Great gym with every machine you could ask for. Definitely a throw back feel, no thrills, which is completely fine with me. The to go gym to train seriously. The staff and everyone else I have encountered at the gym has been respectful. Highly recommend! read more

My favorite place to train in Chicago when home from college. Great people, staff and equipment. B&W Gym has it all.

If you're serious about getting stronger this is definitely a great place to be, and a great place to get started. Staff is always friendly and helpful, and the price is VERY affordable. Better than another powerlifting gym I tried in the area, far less PED heads drawing attention to themselves, using several pieces of equipment at once, generally making a scene, and ruining your day. No cliques, no toxicity, no one trying to sell you BS with their promo code. Just people getting in and getting work done. Plus, they have every imaginable piece of equipment you could ever need. This is great for me because I have some chronic injuries, so it makes exercise substitutions easy. Highly recommend this gym! read more

You know when you're watching a movie about an athlete and halfway through they suffer from some big defeat and then its the big moment... movie montage... this is the part where they go from zero to hero in a short but awesome 2 min inspirational rock athem. Well ladies and gentlemen, this is the kinda place where that happens. Its a no frills, kinda grimy, great place to bust your ass. 1. Huge variety of equipment - outdated but still effective 2. Spacious- lots of room for prowler, tire flipping, sledgehammer excersises 3. Never packed 4. No dbags - ladies, no need to worry about being harrassed I go to xsport if I want to swim, need a sauna, steam room or to get my hair done. I come here to get a true workout. read more

After 3 years, I've had it with B&W. It's time to move on to bigger and better things. I hope this anecdotal testimony combined with the forces of marketplace competition will steer you to a more sanitary, healthy, and productive training environment. That is, unless your needs cater to being around a) Jurassic-park like impact tremors, b) decomposing infrastructure c) infestation both seen and unseen and d) showers and bathrooms devoid of ventilation, water pressure, and basic sanitation. While this gym may be a basic powerlifting facility, it fails on many of the basics at this point in time. I'm not sure exactly why. It didn't use to be like this. Things were a bit better in the past. Otherwise no way would I have stayed more than a few months. Let's start with the okay to good: -The gym has a litany of tools for ANY conceivable movement endeavor. Stretching, flexing, straining, and (possibly) breaking. There are Atlas Stones here. Freaking massive spherical concrete balls to get stronger with. I've NEVER seen a place with that before. Kudos. - It's NEVER busy. I mean, there are times when it does get a little more occupied. Particularly when the facility is used for competitive meets and organized competition. But that is infrequent. Even when the place is packed; you can still workout. - Ignorance and buffoonery is peacefully tolerated: Meaning, you can do your thing and be left alone (for the most part), without anyone interrupting or interfering. Now the bad to what's gotten progressively worse: -The Vibe: There is this indelible je ne sais quoi about the roster of strangeness here. Always has, but its gotten weirder. I've seen holes punched in walls from agro-roid-members. Patrons talking pseudo gibberish to themselves and giving a Manson-like death stare if you even look. Don't question. Don't look. Don't roll your eyes. *Sigh* - Jurassic Drop: A typical gym complaint. I'm well aware of this. BUT...There is dropping weights and then there is DROPPING weights. I get it. It's hardcore. It's power. It's lifting. It's manly. It's Girly. However, I've worked in gyms for many years in the past, owned my own training facility and trained and been around powerlifters, bodybuilders, MMA, Blackbelts, Pencak Silat fighters (Google that). But this place is on another level of ludicrous. For instance; On New Year's Eve this year I witnessed a man dropping over 400 POUNDS on a deadlift (if you don't know what that is, just know that it's as daunting as it sounds) RIGHT NEXT TO a 2 year old kid. Pure insanity. How in the hell could anyone every think of doing some stupidness like that? Things like that are NOT acceptable. And please don't say it's permissible to feel the entire upper floor of a gym shake from your weight drops in the basement either. Because it isn't. What it IS, is laziness and misplaced anger. Funneled and distilled into inanimate iron plates. Don't tell me otherwise. It's obnoxious and completely disregards any awareness of your surroundings or people in the vicinity. - Cockroaches: I'm not sure if you're familiar with the nuances of infestation. So allow me to provide the most elementary primer: If you see cockroaches during the day: you're infested. It means roaches are in the walls. The floor, the lockers, the refrigerators, you NAME it. Think about this. While you're sweating and grinding, and dropping and flexing - all around you in the walls, the floor, and possibly in your gym bag - they could be fornicating, replicating, and defecating. I have seen cockroaches in the bathrooms, under weight plates, and scurrying across the floor. Yes, I brought it to their attention the 1st time I noticed it, but nothing has been done. Seemingly. If the thought of infestation doesn't turn you off, then I don't know what to say. Because even a "hardcore" gym needs to meet basic sanitation guidelines. You can't have people working out in an infested environment. I'm sorry, but its not "charming" or gives your place "character". It's a public health hazard, and this place needs to be shut down for aggressive fumigation. And that ties into some brief snippets on the ownership. While I've never had more than a handful of interactions outside a few sentences with him, I am completely okay with this. He seems very passive aggressive and unapproachable. His insulting flyers posted throughout the facility, including gems like "Attention Assholes", and "Does this look like a Coat Rack?"(placed on every squat rack) were NOT endearing and very immature. read more

