Best gym in Chicago, hands down! I've been going to Quads for years and it truly stands out from any 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! read more

This is the most difficult review I've ever written for Yelp because I honestly love the idea of Quads 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. read more

Quads Gym - Looks like these two are on their way to Quads Gym! - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great selection of equipment, friendly staff, community atmosphere, clean, great owner Sharon.

My experienced and talented trainer (Dean) works out of Quads, that's how I started there over a year ago. It was intimidating at first. But I've found everyone there, respectful, kind, helpful. There's a huge variety of equipment and you can find space for different activities. It's no nonsense and I actually find it inspiring. read more

Amazing facility. Love that this is family owned. Machines to fit every need. Sharon is also an amazing person and sweet heart. Felt very welcomed and encouraged to continue my health journey here. Also love how she prioritizes the safety and well being of everybody read more

I've been going to Quads for several years now, and recently came back full time as I'm on a mission to gain some serious muscle and lose the rest of my extra body fat. This gym is amazing on so many levels. The expansive selection of equipment is second to none. The trainers are all amazing. I've been training consistently with Dean for several months now and I'm already down several pounds and up in muscle mass. The owner Sharon is one of the nicest and most caring people on the planet. She has ensured that this gym carry on its amazing legacy of being the absolute best bodybuilding gym in the state. There is a huge sense of community and everyone is there for one reason...to get 1% better everyday. No egos up in here at all!!! The rates are also beyond reasonable, with many options. There is no down side to visiting this gym!!!!!! Glad to be a part of an amazing group of people!!!! read more

I don't usually write reviews, but after seeing a recent negative one, I felt the need to share what actually happened. I've been a member here for about 9 years, and if I could give Quads 1000000000 stars, I would. One of the main reasons I've stayed is how well this gym is managed. Over the past few years, after Sharon took over, she has clearly invested a lot into improving the space, renovations, new equipment, and better layout, and it shows. More importantly, Sharon and all the staff members take action to address everyone's concerns and have maintained something rare: a respectful training environment. These actions must not be undermined by the revenge of someone who was not allowed to break the gym's rules and policies. I was actually the person who reported the incident mentioned in that negative review 3 days ago. What was happening wasn't just "intense training"; it was excessive, repeated weight slamming that echoed across the entire gym, even between floors. It was disruptive to pretty much everyone there. When staff addressed it, they remained calm and professional, simply asking the member to follow the gym's rules. Instead of adjusting, the member pushed back aggressively, insisting on doing things his way and acting as if his training style gave him more rights than everyone else in the gym. That's not how a shared space works. To be clear, this has nothing to do with experience level. Some of the most serious, experienced, and professional lifters and bodybuilding competitors here train heavy and intensely, but they do so with control and respect. They understand the difference between pushing limits without creating that level of disruption or putting unnecessary stress on the equipment. This situation wasn't about "powerlifting." It was about refusing to follow basic gym rules and being disruptive. Problems like this tend to come from new lifters who confuse noise, ego-slam weights, ignore etiquette, and try to draw attention to their progress instead of focusing on proper form and control. The front desk handled the situation exactly how they should have: respectfully, clearly, and consistently with the rules. The claim in the other review that staff were "harassing" or "violent" is simply not true based on what I personally witnessed. No one was aggressive except the member who refused to cooperate. Instead of adjusting, the member pushed back aggressively, insisting on doing things his way and acting as if his training style gave him more rights than everyone else in the gym. When things didn't go his way, the review reads more like frustration than a fair account of the situation. What concerns me is how damaging that kind of review can be to a business that is clearly trying to do the right thing. This gym has built its reputation over decades, and it doesn't reflect reality when situations like this are misrepresented. I respect that management didn't bend the rules just to avoid conflict. They stood by their standards and treated the situation consistently, which is exactly what you want in a gym. At the end of the day, everyone pays the same membership fee. No one gets extra privileges at the expense of everyone else's experience. If you're looking for a gym that continues to invest in its members and maintains a respectful, serious training environment, this is exactly that place. read more

