D1 Training Breaks into Illinois – First of Four Chicagoland Facilities Opens Early 2020

CHICAGO – D1 Training, a leading fitness concept utilizing the five core tenets of athletic-based training, recently announced plans to bring four facilities to the Chicagoland area with the first location opening its doors early next year in Naperville, a suburb just 30 miles outside the city. D1 Training is a group fitness facility that utilizes a sports-science backed training regimen led by certified trainers to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals. The brand intends to add 10+ facilities across the state over the next three and a half years.

Kickstarting these development efforts are D1 Training franchisees, Paul Bullard and Jeffrey Cantieri. The entrepreneurial duo has signed on to open four facilities in the Chicagoland area, with site selection well underway in the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst/Oak Brook and Downers Grove/Willowbrook areas for their next three locations. The Naperville facility will be located at the corner of Route 59 and 75th Street in the Aurora Marketplace Shopping Center at 403 S. State Route 59 and will occupy nearly 12,000 square feet. D1 has partnered with industry-leading companies Plae and Sorinex to equip its new state-of-the-art facility with the same synthetic turf and weights used by professional and collegiate sports teams, ensuring that its members have the best equipment in the industry.

“Jeff and I have known each other for years and agreed about two years ago that we wanted to go into business together. After doing our due diligence into dozens of opportunities, we landed on D1 and couldn’t be more pleased with our decision,” shared Bullard, an attorney and area resident. “Having both been athletes and now involved in our kids’ sports, D1 is the perfect fit. We were looking for a positive, energetic and family-friendly business that offered the opportunity to follow our passions and make a meaningful impact in the community – we know Chicagoland will fall in love with D1 Training just as we did,” added Cantieri, who co-founded and ran a field marketing company for 30 years.

All D1 Training locations offer five age-based programs including Rookie (ages 7-11), Developmental (ages 12-14), Prep (ages 15-18), Boot Camp (adults) and Strength Training (adults). They also offer personal and team training. Each fitness program is based on D1’s 5-Star Training philosophy incorporating: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength, core and conditioning, and cool down. Every workout is designed by D1’s National Training Panel, led by a certified trainer, and built around the concept of periodization which builds week-upon-week to create a well-rounded program targeted to reach specific goals.

“We’re thrilled to finally announce that D1 Training is coming to Illinois,” said Dan Murphy, chief operating officer of D1 Training. “The scholastic sports culture and the need for high-quality adult fitness training throughout the state has fueled this aggressive growth. Our team is primed to ramp up Illinois expansion with franchise partnerships, so we’re very thankful to have found Jeff and Paul. They’re a passionate and knowledgeable pair, and will no doubt make D1 Training a household name in Chicagoland.”

About D1 Training

Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew, and based in Nashville, D1 Training began franchising in 2016. It has 27 locations currently open, with an additional 99 in development, across 26 states and anticipates more than 75 locations operating by the end of 2020. The brand was recently ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 and was named a Top 30 Gym in America by Men’s Health Magazine. D1 Training has been endorsed by the NFL Players Association as an approved training facility and is a preferred partner of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. D1 Training is actively seeking qualified, community-minded franchisees with a passion for the fitness industry to continue its growth through single and multi-unit franchise deals.

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