River North Gym

This gym has the best location for brown line commuters. It’s in Merch Mart, so I hop off of the train, workout, shower, buy coffee or breakfast, and go off to work. It makes my morning workout routine easy (and often even enjoyable).
Showers are clean, lockers are large, and the mornings aren’t too crowded. The whole gym is actually really clean. The staff is always friendly, too. They offer personal training and fitness classes but I have not tried either. Class times really cater to the business crowd (they are early a.m., lunch break, and right after work).

I visited River North Gym through my ClassPass membership, and I’ve taken a bunch of cardio based classes here including Doonya (a Bollywood music, dance based workout), PIYO (a mixture of Pilates and Yoga), Zumba, and Turbokick (a fusion of dance and kickboxing).
The classes are offered at very convenient timings for anyone who works in the area, and you can be certain to find a class at a convenient timing. The classes themselves are a bit of a hit and miss, with some instructors being much more technical and engaging than others. Turbokick with Kendel and Zumba with Angel are two sessions that I would happily sign up for again, as both instructors are energetic, encouraging and really hands-​on.
RNG has great facilities, and the locker rooms are spacious enough to not get stuffy even when the after-​work crowd streams in. There are lockers, but you have to get your own lock unless you have a paid membership there. There are also free towels for use during your workout, and shower amenities as well.
I’m always a little sad when I max out my classes here!

This is a great gym for everyone who works in the area. Extremely convenient, very friendly staff, and great equipment. It’s great to be able to work out in the middle of the work day (and SHOWER!)
I personally worked with Chad upon signup, who showed me around and got me a great deal. I ended up also signing up for a few personal training sessions because Chad sold them so well, and the trainer he paired me with (Mike) was awesome.
Highly recommend!

This is a decent gym for those working in Merchandise Mart. However, it’s pretty busy during lunchtime, and as a consequence the already-​small locker room is often very crowded.

I left this gym because I no longer work downtown and I miss it every time I go to my new gym. The staff here is knowledgeable and friendly. The owner, Bernie, is a constant presence and obviously cares about maintaining a great gym. While I was there, they were constantly upgrading and bringing in new equipment. The equipment is great and they pack a lot of it into a small space, but do so in a way that works. The gym I go to now probably has 2 or 3 times the square footage of RNG, but it feels like the new place has less equipment. The only real drawback is that the locker rooms are small and it caters to the work crowd, so if you’re going in the morning before work or right after, space can be tight. Another plus is that they have very reasonable training packages. I never really took classes, so can’t speak to those, but as a place to do strength training and cardio that is convenient in the north loop, this place is wonderful.

Very nice, clean gym with nice people. Convenient if you work or live in the River North area. They offer personal training in half hour, 45 minute and hour increments which makes it very easy to do over lunchtime. The staff is very accommodating and the locker rooms are spotless. Although the gym is small, it has a very good assortment of machines and equipment. I am always able to find what I need for my workout. They also have classes at lunchtime that are fun and a decent workout.

A bargain for the price. Nice, clean facilities and good classes offered at convenient times.

Best lunch hour classes… Zumba on Tuesday at 1:00p with Symphony and Cycle on Thursday at 12:15p with Kelsey. Motivating!

Active Member for a little over the last year. My biggest regret was not joining earlier! The gym is very convenient if you work inside the Merchandise Mart. Tenant rate is around $ 49 a month, so not super expensive! Facility itself is a little small, equipment is tucked in tight, but if you are coming in on non peak hours your fine! Staff is friendly, no pressure to buy all the extras, there is no one chasing you around to sell you personal training sessions (hello, xsport). I enjoyed a lot of the group fitness classes that are free as a member such as yoga, body sculpt, boot-​camp. My office is moving out of the building otherwise I would stay here!

***powerlifter friendly gym*** this gym is awesome for anyone! I am working in Chicago for a week and needed a place to lift. The people were very friendly and helpful! They have lots of equipment for all types of exercisers. And they had lots of specialty equipment for heavy lifting, sleds, special bars and chains. Nice and clean, towels. Nice locker room. Reasonable drop in fee. Will definitely come back next trip!

I am mixed about this review. Nice gym, clean and equipment is in good condition. The owner and front desk staff is beyond helpful and friendly. I work in the building so its convenient for me to get to. One of my main reasons for joining was the classes. Unfortunatley I took the cardio kickboxing class and if I was still within my 30 trial period I probably would have cancelled my membership. The actual class was average, with a lot of jazzercize moves and not as much boxing/​kickboxing moves as I was used to. The instructor Mike was rude and unprofessional. He repeatedly came up to me, poked me in the stomach and said «no more pizza for you» and «only fish and vegetables for you from now on.» He also kept telling me that he could whip me into shape if I would take his class on a regular basis.
I explained to him that I was taking the class until my winter training started to which he asked what I did. When I told him that I am a competitive rower his response was «I would have thought you would would have better arms»
I would take the class again if there was a different instructor and I would have given a higher rating if it wasnt for this bad experience.

Gym is nice, equipment new and facilities top notch and good location within the Mart.
Downside is there is no proper bench equipment. I made use with the squat rack but every gym-​goer knows the squat rack is not for the bench press.
Staff was always friendly, never dealt with the trainers or the HIIT wall though.
Downside was the cancellation fee. I didn’t read the fine print before I signed my name and the associate at the desk withheld telling me of the $ 150 cancellation fee within one year of joining. My fault for not doing my due diligence, but for a gym that prides itself on being different than the «regular» gym, they totally came out just the same. The employees should be upfront and honest when signing up. It seemed too good to be true when the associate didn’t sell me on anything.