Yes, it's a bit dirty (it's in a basement). Yes, there's no AC (it's in a basement). Yes, you might see a bug every once in a while (it's in a basement). Yes, there's yelling and grunting (people are working hard). But truly, there is no other place like B&W. It has a rich history in the powerlifting world and it is a haven for both competitive athletes and folks who just need an affordable place to work out. Its patrons are diverse in gender, age, race, experience. It is LGBTQ-friendly. It is a non-judgmental environment. If you are looking to get more serious about your sport, the level of community and support here is like no other. At first glance this place might seem intimidating - and if it is, come on a Saturday any time between 11am - 2pm. You will encounter a group of strong, friendly, and goofy women/TGNC folks who are more than willing to say hello and show you around (and it's 5 bucks on the weekends!). If you're looking for fresh towels, showers, jacuzzis, and several rows of cardio equipment, you will be better off at LA Fitness. read more

If you are a hardcore lifter and you don't need the chrome, get in a workout at this hardcore gym. It's definitely a step back in time.

I have free access to a $52 million glass-and-steel gym at my university. Every other day, however, I drive past it, opting instead to pay $200 a year to step down into B & W. Its in a basement, it has no gimmicky machines, and its patrons are there to lift. B & W is also never very busy, which is a major plus. You see, I don't like the mainstream-gym, cardio-machine crowd (gym clothes shouldn't match). Given my prejudices, B & W lets me sleep better with the knowledge that this vainglorious set of A-Type gym-goers would be horrified by the lack of corporate finish, the manly austerity and raw materiality, the simplicity and integrity, that is B & W gym. read more

Great gym! All you need and nothing you don't need. Powerlifting, Olympic lifting platforms and bars, Strongman equipment like logs, a yolk, sleds, tire to flip and atlas stones. Upstairs is has a boxing heavy bags, double end boxing bags a speed bag station. They also have kettle bells, indian clubs and indian mace clubs. They also offer Boxing classes Mondays through Thursday nights at 6pm. Everything you need in a gym, no contracts no initiation fees daily, weekly, monthly and yearly rates! read more

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I just moved to the Chicago area and have been looking for a no frills gym to meet my tread mill and lifting needs. B and W is the place to be. There are enough treadmills to accommodate your need to burn calories. Although they aren't top of the line, I don't really think that's the point. This is an old school lifting facility with adding mass as it's main focus. There are two full sets of free weights, 2-4 squat racks and too many benches to count. Along the top of all the walls are pictures ripped from muscle-building magazines of men and women who have veins popping out of their (wait for it)...veins. There always seems to be a new membership special going on, and if you get a year-long membership it ends up costing around $20 a month. Not too shabby. I look forward to making this place my workout home, and hope that you might consider doing the same, just don't hop on my treadmill. read more

Finally worked up enough nerve to come to this gym on what I've read about as "serious saturday". I was greeted with open arms by guys that were very friendly and helped me work on some of my technique problems. Definitely need to come again and work on the atlas stones and the prowler sled! read more

One of the best gyms I know especially for powerlifting and giving meets real nice people

