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Trying to find a new gym in Chicagoland can be a stressful and anxiety-ridden ordeal.
If you’re like most people, you’re motivated to find an outstanding place to work out because you want to improve your life and better yourself—not just physically, but also mentally and spiritually.
Finding the right gym will also facilitate a better sense of community, empower you to network with other positive people, and add value to your life in meaningful ways too numerous to count.
And yet—it’s also one of the scariest things to do.
You may be afraid of:
- Being seen as an outsider
- Being judged for not being the strongest, fittest, or best-looking person in the gym
- Not feeling ‘at home’ when you show up to work out
- Not feeling ‘welcomed’ in a place where you’re supposed to be improving your life, finding your center, and bettering your health and vitality
Well, we understand this struggle.
And honestly, it really all comes down to this:
The key is to find a gym that really legitimately just resonates with you.
So with this in mind, we decided to compile a list of the best Chicago Illinois gyms—to help you find the gym home that’ll truly make a difference in your life and empower you to unlock your fullest personal potential.
How Did We Choose The Top Gyms?
1. Reputation
Reputation is everything when it comes to choosing a gym. A gym’s reputation speaks much louder than the brand-name gear it provides or the price tag of the membership fee.
So, we looked closely at every gym’s reputation while assembling this list.
2. Popularity
The truth of the matter is that people tend to keep going back to the gym that makes them feel the most comfortable.
Hence, why we took a look at the popularity of each major gym in Chicago and used this as a curation factor.
3. Variety Of Workout Options
There are a myriad of different ways to work out. And the gyms that offer the widest variety of workout options are more likely to help you find your ‘golden spot’ when it comes to your own personal health and fitness journey.
Thus, we made sure to make this a key factor while compiling our list.
4. Inclusivity
Every gym should be an inclusive environment where people from many different backgrounds can come together, get along, care for one another, and foster a deeper sense of friendship and community.
And honestly, this may even be more important than the ‘fitness’ part of the equation.
Hence, why we made sure to use inclusivity as a ranking factor while compiling our best Chicago gym list.
5. Price
If you’re working within specific budget constraints, then it’s important to know what a gym membership will cost.
We took the liberty of assembling this information for you as well.
20 Best Top-Rated Chicago Gyms And Fitness Centers
1. Fit Results
Fit Results maintains 2 training facilities—one in South Loop (at 731 S Plymouth St), and one in Logan Square (at 3430 W Diversey Ave).
Now, seeing as how this is our gym, it’s safe to say that we might be just a little bit biased. But honestly—we really do believe that we have something special going on at Fit Results—and we’d love for you to be a part of it.
Our gyms offer a range of fitness classes, ranging from HIIT workouts, to high-intensity strength and endurance boot camp classes, to Olympic-style strength and conditioning programs, and more.
A membership at Fit Results gains you access to not only the gyms and their impressive collection of workout gear and classes, but also a tight-knit fitness community with expertly-trained fitness coaches available to help you get the results you want, using proven fitness techniques and strategies.
If you want to get fit while also finding a greater and more inclusive sense of community in a place where you’ll always feel welcomed and at home, then Fit Results is the number-one Chicago gym.
Price: Starts at $96 per month.
2. Equinox
Equinox Luxury Fitness maintains 4 different locations in Chicago:
- 900 North Michigan
- 2355 North Lincoln Avenue
- 1750 North Clark Street
- 200 West Monroe Street
Their clubs, which are attached to their high-end hotel locations, are full-fledged high-end fitness studios that boast a range of luxury amenities.
They offer access to a wide variety of different types of workout equipment, group fitness classes, personal training services, Pilates groups, spa facilities, and more.
Along with your Equinox membership, you also gain access to an app that provides live and on-demand fitness classes that you can access from anywhere on your own timeline. You can even use it to access programs for yoga, meditation, cycling, and running.
Price: Starts at $202 per month.
3. Chicago Athletic Clubs
Chicago Athletic Club maintains 7 locations in and around Chicago:
- 1723 Benson Ave in Evanston
- 1019 W. Diversey Pkwy
- 1380 W. Randolph
- 3212 N. Broadway
- 4662 N. Lincoln Avenue
- 1635 W. Division Street
- 2040 W. North Avenue
They offer a community-focused gym atmosphere and provide weekly group fitness classes in formats like dance, yoga, cycling, boxing, strength training, and aqua aerobics.
They also boast professional-style weight rooms, provide access to personal trainers, and operate fitness initiatives like a competitive swim team, a dedicated Pilates studio, a Triathlon training program, and all kinds of different small group classes.
Price: Starts at $84 per month.
4. Cheetah Gym
Cheetah Gym operates at 5248 N. Clark, and is known locally as Andersonville’s Community Gym.
They foster a high-quality, aesthetic, and clean gym experience that combines a loving and inclusive community with a wide range of different types of name-brand, high-end workout equipment.
