I genuinely wanted to love this gym because the actual facility itself is very nice. The equipment is clean, the gym is well-maintained, and I truly enjoyed working out here while I was living in DC. Unfortunately, the membership and cancellation process completely ruined the experience for me and left me feeling like the business operates in a very predatory way. Before signing up, I explicitly told the employee helping me that I was only living in DC temporarily and would be moving out of DC at the beginning of the summer. I made this very clear because I did not want to accidentally get locked into a long-term contract while living somewhere short-term. I specifically asked what would happen when it was time for me to move, and I was told that cancelling the membership would be simple and "no problem." At absolutely no point during that conversation was I clearly informed that there would be a major early cancellation fee tied to the membership. Had someone transparently explained that cancelling early could cost me $149, I would never have signed up for this membership in the first place. Looking back, I honestly feel like the employee who signed me up was far more concerned about making a sale and getting his commission than actually helping me choose a membership that fit my situation and needs. I was upfront from the beginning that my stay in DC was temporary, yet I was still pushed into a long-term commitment that clearly did not make sense for someone in my circumstances. After moving and reaching out to cancel, the experience became incredibly frustrating. Instead of the "simple" process that had been described to me when signing up, I was suddenly told I needed to provide documentation proving my move and still pay a cancellation fee unless they decided to reduce it. That felt extremely misleading considering the circumstances had been disclosed from day one. To make matters worse, trying to contact corporate/customer service has been a complete nightmare. Emails regularly go unanswered for days at a time, communication is incredibly slow, and the entire process feels intentionally difficult and drawn out. There were even initial delays because the employee who signed me up entered my email incorrectly into the system. However, despite being told that the issue had been corrected, I still continued experiencing long periods without responses to my emails afterward. I have specifically had issues receiving timely responses from Jacob Kass, Karolin Nilsson, and Alex throughout this process, which has only added to the frustration. What is especially frustrating is that I am STILL in the middle of trying to cancel this membership over a month later. A cancellation process should not take this long or require this much back-and-forth communication just to resolve something that I was originally told would be "no problem." This entire process has been exhausting and unnecessarily stressful. What bothers me most is not even the money itself. It is the lack of transparency during the sign-up process combined with how difficult the cancellation process becomes afterward. If a customer openly tells your staff they are only in the city temporarily and asks about cancelling when they move, that is the exact moment when the contract terms and cancellation penalties should be very clearly explained. Instead, I was reassured that it would not be an issue, only to later find out that I was locked into a twelve-month commitment with expensive penalties attached. I do not recommend this gym to anyone. It is run in a way that I believe is a disservice to its customers. A nice facility does not make up for misleading membership practices, poor communication, and a cancellation process that feels intentionally difficult. This entire experience has been exhausting, frustrating, and deeply disappointing. - Sophie Nduati read more

Great gym, had all the equipment that you would need for weight lifting. I got a one day pass and tour and enjoyed my workout. It's not crowded, the locker room is nice, and plenty of equipment to fit your needs. read more

Where do I even start. My review is based on my 4 years of being a member here, the last year or so this place has been terrible, they are money oriented not customer oriented at all. - Soon as you signed with them they promise you daily clean towels but, you are luck the day that you get towels trough the whole weekdays,weekends you won't be getting any towels. - The gym is small and they don't let you know that you are NOT allowed to use the 3rd level most of the times, since It's reserved for members that pay extra to work with personal trainers, again they never mentioned to you that when you first signed with them, you won't find that in your contract neither. -Machines are constantly broken( as you can see from the pictures that I posted). - Parking is supposed to have secure camera working constantly( that was what they promised when I first signed with them), my car got broken into it twice while it was parked on the gym's garage, secure camera was broken at both times, I was not able to give the footage to the police. - They have changed their hours during Covid, haven't normalized their hours yet. - You will be charged a yearly fee of $40 dollars for new equipments, they got some new dumbbells few weeks ago for the first time in 4 years. - Manager won't responde to your emails or requests. -AC, they keep the gym almost 80° inside of the gym in the middle of the summer. - The studio on the lower level, you can't use it, it's their storage. - Sauna is always broken, they will take weeks to fix it. To be fair, front desk people and cleaning crew are really nice, besides that I would save money and time and, would not be come a member here, Sports and Health Gym is cheaper, bigger and it's only a block away from Balance. read more

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So angry. I moved to DC for a 3 month job. I clearly communicated that to the guy who sold me my Balance Gym membership, and he worked out some "great" deal for me where I could have a 3 month membership that ended after 3 months. The price seems right, and I paid upfront. I just checked my credit card yesterday, and that gym has been charging me an additional $104 per month! I knew something did not seem right when he told me to sign a contract that mentioned a monthly fee. He told me to disregard that, as it would not apply to me. Apparently, he made a huge error or he lied. Given how huge the error is, it appears totally fraudulent. I called, and I was told to email about being sold the wrong membership. Since then one person refunded me the money and cancelled my membership; now someone else plans to fight over ever dollar! So be careful; the people who manage this place are so sketchy. read more