5 Olympic platforms, Male/Female Olympic bars, Jerk blocks, pull blocks, deadlifting platforms, reverse hyper machine, if you want it B&W has it!! This place has a hardcore vibe with lifters of all types and a supportive competitive community for Olympic lifters, Power Lifters, Body Builders, Strongman, you name it. This gym has a rustic old school feel that you would expect to find Arnorld Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno hanging out in. Love this place. read more

A serious weightlifter's gym. Plenty of stations to perform deadlifts, squats, olympic lifts, etc. Most gyms, like prohibit deadlifts and olympic lifts. Cheetha gym, down the street, doesn't allow either and only has one squat rack (along with many useless machines). If you're not into powerlifting or the like, don't let B&W's basement vibe scare you away. Everyone working there is very friendly and I've often found the people working out to be friendly as well. No contracts, extremely good rate. Overall, B&W is a hidden gem. read more

This is a very special place and if you're in the neighborhood and you truly love weightlifting, bodybuilding, and/or powerlifting, this is the place to be. It's hands down one of my favorite places in Chicago. read more

This is one of my favorite gyms I have ever been a member of. I prefer more of a hardcore atmosphere with less frills and this place has it all. Tons of platforms for deadlifts and Olympic lifts, plenty of benches, and plenty of squat racks. They also have a great selection of machines and dumbbells. They have also recently added an upstairs area with cardio equipment and mobility gear. This gym is like a community environment. You get to know everyone, everyone participates in events, and when new equipment is needed, people have donated money or their own equipment. The owner, Dennis, is a class act and truly cares about his gym and the members. He constantly tries to host powerlifting meets and get every member involved so they can experience a new sport. This is a guy who is truly in it because he loves lifting, not for a paycheck. The members here are very supportive and friendly, even though it is 'hardcore' you will not be judged. If you're in the area, do not hesitate to check this place out. Oh, and the cost simply cannot be beat. read more

Remember The Rocky films and those dank basements he trained while he got godawful strong for his fights? This is one of those places. The gym is modest, yet fully equipped. It has 2 squat stands, 2 squat racks, real bumper plates (something you will never see in a commercial gym) and old school machines and lifting platforms. In short, it's a very affordable gym for the serious strength athlete/hobbyist. Not convinced? Buy a day pass, and I bet you'll be signing up for a yearly membership the next day. read more

B&W GYM... if you're looking for neon and flash this place may not appeal to you. If you're ready to make a serious commitment to your fitness goals and your focus is on to be the best "YOU" you can be, make the trip to B&W. You will be amazed at what this gym has to offer. It's a place that has been constructed to accommodate any fitness /strength related pursuit. Once you train here it will be difficult for you to train anywhere else. read more

Basement gym. Nothing more needs to be said. Basic equipment and weights. If you are looking for cardio equipment, there are like 4 treadmills and 3 are in working order. No cardio bunnies here. Good place to get a serious workout in. My only complaint is when they start to sweep and use bleach cleaner when the gym has patrons. It has little ventilation to begin with so the extra chemicals and dirt in the air really hit you hard. read more

You dont have to be a power lifter to experience this gym. This is a GREAT place to workout male or female and without the nightclub atmosphere read more

I will never move from Edgewater, because I love this gym so much! If you are a serious powerlifter or Olympic lifter, you NEED to be at B&W! This gym has such a strong community and welcoming feel. I always look forward to coming here. Plus, the prices are super reasonable! Way more affordable than any other gym in the city! read more

I workout here every once and a while when I need a change in my workout routine or get bored with Bally's. This place has no contracts which is great and have many different rates, daily, monthly, yearly etc and very inexpensive. This is definitely not a fancy gym like a Bally's, Cheetah gym or X-sport. This place is a real old school hardcore gym for power lifters and Olympic style lifting. This gym is not very clean though and they have no lockers or showers but none of that matters. The gym is downstairs in the basement next to some loading dock for a furniture store. Their is no parking and it's also difficult to find on the street so either come by Clark street bus or get off on the red line train and walk up Ridge to Clark st.. The gym is never crowded so you can get a good workout and get out. You can do Olympic style lifting here because they have real Olympic bars that spin so you don't hurt your wrists, foam/ rubber coated plates and platforms to perform clean and jerk lifts, dead lifts or snatch lifts and drop the weights with safety. They have ton's of dumbbell's/plates, benches and squat racks but not a lot of fancy machines or cardio equipment. This place is very good if you are serious about building strength and power. You can grunt and yell all you want without people looking at you funny. This gym is not a meat market and you will not see other cute women here other than the girl at the desk. This place you will only find men with no necks, bad workout attire and chalk dust everywhere. This is a place for people who are really serious about building strength and power. This is the best bargain for you dollar a true old skool gym for real athletes. read more

