LEAP Chicago

I joined LEAP a little over a year ago, five months after giving birth to my first child. I am now in the best shape of my adult life.As someone who has always worked out consistently but casually, LEAP has pushed me to the next level. I'm going to the gym the same amount of times a week but I'm getting a lot more out of it because I use that time more effectively. Small class sizes encourage you to push for heavier weight because you have a coach right there to help. The camaraderie and community keep you coming consistently.It costs more than my old CAC membership, but I am getting so much more out of it. I highly encourage anyone who is looking to get into better shape to try it out.

Awesome coaches, supportive community, and fun classes. You'll be challenged and supported. Been going for 3 months and it's been a blast. Highly recommend.

As a personal trainer who actually holds a degree in Kinesiology (unlike most trainers at LEAP, although Madeline and Casey are knowledgeable), I can tell you that Matt does not know how to personal train and has quite a bit to learn. In my opinion as a fitness professional, the training protocols are terrible. Very gimmicky classes/programs. Wildly overpriced. Lots of members getting injured from improper training, which you are not allowed to deviate from as a trainer, driving me to quit. Matt is also extremely unprofessional about these things, check below for confirmation. He deleted his response to me but I screenshot it.Also after this post, he looks like he had his few members and wife Kim (who has never paid a dime here) come and give bogus reviews, definitely don’t believe them. Check a few months into the past and you’ll notice that most of the the reviews are for when this place was called Unrivaled with another owner involved.

This place is a complete joke. The owner is a pathological liar and teaches improper technique to his clients. Matt let’s his clients workout without shoes and in socks only, which is dangerous as a person could slip and doesn’t provide the support some people need, let alone is gross. In addition, he lets his clients lift weights that are clearly too heavy for them, with form that could put them at an increased risk for injury (he posts the videos of clients on LEAP’s instastories if you don’t believe me). In fact, some clients have injured themselves as a result, including Matt. I wouldn’t waist my time here for how much they charge when you could find a gym with an owner who actually knows what they’re doing. The exception being Casey and Madeline and if you insist on going to this gym, I’d suggest you take their classes over Matt’s.Edit: after posting this review, Matt took to Leap’s Instagram to beg his followers/clients to write positive reviews to belittle what I have I said (even had his wife leave a review lol). And no, I am NOT a former employee. I have attended a few classes and witnessed things myself. While Leap does provide a sense of community and have a variety of equipment, Matt is unprofessional and I will reiterate, he has clients do poor variations of exercises, at weights that are too heavy, which is ignorant on his part. And last but not least, I will stress that Matt creates a toxic environment behind the scenes that you, as a client, aren’t aware of because he knows how to hide it from you all. I wouldn’t be wasting my time reviewing this place if I didn’t feel that people should be aware.

I have been a member of LEAP for a little over 2 months and came here to write a review. I was surprised to find this most recent negative review, written by what seems to be a disgruntled employee. Now, I feel not only compelled to write about my experience here at LEAP, but to also write in response to the aforementioned negative “review”.I am 48 years old and a practicing clinical psychologist, who consistently weaves health, wellness, and fitness into the treatment plans of my patients. AND, I practice what I preach. I have been intensely focused on my own fitness and nutrition for the past 14 years including: 1:1 personal training, small group training, strength and conditioning, hypertrophy training, HIIT, running, and even “training” my friends in-person and via zoom workout videos. I’ve been a member of many different gyms and training studios over the years, each with its own culture, style, and “feel”. I share all of this to say that I’ve been intimately involved in the fitness world in various capacities for many years and am therefore a good judge on whether a trainer is instructing from a foundational place of knowledge, experience, and safety.I can easily say, without hesitation, that Matt, my 1:1 personal trainer, and the other staff who teach small group classes, are knowledgeable, focused on proper form and safety, while also encouraging us to push ourselves. In response to clients lifting “too heavy”, I can honestly say that I’ve never been encouraged to lift as heavy as I currently am training with Matt. However, he is acutely focused on my form, giving proper direction and feedback, and modifying by lessening weight or reducing reps when necessary. I have never been injured, nor do I fear that I may.I am inclined to make one more comment in response to the negative review regarding this individual’s degree in kinesiology. A degree does not make a good practitioner. A good practitioner, whether it be a psychologist like myself, or a fitness trainer, comes from education- yes-, BUT more so is derived from years dedicated to a craft that becomes honed through years of experience and the individuality that each client brings to the table. Therefore, to discredit someone’s training style because they do not hold a a specific degree is extremely short-sighted.LEAP has a true community feel. Everyone, including staff and clients, has good energy and lifts one another up. The classes are fun and the trainers I have worked with here are knowledgeable, professional, and dedicated to helping clients meet their own individual goals. My sense from the other clients at LEAP, some of them “long-timers”, is that they feel similarly as I do. 💪Dr. M

