I came to CE a running enthusiast completely new to crossfit, and skeptical about whether I wanted to become one of "those people". After going through the fundamentals course and getting into regular WOD classes, I quickly grew to love it. Neil, Holly, Dana, Jose and everyone else there is incredibly nice, funny and welcoming, and they make crossfit fun and completely not intimidating. The community of people there is incredible, and being a part of it has been so much more rewarding than I ever imagined. I've gotten into the best shape of my life, made many new friends, and accomplished things I never would've thought I was capable of. I truly looked forward to coming to class every time. Now that My wife and I moved, CE is the thing I'm missing most about the old neighborhood. CE is the gym that I'll forever compare any other gym (sorry, "box") against. read more

CrossFit CE - Interval Training Gyms Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I tried this on a Groupon. The staff here is very enthusiastic. Neil is great. However, I felt my time here I was constantly getting pushed to lift heavier weights and going deeper with squats by certain staff members. That is a recipe for overuse injury. I didn't feel comfortable and stopped after my trial was over. read more

While on a temporary work assignment to Chicago, I had to put my CrossFit membership at home on pause and find a box to join here in the city. CrossFit is about community and having to leave what is familiar (my home box and friends) and find something similar could prove to be a challenge. Enter: CrossFit CE. I identified CrossFit CE using the CrossFit affiliate finder. I often use this tool when traveling to identify those boxes that live up to certain programming standards, excellent coaching and focus on safety. I reached out to Neil via email to give him a heads up that I would be coming to Chicago for a two-month assignment and I would love to try them out. They set me up with a week's trial and fortunately for me CrossFit CE was a great fit. The proximity of the box to where I stayed during my assignment was ideal. The coaches at CrossFit CE are fantastic - Holly, Ben and Neil. They quickly acclimated me to the gym and integrated me into their community here in Chicago. Their members have also been great - encouraging and very friendly. I can now happily say that I have found my home box when I am in Chicago again - whether for work or visiting for fun. My time here has been truly enjoyable and I am so glad that I decided to try CrossFit CE. I can't say thanks enough to Holly, Ben and Neil for their hospitality, excellent coaching, and friendship during my assignment in Chicago. read more

I've been doing a cross country road trip this summer and dropping into CrossFit boxes along the way. I've only been doing CrossFit for a little over a year and want to keep up with the movements as much as possible while I'm traveling but have also been a little intimidated some places. CrossFit CE is the best box I've dropped into so far. I've found with dropping in that coaches are just letting f me do what I'm doing and not correcting form. Not so here. I worked out with Neil and he was really attentive to all the athletes, including me, and helpful with form and modifications. I will definitely drop in here again if I come to Chicago in the future and recommend it to anyone whether they're traveling or looking to get into CrossFit. read more

CrossFit is the closest athletic experience I've had since college sports. It makes your workout routine at the gym obsolete. I've experienced a lot of CrossFit's across the country and CrossFit CE is outstanding in every regard. There is a boxing ring in the middle too which was super legit. They even let us spar for fun. I've been training here for a few months now and have already seen amazing improvements in my body, core strength, and how much more energy I have. It's awesome when others notice it too. The classes are killer and Coach Holly is the best. She's a D1 athlete, ensures everyone (from novices to experts) is using good form, and most importantly makes everything really fun. If you live around here, it's a no brainer this is the best CrossFit in the area. I drive all the way from Lakeview to come here. read more

Neil and Dana are amazing. Everyone was welcoming and incredibly helpful. I really enjoyed my time here.

I work in the club industry and have wanted to join a box for a long time. I've been a member of 5-6 other clubs in Chicago over the years. This establishment is as professional and well run as I've seen in the greater club industry. Neil and Dana really know what they're talking about and are excellent in communicating how to perform movements with perfect form. I couldn't believe how much stronger I felt 100x stronger after just 1 class. If you want to be more mentally sharp at work and have more energy, I highly recommend you join Crossfit CE. read more