Hands down the best gym in the city. If you are serious about getting strong, go here. I drive 45 mins to get here because other gyms just don't compete. read more

Simply put, this is the most hardcore gym in Chicago. People train here to get stronger and bigger. This is a no frills gym that is extremely affordable and is one of the best kept secrets for those serious about training. This is not a place to endlessly cardio while watching TV, hit on people by the juice bar, or lift dumbbells that have neon colors. Hard work and dedication are respected by the regular gym members, not what fancy gym attire you're wearing. If you are serious about your training, this is the best investment you will make. But truthfully, this gym is too hardcore for most and most don't come back. Those that do, come back for the rest of their lives. read more

Re-signed our lease in Edgewater because of this gym. Excellent owner, gym, and atomosphere. Hands down the place best place to lift in the city. read more

This place is fantastic, the only time I experienced a gym close to this was during my stay at NIU. I got a chance to workout in the tower of power which was located in the basement of Grant Towers. Anyways, much like the other review said this is an old school gym also located in the basement. It is littered with all types of machines and weights to ensure the ultimate lifting experience. B & W also has some treadmills and a separate room for combat training. Although it lacks in the cardiovascular workout department, it more than makes up for it with the bodybuilding related equipment. If you are serious about working out then this place is a perfect fit. read more

Let me start by saying that its place is called B&W GYM, not B&W Fitness. This is where you go to get a good workout period. Its never packed and they have everything you need for your bodybuilding needs. They have plenty of benches, squat racks, and many other machines that you simply cannot find at other gyms or fitness centers. I have access to a state of the art gym at my university and I dont even want to go back. I love this place it has some serious character. Members of B&W care about their gym and are very friendly. Also, the staff is great (NO GIMMICKS, NO PRESSURE, NO CONTRACTS) YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS PLACE. CAVEAT: If you looking for a state of the art gym or a fitness gym, this place is not for you. Oh and did i mention: Members have access to a free covered parking garage directly next to the gym. PERFECT read more

It's a gym; it has weights. Pros: Cheap, no bullshit. Like 30 deadlift platforms. Honest Native American. They have heavy shit everywhere. You can even pick it up and move it around if you feel like it, and no one gives you the business or anything. Front desk girl was super cute. Go in the afternoon if she still works there. She probably squats more than you. Me-fucking-gusta. Meh: Fewer squat racks than I would have thought -- like 5, plus a monolift. 6 or 7 benches, one of which is competition. This is a meh cause there's virtually never 6 people in the gym at the same time. Unless they are deadlifting. I honestly think that people shell out to come to this place just to deadlift 5 days per week. Cons: There's no shower that I could find. Parking sucks at peak hours. They have a garage but it broke my big ass car. Maybe people from Chicago can figure this 45-degree-incline-narrow-as-a-doorway parking garage shit, but my provincial ass could not. Everything is old as shit and some of it is a little cheesy. I didn't get the free sweatshirt I was supposed to get for signing up. 3.5 if I could, but 4 because it's a gym more people should go to. read more

i did my first powerlifting meet here! great gym with great staff! the gym looks beat up inside and is not the cleanest.. it has some old machines and weights.. gives out that old school bodybuilding/powerlifting vibe. and that is why i love it! if you are looking for a clean gym with staff that hands you a towel when enter.. this is the wrong gym.. read more

I've started going to B&W this summer after leaving a gym with more amenities. There are some sacrifices in that regard but overshadowed by B&W's assets . It's a real straight forward, no frills gym. The clientele seems to be very focused on why they're there. It's spacious with lots of weights and machines and is VERY affordable. The rate alone makes it worthwhile. It's a great find. read more

This place brought me back a bit. Strong memories of 6 day a week workouts in preparation for the high school football season that never seemed to end. Guys here are serious and its a very comfortable place to be serious about your workout. City's best kept gym secret. I guess this place was ranked number 7 best "Hardcore" Gym in the country last year. read more

