Cardinal Fitness

I workout at Charter Fitness in Park Ridge, IL.
I’ve been with them for years and I’ve spent thousands (yes thousands) on personal training. I purchase bulk sessions and workout with a trainer. I love my trainer she’s amazing, I love the challenging workouts and I love the results. I love my gym and i love the staff. In September of 2015 I worked out with my friend for fun at Cardinal location in Des plaines. I have basic membership at my gym (charter) so I can only workout at my location, mind you. But she has premium so I was able to workout at her location that one day. I walked in with the intention of just doing some light tricep workouts on my own but the branch manager David Nardi INSISTED I do a free trial session of team training. I thought hey it’s a free session, why not. He had me sign on a pinpad which was EXTREMELY misleading because again, I workout at my home gym, I told him about my trainer, and he made it so that I was only signing up for that free session that one day. Hadn’t returned to that gym since. Then, starting November 27^th I start getting charged for team training every week. I hadn’t noticed this till December 24^th. So I called the gym and Dave just kept reiterating that «well you’re the one who signed up» which again, I didn’t sign up for that. I signed up for my one free session. It isn’t even logical that I would drive farther away to a second gym for a service I’m already paying for at my home gym. And excuse me, I thought I wasn’t even eligible to workout at other locations under basic membership? However when he kept saying «well you signed up» and rudely and abruptly hung up on me, i called back and he had someone else answer the phone. I was told that i would have to go into the gym and sign a cancellation form. Which I did, and two weeks later I’m still being charged. So I reached out and called again and Dave has been very obviously avoiding me because when I called back and asked for Dave the person said sure let me get him for u and when he asked me my name he just stuttered and said sorry Dave isn’t in. These are the kind of games that they are playing. Furthermore when I walked into the location again today to ask about the charges, due to all the incorrect information that Dave had been giving me I wanted to Audio record him but he refused to speak until I switched my phone off. He then proceeded to tell me that the branch cameras haven’t worked in years either so he can’t show me proof to his claims. Also he kept walking away while I was speaking to him leaving me dumbfounded. Again, I have never had such a horrible experience. I am happy at my gym which is charter in park ridge. I have no complaints and I pay a lot and all my payments are made in time. What David Nardi is doing is fraudulent and a scam.

I have been a member of this gym for a while on the $ 10 a month membership. All of a sudden they cut the wifi for my membership saying you need a «premium» membership for wifi. The other perk is you get to bring a friend. So instead of keeping a current customer, anyone who is not paying can come and get free wifi. Selfishness abounds in this strange new world. So does stupidity. Goodbye Cardinal fitness.

I went to Cardinal Fitness this evening to get memberships for at least 2 people in my family (potentially all 5 of us). I spoke with Dave regarding the deal that was posted on
that was $ 0 to join and $ 10 /​month. I showed Dave the link and he kept arguing with me that he can’t sign us up for that. I questioned why he couldn’t honor what was being advertised and he just kept saying it’s not updated. After he then rolled his eyes at me (this is an adult by the way) he told me he would have someone else «help» me (even though there would still not honor the advertised deal.
Nice customer service Cardinal Fitness. Just lost 5 potential new clients.
CD

Great staff, classes aren’t bad, convenient location, no complaints! Have been coming here for a about a year now, sometimes busy around rush hour times but what gym isn’t!
Definitely worth the money and can’t go wrong with this cardinal location. Everyone who goes here is friendly including staff and owner, and members, like a second family!

These people charge insane fees, don’t let you cancel membership, and make you call a company they outsource to for billing to deal with problems that they cause. This is a trap. I just got charged $ 54 for something ridiculous that I tried to cancel, and they told me to call the billing company. This place is insane. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE «INEXPENSIVE» MEMBERSHIP FEES. THIS PLACE SUCKS.

Just awful. After I cancelled my membership they still charged me for 2 months after. When I called them to find out why, they made it seem like it was my fault and were very rude. Dont come here

I was a loyal member for eight years. It was very a bare bones gym but if you just want somewhere to mindlessly run on a treadmill or elliptical it got the job done.
A few weeks ago they introduced something called team training. My friend and I joined up based on the class schedule advertised. They were going to have a class that I was able to make 12 x a month. We joined. A couple of days after we joined they reduced that class from 12 x a month to zero. After enough complaining they put it back on the schedule 4 x a month.
We began to rethink that program but were assured for 3 weeks that they will add more classes at our time «next week». After 3 weeks of empty promises, I finally went in to cancel my membership completely and got an attitude from management. The GM hid in the office while the guy at the counter didn’t know what to say. The manager argued with us telling us that we were not being patient. I’m sorry, I am paying an extra $ 76.00 a month for a serviced that reduced by more than HALF!
Bottom line is: They offered a service — which we paid for — they changed that service (with no notification by the way) yet they still plan to charge me for the service for the next 30 days (cancellation policy) — even though they did not live up to their end of the deal. On top of all of that — they were literally rude to me and my friend when we explained our frustration. There is no corporate office to complain to. They are the end all be all.
A good business would be mortified to lose loyal members. Sorry to see us go. Because of the treatment we received I will NEVER go back to Cardinal fitness.

