LOGAN SQUARE — A new strength training gym on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square is standing out with its red and blue colors that feel “very Chicago,” said owner Tom Schneider.

Schneider, of Logan Square, opened his gym, Coach Tom, last month at 2000 N. Milwaukee Ave. and held a grand opening celebration this weekend. It’s the first Chicago location for his business and the second gym for his company, with the first in suburban Kenilworth.

Coach Tom focuses on group strength training and is geared toward anyone wanting to increase their strength goals in a group setting that still feels customized and personal, Schneider said.

The Logan Square gym is simple, with a few benches, fitness boxes for box jumps, resistance machines, free weights and ample space for group exercises.

The gym is open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. by appointment. Group classes combine a sequence of exercises that target all parts of the body to increase resistance training and movement and to build healthy habits, the owner said.

“Exercise is a universal language that everybody benefits from, and there are certainly a lot of great places that do an awesome job providing a certain niche when it comes generating a good workout atmosphere, and I just want people to come in here be comfortable being themselves,” Schneider said. “We help people move better and become more functional for their everyday life.”

Schneider hopes his group classes, led by himself and four other trainers, can increase participants’ feelings of community and camaraderie while being tailored to their needs, he said.

Tom Schneider opened his gym, Coach Tom, at 2000 N. Milwaukee Ave. Logan Square in October and shows off an arm exercise on Nov. 20, 2025. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago

Schneider has over 10 years of experience as a strength coach and has worked at various gyms as a personal trainer, so opening a location in his own neighborhood felt like a natural next step for Coach Tom.

“I wanted something that sort of replicated what I have up north, and this is pretty much the same square footage,” he said. “The layouts are very similar.”

While Schneider knows there are many activities one can do to increase strength and resistance like biking, swimming or running —  like his 2016 cross-country bike trip from Los Angeles to D.C. that clocked 2,500 miles — his group classes are another option for Northwest Siders.

“We just want to see an advancement and people living healthier lifestyle, and I think strength training offers a very unique set of abilities and important factors that go beyond what your number says on the scale,” Schneider said.

Pricing for the Logan Square gym is $275 a month for four training sessions a week for the first 50 people who sign up, $100 a month for one session a week, $180 a month for two sessions a week and $240 a month for three times a week.

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