Core Values
Like Zipcar for Gyms

This week, it seemed like everyone was talking about going “all in.”

You actually did.

You doubled-down on oysters and crab cakes. Smart.

You staked a short position in doughnuts. Risky... but it paid off.

You saw what Grant Achatz was up to and cornered consommé futures. Very shrewd.

Now, you’re feeling a need to hedge against your expanding, um, portfolio. So you’re joining a gym. Or better yet: 16 of them.

Welcome to Urban Fit Clubs, your all-access pass to the city’s most specialized sweatboxes, now accepting new members.

Think of this as sort of a Zipcar for gym memberships. You’ll sign up, and for a monthly fee (about $150), you’re suddenly ready for whatever workout you happen to be in the mood for.

So after the end of a long, hard week, when you’re just itching to punch someone (with your feet), you’ll find yourself doing your best stress-relieving roundhouse kicks at POW! Mixed Martial Arts in the West Loop. Maybe you’ve got an important beachside DJ set, so you’ll head to Lincoln Park CrossFit to tone up your stomach... that seven-pack is within reach.

If you need a little one-on-one time, there’s Kareem Team Fitness. Sign up for a session with Kareem A. Abdul-Jabbar, the taekwondo grandmaster, seventh-degree black belt and Olympic coach.

Yes, that Kareem A. Abdul-Jabbar.