Stay away! A lot of hidden fees not disclosed up front. The web site promotes 10 a month. But then you are charged maintenance fees for the gym and it is difficult to end contract. Not worth the aggravation. Find yourself a different club!

This is a nice, smaller gym. Cardio machines (maybe 30 total) in front include treadmills, two types of ellipticals, stationary bikes, and step mills. Behind cardio are the selectorized machines and even a few plate loaded leverage machines (e.g Hammer Strength). One exists for each muscle group. Past those sections are the free weights. Dumbbells go up to ~100 lbs, there are a few olympic barbells, and a rack of EZ bars. There’s not a lot of space so fast moving exercises like plyometrics or olympic lifts wouldn’t exactly be the best idea. Evenings can get pretty crowded too. Locker room isn’t the biggest either but serves it’s purpose just fine. Lots of small lockers are available as well as a couple of shower stalls. Overall the place is pretty clean. Most people seem to pick up their weights and wipe down machines. The staff is friendly enough and does a fine job cleaning as well. Lots of parking in front seeing as though this gym is within a shopping plaza with lots of stores. No group classes but still not a bad deal for $ 10 per month.

update:
1) Chiro-​one was set up again. This time they moved a table so it wasn’t taking as much of the workout area.
2) No towels to clean the equipment

Horrible gym. Staff lies, they take your money and don’t give you anything for it. Go somewhere else. Their corporate policies are horrendous and the staff tell you wrong information in perhaps an attempt to get more money out of each person. Its a fraudulent scam that really boils my blood.

It’s a small gym, but has everything you need for a complete workout. This gym is geared for novice to advanced. The General Manager AAron is very knowledgeable in everything from nutrition to exercises. Mohammed, is a great night time manager, and their personal trainers are experienced and goal oriented.

This is a no-​frills health club that you get on the cheap. But, that also means the amenities are, well, cheap. For instance, there used to be three benches in the men’s locker room (and that place really needs at least three benches). And yet, there have only been two benches in there for at least four months. That makes it extremely awkward and uncomfortable when you’re trying to dress for workout or after workout and there are other people there. I’ve asked for the place to buy another bench for the locker room, but that has fallen on deaf ears.
If you want to have no elbow room or space to properly change in a health club, OK, this is your place, If not, well expect to be uncomfortable.

Just OK.
If you want to follow a free-​weight training program, such as 5×5 or Starting Strength, you will be disappointed to see that there are no bumper plates or spare olympic bars available to do deadlifts, barbell rows or power cleans. There are plenty of isolation machines and benches, with benches being the busiest. There are also plenty of cardio machines if running in place is your thing :).
Good news is, no one uses the squat rack here, so I get to do all my workouts here. This would be a no-​no at most gyms, but since there is no separate area designated to olympic bar workouts, I have to «borrow» a bar from one of the racks. They do have plenty of curl bars for the «Bros» to work their biceps: P.
Cheap — only $ 20 /​mo, clean, and so far I had not had any problems. Decent hours as well.

I was actually quite surprised when I stepped foot inside this place. I thought it was all treadmills, but this place has what you need to get it done! Great cardio equipment as well as a equally impressive set of free weights and machines! There is no pool, but I never used the damn pool at my last gym anyway! I have long curly thick ass hair and pools make my hair a big tangly mess! I do think the staff does a great job of cleaning the machines as well. With so many locations you can use this is a great value! #I’m just saying!

Small location with lots of meatheads walking around. Grrrrr. Haha.
I had to wait for equipment twice, which is something I’ve never had to do at other CF locations. Slightly annoying, since I’ve been spoiled with no waiting.
Due to the small size, it seemed that things were also crammed… as in the equipment seemed to be spaced closer together. Close enough to smell that guy who didn’t wear deodorant that particular morning.
Still was clean like the other locations. Staff was friendly and attentive as always.