I had joined CrossFit CE as Neil had been in the process of buying it when it was primary CrossFit and yoga. I came into the gym for my first class and the coach running the class asked me to come in early. I had did so and there was contractors there working on the gym that was in the process of being gutted and remodeled and the coach who is no longer there has been running late for his own class. He had taken no time to talk to me before class and it has been my first time doing CrossFit since I was in college several years prior. He began talking about the movements and didn't take any time to ask me if I felt comfortable or gave any modifications. I struggled to keep up in the class and the coach kept pushing me and then had became frustrated and handed me a PCP pipe and told me to stand along the wall and practice form. It felt so humiliating and after class I attempted to talk to him and he walked out the back door and never checked in. I immediately emailed Ramon Shalit who used to own the gym and heard nothing back I attempted to call no one answered. I got in contact with Neil who bashed Ramon and his coach who he has seemingly since let go and pleaded me to me to try another class as I asked for a refund on the trial classes. He convinced me to continue another try I sent him my scheduled and he took a week to get back to me. I had signed up for a class and was the only one up until about two hours before and then canceled because it was with the same coach as before. Neil then called me and said that he had all these things planned and it was such a shame I had called canceled and I was frustrated due to not hearing back. He asked me for my schedule again another five days passed and he sent me a schedule for the following week that wasn't close to what I gave him. I respectfully decline stating I'd pay for the single class fee to respect his coaches time and he said I was being too difficult and refused to refund my money for the month. I disputed the claim with my card and still had not been given my money back and was charged an additional month since he claimed the emails never had been sent to him. It was a shame and sad excuse who is trying to build a new brand and impression during a change in ownership. Truly a shame considering I am a college student and $145 is a lot of money especially during a pandemic. read more

This wasn't my first CrossFit group/box I had been to. Was looking forward to it because of location. Called and never left a message but Neil called me back immediately trying to get me to come in. The majority of the conversation was him talking about how bad the owner of the previous box was. It seemed dramatic and I was very reluctant but went anyway because it was 150 a month trial period. My whole time to sign on with Neil was over text and phone. He got me to sign up via text etc. I should have stuck to gut instinct as he was just as bad as owner of other CrossFit. When it came time to cancel membership Neil was not responsive at all. Got charged extra 2 months and I was ripped off. I don't feel like giving him any more of my time so I would highly recommend going elsewhere like PXM, CrossFit defined or SLSC. The coaches in uptown were nice and the community seemed very friendly but some coaches allowed athletes to work with poor form and at risk of injuring themselves. They seemed like they didn't want to be there. read more

My buddy recommended that I check out a groupon for Crossfit CE. I to enrolled into the introduction program and really enjoyed the atmosphere, community, and coaches. Coaches are very detailed and knowledgeable which helps maximize each workout. Workouts are always different so it never gets boring. I highly recommend checking out this gym. read more

As a someone that usually picks a spin class over heavier lifting, I was worried the workout wouldn't meet my cardio desires and boy was I wrong. The workout was the perfect mix of weighted movements mixed with cardio bursts and bodyweight challenges. I was drenched with sweat by the end and completely exhilarated. Holly and Neil are exceptional coaches. They were motivating, corrected my form when needed, answered all my questions and created an atmosphere that was fun. If you are looking for a fantastic workout that flies by, CrossFitCE is the place to go. read more

I was a bit doubtful of Crossfit, having heard some of the urban legends and being more on the dance/pilates side of the spectrum. However, Crossfit CE really showed me how adding weights and short high-intensity cardio intervals to my workouts has helped me become all-around more fit. I find the community to be very close-knit- members will hang out with each other after the WODs and even at bars or barbeques away from the gym. Great place to work out, great place to make friends. read more

While visiting friends in Chicago, I had the (fortunate) opportunity to drop in to CrossFit CE three times. Due to frequent moves over the past few years, I have worked out at several CrossFit boxes. CrossFit CE proved to be among the best I have visited thanks to the warmth of both the staff and the members. If I were local, I wouldn't think twice about joining here. One thing that Neil mentioned that I really appreciated was that CrossFit CE doesn't do memberships. I can tell you I've never had this type of flexibility before at other boxes and is good to know if you're either a) uncertain about your long term interest in CrossFit or b) you're like me and move frequently. read more

My son has done a lot of training with Neil at CrossFit. He wanted to get in great shape for high school sports during off season. The experience has been fantastic for my son and he has really valued the conditioning and expertise Neil has provided. A+ experience. read more

