Best gym in Chicago, hands down! I've been going to Quads for years and it truly stands out from…read moreany other gym I've been to. The trainers and staff are incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and always willing to answer questions or offer advice, no matter your experience level. The owner, Sharon, is so welcoming and has created such a great community where everyone feels comfortable and motivated. If you're serious about lifting, this is the place to be. They have an amazing variety of machines and equipment that you won't find at most gyms, and everything is designed for people who really want to train properly. The atmosphere is motivating, the people are friendly, and it feels like a gym where everyone genuinely wants to see each other succeed. A couple of my friends joined after I recommended it, and they're so glad they did. I couldn't recommend Quads more!

This is the most difficult review I've ever written for Yelp because I honestly love the idea of…read moreQuads and its history, but after a trial week, I ran back to my pathetic Planet Fitness. For years, I walked by and looked in the window just to see if some of the vibe would entice me to walk in and get energized by all the real-life Marvel Superheroes working out. And I'm glad for the week of experience I had because Quads has some of the nicest, knowledgeable, and dedicated fitness people I've ever met. From the moment I walked in to my final exit, the desk staff, the family members who run it, trainers I encountered, and a few guys who could deadlift car engines whom I asked questions how to use this or that, I felt a lot of compassion for me being the new guy in a sea of bewildering equipment that could either change my fitness life or scare me away. Bear in mind that I truly love Quads but coming from a lengthy history of memberships at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness, Gorilla Sports, YMCA, Holmes Place, Chicago Athletic Clubs, and Planet Fitness (with visits to FFC, Crunch, East Bank Club, Cheetah, Life Time, Bally's, and Midtown Athletic Club), I have to do a pro and con thing. Pros It's a good environment to watch others doing astonishing calisthenic exercises and massive lifts and squats. I'll never get to that level, but it's an inspiring place to get jazzed about your own routine. Quads has a diverse membership. You'll see everything from people doing their daily treadmill to pro bodybuilders doing four-hour circuits. I saw every kind of body type and age group. People doing rehab exercises and a person with a visual impairment. The specialty here is bodybuilding, though everyone is welcome. You'll hear grunts, fits of anger, yelling of encouragement, the rage of accomplishment, and claps of high-five. I felt like I was in a place where great bodies are refined. The membership prices are fantastic for the amount of equipment you're offered, and the hours are comparable to other gyms. They offer a few additional membership discounts not listed on the website, so go in and talk with them. Kudos to a gym that finally understands the right way memberships should work--upfront and no hassles. You are constantly reminded of your potential. There are photos and awards everywhere of past and present bodybuilders and pro and amateur athletes, and you can't help but soak up some of that greatness. You're in a place where celebrities have trained, too. Cons Here's where I have to be brutally honest. I may not know the difference between an Iso-Lateral Front Lat Pulldown and an Iso-Lateral Wide Pulldown, but I do know when machines are so old that they need to be replaced. If a machine's pads are worn, replace them. If a Selectorized's weight stack has half its weight labels missing, that should be fixed asap. If a machine's so old that the frame's been painted a number of times, it's probably a good time to replace it. I'm going to guess most of the equipment is older than the members. Sure, old-school machines can be great, and a lot of bodybuilders want them, but at some point, you need to replace them. Hammer Strength, Precor, and Cybex are constantly evolving the science of ergonomics, body mechanics, and safety. Please, Quads. Get new equipment. I didn't see any dumbbells less than 10#. That's not a bad thing, but small weight dumbbells would be great for people doing rehab or weaklings like me starting back at doing simple free weight exercises. In fairness, Planet Fitness dumbbells start at 10#, too. Other reviews are correct: A lot of the equipment, especially the Selectorized machines on the first floor, are squished so closely that safety could be an issue. There are a few machines so close together that parts could touch if used in full range of motion. If you're used to a defined circuit from a previous gym--especially if most of your workout is using Selectorized equipment--you might have difficulties matching it to the machines here. Plate-loaded and cables, no problem; they'll have one of anything you'll ever want. But for Selectorized, nothing made sense because a lot of what I needed was spread throughout the gym on both floors and in hard to find areas (e.g. the pec fly/rear delt machine was in a dimly lit corner, and most of the weights in the stack had no labels). I won't go into cleanliness. Suffice it to say this is a well-worn gym. The rusty lockers and second floor smell attest to the longevity of Quads, for better or worse. Overall, you should try Quads for a week to see if you like it. Most people swear this is the best gym. No, Quads doesn't have a pool, a sauna, towel service, group fitness classes, fancy self-locking lockers, a three-story climbing wall, or sleep rooms. They offer a world of fitness possibilities in an old school gym where amazing happens.

