LIFT LESSONS

Mastering The Hip Hinge
April 24, 2020

Mastering The Hip Hinge

Hip Hinge - What is it and Why should we care? We perform the hip hinge hundreds, maybe even thousands of times per day. We would be here until Christmas if we named all of the times we get in and out of the hip hinge. Any time you bend over, stand up, sit down, or simply move through space you are hip hinging. What is interesting is we tend to lose touch with this movement over the years. Why?...

Building a Great Home Gym
April 22, 2020

Building a Great Home Gym

Having a home gym set-up can be a life saver during these tough times. Bodyweight exercises and cardio can get old really fast, making training not as enjoyable. Depending on your budget and space available you can grab just a few essentials or you can build the holy grail of home gyms. Extra home fitness equipment is going to give you more versatility, better exercise options, and allow you to load exercises more precisely than you could with just body...

Immediately Improve your Squat with this Modification
April 15, 2020

Immediately Improve your Squat with this Modification

(Read and Video Time - 5 mins) By: Jared Blincow At LIFT we pride ourselves on not forcing clients into movement patterns that they aren’t ready for. There’s nothing in the gym that we absolutely have to do, and it makes little sense to try and shove a square peg into a round hole. One of the most common modifications you’ll see in our weight room is elevating the heels for squat/lunge patterns. We will get a little bit more...

March 25, 2020

How Detraining Affects Your Strength and Muscle Mass

With the COVID19 pandemic hitting the country and forcing us inside, it’s easy to get frustrated and come up with a number of excuses as to why our training should take a backseat. Although training at home may not be the most ideal solution, something is always better than nothing. If you think your “gains” you’ve been working so hard to develop over the last few months/years has been for nothing, I’ve got some good news for you… Previous studies...

Building a Bigger & Better Deadlift
December 27, 2019

Building a Bigger & Better Deadlift

By: Jared BlincowWith December comes DEADcember and another opportunity to build and develop one of the big three lifts! The deadlift is one of the most important lifts in our training arsenal and comes with a handful of benefits. The posterior chain of the body often gets neglected by gym goers even though our largely sedentary lifestyles means we need to train and strengthen this part of the body more than ever. The posterior chain is a group of muscles...

How Training to Failure is Ruining Your Gains
November 13, 2019

How Training to Failure is Ruining Your Gains

By: Jared Blincow CSCS, FRC, Coach at LIFT ChicagoHow many times have you heard that if you’re leaving reps on the table and not training to failure then you’re missing out on some serious gains? What if I told you there was an alternative approach that was just as effective, allowed for greater recovery, higher quality reps, and still yielded the same results? I’m not saying there isn’t a time and place where training to failure fits into a well-designed...

5 of 1,000 Reasons Why Women Should Strength Train
October 30, 2019

5 of 1,000 Reasons Why Women Should Strength Train

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1365.0"] Schedule your last “first session'“ : Get Started [/caption] If you’re not, you’re missing out.  For some reason this topic still get resistance from the media even when there is tons of favorable evidence. It is ridiculous to think women shouldn’t strength train, but men should. Let’s hash this out right now…Burn more calories: Strength training builds more muscle mass. Having more muscle mass has been proven to increase overall daily caloric burn.Get “toned”: The term...

Five Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing
October 21, 2019

Five Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing

1.     Dead Bug + Banded Hip FlexionThis is a great bang for your buck exercise. The dead bug exercise teaches pelvic control and trains the abdominals to resist extension and protect the lower back. The banded hip flexion challenges the core even further and provides the added benefit of strengthening the hip flexors at the same time. Focus on keeping your lower back in contact with the ground (push your belly button into the ground), and hold each...

October 8, 2019

6 Back Stretches/Exercises You Need To Be Doing.

By: Jared Blincow, CSCS, Strength Coach LIFT Chicago The average person spends eight hours of their day sitting at a desk only to get home and sit on the couch watching tv, surfing the internet, or scrolling through their phone. This daily pattern can wreak havoc on your posture and is a popular culprit for a number of different injuries and might be the source of your chronic pain. The “rounded shoulders” (shown on the left) look is caused by...

April 8, 2019

REAL STRENGTH SERIES: LET’S RETHINK YOUR CORE TRAINING

Core training may be, simultaneously, one of the most overused and most commonly misunderstood concepts in the fitness world. Whether we are at the gym, taking a yoga class, or simply scrolling through social media, we see countless fitness influencers performing incredibly complex movements and slapping them with labels such as “functional” and “core” training. Some of the most common examples include people throwing themselves to the floor and jumping back up, swinging their legs to pull up over a...