Great equipment. Horrible staff and leadership. The owner, sharon, doesn't take accountability when issues are brought to her attention. She allows staff to verbally abuse and harass paying customers. If you want a healthy lifestyle, stay away from this gym. There's great equipment elsewhere. read more

Been coming here for a while. Staff is always friendly and the old school equipment is why I always go back. Also relatively clean. It's not cheap per se but it's worth the price you pay and it's also family owned so I definitely recommend it! read more

Quads gym is a great place for people actively in the fitness community and newcomers alike. I started my membership here in January 2025 after being tired of the commercial gyms not having the variety of equipment I would like to use and people hogging machines just to be on their phones. The moment I walked in I was greeted by the owner Sharon and given a tour. I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere, The history behind the gym and love everyone had for it. It was clear to me this wasn't just a gym it was a community. The gym members and staff have welcomed me with open arms and after more than a year here I have not gone back to any other gym and now call this my second home. They have a variety of different equipment, cardio machines and even a posing room. I always recommend this gym to anyone I know. The staff here is excellent and they work hard on maintaining the gym standards, cleanliness, and keeping the machines in working order. This place has anything you'll need to take your fitness journey to the next level. If you're thinking of switching to a new gym I recommend giving this one a try read more

Most gyms you walk in, pay your fees, and are sent on your way. Here, they clearly value the personal touch. Upon learning that it was my first time at Quads, the man behind the front desk gave me a verbal walkthrough of the entire establishment, hiking various areas and machines. It's a good thing that he did because this place is massive and I would very likely have completely missed the entire second floor. The machines they have a plenty, but I loved the care with which everyone took care of each machine after use, wiping it down and re-racking weights. Practices I would love to see adopted in my home gym. read more

I am a fifty eight year old retired chef. I walked in and was intimidated by some of the truly large, fit , muscular men and women. Every single person was welcoming and nice. Hired a trainer and have been going for 7 weeks. Great place cannot recommend highly enough. Not fancy. No steam room. Just people working out. Try it you won't regret it. Good price too read more

Great place, alot of OG equipment that provides the best gains for specific body parts

Amazing gym football fields or equipment friendly staff As good as Das Gym if you are ever in Vienna Both better than Golds Venice (sorry!) read more

Best gym in the USA COME HERE YOU MUST YOUR MISSING OUT ON GAINS if your not coming here one of a kind equipments best gym out there

I was in Chicago for a month and thoroughly looked at the local gyms to figure out where I would work out during my time there. Quads was one of the gyms that kept constantly coming up. They are pretty straight forward with their rates, no haggle or negotiation, I paid $75 for (30) days. Upon arrival their staff was very welcoming and friendly and made me feel very comfortable. The gentleman walked me through where the locker rooms were and showed me where the machines I was looking for were located. I will say, the gym has A LOT of equipment and they have machines I've never seen before! It could get a little crowded and overwhelming at first but once you overcome that it's straight smooth sailing. It's amazing actually. They do a really good job of maintaining cleanliness and the gym etiquette was mostly present with the patrons there. Parking is available right on the street and I never encountered any issues parking. The city does charge $5 for (2) hours so keep that in mind, the only time you get free parking is after 9PM. Whenever I return to Chicago I will Definitely come back here! read more

Quads Gym - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Just joined in early September, and I've gotta say I'm a big fan! I thought I would get a little confused on where everything is, but it's easy to navigate after a few visits. Typically it's not too busy when I'm there after work, and you don't have to wait much for a machine or bench/rack. Lots of equipment upstairs & downstairs, with plenty of variety for what you may want to do. Good spot! read more