The gym was convenient for me when I worked near the Mart, now that I had to switch jobs it is quite a haul for me to get to and takes over an hour. Motivation is starting to slip even worse because my new building where I work has a gym and is much nicer. I did sign the contract and alas must stay for the year, the policy does not allow cancellation unless you were fired from an existing job and not on your own will. They recently went through a big staff change and that makes me worried, even one of the good personal trainers left.
Pros: Nice and big locker rooms, friendly people, equipment always works, $ 50/​mo.
Cons: Staff changes frequently, class selection is poor and some classes taught by an older gentlemen who is not very nice at all, gym rats who take up half the equipment for hours.

Very small gym. It can be a little frustrating working so close to so many people. Equipment is usually taken.
Very convenient location for people working in or near the Merchandise Mart.
Price isn’t too bad at $ 50/​month. They offer very nice locker rooms.
Very, very unfriendly staff of young girls. Not at all pleasant or helpful.

I have loved being a Member of this gym. As a person who has generally avoided gyms because I felt uncomfortable (though I’m not terribly obese or out of shape), from day one, everyone here was so friendly and helpful. I made friends with the staff on the very first day, and loved that every time I came into the gym I was greeted by name.
In addition, I personally have to give a shout out to their personal trainers. Kelly Nolan went absolutely above and beyond to help me with all my fitness questions, though at the time I wasn’t specifically her client. When I joined her running club, she helped make a runner out of someone who had never run more than three miles in her entire life. I can’t emphasize enough how wonderfully knowledgeable and supportive she is.
The programs offered by RNG are really great too. There are always membership specials happening, and the staff loves to get involved in new promotions. They get you excited!
The facilities are constantly clean and well organized. They make it very easy to get in a great workout, and have even improved significantly since I was a Member.
I am sad to say that because of a move, I had to cancel my Membership. However, it was the least punitive process I have ever experienced when leaving a gym. Normally you’re slapped with a huge fee and it’s tough to cancel. I’ve experienced being charged for months of extra membership when I had tried to cancel previously at other gyms. None of that here. Because I was a Member for over a year, it was so easy.
I really respect the staff at RNG, and everything they do to promote fitness. It’s not a place full of gym rats (though I suppose there are one or two there) — it’s a place that promotes living a healthy, active, and FUN life! Thank you RNG!

Staff are awesome. clean facility with updated equipment .
Professional .
Normally I feel timid entering a gym high volume of people .
From day one I tried it out and loved it .
Felt comfortable nobody judging me .
people seem to mind their business strictly focusing on their fitness .
recommend RNG to anyone living in River north.

#1 thing about this gym? Its management & staff. Best people in the industry I have ever met. Knowledgable about ever aspect from fitness to diet no matter what your goals are. Have been using Grant W. as my personal trainer for 1 year now. In the first 4mo training with him (Nov 2012 — Feb 2013):
Bench Press increased 48%: 175lbs to 260lbs
Dead Lift increased 49%: 275lbs to 410lbs
Leg Squat increased 62%: 225lbs to 365lbs
Body Fat decreased from 19% to 15%.
Additional thanks to owner Bernie L. for putting together a great facility with a top notch staff. RNG is the standard for how to run a gym.

I am visiting on business and had a great workout at RNG. $ 15 guest pass ($ 50/​week) got me into the club after work, and it was not crowded at all. No wait for the squat rack, which was my primary objective. The gym had a power cage with platform for deadlifts and olympic lifting, squat rack, lots of dumbells, machines, cardio, nice stretching area, and a great selection of unexpected items like a safety squat bar and fat bars. One thing the gym was missing was bench press of all varieties. There was a nice heavy rolling bench you could roll up to the power rack, but it seemed weird that in a gym that was so well equipped, there were no benches.
Anyway, the staff was great, the equipment — lack of bench press aside — was outstanding; the place the very clean, not too busy at 6PM, and the members were pretty friendly. Definitely worth visiting if you’re traveling. At $ 79, it’s a little pricey a value proposition for me.

MEH.
I tried out The River North Gym through a Belly deal. I got a free week here, and I’m in the market for a regular exercise joint, so off I went.
This place is in the Merchandise Mart, way up high. The people at the front desk were very nice and gave me a tour. River North Gym has nice locker rooms, decent class selections and the machines appeared to be maintained well.
I wasn’t thrilled when I went in and every GD elliptical was taken, though. That’s a big thing for me — when I actually make the effort to go to a gym, I don’t want to wait my turn to use a machine. I want to use it NOW.
There was something else off putting about this place. Maybe it was the paint color. It looked like a giant closet or something. If this was more convenient for me to go to/​it wasn’t so crowded/​the month to month rates weren’t so high I would consider it, but I am going to pass for now.

Solid 4 stars. I just joined in November, and below are my list of pros and cons:
Pros:
Price — very cheap based on the location and amount of equipment
Staff — everyone is friendly and knowledgeable
Location — can’t get better than inside the Merchandise Mart
Availability of machines — Much to my surprise, this is where this gym really shines. One would assume that due to the location and size of the gym that it would be crowded everyday after 4:30 PM. But I have not found that to be the case. Very happy
Cons:
The gym isn’t terribly big. And while I haven’t had a problem using a machine of my choosing, it can feel a tad cramped in the locker rooms depending on when you go to workout.
I think just about anyone can get their free 3-​day trial membership. So if you’re looking for a gym and you’re close to the Mart, give them a look.