We're current and former Chicago Athletic Clubs members who think we deserve better.
Share Your ExperienceChicago Athletic Clubs has been part of the fabric of Chicago neighborhoods for decades. For a lot of us, CAC is the only full-service gym option within a reasonable distance — and that's exactly why it matters when things aren't right. We're paying almost $100 a month because we believe in what these gyms could be. We're here because they should live up to that.
Advertised amenities that don't exist. Overcrowded facilities during every reasonable hour. Cleanliness issues that go unaddressed for months. Aging equipment marketed as "state of the art." These aren't isolated complaints — they show up in review after review, year after year, across multiple locations, and nothing changes.
Illinois law gives gym members real consumer protections. The Physical Fitness Services Act requires gyms to be honest about what they offer, clearly disclose the full cost of membership, and prohibits misleading advertising. When a gym falls short of those standards, members have the right to take action.
We're collecting member feedback to share with Chicago Athletic Clubs management and the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. If you've experienced any of these issues, your voice matters. It takes less than two minutes.
Treadmills, benches, and weight machines are routinely fully occupied during before-work, after-work, and weekend hours — the only times most working members can realistically use the gym. Lines form for basic equipment. Members report workouts taking twice as long or being impossible altogether. Illinois law specifically prohibits misrepresentation of "the present or maximum number of customers who may contract to use the facilities of the center."
CAC's About page promises "the finest workout machines" and "state of the art equipment." Walk into the gym and you'll find machines with worn upholstery, equipment out of service for weeks, treadmills that skip and have no tension, and hardware that hasn't been updated in years. There's a real gap between what CAC advertises and what members actually experience.
At almost $100 a month, members have a reasonable expectation that locker rooms, showers, wet areas, and common spaces are consistently clean and well-maintained. Instead: stained towels, mold on pool walls, drain fly larvae in showers, locker rooms that go uncleaned during the day, and sauna doors that haven't been wiped in months. This isn't a one-off bad day — it's a recurring theme across reviews going back years.
CAC advertises amenities that simply aren't available. The most glaring example: LVAC's rock climbing wall. CAC's website, Yelp listing, and Google Maps all advertise it — complete with a separate Google listing marked "Open." The wall has been closed for years with no plans to reopen. Staff confirm it isn't coming back. Members are signing contracts based on amenities that don't exist. Under Illinois law, a membership entered into based on misleading advertising is void and unenforceable.
"It's over capacity … always…. Including the bugs in the locker room…."
"No a/c in the summer, smelly in the winter. Always so busy. The need a capacity limit or set a line for treadmills. So many fights have broken out over these damn treadmills"
"Chronically overcrowded and management doesn't care... AC system is broke. Lines for every machine. Do not get a membership here!"
"Going on 10 years being a CAC member and the over crowding at this gym is unbearable. If you can manage, consider signing up for another gym. Especially if you don't like crowds /waiting."
"This gym hasn't be usable for a good few weeks. Entirely oversold, rendering it absolutely useless between 7-10am and 3pm-9pm. You literally cannot workout. Lines for machines everywhere"
"Do not join! This gym is completely oversubscribed and has sanintary issues. Worms in the showers - no joke. They just don't have enough hours or equipment for the number of people they have signed up. LVAC could be a good gym again if they got better management, took care of the facility better, and expanded the hours. But they seem to have settled on a business model of being more of a budget gym. It's a shame."
"I don't understand this gym. They charge about $90 a month but it isn't like their equipment is abundant or new. They don't have a ton of staff. They seemingly refuse to turn the AC on anywhere but the front desk, and their hours are infuriatingly limited. The high price with so many cons makes it a gym I'd not recommend"
"The gym is always packed and you always have to wait to use equipments. They only care about your money and not of your as a customer"
"I came here expecting the same bare minimum experience [as Lincoln Square]. Somehow, this location undelivered my low expectations. LVAC really just finds a way to grossly disappoint. First off, fix the air conditioning. Second off, it's ridiculously crowded unless you go in the middle of the day. Third, the place needs to be maintained better."
"Money hungry gym. Not worth the price for having to wait to use machines and it closes so early."
"Avoid at all cost. Dirty water filters/fountains. Crusty and stained towels 24/7. Smelliest bathrooms this side of the Mississippi. Over crowded. Awful hours. False advertising as far as the eye can see."
"Basic unwillingness to address longstanding major issues. The temperature in the weight room as reported by their own thermostat is 83.9. This is after years of members mentioning the air conditioning issues."
"Air Conditioning Never Works – Years of the Same Excuses. The facility is poorly maintained across the board. Equipment is rarely updated, and the large space the gym has is not used effectively. The rock wall has been closed for over three years. Despite all of these issues, the gym has never once asked members for feedback or conducted a survey."
"200 people fighting for 40 pieces of equipment."
"Men's locker room smells like mold. When the AC goes out in the weight room, no one cares even if the temperature hits 80 and can take a week to do anything. You'll never find a staff member picking up anything. There is no way to contact management."
"Costs a premium and the general staff are nice but management seems to be a mess. Endless lies about a rock climbing wall that hasn't been open since Covid. Days with no towels with no notice, so equipment is gross and uncleaned."
"They rely on being the only 'decent' gym option in the close area. Towels are always stained. Equipment is in need of repair (pulley off the wheels, rust, etc. or replacement. Desperately need more equipment."
