection of merchandise for sophisticated athletes and shoppers.
Our locker rooms are expansive and well-appointed with reserved and daily locker options, plus personal changing rooms. Each locker room has a private sitting room, a hot tub, steam room and sauna, plus showers and restrooms, and connects directly to the pool area.
We have an in-house restaurant, the Blue Court Grill, open at various times throughout the year (post-pandemic) for snacks, freshly prepared meals, and special events. Besides a full lunch/dinner menu, the grill sells drinks including beer and wine daily. Have a salad and glass of Chardonnay delivered poolside!
Our community of members is incredibly diverse. We have professionals, young singles, couples, working families, retirees. We have a mix of people who have been members all their lives and those who have just joined. On any day at the club, you’ll see people of all ages, races, ethnicities, shapes, and fitness levels. We’re a club full of unique personalities, all of us here to have a good time and get healthier. There’s a place here for everyone, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We want to be your go-to feel-good place, somewhere you love to be and visit often.