About Flahive's Strength Training

EXPERIENCE AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO FITNESS, BASED ON YOUR GOALS

At Flahive’s Strength Training, our mission is to empower people to lead a healthier, happier life by creating a workout experience unlike any other. Since our inception in 2011, we have set the standard for industry leading training and a welcoming community where people of all ages and levels are set up to succeed in achieving their goals.
We wholeheartedly believe in a long term sustainable fitness plan, and we help you accomplish that by creating a gym and workout experience that helps you stay consistent for years to come.

We are here to support you every step of the way.

What you’ll quickly notice about our gym is that it’s not like other gyms you might’ve been to or seen. Each day, as you walk through the door, the energy inside our gym is warm and electric, welcoming and encouraging you to have a fun, productive workout.

Here, you’ll see real people—not people with their shirts off screaming, grunting, and yelling. You’ll see a community that’s pushing, encouraging, and laughing with one another as they’re being pushed and challenged. Even though our members are working their butts off, they still have time for a smile, a quick joke with a coach, or a high five with a passing by friend. It’s the little things like this that make our gym a place people love to spend time in, and we’re proud of this authenticity. We keep it real, so you always feel welcome.

We’re a gym for people of all different fitness levels, who each have different goals. Despite this, we make every person feel welcome, giving them a plan created just for them, to help them along their fitness journey. Here, you’ll find the tools to create long-term sustainable results, in a community atmosphere that inspires confidence! Our knowledgeable coaches, individualized plans and commitment to making you stronger, healthier and happier are what define us. Come experience Flahive’s Strength Training for yourself!

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Our History

By Owner, Connor Flahive

In 2011, at the age of 23 and in my final semester at NIU (on the 5 year plan), I opened my dream gym, Flahive’s Strength Training. The gym started small, pieced together with used equipment from Craigslist that I stored in parent’s basement. But it didn’t matter. Despite its humble beginnings, Flahive’s began laying the foundation for what would evolve into a remarkable journey. A gym that was built on the values of great people, great training, and creating a culture and atmosphere that was unlike any other on the Northwest side of Chicago.

Initially, Flahive’s was in a small office space and primarily catered to athletes. The program grew quickly and young athletes spent their off-seasons training and were “Built By FAST”…one of our original slogans. Cringeworthy, I know. Around the same time, we launched a “Women’s Bootcamp,” and our adult program started gaining momentum. Slow, but steady. I am forever humbled by adults coming into the gym and picking us over every other option. Many of those women that started back in 2011 are still training with us 12+ years later.

Our first gym quickly became too small to contain our expanding community, and we moved to a little store front in Des Plaines in 2012. A few months in, we tore down walls and continued growing, which led us to hiring our first two coaches. Just as we expected our members to give their all, we matched their dedication with our own, working early mornings, late nights, and weekends to build strong relationships, provide top-notch training, and deliver amazing results. Shoutout to Tommy Treslo and Billy Hughes. 

In Des Plaines, we introduced a Men’s Strength Camp. I still remember those initial eight guys gathering for orientation in our tiny office. To be blunt, it shouldn’t have worked, but it did. We started by earning those 8 guys’ business. We willed the program to grow. Similar to our women’s bootcamp ladies, many of them are still with us at the time of writing this.

Within two years, we outgrew our Des Plaines location, and moved to Niles. Our athlete and adult programs continue to gain momentum and success within the community. At this point, we could proudly say that we worked with and helped hundreds of young athletes and men and women who look and feel great, perform at their best, and thoroughly enjoy their fitness journey. It’s been a hell of a ride.

Truth be told, I don’t spend a lot of time reflecting on our history or past wins. We often get caught up in what is next and move the focus away from our original goal of providing a great experience every single session and every single day. Those days have turned into years. Our focus has stayed on the process, trying to be the gym and service that people can count on and look at for strength no matter what is going on in their life or the world. 

In writing this, I can’t help but look back at the incredible ride. I am so lucky to be able to be able to work with & lead the amazing team that we have. And, we, collectively, are so lucky to work with amazing people on a daily basis. There is nothing better than being able to love what you do and love who you do it with.

In closing, if you are reading this, we invite you to join our Flahive Family and come see what we are about!

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