LA Fitness. One of the greatest loves of my life. Today, my blog post is going to be dedicated to talking about LA Fitness on Freedom Drive a
nd the saddening news I received of its soon-to-be closing.
I’ve heard rumors that LA Fitness was going to close for a while, but I was in denial that my only love could slip away from me so suddenly and drastically. Sure a stabbing occurred there (a screwdriver was the weapon by the way ), and someone died in their hot tub due to a bacterial infection, and I saw two fights break out in the span of four months, but it’s the only gym I know. It was here that I first learned to bench press, back squat, and lift away all of my issues rather than handling them! Let’s take a walk down memory lane.
November was the month I joined LA Fitness. After my brother made fun of me for having puny puny arms, I decided to take a stand. It was at that moment that I decided that I would be jacked. I swore to him I was going to be the strongest person in the family in 6 months time. With determination , my friends and I decided to go to the gym together just to make it less intimidating, but as time passed and my friends flaked, the only consistent thing in my life was the gym. (Granted, I was paying 50 a month so it better DARN be consistent).
Then, everything changed when I met the love of my life. My gym crush. AKA fake joji. I kid you not, this kid looked exactly like Joji and while we had met before at a party, something about the way he wiped the sweat off of his forehead was wowza to me (this is a joke). Sometimes he would work out with my brother, and so I would ask my brother on those specific days if he could give me a ride to the gym. My brother helped me create a workout routine and eventually, I found myself going to the gym habitually. Then, fake Joji told my brother that my working-out form was really bad and my heart shattered into a million pieces that I could not pick up or even brush aside. (I speculate jealousy). I decided I need to prove this kid wrong! So, I went on a personal mission to improve my routine with the help of google. Eventually, I could feel myself getting the gains, if you know what I mean, and my incentive to go to the gym became fully my own (even after fake Joji left 🙁).
If I had to rank my favorite gym days, they would go in this particular order:
Pull day.
Leg day.
Push day.
Pull day focuses on the biceps muscles, forearms and back muscles. My general go-to pull day exercises are hammer curls, single kneeling lat pulldowns and pull-ups. For leg day, I work on hack squats and bulgarian split squats. Lastly, for push day, some exercises I do are triceps pushdowns, bench presses, and front raises.
My ideal time to go to the gym was at 8:30 p.m. because that is when everyone starts leaving. I feel like a regular at the gym because I recognize the same faces each day and we have become a small close-knit family. So what happens when everyone has to go to a new gym???? Where am I going to go? I am going to miss the moldy locker rooms and everyone there.
When my dad told me the news, I couldn’t even hide the tears that slid down my cheeks. My mom asked me if I was seriously crying, but how could I explain the emotions connected with 1836 Freedom Dr, Naperville, IL 60563? The personal growth that I experienced will never be forgotten And looked upon fondly when I reflect on my unadulterated youth. I genuinely think that LA Fitness has changed my senior year for the better and I’m going to miss it every single day when March 28th rolls around and I no longer have a gym to call my home.
So to LA Fitness: in the words of Måneskin in their song, “The Loneliest”,
You’ll be the saddest part of me
A part of me that will never be mine
It’s obvious
Tonight is gonna be the loneliest
You’re still the oxygen I breathe
I see your face when I close my eyes
It’s torturous
Hi Ashley,
I would like to start by saying that I am very sorry that LA Fitness is closing! For many years, I went to that gym with my parents before finally moving over to planet fitness. It is certainly a very nice exercise facility with many wonderful resources. I personally enjoyed practicing swimming in their pool when I was younger. It is for this reason, that I am also saddened by the fact that this location is closing. Often, people become attached to locations, things, and other non-living items. While this building is certainly not alive, your memories and experiences there certainly are. I have noticed a significant increase in buildings and stores closing after COVID. This is incredibly sad. Many of my favorite stores, restaurants, and locations have closed down recently. There are certainly many replacements for these locations, however, it is hard to replace the consistency and reliability that comes with a particular location. However, there are many amazing gyms in our area and I certainly hope that you can find a new one. While a new gym will never quite be able to replace LA Fitness, I hope that you can find one that comes close!
Hi Ashley! I’ve been hearing people talk about LA Fitness and Edward Health Center closing, and I feel for the members of those fitness facilities! I’ve just recently started going to the Planet Fitness regularly, and it’s honestly been so therapeutic to just focus on making progress in the gym for an hour. It kind of feels like a side quest.
I was mildly horrified to hear about the tragedies that happened at your LA Fitness location. I pinky promise that Planet Fitness has been a lot less problematic for me, if you’re interested in joining another gym after yours is shut down!
You’re lucky your brother was able to help you create a workout routine. To be honest, I’m still not sure what I’m doing in the gym. I’ve been kind of leeching off of all of my friends’ workout routines and adding them to my own haha.
