CS&C is the place in Chicago to go if you want to get strong AF. The fact is, that Dave (the owner…read moreand head trainer) subscribes to the best philosophy when it comes to lifting weights: "If it is complicated- you're doing it wrong. Commit to your training, eat and sleep like it. And you will get stronger." CS&C is a Starting Strength gym, which means that the focus is on three main lifts: squat, deadlift, and press. Other lifts are utilized when they are useful (bench, power cleans, etc.) for increasing strength. Dave and Karl's focus is on getting athletes to do the lifts right, which ultimately protects against injury. In the run up to my latest powerlifting meet, Dave sorted out my deadlift and Karl helped me with my bench. This isn't a place where you're gonna get a soy machiato frappacino with skinny whip after doing a set of quarter squats in the Smith machine or bicep curls in the rack. Honestly, if you wanna be a menace to society, go do that somewhere else. This is a place where you're going to get strong. If you listen to the coaches and put in the work, your squat, deadlift, and press numbers will ALL go up. And you'll be harder to kill, which if we're honest, is all anyone really wants.

Review of Dave the coach: I met Dave when I was doing…read morecrossfit at another gym and he coached the Power track. I just happened to stumble into the class about 2ish years ago because I came at the wrong time. What I thought was a section of the crossfit class turned out to be a power lifting class. Since then I have fallen in love with the sport and have done multiple power lifting competitions. A big part of that was Dave. He explains things really well and is very knowledgeable. Even though the crossfit gym location was no longer convenient for me, I still kept coming and doing programs because of Dave. I am NOT the easiest of clients. I complain and make excuses all the time. Dave would calmly call me on my BS without being condescending. I was very excited for him when he opened his own facility at Chicago Strength and Conditioning. And even though this location is even MORE inconvenient for me, I still reach out to Dave for assistance. I utilized him for a great year long nutrition program. I signed up for 3 month program to help with a competition. Dave is my go to whenever I have questions or need advice about lifting. As a coach he's great and has help me improve significantly in all my lifts. He's worth every penny I have given. Review of the gym: I have only been to the gym a couple times since it's not near me and I do a lot of online programming. So I can't speak on membership pricing or local competitors. It may be small but it packs a punch. Each rack(I think there are 6 total) has it's own set of weights. And since the place is fairly new, the equipment is NICE! Recently, I showed up on a Saturday morning to get some in-person coaching. At first is was just me but by the time I was leaving, there was about 6 or 7 people there. It was intimate but I definitely didn't feel cramped. Everyone there was super nice and supportive of each other. There were people of all ages, strengths and sizes. All the coaches and athletes came up to me and introduced themselves. The few times I have been there, I really liked. If I didn't live so far away, I would totally attend this gym.

This gym is a great "express" workout experience. The last city I habitually worked out in had a…read morestocked YMCA. In comparison, Club Fitness is an "efficiency model." It has all the equipment for a decent lift session in the main area with free weights, cardio machines, and strength training machines. In the back, there's a dedicated HIIT room with racks, another multipurpose room with huge mirrors and bars along the wall, and a cycling room (with neon green lighting and some step equipment in the back). I'm looking forward to trying out some of their diverse fitness group class offerings, and their trainers seem personable from what I've observed in passing. There's a locker room (be sure to bring your own lock) with large, full lockers, bathrooms, showers, and a sauna. Parking is free in the lot out front.

It's been many years since I last came here so I was surprised to see not much has changed. I came…read morefor a cycle and yoga class. That instructor had my limbs burning by the end so the yoga was a nice cool down. They provided the mats and weights etc. The facility itself is fine. There are saunas in the locker room. Women have a dedicated space to stretch or use medicine balls. The water fountain could use an upgrade though.

Absolutely the best I'm a law student at UIC and my schedule is very busy. I tried going to…read moreworkouts but I never enjoyed going to the gym until F45. The trainers are awesome. Shout out to Jocelyn, Sandro and Sanjay who I had a pleasure to meet. Different days have different types of workout. Wednesdays are cardio which is my favorite. If you haven't checked them out I highly recommend it. 45 minutes out of your day and you will feel energized and great

I spent two years at North Side Boxing, first training one-on-one with an absolute pro of a coach…read moreand then moving into the group classes, which I highly recommend. The vibe there is all about unity. When we ran, we ran together. When we partnered up, we hyped each other up. We constantly rotated partners, so you were always learning from different styles and skill levels. Rich, who runs the gym, is always there making sure everything runs smoothly and stepping in with veteran advice when you need it. Some fighters've been boxing for years, some who even compete in the Golden Gloves, and while that can feel intimidating at first, it quickly becomes incredibly inspiring. You can't help but pick up pointers and insider knowledge just by being around them. Whether you're a 20-year veteran or someone who's never thrown a punch, you're treated the same. It's a place built on respect, hard work, and community. I highly recommend to anyone looking to shed pounds, gain confidence and even make some new friends.