Quads Gym - Upstairs Free Weights - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Coming in from a different state for a temporary contract, I was on the search for a bodybuilding gym that would allow short term memberships. After some digging, I found Quads & I'm a happy buff clam. This gym is amazing- tons of quality equipment (some I've honestly never seen before) , free weights , and a good cardio area. The owner is incredibly sweet and kind, and I was lucky enough to speak with him when I came to check the gym out. They don't make you sign contracts , and there's no sign up fees (a lot of these commercially owned gyms are really out to get ya with them fees). I paid for a 3 month membership that was 100$ cheaper than a 1 month out in the city. I seriously love this gym- so much so that I take the CTA 45 minutes there for my workouts. Completely worth it. read more

Quads Gym - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Did a day pass which was $20 but reasonable compared to most other gyms. Gym has old school equipment and alot of options. Tons of pictures hanging up and I always appreciate a gym with chalk bowls. Things seemed a bit cluttered together but still a great experience. If you are in town or looking for a gym I still highly recommend. Staff extremely friendly and helpful. read more

If you live around here and like to lift weights this is the gym for you. I joined when the owner was still around and you can tell he worked hard for his business and was very well loved. They are no contract and no initiation. You can stop the membership at any time without having to deal with annoying people from the gym. This gym will make you want to get ripped and keep you motivated with the amount of equipment they have. read more

I was traveling to Chicago and wanted to try out a new gym. This place was awesome for so many reasons. First off the gym staff was super nice, which isn't always the case when you aren't a member at the gym. We felt super welcomed! They are absolutely loaded with equipment as well! I would come here 100x read more

First time here as a guest - gym was stacked with machines, given the small space it does feel crowded, but their equipment is well kept and clean! I love that they have an open mat for jiujitsu training, classes, and big fan of their "Quads Gym" branding throughout the gym. Woman's locker room is small (only one toilet and shower up there), but over all spacious and felt comfortable locking my belongings. It sucks that the guest pass is $17, but hey, everyone's gotta eat. read more

Quads Gym - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm so excited to becoming back this Sunday. The first thing Im doing is renewing my membership for a year. I was stuck at La Fitness in Florida the last 4 months. Every piece of equipment you could want. People have to rack the weights back. Awesome staff. I'll always miss Dave.. But if you want the best Gym in the US this is it! Hopefully they'll let me get a new key tag for free. Lol. read more

If you have any true passion for training you need to be working out here. They have every piece of golden era equipment your imagination could want. read more

Best weight lifting gym in Chicago. Clean. Safe. Available. Affordable. Learned. Comprehensive. read more

Quads is the best gym I could imagine. I'm lucky to live so close to it - everywhere I travel I look for a gym like quads and never comes up. read more

Great lifting gym, but regrettably management doesn't enforce mask safety policies on the gym floor. While 95% of the members do wear masks, 5% chronically don't comply with either their noses exposed or their masks at their chins. Management knows who these people are and don't address the issue. read more

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This gym is sick! Quads has an old school vibe, featuring vintage posters of bodybuilders and other fitness icons throughout the facility. It's a big place too with (3) floors. There's an endless amount of free weights, machines, cables, and any other workout equipment you could possibly need. They even have chalk stations on both floors. A major plus. Quads gym is perfect for an intense workout and caters to bodybuilders and powerlifters. read more

