Quads Gym 5.34

It began as a dream shared between two childhood friends, 35 years ago, in a basement.

Dave De Young and Tom Milanovich lived that dream, opening a gym where friends could gather to lift weights, to get stronger and back then, to compete. Quads Gym evolved from Tom’s basement to a small storefront space, to the 46,000 square foot space in Calumet City, just south of Chicago, known back then as the “Land of the Giants” where true bodybuilders trained hard.

The second location opened on Chicago’s North Side in 1988, with another 40,000 square feet boasting 115 pieces of cardio, 5 complete sets of dumbbells, kettle bells, 45 pieces of Hammer Strength, and hundreds of other unique pieces from Cybex, Paramount, Nebula, Strength Inc., Elite Systems and Sports Art. All of this as well as boards, chains, farmers walk handles, a log, and a dead lift platform. Boxing, pilates and martial arts all combine to make it easy for bodybuilders to train here along with your everyday fitness enthusiast.

Gym member Greg Sorrells says, “if you’re serious about lifting, or if you want to be a power lifter in Chicago, you absolutely must come to Quads. Supportive atmosphere - everything you need to train is here. You can really get down to business, but it’s respectful,people give us our space and we give them theirs. It’s really given me a place to grow as an athlete, and Dave really likes it when we make some noise!"

Among the many accolades bestowed on Quads:

• Top 10 Gyms in America - Muscle & Fitness, 2005

• Top 10 Gym Haunts- Muscular Development, 2007

• Best of Chicago, Gym Category, The Chicago Reader, 2008

• 5 stars from Yelp and AOL

• Weightlifting home of Ed Coan - winner of 125 World Records in Power Lifting; 12 Senior National Championships and 12 World Championships a.k.a. “the Michael Jordan of Powerlifting”

Along with the world-famous Eddie Coan, who began lifting here lifting here 20 years ago, Quads members who took home trophies from the biggest contests year after year include: Pete Miller, Jeff King and the late Chuck Durr (Mr. America); Cynthia Barker (Ms. America) and Laura Crevalle (Ms. Olympia), Anthony Watkins (Teenage Mr. America), Milo Sarcev, Roland Kickinger and Chris Cormier (Mr. Olympia), and so many more - John Larrieu, Larry Bernstein and Mark Phillippi, now the Strength Coach at UNLV and winner of the Met-Rx Strong Man competitions. Simply put, anybody who wanted a serious place to train and get results came to Quads.

And we've even had the pleasure of hosting Lou Ferrigno twice and Franco Columbu, who once stopped by to promote his book “Winning Bodybuilding.”

Over the years a few pro athletes trained at Quads: Michael Finley of the Dallas Mavericks, Jason McKee of the Chicago Bears, Rodney Harrison of the New England Patriots, Simeon Rice, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But by far the folks who generated the most excitement were actors Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Chris O’Donnell, musician Henry Rollins and the legendary - Michael Jordan. Long time gym members still talk about the two times he walked through doors as Dave insisted everybody else keep their distance.

Tom and Dave, over the years, put their hearts and souls into their gyms and the people they served there. They've prided themselves in knowing their members by name, taking a genuine interest in those who chose Quads as their home away from home. Continuously making improvements was important to them as they did their best to get whatever the members asked for, and that shows. Reviews on www.Yelp.com give a glimpse into how respected the place is, “As a former athlete, I needed somewhere to work out – with cardio machines, free weights and weight machines, and I found all that at Quads” says one member. Another reviewer calls it “a serious gym for people serious about exercise. Not many frills but what they do have is plenty of iron. People are focused on strength-training & exercise. If you're looking for a real gym, not a spa with dumbbells, welcome home.”

"And that's exactly what I was looking for too, 14 years ago when my neighbor told me about Quads. I was greeted warmly and immediately noticed how unpretentious and laid back the place was. People are helpful at Quads. If someone noticed you could be getting more out of an exercise, or perhaps were puzzled about how to use a certain machine, they would take the time to give you a hand. That's the vibe there, and it really matters."

Quads is a fantastic place not only for those who know exactly what they're doing in the world of bodybuilding, but also for the everyday folks who just want to stay toned and in shape. Another really striking thing about working out at Quads is, you’re surrounded by more than 500 photographs. You'll see pioneers such as Steve Reeves, Bill Pearl, Larry Scott and George Eiferman on up to Sergio Oliva, Arnold and Lou Ferrigno. It’s a real gym – but in another sense it's a museum devoted to the sport of bodybuilding. And what an honor it was about 10 years ago when Dave was among those selected by Fairfax Hackley to join the Board of Directors of the Mr. America that year, as he was privileged to work alongside the late Mr. Reeves. But the most precious of these photos, to Dave and all those who knew him, are the pictures of Tom, a 6’5 giant with a heart as big as he was. Tom passed away in 2003, at the far-too-young age of 49. Friends since before they could walk, anyone who saw Tom and Dave working side by side knew they were having the time of their lives. Dave continues on now, without his best friend and partner, doing all he can to make Quads the best place it can be for those who come here. He does it not only for his members but for Tom and the dream they shared. Those of us at Quads who were privileged to know Tom help Dave keep his memory alive - remembering his laughter, his larger-than-life-presence, his generous spirit, his love for people, and his kindness.

Quads Gym is just about everything – it's hardcore, it's laid back, it's bodybuilding history, it's a place people call home, and it's still Dave and Tom.