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

  • Hands down best gym for power lifters, strong men, body builders. Equipment is top notch and it’s very clean and well maintained.

    Katie Cunningham Avatar Katie Cunningham

    I have trained with the guys at Lift for a long time and consider my sessions to be some of my best long-term investments. My workouts there are sustainable, enjoyable... read more

    Brigid Sweeney Avatar Brigid Sweeney

    I've been working with Abby 3 days a week since October 2021, and it's probably not too much of a stretch to say I'm in love with her. In... read more

    Ryan Carter Avatar Ryan Carter
  • 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

    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

    Positive: Communication ,  Professionalism ,  Quality These deserve more stars. Ive been rocking with these guys for years. Always fun and professional. They have help me... read more

    Domique Bland Avatar Domique Bland
  • I have been training at Lift for over a year and I can easily say it is the best personal training experience I have ever had. Josh and the rest... read more

    Jordan Multack Avatar Jordan Multack

    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

    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.

    Timothy McAlister Avatar Timothy McAlister
  • Positive: Professionalism ,  Quality I started attending the women’s lifting class and absolutely love it! It’s exciting, fun and welcoming for all different ability levels!

    Lainie Augensen Avatar Lainie Augensen

    I've been going to LIFT for over a year and a half and I cannot say enough positive things about this gym. The minute you walk in, you are personally... read more

    Stephanie Silverstein Avatar Stephanie Silverstein

    I’ve been training at Lift for a year and a half - the workout, professionalism, facilities and trainers are the best of the best. Strength training at Lift has transformed... read more

    Alexi Zloof Avatar Alexi Zloof
  • 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

    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

    Mary Harbaugh Avatar Mary Harbaugh

    Great programming. Great staff. Pete is very tuned in and makes sure you get the most out of the workouts.

    Grant Chavin, MD Avatar Grant Chavin, MD
  • 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 the Lift classes- they are really unique, with 5 circuits and a mix of weight stations with some cardio, too (rope pulls, sleds, etc.). The coaches are the best... read more

    Carrie Sweeney Avatar Carrie Sweeney

    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
  • Doing the group workouts has been the exact motivation I needed. The small group let's the trainer give me personal adjustments and everyone else pushes me to get it done!... read more

    Maya Gorlicki Avatar Maya Gorlicki

    Its always been a great experience with a professional environment, high quality and well maintained machines. I'd definitely recommend this gym to anybody wanting to reach personal goals for themselves.

    Francisco King Avatar Francisco King

    I've been working with Abby 3 days a week since October 2021, and it's probably not too much of a stretch to say I'm in love with her.

    In all seriousness,... read more

    Ryan Carter Avatar Ryan Carter
  • Finished my first ten days of training here and truly impressed. The four trainers I alternated between were all very attentive and friendly. Paid attention to my goals and paced... read more

    Alexis Youn Avatar Alexis Youn

    Positive: Communication ,  Professionalism ,  Quality

    The Wheelands Avatar The Wheelands

    Great variety of classes, the instructors are awesome! All very helpful and help you with any questions you may have.

    Allen Hernandez Avatar Allen Hernandez