This gym has a great location but other than that... Old machines-some going on a decade. When machines do break they are out for weeks for repair . Towel service is scarce- they are available 2/10 of the time. The personnel aren't very friendly and rarely say hello, good morning or whatever when you arrive. A water fountain has been out of service for a month now-there is only one fountain where you can fill up your bottle and of course, the filter change light is on. Now the cost-it's $100/month for a month to month membership-other gyms that are objectively better (new equipment and actual amenities) are 40% of the cost per month. I will say the place is clean. All considered, this place charges entirely too much, yet provides too little. Skip this place-it's definitely not worth your sweat (pun intended). read more

the price is right! I highly suggest for anyone visiting town for a week, $50 gets you unlimited classes, access to gym, towels, sauna for a whole week! very much worth it for a quick fix! read more

This is a weird gym. It used to be a WSC, which was a pretty well rounded health club- weights, classes, cardio, etc. It flipped over to a Balance about a year ago and has gotten strange. Area after area is getting turned into powerlifting and CrossFit areas, and now it has shirtless (seriously?) dudes hurting, shouting and slamming weights as loudly as they can. I'm a middle aged tatted up guy who lifts, and even I find it very off-putting. For proximity, I suspect I will stay (maybe), but the loud agro BS is a bit much. An important aside- the front desk and cleaning staff are very nice. A second aside- they close pretty early Friday's and weekends, but they used to back when it was a WSC, which was a bummer then, too. read more

Hi Cap Hill Friends 4/5 BUT-- a quick warning: DO NOT PARK IN THE CAP HILL GARAGE. There have been multiple break ins to cars over the last few months and there is NOTHING the gym can (or will) do about it. My boyfriend's car has been broken into for a second time in 6 months and on Wednesday there were 2 cars broken into AT THE SAME TIME. I have also driven into this garage on 2 separate occasions (separate from the ones mentioned above) and seen cars with windows smashed in. I have also heard from various trainers of this gym that this is closer to the 10th or 12th break-in on the property this year. I think what makes this worse is that we always stowed bags way (in the trunk) to prevent this possibility and we never kept valuables in the car. Nothing has ever been stolen and bags that were removed were found in the dumpster next to the rear entrance of the garage with nothing taken (in the event this happens to you). At this point it is literally just costing us money to repair windows and honestly it's just kind of annoying to have to pay 500 every time someone smashes a window. I was hoping by this point we would have either caught this person or something would have been done to prevent these break ins, but understandably its a hard situation so I just want to make sure you all know what decision you are making when you park your car in that garage. I am also a little disappointed the gym has not mad an official statement on the matter to patrons of this location. I love Balance and will always rate it 5/5 for quality but, because I haven not personally seen any official communication from the gym warning people (specifically who go here) how serious this issue is, I wanted to make sure everyone was able to make an informed decision before parking at this location. Yes, I understand you always park at your own peril but I believe it is very different when you know someone is actively preying on the property. I hope you all understand and that this might help at least one of you in the future. read more

Just had the rudest experience with the gentleman in the anime hoodie at the front desk. I asked him about an offer I received over text saying I could get my first month free at Balance Gym. He looked at my phone and laughed in my face saying the offer was no longer valid. I brushed it off then asking about the pricing for the gym and what the different plans were -- asking if he had a brochure or some layout to help me visualize the different offers. He kinda shrugged his shoulders and mumbled off the different plans saying there was no brochure. It was unprofessional and overall I have no interest in joining this gym now. read more

Gym isn't really up to par with other gyms that are cheaper, have longer hours, and larger variety of newer equipment. Gym equipment will break often, and not be fixed for months. For instance, 1of the 3 benches for the free weight area has been broken for 2 months as of now, and it is still broken. I have asked a few times about it, and they keep saying it will be fixed 'soon'. The hours should also be updated, as they have been scaled back for the weekends. They originally said this was due to covid, but they have not scaled back up the hours as they have gotten back to a normal amount of gym goers the last 6 months. I will say the staff is nice however. read more

I've been a member of this gym since it was under the Washington Sports Clubs umbrella. It suits my needs, but it could definitely be improved. It's often crowded, occasionally forcing me to skip parts of my workout because the necessary machines aren't available. Fortunately, I go to work late three days a week, so I'm generally able to avoid the busiest times. The TVs on the cardio equipment are very poor quality, only receiving a handful of channels and often with poor reception. Also, as others have mentioned, they are in the process of upgrading, but doing so in a very inconvenient manner. For instance, a couple of weekends ago they were doing some work on Saturday morning that required the electricity to be turned off in part of the gym. As a result, the very crowded lifting area was super dark. I recognize that memberships here are more economical than other clubs in the neighborhood. However, when you're paying $70+/month, you should be able to get a decent workout. Writing this review has actually inspired me to give the new Sport & Health a try. read more