They also offer more than 25 different group classes every week.
Some of the group fitness classes they offer cover disciplines like yoga, spin, HIIT, Barre, WERQ, Pilates, and more. They also offer personal training and give out free tour and guest passes to people who are interested in trying it out.
Price: Buy a 10 Workout Gym and Class Punch Card for $149: good for 10 total visits and/or classes in a 90-day period.
5. Mode Gym
Mode Gym is a 24-hour fitness club located at 1301 W. Madison Ave in Chicago. They’re oriented toward helping their members to cover all-around wellness and fitness routines, and empower patrons to begin their wellness journey with a 3D body fat testing and nutrition assessment.
Beyond this, they offer elite personal training programs, group classes, aerobic exercises, a huge range of professional workout equipment, and a state-of-the-art facility that truly turns heads due to its amazing atmosphere and vibe.
It’s truly a place of fitness excellence.
Price: Starts at $74.95 per month.
6. Quads Gym
Quads Gym is located at 3727 North Broadway in Chicago, Il. They offer a massive range of strength, cardio, and power-lifting equipment, an impressive 40,000-foot workout facility, and a stacked roster of professional coaches and trainers.
They also offer discounted memberships to students, seniors, police officers, firefighters, couples, and partners—and maintain a reputation for being a bodybuilder, powerlifter, and no-nonsense strength-building environment.
In other words—if you want to throw some heavy weight around with other people who like to throw heavy weight—this is a great place to try.
Price: $75.00 per month.
7. Lakeshore Sport And Fitness
Lakeshore Sport & Fitness maintains 2 locations in Chicago—one at Lincoln Park (1320 West Fullerton) and one at Illinois Center (211 North Stetson).
They provide a range of fun, functional, and adventurous fitness initiatives, facilities, and activities—including pickleball, tennis, aerobics groups, wall-climbing, squash, swimming, yoga, and even a rooftop/skyline bar where you can relax and unwind beside the pool after a tough workout.
It’s truly an epic fitness center.
Price: Starts at $174 per month.
8. Midtown Athletic Club
Midtown Athletic Club operates 8 different clubs around the country. But their Midtown Chicago club is located at 215 West 63rd Street in Willowbrook. And it’s truly awesome.
This luxury gym and club could best be described as more of a ‘resort’ than a gym, in the sense that they offer a truly wide array of world-class amenities. Tennis courts, boutique fitness studios, group fitness classes, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, whirlpools, yoga, HIIT, boxing, an attached club restaurant, and even spa/relaxation amenities can all be found and enjoyed through membership at Midtown.
They also offer childcare services, which is pretty cool.
Price: Starts at $259 per month.
9. East Bank Club
East Bank Club runs a beautiful, cutting-edge fitness facility at 500 North Kingsbury Street.
Their facility boasts more than 350,000 square feet of space, with equipment, amenities, and resources for a wide array of different activities, workouts, and program options.
You can engage in activities like swimming, weight training, Pilates, Gyrotonic exercises, healthy dining (via the on-site juice bar, grill, and food shop), yoga, group exercise classes, children’s programs, racquet sports, golf, cycling, basketball, volleyball, an on-site spa and salon, and a rooftop sundeck.
They also offer personal training programs, and even private events—held on a rooftop balcony overlooking the beautiful Chicago skyline.
Price: Starts at $235 per month.
10. Fitness Formula Clubs
Fitness Formula Clubs operates 10 different locations in Chicagoland—7 in the city, and 3 in the suburbs.
They operate at all of the following locations:
- 140 N. Addison Ave. in Elmhurst
- 3657 N. Pine Grove in Chicago
- 1030 N. Clark St. in Chicago
- 1114 Lake St. in Oak Park
- 939 W. North Ave. in Chicago
- 1235 N. LaSalle St. in Chicago
- 826 W. Touhy Ave. in Park Ridge
- 1151 S. State St. in Chicago
- 444 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago
- 10 S. Clinton St. in Chicago
They offer a range of nearly 40 different completely original group class formats, created specifically by their own personnel, to help you with basically every facet of fitness, wellness, and health.
They also offer one of the largest boutique workout studios in the city, and foster a unique close-knit community vibe with their small-group fitness clubs.
Price: Starts at $109 per month.
11. Lance’s Gym
Lance’s Gym is located inside the Bridgeport Arts Center, on the corner of 35th street and Racine.
They offer a fully stocked gym, as well as a range of resources, equipment, and guidance to help you train in the areas of cardio, free weights, weight machines, 3-lift equipment, powerlifting, and more.
They also offer one-on-one personal training sessions, which can be specifically tailored to suit your unique, personal fitness goals.
Price: Starts at $45 per month.
12. River North Gym
River North Gym operates a truly impressive 23,000-square-foot health club within the Merchandise Mart at 222 Merchandise Mart Plz, Ste 951.
