I still have nightmares about not being able to find 15-pound dumbbells. I used to go to a big box gym every day after work around 5 pm with, to make a rough estimate, the rest of the entire world. And the 15-pound dumbbells were always taken. The majority of my workout was spent walking around the gym trying to hunt them down. In doing this I would get in a lot of steps, but not very many reps.

Fast forward a few months to when I became a ClassPass member. While perusing my ClassPass app for a new studio to try, I came across Victory Training in Roscoe Village. I was initially drawn to it because it focuses on weight lifting. What really drew me in was the fact that the description stated you could reserve equipment to use for your workout. I was sold.

When I walked into the studio, I was greeted by a trainer who began to explain and model the workout of the day. I started the workout in my very own space that included a squat rack, resistance bands, dumbbells, barbells, TRX bands, medicine balls and jump ropes that were all available solely for me. I was pleasantly surprised when the trainer continued to help me, along with two other people who were working out next to me in their reserved spaces.

Victor Zavala opened Victory Training five years ago with a very strong and unique vision. “I wanted to provide a more efficient workout experience,” he said. “I built this to solve a lot of problems that I saw happening in the big box gyms. You don’t have to share equipment. You get your own space and equipment. The workout is provided for you and ready to go. You will get in and out in about an hour, and you’re going to get coaching every time you come in. It’s just an experience that you’re not getting anywhere else,” Victor explained.

After speaking with Victor more, I learned that the excellent experience that I had my first time at Victory Training is what their clients receive each and every time they come in. I also learned that the trainers work very hard to accommodate their clients’ needs. The workout of the day focuses on different movements and muscle groups each day. However, if you would like to work a different muscle group when you come in, the trainers are more than happy to pull out a different workout for you. If there is a particular exercise that you aren’t able to do or aren’t interested in doing, the trainers are also more than happy to modify the exercise for you.

“A high percent of people that work out in the gym are people that haven’t worked out consistently before. There are people that are looking for help, but they’re scared to do it or they can’t afford personal training. But everyone deserves their health,” Victor explained.

Luckily, people can find semi-personal training at Victory Training for what Victor refers to as “the cost of a sandwich.” “My big line to everybody is that $99 per month comes out to about $8.25 per session, so it costs about a sandwich to come in here.” Victor described.

Although Victor’s main goal is to teach people to be more confident and independent in the gym, his clients keep coming back even after this is achieved. “People come back because of the system and because of the community,” Victor described. “I really do believe that we’re doing something special here.”

You can find out more information and schedule your first workout here.