My Story

My personal fitness journey is not one of weight loss, but of weight gain! I began this journey towards the end of my college years in the school gym. Countless times I tried to gain the muscle I had desired without any success. It wasn’t until I realized anxiety was taking away from my wellbeing that I found salvation in strength training. Over the course of the next couple of years I gained over 50lbs of muscle and became passionate about health and strength training. Following the completion of my Bachelors degree from Illinois State University, I quickly became certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer. Over the next two years I gained my experience working in multiple high-end fitness clubs, including Fitness Formula Clubs, and The Spa at Trump Health Club.  During this time, I got the inspiration to start Pure Strength Chicago. 

Consultation and Assessment

The fitness consultation and initial workout are truly the hardest part of reaching your goals—for first time training clients, setting foot in a gym can be intimidating, or if you haven’t picked up a weight in years getting started seems impossible. Life gets busy and taking care of your body becomes more and more difficult, not to mention meeting with a personal trainer—think a terrible blind date. This is the point in the blind date where I bring my laid back personality and reassure you that you I have your best interest in mind by building trust and rapport. I will build a training program tailored to your lifestyle while making your goal a reality. Here is a list of what our initial meeting will look like:

• Full interview of medical/exercise history
• We will talk about your work out style (what you actually do)
• What motivates you and what you struggle with the most

Let's talk Nutrition...and habits! 

What are your eating habits (weekdays and weekends)? Do you practice any health lifestyles? Paleo, Vegetarian, Whole30, etc.

How much alcohol do you consume? If you could be one animal, what would you be and why? What song would play in the background of your life? 

During the consultation and initial assessment, there is a Functional movement screen. These tests are in place for me to better understand what kind of exercises will help you achieve your goal faster, including: shoulder mobility, core stability/engagement, hip flexibility, push and pull strength, and muscular endurance, to name a few. Getting excited?!

Pricing

I operate at lower margins in order to provide you with the best possible pricing:

$70 per hour session (one-on-one private training)
$100 per hour partner session (2-3 people)
$50 per half hour session 

Fitness Programs

Progress clients through the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) model.

My workout techniques implements from the following training principles:

• Strength training

• Full body strength training

• Circuit training

• High intensity interval training

• Olympic lifting/movements

• Kettlebell training

• Hypertrophy

• Sports performance

• Group hit classes/partner training. 

IF YOU ARE STILL HAVING TROUBLE DECIDING IF PURE STRENGTH CHICAGO IS FOR YOU, THEN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING!

While I enjoy the results of working out, I really don’t like doing it. That’s why, for me, it takes a special kind of personal trainer to keep me motivated. Trevor is that kind of trainer. He’s fun and personable, and he mixes things up to keep workouts fresh and interesting. Plus he gets results. My workout goals are to gain muscle mass and strength, and Trevor kept me on track with consistent gains. I highly recommend Trevor as a personal trainer.

–John, 51

Trevor is an amazing trainer.  I have been working with him for almost a year and have seen significant improvements in my strength, flexibility and stamina.  He is extremely knowledgeable about fitness and strength training and was able to help me work on my form and always has the answers to any question I ask.  Each session is different and focused on different muscles groups to give me a fantastic full-body workout.  He is fun to work with and always makes the experience a bit less painful - although he is certainly good at kicking your butt too! I have an previous injury that has kept me from ever being able to workout to the extent that I would have liked in the past and was very nervous about working with a trainer.  Yet Trevor found ways for me to exercise that pushed my body and worked within my own limitations to give me an amazing workout every week.   I feel stronger than I have ever been and am much more confident in my own ability instead of my own limitations when it comes to fitness.  I am so thankful to Trevor for this and I would recommend him to anyone!

–Hannah, 32

I was a member of a corporate box gym for nearly five years. In that time I have worked with a series of trainers that I have enjoyed on both a personal and professional level. 15 months ago my former trainer (1+ year together) relocated to Los Angeles and I started seeing Trevor Weidner. Initially I was apprehensive as the trainer/client relationship is very personal and oriented to the client’s abilities/goals/limits.  Trevor immediately put me at ease and got me into a routine that I was comfortable with. More importantly, he immediately challenged my existing goals and limits and got me moving in ways I had never tried before. Now I see Trevor three times a week. Our sessions are always fun yet challenging (grueling in a good way!). I especially appreciate that he keeps things fresh and avoids the monotony of repeating workouts, which is something I have unfortunately experienced with other trainers. I have a job that is filled with high pressures and limits the time in which to work out. With Trevor, the full body conditioning that I can achieve in 3 hours a week has reduced my stress and help me meet fitness and weight goals that previously seemed unattainable. Family and friends that have not seen me in a year have expressed shock and my body’s transformation. The sense of renewed health, strength and general well-being is amazing and I owe it to Trevor. He is patient and committed to listening to the needs of his client but he also brings an intensity and dynamism to each session that you will be feeling for several days to follow! On a purely personal level, he is also a lot of fun and has a great sense of humor so a workout is something I look forward to instead of a dreaded chore. I recommend him highly, without compromise or reservation. You will not be disappointed by your results!

–Matt, 34

I have been training with Trevor for nearly two years, twice time per week. He is not my first trainer so I have some experience with the profession. Trevor has been a pleasure to work and stands apart from my other trainers for a number of reasons. When we first started working together, he listened to my fitness goals and tailored my program to help meet those goals. He makes sure I always use proper form when working out and doesn’t put up with shortcuts.   He changes our workout routines all of the time, so I never feel like I am doing the same old things.   I have always been in pretty good physical condition, but can truly say that through training with Trevor, I am now in the best shape of my life. Trevor is also very personable, friendly, and a pleasure to talk with. Hard workouts aren’t always a lot of fun, but we still manage to have a good time and even some laughs!  Trevor has also been really helpful in working with me on diet and nutrition. I would HIGHLY recommend Trevor to anyone who wants to improve his or her fitness.

–Mark, 52