"I tried this gym after XSport closed in the area, mainly for its location. Given that it costs nearly three times more, I expected a premium experience. The staff is consistently unfriendly, treating members like an inconvenience. It's overpriced, poorly managed, and simply not worth it. Save your money"
"I've been a member at this club for years. Recently they have assumed most of the members from the gym next door that closed. This has left members with no available machines. You can't get a decent workout in anymore due to volume. They let corporate greed get in the way of providing quality service."
"The amenities are not good for the price of a membership here. This is a low/mid-tier gym. Unfriendly policies and staff processes that unnecessarily complicate simple tasks like signing up and canceling a membership. Overall, the gym lacks organization."
"I like this gym overall, but the treadmills are a major problem. Multiple machines are broken or unbalanced, and it doesn't seem like they're being maintained."
"It's over capacity … always…. Including the bugs in the locker room…."
"No a/c in the summer, smelly in the winter. Always so busy. The need a capacity limit or set a line for treadmills. So many fights have broken out over these damn treadmills"
"Chronically overcrowded and management doesn't care... AC system is broke. Lines for every machine. Do not get a membership here!"
"Going on 10 years being a CAC member and the over crowding at this gym is unbearable. If you can manage, consider signing up for another gym. Especially if you don't like crowds /waiting."
"This gym hasn't be usable for a good few weeks. Entirely oversold, rendering it absolutely useless between 7-10am and 3pm-9pm. You literally cannot workout. Lines for machines everywhere"
"Do not join! This gym is completely oversubscribed and has sanintary issues. Worms in the showers - no joke. They just don't have enough hours or equipment for the number of people they have signed up. LVAC could be a good gym again if they got better management, took care of the facility better, and expanded the hours. But they seem to have settled on a business model of being more of a budget gym. It's a shame."
"I don't understand this gym. They charge about $90 a month but it isn't like their equipment is abundant or new. They don't have a ton of staff. They seemingly refuse to turn the AC on anywhere but the front desk, and their hours are infuriatingly limited. The high price with so many cons makes it a gym I'd not recommend"
"The gym is always packed and you always have to wait to use equipments. They only care about your money and not of your as a customer"
"I came here expecting the same bare minimum experience [as Lincoln Square]. Somehow, this location undelivered my low expectations. LVAC really just finds a way to grossly disappoint. First off, fix the air conditioning. Second off, it's ridiculously crowded unless you go in the middle of the day. Third, the place needs to be maintained better."
"Money hungry gym. Not worth the price for having to wait to use machines and it closes so early."
"Avoid at all cost. Dirty water filters/fountains. Crusty and stained towels 24/7. Smelliest bathrooms this side of the Mississippi. Over crowded. Awful hours. False advertising as far as the eye can see."
"Basic unwillingness to address longstanding major issues. The temperature in the weight room as reported by their own thermostat is 83.9. This is after years of members mentioning the air conditioning issues."
"Air Conditioning Never Works – Years of the Same Excuses. The facility is poorly maintained across the board. Equipment is rarely updated, and the large space the gym has is not used effectively. The rock wall has been closed for over three years. Despite all of these issues, the gym has never once asked members for feedback or conducted a survey."
"200 people fighting for 40 pieces of equipment."
"Men's locker room smells like mold. When the AC goes out in the weight room, no one cares even if the temperature hits 80 and can take a week to do anything. You'll never find a staff member picking up anything. There is no way to contact management."
"Costs a premium and the general staff are nice but management seems to be a mess. Endless lies about a rock climbing wall that hasn't been open since Covid. Days with no towels with no notice, so equipment is gross and uncleaned."
"They rely on being the only 'decent' gym option in the close area. Towels are always stained. Equipment is in need of repair (pulley off the wheels, rust, etc. or replacement. Desperately need more equipment."
"I tried this gym after XSport closed in the area, mainly for its location. Given that it costs nearly three times more, I expected a premium experience. The staff is consistently unfriendly, treating members like an inconvenience. It's overpriced, poorly managed, and simply not worth it. Save your money"
"I've been a member at this club for years. Recently they have assumed most of the members from the gym next door that closed. This has left members with no available machines. You can't get a decent workout in anymore due to volume. They let corporate greed get in the way of providing quality service."
"The amenities are not good for the price of a membership here. This is a low/mid-tier gym. Unfriendly policies and staff processes that unnecessarily complicate simple tasks like signing up and canceling a membership. Overall, the gym lacks organization."
"I like this gym overall, but the treadmills are a major problem. Multiple machines are broken or unbalanced, and it doesn't seem like they're being maintained."
The Illinois Physical Fitness Services Act (815 ILCS 645) sets rules that every gym in the state must follow — and gives you real options if they don't.
Misleading advertising about services, equipment, or amenities is prohibited. If you signed up based on promises that turned out to be false — say, a climbing wall that doesn't exist — your contract may be void under Illinois law.
The law requires your membership agreement to clearly state your total payment obligation. Not just a monthly amount. Not shorthand like "9@ $84." The full number, so you know what you're committing to before you sign.
Even if there's fine print in your contract that says otherwise, any waiver of your rights under this law is void and unenforceable. The gym cannot contract around your statutory protections.
File a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. You can also bring a private lawsuit and may recover up to three times your actual damages, plus attorney's fees.
Takes less than two minutes. Your feedback will be shared with CAC management and consumer protection agencies.