LEAP is a great community for working out. The trainers here are knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. The classes are small so you never feel invisible. They have every piece of equipment you need to have a great workout for any level you are at. This has become a home away from home and a family I can count on to push me to be my best! Could not recommend more which is why I chose to come here and leave a review.I have been a full paying member of LEAP for the past year and a half and was previously a member when it was called Unrivaled, and I will continue to be a member here because of the quality of instruction and the value I get for my money!

I’m glad I’ve been able to find a gym like LEAP. After moving from another state, it has taken some time to find a gym that works well from me. The interest all of the coaches have for individual growth, even during group classes, makes a huge difference. Coaches here remember you, push you and offer help/information to keep your body healthy. The gym is kept very clean and has all of the equipment you could need. The community at this gym and the caring coaches are what makes me come back every day.

I joined LEAP 6 months ago and could not be happier with my decision. Ever since I moved back to Chicago a few years ago, I had been looking for a facility with exactly what I would ultimately discover that LEAP offers. Yet at the time, I found myself settling for gyms (well, “chains” to be more precise) that left me frustrated and not getting results.At the most basic level, my requirements were a variety of small group training classes as well as the option for personal training—LEAP checked those boxes, which was huge. But I wanted more than that. I needed a gym where ownership and staff would be invested in my success, and an environment that feels like a community. This is indeed what makes LEAP special and unique.My 1:1 personal training has been primarily with Matt (owner), but I have had a chance to work out with all the trainers and have been thoroughly impressed. Matt and his team are highly knowledgeable, dedicated and motivating. Nothing ever feels rushed, and there is a lot of emphasis on proper form. Additionally, if I’m struggling with a particular movement, Matt will offer an alternative or pause to identify the root cause. Moreover, the facility itself is impressive with state-of-the art equipment and very, very clean. On a personal note, it’s been a pleasure to get to know Matt through the personal training and see how committed he is to all the members at LEAP.At the end of the day, there is no substitute for the hard work that we have to put in to get results. But, having the right people to coach and encourage you, and the place to do that work, matters. A lot. I’m just at the beginning of my fitness journey but looking forward to what is ahead. Strongly recommend!

I searched for years before finding a gym and a community like LEAP. I've been to great gyms, but what was missing for me was that sense of community and encouragement. And LEAP has that tenfold! I have made lifetime friends here that encourage and support me in and out of the gym. The class sizes are small so you are never lost and the trainers help guide and push you every step of the way. Unlike box gyms, you can tell the trainers truly care about you. Not to mention the gym itself is brand new and fantastic. The owner, Matt, works nonstop to update equipment to make sure the members have the best of the best. The gym is also very clean and I have felt safe here during the pandemic.I was previously a member at Unrivaled, also owned by Matt, and when they closed, remodeled, and rebranded I eagerly awaited their reopening so I could join again!EDIT: Yes, I was asked to leave a review, and I chose to do so own my own accord. I would never post anything untruthful for an unknown gain.

I was a collegiate swimmer who always had a workout planned for me, and I never had to think about what I was going to do. After I graduated, I did many different things to stay in shape, and it worked for a while, then I would plateau.When I found Leap, I finally found something that kept working. I love the programming and I love the people there. I always look forward to going, even if I am dead tired or having an off day. I have found great friends there and also a new appreciation for fitness. Cannot recommend enough.I also want to note that LEAP was great as it's former name Unrivaled. Most of us went to both. It was great then, it is great now. A lot of us took classes with the instructors and owners then and the current owner now. If you actually look at the reviews, and read through carefully, you'll see good things about both institutions and both ownership groups.