Born and raised in the city of big shoulders. With roots leading back to a humble, midwestern farm. Before the 6 rings. Before the shuffle. Before baseball reigned. Before Northerly Island. Before the Museum Campus. Before Millennium Park. Birthed from grit, determination and sheer will. But with a smile. And a laugh. With an unrelenting passion for success.

The year was 1991. 7 years after starting a fledgling fitness management business. A dream of helping Chicago reach its fitness and wellness goals was born. Opening a fitness club in the Gold Coast became the mission. Then delays and hurdles. Building ownership changed hands. Then sorrow. Both parents pass away. Then despair. What next? Keep going. Bet the family farm. Building deal goes through. The club opens. Finally, success!

Now, with 11 Chicagoland locations, things have changed. But remain the same.

Chicago is in our veins. Especially the winter. You wear surviving winter in Chicago like a badge of honor. The cold, the ice, the shoveling, the wind. Carrying groceries, trudging over unshoveled sidewalks. Walking delicately, knees bent, conscious of your center of gravity, so you don’t slip. And you slip anyway.

Nobody beats the cold. It equalizes us. We all work to push through it. To make our way. With grit, determination and sheer will. But with a smile. And a laugh. With an unrelenting passion to survive.

Over 1000 staff members are now a part of our team. We raise our families here. We struggle with the balance of life, fitness and wellness. We don’t just work at the club, we ARE the club. With the same grit, determination and sheer will. And the same smile. And the laugh. And the unrelenting passion for results.