They offer a huge assortment of fitness and workout equipment, as well as resources to facilitate training in strength, cardio, free weights, group fitness classes, individualized personal training, and more.
They also offer locker room access, a free towel service, complimentary wi-fi, and even laundry service.
Price: Starts at $99 per month.
13. Life Time River North
Life Time River North is a luxurious athletic country club designed with its clients’ well-being in mind.
Located at 15 W Chicago Avenue, this truly impressive 126,000 square foot gym and fitness center offers a rooftop resort-like pool deck (you can even join a beach club), an expansive workout floor with several dedicated fitness studios, workout and fitness gear for every type of fitness discipline, and amenities for yoga, cycling, Pilates, and a wide range of different sports activities (basketball and pickleball included).
Price: Starts at $259 per month.
14. Strong Hands Gym
Strong Hands Gym is sometimes also called Chicago’s first LGBTQ-friendly training facility.
Located in the Heart of Boystown at 3924 N. Broadway, Strong Hands offers a 3,500-square-foot inclusive gym space and a wide variety of different types of workouts and classes, including high-intensity training, boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, body sculpting, customized diet plans, personal training, and more.
If you’re looking for a gym that really rocks it on the exclusivity front, this may be a great option to check out.
Price: Starts at $59.99 per month.
15. Wicker Park Fitness
Wicker Park Fitness, also known as Wicker Park’s neighborhood gym, is a 24/7 locally owned gym located at 1735 West Division Street, Suite 100.
It’s been a staple fixture in Wicker Park for over a decade, and offers people in the area a fantastic gym to work out in without the higher price tag that’s sometimes associated with higher-end fitness centers.
They offer a wide assortment of workout gear, as well as personal training and small-group fitness classes.
Price: Starts at $49.95 per month.
16. Rumble Gold Coast
Rumble Gold Coast is the Chicago branch of the Rumble Boxing Gym Chain. Located at 11 E. Elm St. in Chicago, Il., this boxing gym offers a comprehensive boxing-themed workout that includes elements of boxing, HIIT, metabolic conditioning, and strength building.
The workouts are traditionally run in group sessions. 10 rounds, 45 minutes, with half the class spent exploring boxing skills, and the other half used for power-building resistance training.
The vibe is really cool at this gym as well. The sound system blasts tunes while you get an amazing workout that builds muscles and sculpts your body. It’s fun and it’s a fantastic workout.
Price: Starts at $195 for 8 classes/month.
17. MagMile CrossFit
MagMile CrossFit, located at 7 E. Illinois St. is a classic Chicago CrossFit gym that offers a range of different CrossFit-styled workout options within their specifically tailored facility.
They host a beginner CrossFit class, group classes, and personal training.
If you’re interested in getting into CrossFit, and want to do so in a facility where they understand how important it is to get started on the right foot (with safety in mind), then this is a great place to check out.
Price: Starts at $200 for an 8-visit punch card.
18. Pow Gym
Pow Gym, located at 310 S. Racine Ave, is basically a hybrid boxing gym that utilizes boxing training to help its members and classes to get in shape, develop better overall fitness, increase speed, enhance sports performance, and more.
They offer a range of different types of combat sports classes, including basic fitness and strength, adult boxing, Muay Thai, and Krav Maga. They also offer an assortment of youth programs, including youth boxing, youth Muay Thai, teen boxing, Parisi speed, and more.
Price: Starts at $125 per month.
19. Planet Fitness
There are more than 15 different Planet Fitness gyms located in and around the greater Chicago area. If you’ve ever been to Planet Fitness, then you know exactly what they have to offer. It’s a well-equipped gym with all of the basic workout gear, free weights, and machines required to get an amazing workout in, regardless of what style of fitness you’re into.
Some Planet Fitness locations also offer amenities like tanning beds and massage chairs. And you also have the option to sign up with a personal trainer for individualized training at each location.
It’s fast, affordable, and convenient. Plus, you can use your membership all over the country at Planet Fitness gyms anywhere.
Price: Starts at $10 per month.
20. Anytime Fitness
There are 6 different Anytime Fitness Gyms located in and around the greater Chicago area—meaning that membership at this chain will have you covered even if you’re not in your ‘usual stomping ground.’
Enjoy a well-stocked gym with 24/7 access, cardio equipment, treadmills, elliptical cross-trainers, squat racks, plate-loaded machines, dumbbells, small group training classes, virtual studio classes, personal training options, kettlebells, battle ropes, and more.
Price: Starts at $41 per month.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect gym in Chicago really all comes down to one thing.
Finding a gym that’s close enough to facilitate convenience, that also offers you the tools, equipment, and resources that you’ll need to achieve your goals—while also offering you an inclusive sense of community in the process.
All that’s left now is to pick one and give it a try.
Here at Fit Results, we have a mantra…
#allintogether
The gym should be a place where you’re supported in your workout goals through an amazing culture and community. And to us, this is really the most important thing.
We hope to see you soon!
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