I sign up for a month membership, and told the front desk person this. I just want to try the gym for a month just bc it was close to where I lived. They charge me for 4 months. Month to month is $100, the gym equipment is run down, and some up right junkie. Never could find the same brand of dumbbells. The cable machine didnt have the same clip on handles and most of the equipment didnt have a weight pin. The gym is old and customer service wasn't good. read more

Take Carly Isakovic's Rhythm Ride spin class. She is energetic and highly motivational. I have been taking her classes for years and love the energy and soundtrack she brings to each of her classes. read more

Coming here after going to the Thomas Circle location is a big let down. The culture kinda sucks - no one wipes down benches so I'm always wiping them off before and after my workout. And they've been doing a reno which is nice but it's taken forever and is being done without consideration for the members. Right now I'm at the gym unable to do half my workout because a room is being painted - why be so cheap? Pay the painters more and do it at non-peak times. Classes are also conducted in such a way that you often can't get to equipment you need like boxes. This gym is fine but I LOVED the Thomas Circle location and recommended it to a lot of people. But Capitol Hill is clearly the red headed step child of the company and not up to the same standards. read more

I've been a member for 7+ years and definitely have seen an improvement since Balance took over last year. There are infrastructure overhauling efforts to enhance the gym experience - new machines here and there. The new management has definitely beefed up the schedule with new class offerings for all different work out needs. Major kudos to Carly for the energy and focus she brings to her classes & her squad. Either through Spin or Balance Fit - go see Carly & you'll get results. You might have to push yourself during class, but Carly will be there with a positive attitude to help you meet your goals so that you feel stronger. Thanks, Balance & Carly! read more

Love this gym! It's close to work and is fairly clean. They update the equipment and space pretty frequently. Sometimes it gets too crowded though. The classes are great and it's easy to sign up in the app. My only complaint is the stretching area is now very crowded (and a little smelly?) after a renovation to add hard floors. read more

This gym is super inclusive in the front desk staff is absolutely. myself and co-worker had the pleasure of going on a tour with Noel who showed us everything that we need to know about the gym. the equipment is maintained well it looks like and they have every piece of equipment that I could hope for. upon our first time visiting and working out my co-worker and myself really love this place and look forward to many more workouts there. read more

I am in the market for a new gym after having recently moved to DC. After checking out a few gyms around town, I decided to give Balance's Capitol Hill location a try. What differentiates this gym from many others is the dedication of its staff and instructors - they go above and beyond to make sure that you are comfortable during your work-outs, and that you feel as if you are a part of the community. I am an avid boxer, and have been looking around town for a place to do some solo training. Oscar, one of the boxing coaches at this particular Balance, routinely helps me put up the boxing bag, and will often swing by to motivate me to continue improving. Even more impressive was how Oscar told me during the first week that he tries to leave out a pair or two of gloves in case anyone forgets to bring their own. Many of the large/mainstream MMA gyms I've sampled have often promised times where I could reserve a bag and get a solo workout in; however, I discovered that this is far from the advertised truth. Moreover, I never once felt negatively pressured or threatened to engage in any type of long term contract. Both Noel and Joanel have been a pleasure to work with in regards to the contract process; they walked me through different plans and made sure that I was comfortable with my decision. Other small details that sets Balance apart from other gyms: The other gym-goers at this Balance have always been polite and friendly. The front desk is always stocked with towels, and the automatic hand sanitizer has never once been empty (much to my amazement!). The equipment could be improved; yet, I recently heard that they will be bringing in new machines and new boxing equipment, which I am very much looking forward to. Fitness and staying healthy is such a big part of my life, and I am happy to give this Balance 5/5 for its pleasant community, the awesome staff, and the friendly environment. read more

There are many things I like about this gym - friendly, convenient, affordable compared to other gyms in the area - but Carly's spin and total body conditioning classes are the reason I keep coming back. Before discovering her classes, I was starting to get bored with my routine and my motivation to work out was starting to wane. Now, I look forward to the gym. As an instructor, Carly is endlessly positive and encouraging. No two workouts are the same, so your body is constantly challenged. Carly encourages you to (safely) push yourself beyond your comfort zone, which has allowed me to discover I'm capable of a lot more than I thought I was (so cheesy, I know!) If you haven't checked out her classes yet, do it! You won't be disappointed! Regarding the gym itself, it's true that some of the equipment could use an update, but with the new ownership, I imagine there are plans to make changes and improvements. Since I mostly go for classes, it doesn't bother me, but if you're someone who goes to the gym for the cardio equipment and free weights, it's not the most modern gym. That said, other gyms in the area start around $100/month, and I think every gym probably has its own issues. Thus far I get the sense that the new management cares about improving customer experience, so I'm happy. Plus, I couldn't give up Carly's classes! :-) read more

