Feast Fitness - CrossFit + Nutrition — Local services in Lake View Township

TLDR: Feast Fitness has great facilities, amazing coaches, and a community of members that genuinely care for each other.

I met the founders of Feast Fitness several years ago at a different gym. I was unhappy with my state of fitness, or lack thereof, at the time and decided to look into CrossFit. I went to the closest gym to my home in Albany Park at the time and was pleased with what I found there. Facilities are one thing, but they are nothing without the people who breathe life into them. I loved being coached by these wonderful people there and over time, one by one, they moved on to broaden their own horizons in the fitness and nutrition space.

Then came Feast Fitness! I remember the day I learned that my favorite coaches and athletes that I respected most from the "old gym" would be coming home to roost and opening Feast Fitness in a brand new space in Ravenswood. I was onboard as soon as I heard about it and after meeting with the head coach (who I already knew) it was like they figured out what was missing from all the other gyms and were building the programs at Feast Fitness to encompass the important, but often ignored, aspects of good health beyond the box.

At Feast, we focus not just on CrossFit, although there is plenty of that to be had, there is a tremendous focus on general well being, nutrition, recovery, mobility, and building "good" HABITS for long term, sustainable health and fitness.

The gym itself is huge, with plenty of space whether you are participating in class or doing your own thing and there is enough equipment to go around - no shortage of 45s on deadlift day! There's even a big outdoor space complete with rubber gym flooring and a full rig, constructed in quick response to COVID so we could still work out even when we weren't allowed inside! During this time, the owners have taken every measure to ensure compliance with CDC recommendations and provide a safe space to work out. They even installed an entirely new high tech HVAC system that filters and changes the air inside every 7 minutes or something crazy like that! Even before COVID, the gym has always been kept immaculately clean, well maintained, and organized.

Feast Fitness is truly built for EVERYONE. If you're a CrossFit Games level athlete or you've never worked out a day in your life or anywhere in between, you will feel like you belong here... thanks to the amazing individual attention from coaches and the limitless support and inspiration from other members. Everyone works out at their own level and coaches expertly recommend modified versions of movements and rep ranges to suit your needs and challenge you in all the best ways. They have classes scheduled in the early morning, mid day, and evening for whatever time suits you and the gym is open for you to do your own thing anytime from 5:30AM to 7:30PM during the week!

Oh, and I almost forgot, there are also classes in a variety of other practices like yoga, gymnastics, mobility, and other workshop events to supplement your training, but that's all gravy and when all is said and done, who...

I have gone to several CrossFit gyms in the Ravenswood area for many years, and I can confidently say that feast is a fantastic option. There’s other great gyms in the area, but, in my mind, several things set Feast apart from the others:

-The programming. The programming is classic CrossFit with a weightlifting emphasis and is challenging, but not so crazy insane that you get frustrated or disheartened because you can’t complete it.

-The instructors. Andy, Conner, Anna and PJ are all really fantastic. I am not an elite athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but they work with me on ways that I can modify while still pushing myself to get better and better. All four of them are really top-notch athletes, and also happen to be as nice as they could possibly be.

-The facilities. It’s by far the nicest gym that I have been to in the Ravenswood area. It’s climate controlled, the equipment is in really good shape, it’s very clean, the bathroom facilities are really nice, and I think it’s laid out well.

-The culture. The culture of a gym really matters. When you walk in, you could just feel the positivity. I really appreciate the ways that they cultivate community and how encouraging they are. The people are fantastic, and that makes a big difference.

-The owner. Greg is a really nice guy and is super knowledgeable about nutrition and fitness. I have found him to be very flexible, and open to feedback.

The most important thing to me in a gym is that I’m getting results - and that’s exactly what’s happened.

The one downside is that it’s expensive, it is more expensive than other gym in the area. I’ve been part of several other gyms in Ravenswood, and while this is a more expensive option, for me for the value of what you get with the instruction, people, curriculum and the facilities, it’s worth it. Overall, I highly...

I LOVE Feast Fitness + Nutrition! I have tried many gyms in the Chicago area and can say with ease that from the first day I walked into Feast I was treated like family. I think one of the best things about Crossfit is the intentional community it can foster. Ironically, many gyms have this synthetic community where they tout "community" but don't live it out in making their members feel really welcome. Feast truly engenders intentional community. I love how all of the coaches will make it a point that every member in the class knows each other's name! Everyone recognizes and validates each other- we lift each other up. That is intentional community.

Once you really feel welcomed in any fitness environment you can really grow as an athlete. And that has certainly been my experience. It can be very intimidating to walk into a gym and humans literally lift weight you thought only superheroes could do- but I have never felt intimated. At Feast, the focus is helping you push you! The coaches do an excellent job at meeting you where you are and helping ignite the fire within you to be the best version of your fitness self you can be.

Feast is the total package. It's more than great workouts, it's more than a beautiful indoor (and outdoor- with the new rig outside!) space, it's more than individualized nutrition coaching- it's a place where you can grow, both mentally and physically, along side people who are their to support you.

I am grateful that every day I can start my morning off feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle my day! And, one last note, the safety precautions that Feast has taken always make me feel comfortable and confident that we are doing the best we can to stay safe and smart during these uncertain and...