I went with a friend here on her «bring a friend» pass when I was searching for a regular gym of my own last summer.
Thinking we’d get to work out right away, I was bombarded with paperwork and people trying to shove plans down my throat. After filling out the paperwork to even work out there, I found that someone I knew from highschool worked there and was actually the owner’s son.
All three times I joined her to work out, he followed me around cleaning the machines next to the ones I was using and trying to talk to me. Really, who wants someone hitting on them while they’re dripping with sweat?
And on top of that, he pulled my phone number as well as my friend’s from the paperwork and started texting us creepy things about wishing we could cuddle. Gross!
Obviously I decided not to go to that gym. And my friend quit a month later because of him following her around and texting her also.
On top of the stalking experience, too expensive and not enough stuff. I pay less for the gym at prairie lakes and they include a sauna, hot tub, and discounts on classes and things.

They have recently installed new carpet and I now feel more comfortable coming here.
My only suggestion now would be for the water fountain to be brought to a normal height level. Currently it is made more for 8 year old kids than adults.

As far as this gym goes, you get what you pay for. The Des Plaines location gym is small, like the rest of them, and intended for a quick no-​frills work out. The treadmills are usually close to filled up, but do have a cool feature installed, mini personal TVs… but they haven’t worked since I’ve started. The stretching area is way too small and can fit four people maximum, leaving you feeling pretty claustrophobic. The majority of the gym is taken up by a free-​weights area, despite the fact that the majority of the people use the ellipticals, tread mills and weight machines. The small space they had to work with definitely could be better utilized. The locker room floors are constantly slippery and you must walk cautiously while in them; it’s just a law-​suit waiting to happen. Even though its January now, it gets pretty gross and steamy in there, I can only imagine it in the summer.
I chose this gym because it was closest to my house, and most importantly since I’m on a fixed budget, it was the cheapest at $ 19.95 a month and a reasonable sign up fee. If you’re looking for a spacious, well-​maintained gym, spend the money and go elsewhere.
However, my biggest complaint is not the facility itself, but the management and their unethical business practices and pathetic customer service. The guy who signed me up for the contract was very helpful and friendly, and also very clear on the fees and what I was going to be charged for. I signed up in the beginning of January, and at the end of January, got a surprise $ 39 fee! I called to inquire about the fee, and was promptly transferred to the manager Aaron.
Aaron explained this is the annual service fee that is charged at the end of January each year. Not only was I not informed I would be charged at the end of January, the worker who signed me up said the annual service fee is deducted during the first of January — so I had just missed it, and I made him reiterate that I would not be charged this annual service fee until the following January 2011. The manager insisted there is no way I could have been told this information during sign-​up, despite my clear memory and my ability to recall the name of the worker who signed me up and the conversation itself practically verbatim. I continued to insist to him that this is what I was told, which he continually denied, and virtually was calling me a liar. After going nowhere on the phone with him for 15 minutes, he just wanted to get rid of me and offered to have the worker who signed me up give me a call. I asked what this would solve, to which he couldn’t provide a response.
Exasperated, I went that route, and sure enough, the worker did admit there may have been a miscommunication, as he draws up so many contracts per day and can’t remember what was said. He was friendly and helpful and apologized, and when I was at the gym and went to the manager to tell him that I was right and there was an error on their part as to what information I was told, he still refused to refund the service fee, and was rather condescending in person just as he was on the phone. The most he could offer me was free tanning, which as generous as giving me skin cancer is, is unacceptable reparation. A business who refuses to stand by what they say is a disgrace and loses all respect from me. Not to mention during every conversation I had with Aaron, he constantly talked over me, and kept repeating «its our policy» as if I was stupid. A little advice for you Aaron: maybe spending less time working out in your gym and more time focusing on how to treat your customers would do you a world of good in your career.
Word of advice: if you’re looking for a gym that won’t pull bait-​and-​switch sales schemes and will charge you whatever arbitrary prices they want — stay away from Cardinal Fitness. If you’re looking to be treated like a respected paying customer, avoid Aaron at all costs.

My friend and I just joined here and wanted to get the couple rate; however, we didn’t feel like making out to save $ 5 when the trainer said, «prove it.» Aside from that, we love the gym. It could use a drinking fountain and more fans, but it’s a low-​cost, no frills gym. We joined during a discounted joiners’ fee and paid about $ 50 total and we’ll be automatically charged $ 20 every month and a $ 20 annual fee every January. I think it’s a good deal.
You’re going to find just about everything but a pool. They have treadmills, StairMasters, ellipticals, free weights and suspended weights. People are pretty good about wiping down machines after use and you are also able to watch the TVs while you work out. Music plays in the background, but not very loudly. They also have tanning beds with really good deals.
I wish they were open later, but the hours aren’t horrible and they are printed on your membership card. The staff is also friendly and helpful. One of the employees showed us how to adjust and use many of the weights even though pictures and directions are pasted on most of them.