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.

I'm on my fifth week of training and I feel confident to state that this pace is amazing!…read more I'm just shy of 50 and weigh from the pandemic crept up. I needed to do something but the thought of going to a regular gym that's always at capacity was unappealing. Transform is the answer. One-on-one training sessions with a trainer. No one else is in the studio during your scheduled time. My trainer (Gerri) is incredible. Her instructions are clear. She watches me like a hawk and corrects my movements. You have no idea how much I need this. If you're unable to do a specific exercise, she will find a different one that you're able to accomplish that work the same muscles. Sessions are tailored to you. I highly recommend this place!

I looked into several personal trainers in the neighborhood before settling on Transform. The…read morethings that stood out to me were: 1. The trainers I interacted with all had over a decade of experience 2. It is truly 1 on 1 personal training vs group training classes 3. The communication is excellent 4. It is reasonably priced I had been strength training on my own for half a year and my goal coming in was to learn the correct form for exercises, and ask questions about various joint / mobility pain I was having while working out. I had never worked with a personal trainer before, and was a bit intimidated, but Dave was really friendly on my initial call with him and not salesy at all. I was assigned to Eric-Todd and had a great experience. I learned how to do workouts that I was afraid to do on my own before, and was introduced to a wide variety of exercises, including using the cable machine, leg exercises using my own body weight, kettlebell, medicine ball, TRX, etc. Over the course of a month, we never repeated a single exercise! I was really impressed with how much were were able to get through in just 30 minutes, twice a week. Each session, I'd do warms up and cool downs on my own, and the 30 minutes were action packed with exercises. It was actually pretty nice not having to think about weights, being handed certain pieces of equipment, and being told exactly what to do. Overall, it's been an amazing first personal training experience. I would highly recommend them for anyone looking for a personal trainer in the neighborhood, especially beginners or those looking to learn a variety of exercises. Thanks Eric-Todd!

Best gym for busy adults in Chicago. Modern, clean, educated and caring trainers and super…read moresupportive environment for people at all ages and levels. Highly recommended!

I came to my first class today and enjoyed my experience. I had Madeline as my trainer and she was…read moreawesome. She was hands on and pushed me. I liked how they also write down your weights and keep track of it so you can monitor your progress as you go. As someone who came from orange theory, i appreciated the size of the class. Only being myself and someone else. It felt more personal and Madeline was able to give her undivided attention to us. Highly recommend this facility! Super clean, as well!

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.

I've been training with Kristen for almost 6 months and I absolutely adore her!!! She always has my…read moregoals in mind, is super responsive & always on time. She pushes me to work harder & that is exactly what I need!

Kristen is always on her A game - positive energy and a focused approach to training. Before I…read morestarted training with Kristen, my routine was kind of stagnant and I was struggling to make the progress that I was aiming for. After just a few short months she's got me feeling like the Incredible Hulk - I'm reaching goals and getting the muscle definition that I've been striving a few years to get. Highly recommended!

I really recommend Evolve and personal trainer Reshanna. The concept is unique in that everyone is…read moreworking out with their personal trainer and Reshanna is awesome! She's super knowledgeable and ready for whatever fitness goal I throw at her - running a race, challenging hikes, weight loss, personal best lifts - you name it, she gets me to my goal!

Excellent gym. Pricey but if it's in your budget I highly recommend doing sessions here. I work out…read morewith Kevin and he's amazing. Always adjusts for injuries and keeps things challenging. Don't have enough good things to say about this gym

Cameron is one of the top personal trainers at Quad's gym. The barriers to entry for personal…read moretraining aren't exactly like those for being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Many trainers obtain a minimal qualification and see a few clients after their day job. Cameron is among the minority who has a full time book of business. Although he's a serious body-builder himself, his clients range from muscle-heads to people who want to get in all-round shape, to those who want to lose a few pounds. Cameron is good at meeting each client where he or she is, and working toward that person's goals. Unlike many trainers, he's aware that not everyone wants to look exactly like him, or spend all their time working out. Currently, Cameron works mainly at Quad's gym. It's a good setting for his approach. The place is pretty much soup-to-nuts when it comes to equipment, and there's a no drama atmosphere that welcomes people of all shapes and sizes.

Cam really gives you exactly the encouragement and support you need to reach your goals! He not…read moreonly is a great motivator, he "practices what he preaches"! I was able to gain 20lbs of muscle over the past 2.5 years. He is not only a great trainer,he has become an amazing friend as well! You can't get better service and attention than JNC Fitness!

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.