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Weightlifters' gym. You will never get bored and you will not run out of options. Grateful to have found this haven for serious fitness at affordable prices. Quads culture is what you make of it. Staff and other lifters are happy to demonstrate how to use a machine. However, what can be really nice is that unlike in other gyms, no one will bother you. Some people socialize and some lift with partners. But if you just want to focus on your own workout and burn off some stress, Quads is perfect. Your first few visits may be a bit overwhelming with all of the equipment and somewhat to very intimidating with all of the serious lifters. However, after a few weeks, you will be fine. Take your time to try as much of the equipment as you can. Quads really shines in offering your many different ways to work the same muscle groups and larger groups of muscles. You can get a lot of fun chest/back; legs; abs; arms; whole body; fun workouts in at Quads. Quads has a lot of machines, many barbells and related free weights, several squat racks (though not many, it's not a Big Ten athletes' weight room), and a lot of functional fitness equipment: med balls, sandbags, balance boards. Every time I visit, I discover a new machine or piece of equipment. Watch the videos on their website and online. Quads is a straightforward weightlifters gym that offers a lot of extra functional options. Quads also has a lot of cardio equipment, a powerlifting platform, personal trainers for hire, some merchandise, some supplements. In the pandemic, I haven't enjoyed doing cardio while wearing a mask. This does not hold back other Quads clients. But be aware that Quads requires masks, takes your temperature when you visit, provides cleansers abs towels, and has staff regularly on the floor cleansing and wiping down equipment. Quads does not have saunas, hot tubs, swimming pool. Locker room has lockers, one toilet with a shower for women's locker room. No showers in the pandemic. Bring a regular padlock or key lock, not a tiny/small one. Music is sufficient that you do not need your own. You can carry a notebook and pen around with you, but do not plan to schlep a bag with you all over the gym. Use a locker. It's also not a place for a group of people to do Olympic lifts. They do have one platform, but it seems to be most often used for deadlifts. If you really want to clean and jerk heavy weights, you have to find a different gym. read more

Quads Gym is amazing. I recently joined a month ago and I'm so glad that I did. I have an existing membership at XSport down the street but I don't plan on going back. Quads has a ton of equipment and a great old school vibe. It's a true bodybuilding gym and a refreshing change from a commercial gym. The owner, staff, and members are friendly and people are there to actually workout. If you are looking for a pool, sauna, spa, classes, yoga, or a backdrop for your IG posts this is not the gym for you. Please stay at Xsport, LAF and CAC. If on the other hand, you want a lifting gym with a ton of machines (even ones you never heard of) NOTHING beats this place. read more

I've been going here for over a year already. This is a no BS, and not a "bro gym". If you're looking for that go to LA Fitness or Planet. People here are here to grind not have social hour. The owner is great and knows every person by name. Love the equipment there too. Is it cheap per month? Not really. But it's well worth it given the facility and range of types of equipment they have read more

Visiting the city on business I was in desperate search for a non cookie cutter gym to train legs. So I made the hour long pilgrimage! Dope gym from both a user standpoint and a historical standpoint. Knowing the many legends and athletes that has trained here was pretty epic. The walls are decked out with Legendary bodybuilders pictures as well as other local competitors and athletes. It's truly was inspiring to look at during those rest periods. This gym has a very old school bodybuilding feel to it. Honestly it has every piece of equipment that will meet any fitness goal. What truly sets this gym apart for me was all the unique plate loaded hammer strength equipment you don't normally see at other gyms. Although the gym mostly caters to bodybuilding it does offer other programs such as jitsu, boxing, powerlifting, and various cardio equipment such as rope machines etc. The customer service was OUTSTANDING!When you first walk through it is overwhelming. They literally stuffed the world of exercise equipment in here. So it does have a junky feel to it. I felt like I was in a hoarders 3 floor basement. Being new, I found it quite difficult to figure where I should start. It was like going on a scavenger hunt. Forget about bringing your bag on the floor, there is NO room. Nonetheless, it was "organized" chaos. The men's locker room was very clean. One of the cleanest I've been to. The parking is a hassle since it's street parking. Overall I had an awesome leg workout. read more

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Best gym in Chicago, operated by some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Quads is also stacked with some of the best trainers in the city, not to mention all the amazing equipment they have! read more