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What People Are Saying About Lift Chicago

  • The whole staff there is great. You cannot go wrong training with any of them. Plus, it is super clean. I feel complete safe going there with COVID-19.

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    Started working out here a couple years ago. Love the instructors and the variety of classes offered.

    Anthony Samson Avatar Anthony Samson

    WOW!!! I cannot say enough great things about Lift Chicago! Truly a fantastic experience. First off, with all things COVID, I felt very safe and comfortable using the equipment. Every... read more

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  • The best gym in Chicago area. Highly recommended. The sessions are super efficient and you are always working out under supervision of best coaches in town. It is super clean... read more

    Daniel Seyyedi Avatar Daniel Seyyedi

    I’ve been training at Lift since it opened, and with Pete prior to. Everyone here is always extremely professional and so very nice. They may not know it, but they... read more

    Jenny Gariepy Avatar Jenny Gariepy

    I highly recommend Lift Chicago. I have been training here for a little under a year and love it! All of the trainers are extremely knowledgeable, motivating and welcoming. Every... read more

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  • Abby is great! I’ve been training with her for almost 2 years and it’s been great! The set time forces me to workout. Lift is a great option for beginners... read more

    Alison Carrizales Avatar Alison Carrizales

    I’ve been training at LIFT for 1.5 years. Each and every one of the trainers are knowledgeable, friendly, professional, and extremely efficient. It’s surprising how great of a workout you... read more

    Kendra Chavin Avatar Kendra Chavin

    The women's LIFT class has been a highlight of my week for a few years now. Sarah is a fantastic trainer who puts together great workouts and provides helpful feedback.... read more

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  • I have been lifting here with Sam for a couple of months, and couldn’t say anything better about Lift! The gym is clean, equipment well maintained, and the staff is... read more

    Erik Swanson Avatar Erik Swanson

    I have been coming to LIFT since the day they opened and have been training with Josh for years now. Nothing compares to the workouts and knowledge you’ll get from... read more

    Michelle Buckmaster Avatar Michelle Buckmaster

    This best place to work out in Chicago. Intelligent trainers with a great atmosphere. You can tell they love what they do and are passionate about creating the best gym/workout... read more

    Danielle Spellman Avatar Danielle Spellman
  • It’s always been difficult to get into a steady routine and stay motivated, until I started training at LIFT seven months ago with Coach Isaac. Not only do I... read more

    Gabriel Garcia Avatar Gabriel Garcia

    When businesses understand what matters, it makes a world of a difference and Lift Chicago understood that it’s not just about providing a place to workout, it’s about creating a... read more

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    I’ve been training at Lift for almost 2 years and have gained so much confidence in my lifting and strength. Every trainer is approachable and knowledgeable, making for a very... read more

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  • I started training at LIFT over a year ago in prep for my wedding. I have never looked or felt better! I have worked with almost every coach, and they’re... read more

    Cara Avatar Cara

    Amazing Gym! All the instructors are incredible! I'm hooked! Never a dull moment! Every single second is used! Scheduling Training! One of the easiest and most transparent... read more

    Erik Fogel Avatar Erik Fogel

    Can't say enough good things about Lift! I started training with Abby after losing a substantial amount of weight and muscle tone and I can't thank her enough for her... read more

    Katie McCarthy Avatar Katie McCarthy
  • Lift is THE place to go to perfect your training, perfect your form, and have an incredible time while doing it. Josh and the other coaches are the smartest and... read more

    Jake Morrissy Avatar Jake Morrissy

    Hands down the best gym and the best trainers in the city. The entire experience from start to finish is outstanding. The staff is friendly, the equipment is... read more

    Kyle Portnoy Avatar Kyle Portnoy

    Love everyone here and they all get to know you even if you aren't their client. I train with Abby twice a week and it's always a great experience. She... read more

    Christina Carrdellio Avatar Christina Carrdellio
  • Great experience. Had my 1:1 with Chad & Mike years ago pre-Covid. They tailored it to my needs. Give them a try, you’ll not regret it. ... read more

    E M Avatar E M

    I recently found Lift on Yelp like a month ago and I’m absolutely loving it. I workout with Sam, Isaac and Kyle and they’re amazing. I’m looking forward to continuing... read more

    Mandy Jo Walker Avatar Mandy Jo Walker

    Great workout for busy professionals. Simply the best !

    Chris Santiago Avatar Chris Santiago