I have been a faithful customer to B&W Gym for 5 years! This gym has all you need to stay fit & strong. There's more than enough room to workout and the machines are usually available at your need. The rates are the best in the city! If you're looking for a gym where you don't have to worry about being fashionable and you want to just stick to your workout with no hassle, then B&W Gym is the place to be! read more

It's really affordable with a lot of equipment other gyms don't have. I was really able to pick up and get started here in a way I had not been able to at other gyms when I tried starting up a new program. read more

This is a real gym. Sweat and iron is the only theme. There is not too much need for upkeep except maybe some new oly platforms and bumper plates but whatever, what they have works. read more

After seeing this place mentioned online a few times, I finally made it down to get some coaching on form for my squat from Dennis Brady, the owner and longtime powerlifter. In 10 minutes, he cleared up issues I (and other "trainers") had spent 9 months trying to clean up, and all for less than the price of a bucket of whey. I can't recommend this place - and Dennis - enough to folks at any stage of their PL training. read more

Im rating this gym 5 stars because it's ideal for what I want in a gym. I think many others would rate it 1 star. This gym is CHEAP, and its about SERIOUS weightlifting/power building. But the machines are almost all out of date/broken. So if what youre looking for is clean, new, modern stuff with a juice bar etc, this is not the place for you. If what you want is to go in, get your workout down (with free weights) in an atmosphere which is totally free from distractions, this is the place for you. read more

Asked by the owner not to use the speedbag...later he says "what's the problem?"... Why would you address a customer in this way?... "I think it's weird that you came in to only use a speed bag"... wait what?... I explained of course I would use whatever else they have to workout but the speed bag was one of the main reasons I came and that I understood the rules about not using the speed bag during certain schedules for their different classes throughout the week except I was told all of this after I paid. He says I own all this stuff and instead of asking was I shown the rules? (that was posted way beyond the entrance where you pay) he says "I'm pretty sure whoever showed you around showed you these rules"... after I told him that this was my first time there and the person at the front verified he said "do you want your money back?" I said yeah. He told his employee to give me my money back and told him he will pay him back and walked away from me... All the equipment looked as though it came from an old thrift shop and one of them out of the very few I tried was inoperable yet their prices are higher than some world class gyms. The employee at the front desk was nice. I would issue two stars instead of one because he gave me my money back but "I just think it's weird" that he would have as many 5 star reviews with this type of approach toward paying customers... read more

After wandering in the desert of chain gyms for almost 20 years, I used this place on a day-pass 10 months ago, and came back two days later and bought a year membership. No nonsense facillty for folks that want to use weights to improve themselves. Large Squat, Press, and Deadlift areas. Two Dumbell areas. Has a reverse-hyper, and a Glute-Ham raise. Several Dip and Chin-up stations. Also, plenty of cable and lever machines. Has a whole room set up just for combat and strongman/heavy conditioning training. Limited, but well-maintained cardio machines. It's got a bit of a neighborhood feel with people from a wide age-range, but interspersed are some of the biggest and/or strongest guys you will ever have been in a room with. It will be ultimately up to the invdividual whether they find this atmosphere inspiring or intimidating. Frankly, I think one of the gym mottos says it all: "We might not be for everyone, but we we might just be for you." read more

You like to lift heavy? This is the place. Whether you're into power lifting, olympic lifting, or body building B&W is set up for you. The gym is always improving too. Recently they acqquired a monolift and added another platform. In addition to a killer set up, the people who lift here are awesome. I regularly see people encouraging each other, even if they just met. read more

B&W's is now and will be my gym for as long as I reside in the Chicago area. As many have stated, it is a no frills, hardcore, dungeon of a gym. If you're at all familiar of the bodybuilding or powerlifting scene, it is very much reminiscent of other hardcore gyms- metroflex in Arlington texas, and Dorian Yates' Temple Gym. This is a place where guys and a few gals come to lift seriously. There is not much discussion going on. People here understand it's not social hour. Basically it's just a very raw, badass place to work out in, and has more iron than any gym I've ever set foot in. Oh yeah, and the rates are ridiculously cheap. The only cons are that some of machines that are there could use replacement (lat pulldown machines) All in all, awesome place for the serious lifter. read more