The best part about this gym is that it's 24 hours. You can't really find that anymore! It's still…read morevery new, so it doesn't quite have everything equipment wise but it's very full considering the size. Sometimes feels crowded if there's more than 3 or 4 people inside, but often times it's just 1 or 2 people in there, so everything is available. Oh and the mirrors along the walls are great!

Love this gym! I love the flexibility of my membership which is 24hours. I love the culture the gym…read morehas to offer

Not a safe place. The owner Zach had me do risky exercise during a trial session. I said I didn't…read morefeel good about it, he told me to keep going. I got severely injured and had my life upended. He never reached out until a couple months later when they tried to recruit me back. All they wanted was my money apparently, not my wellbeing. Everything was handled very poorly and I paid the consequences - I do not recommend this place.

I cannot recommend All Strength Training enough. Zach and the entire coaching team are incredibly…read morehelpful, friendly, and truly committed to helping you achieve results without ever compromising safety. They motivate you, but do not pressure you into doing more than you are comfortable with, and there is no sales pitch for doing more than you want. The focused and personalized coaching here has been a game-changer for me. The trainers ensure every workout is effective and safe, which gave me so much confidence in my fitness journey. My experience with AST is that it has been a supportive and a results-driven fitness experience. I am super grateful to them for helping me find my way back to feeling fit and on track with my health goals.

Great gym. Very gay, but welcoming to all. Steamroom and sauna…read more Good price for Chicago. Great energy: busy, but never overful or cramped. LOTS of open space. All solid, new equipment, friendly staff and clientele. 2 very large adjoining workout areas: 1 for free weights and cables; the other for machines, more dumbbells and benches, big turf area, etc. Separate stretching room (with walls and door), with mats, rollers, etc, and 1- to 8-pound weights for light stuff. The deck is 2 feet away, and stretching out there is encouraged, including bringing out ot the matts, etc. Many people take advantage when it's nice, leaving unlimited space. Not much waiting: the usual few choke points: barbell benches and (to a lesser extent) the cablec rossovers (where you need both.) Way more dumbbell benches than most gyms this size, all adjustable to incline/flat. 12-15 cable stations, always a few open. Group classes included, with large spin room and vert big class studio. Pool. Roof deck. Everything included: towels in 3 sizes, including shower size, soap, shampoo, conditioner, hairdryer, etc. Built in combo lockers, so you never bring a lock. I was very happy using trainer Troy Myree. (See below on great offer.) All the other trainers seem excellent (watching them with clients.) Very cleaning including spotless locker room. I'm satisfied enough to commute 1.5 miles with no car. (Bike except very cold winter or wet, then bus.) --- WHEN JOINING OR CONSIDERING: They officially give you 1 free workout, but I asked my sales rep for more to try it at different times, and she happily gave me 3. (I let her know I was definitely joining LVAC or FCC, and wanted to try them both a few times. That was true, and LVAC was an easy call. (About half the price, much better energy and clientele. FCC is over a mile closer to me, but I still picked LVAC.). Take advantage of the 1-time joining offer of 3 personal trainer sessions very cheap. (They offered to anyone for a short window 9 months later.)

This gym is honestly frustrating if you care about getting an efficient, quality workout in. It…read morefeels like members are an afterthought. There's basically only one of most machines, so no matter what time you go, you end up waiting around. Even during non-peak hours, equipment is constantly occupied because the gym doesn't have enough variety or quantity. During busy times, the wait becomes ridiculous, especially if you have responsibilities outside the gym and can't spend hours there. The problem gets even worse because the gym doesn't enforce any rules around cellphone use on equipment. People sit on machines scrolling through their phones while others wait, and staff does not care. What makes it more annoying is how much space is wasted. There are large empty areas throughout the gym, plus a rock climbing wall that is completely unused -- I haven't seen anyone on it since joining in December 2024. That space could easily be used for additional equipment that members actually need. On top of that, most of the front desk staff come across as unfriendly and disengaged. Half the time they don't even look up from their phones when people walk in or leave. For the price, this place just doesn't deliver. If you're going to deal with overcrowding, poor service, and long waits, you might as well save yourself $50-60 a month and join Planet Fitness instead.

