Awesome spot to get in a lift. It's usually not super crowded, especially compared to other gyms…read more Typically waiting for a machine isn't necessary and in the it is actually taken, others should be available to use. The membership is one of the cheapest in the area too. Only complaint was with the treadmills. Seemed like the treadmill belts were also broken and couldn't jog past 5.5 speed.

I fell in love with this gym during a recent Chicago visit (I am from LA), and almost can't believe…read moreI stumbled upon it. It was like walking back into the 90's, true authentic old school gym. I loved it so much I bought a t-shirt!

I love Above the Bar so much that I had to continue my membership in the form of online training…read moreeven when moving out to the suburbs. The trainers know their stuff, make sure you feel confident through the exercises, and become friends. 10/10 recommend.

Alex and his team at ATB are the most compassionate people I have come across in a long time. They…read moretruly care for all of their clients and really listen to each person's needs and meet them where they are in their fitness journey. If you are just starting your fitness journey, this is the place for you. If you have been on your fitness journey for a long time and looking for something new, this is the place for you. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Alex before he started this gym and he has always been encouraging and helpful. I love lifting weights. It has made me feel stronger physically and helped me a lot with my mental health as well. I often struggle with recovery due to scoliosis and imbalances in my physical body. Alex and his team are well-educated in the interconnectedness of the body's components and have the expertise to help their clients through any struggle. Alex and his team have shown me better ways to warm up and specific recovery stretches and movements to keep me progressing in my workouts. I recently joined their Training Club, which has been a great way to workout with others independently but with a coach on hand for assistance, suggestions, and posture/movement checks... and that little nudge of encouragement to keep you progressing with weight ranges...all within your comfort level, of course. There's no pushy, drill sergeant coaches here.

I am a citywide CAC member, my home gym is LSAC, but often go to BAC because of it's proximity to…read moremy partner. Note: I have had the opportunity to work out at several FFC locations, Planet Fitness, and LA Fitness locations throughout the city as well as other locally owned gyms in the area. While this gym does get busy, and has a heavier focus on free-weights, it's an amazing facility for the price you pay. If you are someone looking to only use machines, then you should probably go to Planet Fitness or LA Fitness. If you are looking to really learn how to lift, this is a great place to do it. Their dumb bells have 2.5lb increases, which can be hard to find at most gyms, and really allows you to improve form without straining joints or muscles. If you are looking to throw out 200lb vanity lifts on a bunch of machines, this isn't the place. In terms of the gym being busy, that's most gyms between the hours of 7a-10a and 4p-7p. Develop a program that allows you to move between different areas of the gym while you're waiting for something to free up rather than complaining on the internet. BAC has substantially more free weight benches and racks than 90% of other gyms, there is no reason that you should be held up by anyone else. The only reason I am at 4 stars is because the Bucktown location does have fewer amenities than Lakeview or Lincoln Square, but that is to be expected, it's just a smaller space, but if you don't NEED to sit in a sauna or steam room after every work out, this gym is going to meet all of your needs. At $80-90 per month, you will be hard pressed to find a gym that is exceeding any CAC (and that price point gets you access to ALL of their locations), if you want TOTAL luxury and expanse, go drop the $350 a month at FFC (which is also busy, lacking diversity in amenities, and generally missing a luxury feel), or you can go to Midtown, which is **again** quite busy.

Facility is clean and has bright natural lighting through the large windows upstairs. Busy at peak…read moretimes like after work but generally not overwhelmingly unless you're trying to use a machine they don't have many of. Large locker room and multiple studio spaces for classes they have a few times daily throughout the building.

Awesome Gym! Ethan is a great trainer and knows what he is doing to get you to hit your goals!…read more‍‍‍‍‍‍Helps a lot with doing the correct techniques and motivates a lot when need it the most. Really helped me with getting in the right mindset to WANT TO DO THE WORKOUT! Highly recommend! You are in awesome hands with Ethan! Crafts every workout regiment to each of his client! Really helped me with my progression of getting in shape again! Thanks Ethan! Very flexible and worked around my schedule to get the job done!

I have worked with Ethan for a number of years. He is highly dedicated and incredibly…read moreknowledgeable. I recommend him highly

Awesome place. I play tennis there, use the gym and even pilates which is my membership. Huge…read morefacilities, nice courts, nice gym, nice instructors, nice lessons. Very satisfied. My only qualification to change the rating to 4 stars is that their billing/finance/etc. processing is a nightmare. They charge too much and then you must go back and straighten out the books now and then, that is no fun with such a good place.

The good: 1. Great…read morefacility and amenities 2. Indoor tennis (monopoly) 3. Amazing restaurant with good prices and really good food 4. Sauna and steam room 5. Plenty of exercise machines and programs for work out 6. Last but not the least, despite all the negative reviews I think the staff is amazing and deserves kudos The not so good: 1. For the price, not really worth it when you consider you have to pay additional $$$ for tennis, Pilates etc 2. Multiple people have shared my observation that the yoga program is below average and my partner attended one class and never went back because of an abrasive the yoga instructor. Overall if you have additional $$$ and don't mind paying more than what you are getting (like the Bucktown housing market) then you will certainly enjoy this place. If you're looking for something that makes sense from a value perspective then there are other options.