This is a gym you go to for an amazing workout, with access to an insane selection of equipment, including machines you've likely never seen before. This gym is not a relaxing spa, it doesn't even have a steam room and the showers and bathroom are very very sparse. However, you can't beat the selection of equipment for any and all goals that you have for fitness. The owner, Dave, is a very cool and genuine guy who actually WANTS you to workout at and enjoy his gym, as opposed to any other gym that makes their money of off overloading memberships and trusting people will quit on their fitness goals. Memberships might seem pricey but not for what you get, and there are no hidden fees, contracts, or bullshit. I personallt hate signing up for a new gym, because the process is like buying a car from a sleazy car salesman. Skip that whole headache--the price for memberships here is the final price out of the door. The gym itself isn't aesthetically pretty. The equipment is crowded together and sort of clunky. It can feel like a giant attic filled with the neighborhood's leftover home gym equipment. But take the time to look at all the equipment and machines, and you'll find there are an infinite amount of possibilities and routines you can curate for yourself that you just can't get at any other gym. Do you want pretty wide open spaces with 700 treadmills or the best selection of gym equipment you'll ever have access to? I'll choose the latter. By the way, there are plenty of treadmills here. I moved away from this gym and choose a big box franchise gym because it was so much closer and 24 hours, but I miss this gym, and I'm considering buying a 10 visit pass so I can get a monster workout in from time to time. Overall, this is probably the best gym in Chicago and it's owned by good people who love fitness and are always looking to provide the best workout for their members. read more

This is easily the best gym I have ever been to. The amount of equipment is insane, endless, room after room of things I've never even seen. If you are trying to grind, this is the place to be. The owner is the most helpful, genuine guy I've met from a gym. Amazing place. read more

Cool gym overall for a downtown gym in Chicago. Love the feel. Customer service needs some work, but gym was a cool visit.

I will merely state the pros and cons and allow the reader to form their own opinion Pros: - They have every single piece of equipment you can think of (even things you didn't know existed). They have e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! - It's affordable. Cons: - They have too much of everything. It's a lot of a lot! Equipment is literally touching equipment. Visually, it just all blends in together. Be prepared for making loops around the the gym floor, upstairs and downstairs looking for equipment until you finally have to ask the front desk "where is xyz?". Or, having to wait to use/rack something because the person next to you is using something and there is no space for the two of you to move freely. - Because there is so much equipment, it's impossible for them to clean this gym and it shows. This gym needs a deep clean. Dust and lent everywhere and the entire gym smells like used underwear (pungent masculine funk). - Speaking of the front desk, these dudes aren't nice, especially over the phone. I only had one positive interaction with one of the guys on staff. The rest were curt and borderline confrontational. - Clientele: Due to the location, it's heavily populated with men who like men. Straight up! Females are few and far between. - No parking. Quads isn't the only gym in Chicago that doesn't offer parking but it's deal breaker for me. I don't understand these gyms in Chicago that refuse of offer free parking. read more

I've been coming to quads gym now for several years. It's a basic gym with really good equipment design for serious fitness gurus and bodybuilders. The staff is always friendly and I particularly like Dave the owner. If you come during the middle part of the day, you'll find it is less busy. At night and on weekends it can get someone difficult when it comes to equipment. Excellent choice of hammer strength or free weights. It's also a very clean gym read more

Quads Gym - Locker rooms - Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When I lived in Ravenswood, I was maybe a mile north from this place. I always loved the no BS feel fo the Gym. Simple contract terms, good old fashioned well used plates, the musty smell of hard work, this is a true lifter's gym. I've since moved, but I'll miss that gym. Maybe I'll drop by a time or two or old time squats sake :) read more

I trained at Quads for years and slowly became extremely disappointed as I got to know the gym, the trainers, and even the owner. The gym has a large amount of equipment which in many instances is piled on top of each other making the use of some of the equipment not possible. Several of the trainers (not all) are rude and disrespectful to clients training to the point of being verbally aggressive. I have personally shared this experience with the owner who completely disregarded my feedback. One of the trainers carries a gun inside the gym which I also made Dave aware of without anything every changing. The gym is the middle of Boystown, nonetheless the owner is an active and outspoken Republican with comments that border on racist. It is not about the gym but about voting with our wallets. Supporting this type of business is not what I want to do. read more