Great attentive and positive staff with a great business model. So happy to see them have lots of…read moreregulars too.

Absolutely love Bodi Shak. I've always been really nervous and anxious going to the gym, not…read moreknowing what to do, feeling overwhelmed by huge crowds and people waiting to use my machine. Bodi Shak is exactly the opposite. The classes are smaller in size, oftentimes in the afternoon weekday classes there's 10 or less people so you can get very personalized training. The instructors are all knowledgeable, welcoming, and eager to help all fitness levels. Toni, the owner, is great at encouraging and pushing you to go harder without pressuring you to the point of anxiety. The overall sense of community at Bodi Shak is exactly what I've been looking for and they have several options for membership so you can pick what works for you. Highly recommend!

I've been a member here now for a few months (and a climber for 20 years) and so feel like I am now…read morefamiliar enough with my home gym to fairly review it. My favorite things about this gym: - Creative setting in the shorter walled section so you feel more comfortable trying new moves without the fear of falling too far - The layout with open sweeping views and plenty of light - The arch - tons of cool practice with overhangs and traverses - Bike parking inside! - Big area with mats upstairs to do warm-up and warm-down stretches Areas this gym could improve: - Cleaner holds! Not just Uptown - all of the locations. They're so greasy that it automatically adds a grade to any problem, and not in a fun way. - For lower-rated climbs, setting routes that aren't just jug ladders. It is possible to make beginner climbs fun and challenging in a puzzly way, but Uptown doesn't do that. It's all jugs. - More community events, and the community events that exist should be free to members. If I'm a member I shouldn't also be paying to go to sound baths or take fitness classes and participate in citizens' competitions. I've never been a member of a gym that charges its members for ANY events. There are free events at FA, but they're essentially just meetups. Anything with more to offer carries a charge.

Increasingly unsafe. Kids under 8 running around the weight room. People parking infants under…read moresquat racks in their stroller no joke. Idk how they have a good insurance policy.

Been coming to the gym for the past few months and really like it! The owner is very friendly and…read moremakes it a point to know everyone's name, so you feel very welcome when you come in! He is also very responsive to feedback and even recently installed a new water bottle filling station and purchased a new router based on feedback! He is great! I also do the personal training here, which I have found to be incredibly worthwhile. I have never done much weight lifting before, let alone had a personal trainer, but I meet with Jon twice a week and each time he crafts a great routine for me which has made working out feel very approachable. When we first visited, they gave us a quick tour and let us try the gym for free that day, so I do recommend checking it out if you are looking for a new place to work out.

This is a great neighborhood gym. There is plenty of equipment for weightlifting and cardio, and…read moreI've never had trouble finding the machine I need (even during peak hours). The owner, Jon, is very friendly and you can tell he really cares about the space and members. He's always cleaning and saying hi. Other members follow good gym etiquette and it's an overall good vibe. If you want more of a push like I did, personal training is great here too. My husband's been working with Jon 1:1 and I've been working with David, another excellent trainer. Flexible schedules, super reasonable pricing, and even though they make us work hard - the workouts are fun.

No complaints here great location with nice views of the city as it's located on the 7th floor of…read morethe Century building. There is no free parking so if your driving you have to pay in the lot or find street parking. Equipment is older but in good working condition and the staff is great. Gym is clean for a gym. Locker room and shower are old but well maintained.

I'm extremely frustrated after a recent call with customer service. The representative I spoke with…read morehad a very dismissive, "it-is-what-it-is" and "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude regarding my concerns about the gym's yoga mats and exercise balls. Nearly all of the yoga mats are severely deteriorated, and the gym has only three exercise balls available for the entire facility. I've raised concerns about the poor condition of the mats multiple times, but nothing has changed. During this call, the representative flatly stated, "These are the mats we are going to purchase," despite my explaining that they tear easily, wear out quickly, and provide little to no padding or comfort. When I mentioned that I can feel my knees hitting the floor during floor exercises, she bluntly told me I could bring my own mat. The conversation became even more unprofessional when she asked about my "future plans," clearly implying that if I was unhappy, I should simply cancel my membership and go elsewhere. She repeatedly emphasized that no one is forcing me to remain a member and that I could either accept the equipment as-is or leave. I also mentioned that XSport previously offered high-quality mats and a large supply of exercise balls. In response, she sarcastically remarked that XSport is no longer in business. I acknowledged that fact and explained that their closure was due to the COVID period, as happened to many businesses, but that didn't change the point about quality equipment. What is most upsetting is that my core concern--that it makes no sense to continue repurchasing low-quality mats that deteriorate quickly--was completely dismissed. The representative made it clear that the company has no intention of considering alternatives, regardless of member feedback. I find it hard to believe that a business would knowingly continue to waste money on poor-quality equipment that neither lasts nor benefits its members. I have attached photos of the mats currently in use; some are even worse than those shown and are nearly ripped apart. Additionally, the lack of exercise balls is surprising and inconvenient, especially when comparable gyms offer a dozen or more. Again, the customer service agent insisted I could just leave if I'm unhappy. I truly hope LA Fitness addresses these issues. Customer service attitudes like this, combined with ignoring valid concerns about equipment quality, will inevitably drive members away--including myself. While the representative treated my membership as insignificant, if enough members share these concerns, the impact on the business will be undeniable.