So grateful that our friends introduced us to this gym while we were in town. They welcomed us in…read moreand made us feel like a part of the family from the start. Great coaching, programming, and the facility was always clean. The app for scheduling classes was easy to use and I loved that they have the option for open gym throughout the day. We will definitely be back next time we are in town.

When I moved to Chicago, I was looking for a new CrossFit gym and I couldn't have found a better…read moreplace! Andrew, Bridget, and the entire coaching staff are amazing. They perfectly balance a welcoming atmosphere with personalized attention to help you improve as an athlete. Couldn't recommend CEF, and the community, more!

At first the gym was okay.. the bathrooms are horrendous looks like they don't clean the showers…read moreDAILY... the gym is terribly smaller than what they make it seem on social media. Barely have any machines there's one of each so it makes it nearly impossible to do your workout session in a timely manner, since you have to wait for sometimes 2-3 ppl to use a machine before you can get to it. I happened to move to the suburbs and didn't have a chance to cancel in person so I thought I'd call THEY NEVER ANSWERED THE DAMN PHONE I CALLED LIKE 7-8 times NO ONE PICKED UP THE DAMN PHONE!!! The one time my partner went in person to cancel his membership he was given the run around and was not able to cancel his membership! We just want out of this horrible gym, the staff isn't easy to work with at all! I just want to cancel my membership and they make it nearly impossible! HORRIBLE SERVICE DO NOT PURCHASE MEMBERSHIP!! Update I sent an email to cancel since I moved and they're saying I have to live 25+ miles away from the gym to cancel my membership which is complete and utter bs!! The cancellation process is ridiculous and nearly impossible save yourself the headache AND DONOT GET A MEMBERSHIP HERE THEY MUST BE DOING TERRIBLY FINANCIALLY TO MAKE IT THIS FRICKIN IMPOSSIBLE AND FRUSTRATING TO CANCEL A SIMPLE MEMBERSHIP NOT EVEN AT MY LAST GYM DID I HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME TO CANCEL A MEMBERSHIPPPP

It will always surprise me when small gyms put people with low social skills and patience to work…read morewith the people coming in and out of the gym. Guy that worked with me had an attitude and was impatient. And yeah, $40 for a day pass is rough.... And what's up with the stick up the *ss when it comes to verifying residence lol even though I live in the loop, this whole experience was such a turn off.

So 2 years later, I decided to check this place out again... and I actually signed up. It's…read moreconvenient to the Western bus (which I live off of) and the blue line (which I can get to easily from work) so I have no excuses after work. They also have an infrared sauna which is delightful. This is pretty no frills. No showers and a simple circuit designed to change stations every 30-40 seconds. Along with the circuit there is an elliptical, treadmill, and stationary bike if you want to break up your workout. The price was reasonable for me and there's seriously no one there most weeknights after work. The hours suit me fine, though it wouldn't surprise me if other people have issues with them. I'm busy enough that I wouldn't mind Sunday hours. I understand that some people might find the circuit repetitive but they do have a trainer, Liz, who I've met on Saturdays and she's just great. I find the workout personally works well for me because I have some past injuries that make high impact stuff really hard on my body. The fact that I can do what I want in between stations depending on how I'm feeling & how my body is feeling is great for me and the machines seem to react to how much effort gets put into them. This is a lot of strength training so you have to use the between stations to push & keep your heart rate up if you want the cardio benefits. I'm a little bit skeptical of how "easy" it is to cancel with them after hearing the owner on the phone with someone who had moved. When I signed up, Heather made it sound like it would be no problem if something happens but, after overhearing that phone conversation, it sounds no easier than any other gym that locks you into a contract. They have changed to a different payment processor than the one originally listed on the contracts but most of the contract language still stands so make sure you go over that!! All in all, if you are getting back into working out & want an effective workout, this is a great option. And they just use Alexa for the music so if you're the only one in that day, you can have them play whatever kind of music mix you want. :)

This year I am training for a 10K and really just needed a place to run on a treadmill without a…read morelot of bells and whistles. Enter Ladies Workout Express...it's clean, parking is easy in that area and the staff is friendly. I am on a pretty tight budget so this place fit the bill. The upside: everything is always very clean, the machine I use is in good working order, the staff is nice, it's more peaceful than most gyms. The downside: the hours can be tough to accommodate all schedules, the decor is very retro workout, there are no showers. All and all if you are looking for a good place to go to get a workout without all of the added extras that very few people use, this is a good spot. Also know that there is a circuit program in place but you can totally use the gym however it suits you as well, I only come to stretch and run on the treadmill and it's perfect for just that!