Since I’ve also started going to the gym habitually, I honestly I think I’d feel a little anxious without it. With all of the stress in my life, having a routine has really helped me stay grounded.
I’m so sorry that LA Fitness is closing down, and I hope that you are able to fill your gym void with a new adventure!
I would like to give my condolences on the closing of LA Fitness. I did not start going to the gym consistently until I signed up for Strength and Performance but even before that I have only ever gone to Lifetime Gym. My cousins had a group membership that over ten people could use and I now leech off my younger brother’s membership since he got caught using someone else’s membership and had to get his own. It definitely sucks that so many stores and restaurants have closed since COVID began. I had to mourn the loss of some burger place near my old home and I haven’t really been the same ever since. I know that membership at some gyms are way cheaper than they are at other ones. My mom is paying a lot of money per month to send me and my brother to go to only one specific Lifetime Gym location. The only reason we go there is because of how close it is to our house which is very convenient. I am happy to see my credit card clear of any charges while I can just walk in and do my thing whenever I go the gym after school.
Hi Ashley! Your blogs are always such a fun read, and I would like to extend my sincerest apologies in this time of grief. However, I cannot say I have the same fondness for LA Fitness that you do. I do not have a membership to any gym (and I never have), and the only times I’ve been to LA Fitness is when I have been dragged. In particular, your fellow classmate, Jordyn, is responsible for my adverse memories of the gym. As she can probably tell you, I HATE going to the gym. I admire people like you who have the discipline and drive to be consistent and actually enjoy working out, but I am not one of those people. On multiple occasions, I have explicitly stated that I am busy and would not like to go the gym, and poof- Jordyn is in her car, outside my house, refusing to leave unless I attend the session with her. The only times I have remotely enjoyed going is to attend the Zumba classes, which are actually kind of fun. It’s like a big Just Dance workout, and although I am not a good dancer, I think it is the best way to exercise! Anyways, I admire you and your love for LA Fitness! But. I think I heard from somebody that your membership now extends to the LA Signature Club that is a little bit father away? I don’t know if this is true, but I have heard that those upgraded gyms are super nice! Hopefully this cushions the blow a little bit!
Ashley,
I really enjoyed reading this love letter to LA Fitness. Soon to be a eulogy, I suppose. Too soon? As someone that has been along for the ride on your fitness journey, you should know that you continue to impress me consistently. When you and the others first decided to go to the gym as a pack, I wondered how it would turn out, but the result of you as a diehard gym rat is incredible. You are so strong and I love it. Onto the blog! I laughed so much reading this–you’ll have to give me some time to unpack this. First of all, A STABBING? VIA SCREWDRIVER? Why are we not talking about this? AND A DEATH???? WHAT?????????????????? And then fights? You keep dropping these tidbits like bombs. My gym is full of geriatrics, so I can’t imagine witnessing fights like yours. The old people do get really intense over the pickleball matches, though… it could happen. You deciding to pay for your membership to be consistent is so respectable. Pull day might be my favorite too, but I tend to have favorite exercises rather than muscle groups. I am not a fan of the back squat… for now. But I love the curl bar and generally (other) quad exercises. Thanks for a good read Ashley xxx
Hi Ashley,
Although I am not licensed to speak as ardently on the Freedom Drive LA Fitness, as I am not a member and merely free-ride off of other people’s guest passes, I can definitely attest to the unspoken charm of the facility. This is greatly influenced by the fact that it houses a full-scale basketball court, where you and I once eviscerated Matt and Daniel (fun memories; will be missed). I am very partial to this feature — indoor hardwood basketball courts are the crown jewel of any exercise experience for me. My appreciation for the LA Fitness additionally comes from my disdain for the other gym I have frequented: Planet Fitness on Iroquois Ave. At LA, the equipment is better maintained, the facility is cleaner and nicer, and the people there are more normal. It provides the optics of a real workout facility with people who are there to actually work out. In my limited sample size of experiences at PF, I cannot really say the same.
I also want to comment on your gym journey. I think it’s awesome that you discovered a genuine reason to work out for the sake of self-improvement and getting stronger. I think that when a gym-goer reaches the point where they show up to the gym not to impress someone else with their new physique, their gym experience becomes infinitely more worthwhile. I always liked to set mini-goals for myself to make working out both challenging and rewarding. On Fridays, back when I was still a NNHS S&P athlete, I would push myself through extremely painful sets of Bulgarian split squats and side steps. That instantaneous refusal to allow myself to quit early and to fight for the last few reps is the part of why working out is so intrinsically meaningful for the human psyche.
Though I am now retired from the gym, I do hope you find a new home for your workout journey and that many gains are still left to be made.