Please take the 1-star reviews seriously and save yourself the frustration…read more This gym is dated, uninspiring, and borderline unsanitary- especially in the bathrooms. But far worse than the facility is the ownership. Colin, the owner, operates with the ethics of a mob boss and the manners of one too. He: Treats employees poorly, as evidenced by internal emails he mistakenly forwarded to me. Treats customers like marks, relying on selective, self-serving interpretations of vague contract language. Despite advertising flexible terms, Colin enforced hidden fees and used aggressive tactics to corner me into paying $200 just to cancel. His language throughout was consistently disrespectful, defensive, and patronizing. I'll be filing formal complaints and sharing the full documentation of my experience. Colin may have gotten my money, but he won't get my silence. If you value fairness, transparency, and respect- stay far away.

Never thought I'd say I regret joining a gym but I deeply deeply regret ever joining this gym and I…read morehighly recommend NOT getting a membership here. So many issues, staff is horrible to communicate with, broken machines, payment terms are insanity. Don't be fooled -- this gym has a "cheaper" monthly payment because they'll charge you out the ass for everything else. Their way of advertising this gym is just to lie. "Easy to cancel" -- lie. "No hidden fees" -- lie. "We wanted to be the one straightforward gym in Chicago bla bla bla" -- that's actually laughable. AND the owner is so passive aggressive that he responds to every negative review harassing them. They literally make it impossible to cancel, so save yourself the extra cash and just don't sign up. I can't wait for this to be out of business soon. Listen to the negative reviews bc I deeply regret ignoring them.

This is a fairly large no frills gym with a good variety of the equipment you would want, but it…read morehas one fatal flaw: It's overcrowded, particularly if you're looking to do weight training (cardio never seems to be an issue). If you strength train at an off-peak time, say first thing in the morning or late at night, you'll be just fine, but most other times expect to wait to get on certain machines and good luck trying to secure a weight bench or squat rack. A locker room makeover is also much needed. I've seen the membership at this location grow significantly over the years and can't help but wonder what LA Fitness' portfolio strategy is. Since LA Fitness bought X-Sport and then closed their nicest location in the North Side on Broadway in Lakeview, many of those members now come to this location and the infrastructure just doesn't support so many members at peak times. LA Fitness Corporate, I hope you are reading this. There is an obvious solution right in front of you that should have you seeing dollar signs. There is a massive gap in your portfolio in Chicagoland in that you don't have a Signature Club anywhere on the North Side of the city. The Loop downtown or Niles are the closest Signature Club locations. Not only is this location on Lawrence the home club of many LGBT members who likely would be more than capable and willing to pay a little more for a nicer facility and less crowding, the gym could easily expand on the cheap into the former Sears Auto space right next door as it has been sitting vacant for years. Instead, they're competing on the Planet Fitness end of the pricing spectrum with no membership cap in sight. Time to upgrade and expand to a Signature location to give everyone a better experience and reduce overcrowding. It would fulfill a much needed and unmet need in the local market and prevent members who have about had it with the overcrowding from turning elsewhere.

Awful company. Their membership salesmen are like used car salesmen. No rate sheet. They just…read morescribble the prices and options on a piece of paper. What the hell is that? Totally untrustworthy is what it is. And their fees are ridiculous. $99 enrollment fees. They charge $65 per year just to have the membership. Plus the monthly fees, which they want two months upfront. It's beyond irritating. And when you look closely it's not that clean and stuff is busted. I am really turned off by the whole thing.