I can't say enough about CrossFit CE and coaches Holly and Neil! They're attention to the proper form is second to none and they're approachable and fun personalities completely remove any "intimidation factor" that one might expect in attempting CrossFit for the first time. That's not to say that they make the workouts easy (they're killer!) but they always give you options depending on your level of fitness or physical limitations. Come 3 times and you'll be hooked like I am! read more

Great facility with knowledgable coaches that can scale the workout for anyone's level. I came from grappling and had numerous surgeries and muscle imbalances. After a few months I felt strong enough to grapple again. I could've prevented many injuries if I was doing this all along. read more

I have been doing CrossFit CE for about 2 months and it is amazing. Holly, Neal and Ben are great coaches; super supportive, fun and motivating. I went from working out 1-2 times per week at my old gym, to 4-5 days here, and I feel awesome. I have two kids at home and have so much more energy and strength. At the beginning, I was nervous about using the weights and some if the exercises, but this workout really is for everyone! read more

Crossfit CE is a great gym and community of people! All of the trainers are knowledgeable and have great attitudes!

I've been training Crossfit off and on for several years at a few different boxes. I enjoy the nature of the workouts and the CF philosophy, but what I've realized is that the most critical component is the coaches. Because CF is based around small group class with tailored instruction, it's critical that 1)you respect/like your coaches and 2)they help you achieve your fitness goals. Neil, Holly and Ben make Crossfit CE stand out! They are an amazing team, truly committed to every member. And they work really well together and compliment each others strengths. They've been very intentional about building the Crossfit CE community into a welcoming, safe and devoted team. They're continuing to develop the box and do bigger and better things, so I'd strongly recommend joining now! My fiancee and are I sad to be moving from the area but will never hesitate to come in for a good sweat (and company) the next time we're in the area! read more

This is the second crossfit gym I've been a part of, and while I fell in love with the idea of crossfit at my first gym, the community and coaches here are what set CrossFit CE apart. Some gyms are very intimidating as a newbie, but this is a gym for all fitness levels. I work out less frequently now because of my job, but I've honestly become stronger because the workouts are thoughtfully designed and the coaches know what they're doing. The coaches and the members will keep you coming back here - exactly what you want out of a gym! read more

Crossfit CE is as good as it gets! Holly is amazing and really spends a lot of time making sure you are doing exercises correctly, while pushing you at the same time. She is also great about providing alternatives or scaling exercises back when you're first getting started. And it's really fun!! I was a college athlete and have always worked out six days a week, but never achieved results like I have in just the last two months. I have dropped inches and gained muscle. I really look forward to going to class in the morning! I would definitely recommend going in to check it out and join a class to see if you like it. I promise you will! read more

Everyone is very nice. Many different levels represented. Very welcoming to the needs a lot of work out of shape sort. Aka me haha! No need to be intimidated! There is a mandatory 4 class two week session for beginners. You learn everything and feel at home halfway through the first class. They are focused on form and scaling to ability level. That being said I haven't worked out this hard in years. Go for it and join! read more

I visited this box when in town at a friend's, and both the staff and members were very welcoming! I've been to a lot of CrossFit's while traveling and in addition to my own at home, this one is my favorite! I hope to have the opportunity to stop back again! read more

Crossfit CE is the type of gym I always look for... -Competitive lifts, but patient and knowledgeable instructors to help me get to that level... -Well maintained space and equipment, but still that grittiness that sets these places apart from gyms where people zone out on a stair master and go months without any real change or results -Easily Measured progress -Quality gains... I think places such as Shred415 have their place in the market, but I always see people Plateau in these gyms. I want the athletic gains and balance of power and stamina that i only see in crossfit. I like knowing that if I plateau, it's because of Me and not because of the workout that's limiting my progress. -Community... There are competitions if you want to get involved, but also just people to help push you if you're only interested in a couple classes. It's a community of likeminded people that feel the amazing benefit, know what it takes to get there, and are happy sharing it. When I started Crossfit, I was strong in the weights, but I had no idea how much functional strength I was missing. During the Workout Of the Day, I would get tired quick... but then I have a couple of Owners (Holly and Neil) standing over my shoulder and just encouraging me to push through... learning to tell that voice inside your head that you haven't peaked... You've still got a lot more to give. That's what separates CE from the other Gyms I've been to... They don't judge or give up on you... they just see and get excited about the potential they're going to bring out of you. That's passion. read more