Been a member of this gym for almost 2 years now. Boxing, Muay Thai, Powerlifting, Weightlifting,…read moreStrongman, you name it. This gym is a jack of all trades and has it all. It is a unique experience you won't find anywhere else. Rich (owner of the gym) has built a one-of-a-kind community and I can't recommend this place enough.

The Goldilocks of gyms...not too big and not too small..just the right size. It is a one size fits…read moreall gym. Good for the experienced athlete, a beginner and the family. Immaculate and well maintained Professional grade equipment that is best of breed. Well managed by people who care about fitness and training. Always upgrading and investing in the gym

Best place ever! They have it all. All in one place…read more Work out, MMA, Haircut, chiropractic, facial, laser hair removal. Family owned business!! Clean, all state of the art up to date machines. Great customer service! All certified trainers. Love it!

Dog House Fitness has quickly become a new home for me. From day one, the fantastically diverse…read morecommunity of bootcampers welcomed me tremendously. All of the instructors are both encouraging and educational while quick to help modify for anyone's specific needs. It all starts with Natalie, the owner and operator, who has built such an outstanding environment for everyone. This is the kind of neighborhood place that makes the fitness journey a joy.

What a fabulous, warm and inviting gym. Great community of like minded people. Classes, personal…read moretraining, nutrition and physical therapy all in one place. Amanda is an amazing trainer and physical therapy assistant. She has pushed me to do incredible things in the gym. I would never have imagined it was possible. Her knowledge and support have been invaluable to me as I work toward my goals.

I've belonged to Main Event on-and-off over the past 10 years since it was called "Evanston Boxing…read moreClub" and was located on the N. Side of Downtown Evanston. The former head coach Dave was a solid trainer, and the current head coach Andrian is no different. tl;dr: it's a great place to train if you care about a good boxing/kickboxing workout with good people. The gym itself is well-stocked with basic equipment, respectably sized to handle classes of up to 20 people at a time, plenty of heavy bags, and boxing gear available to borrow (jump ropes, gloves, handwraps, focus mitts, although you should ideally get your own at some point if you join). It is extremely bare-bones and low on amenities beyond equipment - there is no shower, no water fountain (water bottles available for purchase), and there's a single half-bath. It is very much geared towards people who want to show up, get in a boxing workout, and leave soon after. The gym has evening classes five days a week (5:30PM, then 6:30PM) plus morning classes on Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun. There's Muay Thai/Kickboxing on M/W evenings (soon also Fridays again) Andrian is also broadly available for private lessons at reasonable rates (one-on-one and small-group), and I've had little issue arranging to train on my own the few times I've wanted to go into the gym without class going on. There's also a very active kids boxing program five days a week at 4:30 (I don't know much about this, but it looks like Andrian has 1-2 parents helping corral the 15 kids or so - it's a VERY popular program). A typical boxing class has a 5-10 minute warmup, alternating rounds of heavy-bag work + conditioning, 2-3 rounds of partner drills (focus mitts or defense drills), more bag work, more conditioning, then cool-down stretches. Andrian is very welcoming of beginners and will spend time working with them during class to help them get the hang of things, and the people in the gym are all very friendly and glad to help as well. Most members are casual athletes there to workout, but there's a small cohort of more serious members who are amateur boxers. Cost is well under what most other gyms with combat sports would charge. The gym is also decent with COVID protocols (asking people to wear masks, everyone cleans the space after class, open doors), but it's still an indoor workout space with high-intensity activity, so you should still get your COVID vaccine if you haven't already.

This place is legit!!! They have great classes and Andrian is a great trainer to work with one on…read moreone. I am a type one diabetic and working out here has helped me get in great shape, my doctor was impressed with my blood results and my wife was impressed with my improved body and confidence. After working with Andrian for a few years, I decided to box in a charity boxing match not once but twice. It was a great experience and I would not have been able to do it without Andrian's help. I can't say enough good things about this place!

I have a tremendous massage therapist who works out of this gym. Very clean and everyone is…read morefriendly. Sauna is great, never a wait for any machines or weights!

If you're looking for a high energy environment with personal training geared towards your goals…read morewhether it is to maintain weight, lose weight, get strong etc. The trainers understand and keep you accountable alongside pushing you to your goals. Really nice sauna included as well and clean locker room. Again, cannot stress enough how positive, supportive, and encouraging this gym is.