I moved here for the summer and bought a temp membership with Balance Gym. I love this gym and it's a good size and distance from my housing. It's always clean and the staff is super friendly. The ladies taking care of the locker rooms are the nicest and doing an amazing job. The gym is a nice and safe place. I just wished they had later hours. I'm used to a 24 hour gym back in my area, but other than that I really like this gym. read more

This location of balance gym is horrible. They charge members even after canceling membership. They have poor communication and steal from members by over charging. Please be aware before you sign up with this gym. My membership was canceled last year in October 2020 and I am still being charged in almost February of 2021! read more

I really liked this gym while I was in the area. The gym has a lot of cardio equipment and weights. There is plenty of space for stretching and ab workouts. read more

This is a pretty blah and average gym at best. The equipment is old and there's a poor selection overall. Pull-down bars have uneven grips; preacher curl set is missing a chair cushion. There are few plates in the freeweight area and I don't thing there's a 10lb plate in the building. There's no weight tree on one side of the gym and plates are tossed around on the floor. The treadmills are ancient like everything else in this gym and TVs on them don't work; when they do they only work for a minute or so and then turn off. Broken equipment doesn't get fixed or replaced here. Wifi doesn't work upstairs, only on the first floor. Pros: Towel service and limited parking is available. read more

Right away the front desk was helpful in getting me the membership I wanted after I had problems with upped rates at my last gym. Not usually packed when I go around 1 pm and I enjoy the free towel service! Haven't tried classes yet but is great it comes with the membership. Looking forward to my month of workouts here! read more

I joined this gym for the five weeks I was in DC, thinking it would be closeby where I was staying and that was good enough. I was thrilled to find out how clean, big, and nice it was. Everyone was friendly, machines are current, and although I didn't make it any classes, they have a whole schedule of what looked to be great ones. The ladies locker room was always clean and well-stocked with everything you need. read more

As a summer intern living in the neighborhood, Balance Gym has been such a blast to train at. Friendly staff, a wide variety of equipment, a handful of terrific classes available and flexible hours. There is a variety of athletes here, from beginners to advanced, CrossFit to bodybuilding to power lifting. As someone who likes to train before work, I'm so glad Balance is open early enough for people working 9-5 to get a lift in. Not to mention, Balance is partnered with Territory Foods (meal prep service). I'm loving hitting the gym in the morning and picking up my weekly meals right there. Definitely would be training here long term if I was permanently in D.C. read more

I lived in DC for a few months on a work experience program. Coming from LA, the mecca of gyms, I have to say, this place more than lived up to my standards. I never got to try any of the classes unfortunately, but I'm sure with more time and less procrastinating I could have made it to the gym early enough to participate in a few. It was the perfect way to end a stressful day working on Capitol Hill, and cheaper than a six pack as well. The staff are polite and welcoming, and wouldn't fuss even when I had to stay a few minutes after closing. The gym also became my pseudo-physical therapy center after I dislocated my knee after only one month in DC. I built up the muscles again on the treadmills and leg machines, and I was back to regular function so quickly I didn't even realize. I would go late evenings, but even on the busiest of days I wasn't waiting around for a bench or cardio machine to become available. There's also a great mix of people, from serious lifters to those just looking to relieve some stress, so you never feel out of place. Overall this is a great gym; super convenient location, friendly staff, and a real abundance of machines for what some might consider a smaller facility. Would definitely recommend to anyone living in the Capitol Hill area. read more

I have been a member of various gyms in the past, and I can honestly say that there has not been one where I stayed a member of for this long. I love this place, its nice facilities, and the knowledgeable staff. read more

Excellent gym, however it can be very crowded in the weightlifting area. I haven't been there since they reopened but it sounds like they have some very respectable COVID-19 policies. They also were kind enough to lend me our gym equipment which I'll be returning soon. I truly appreciate them doing this because I would've not been able to keep up muscle mass like I did. read more

A great friendly neighborhood gym with a lot of fun classes! Good updates in the ladies' locker room as opposed to WSC beforehand. Cleaning crew is very friendly and thorough. The front desk staff and instructors are very courteous and accommodating. Great boxing classes with Owen, great Fit classes with Vince, Barbells with Gabe, BootCamp with Brandon and Mike S... and so many other great classes! read more

If you live and/or work on the Hill, then *this* is the gym to get your gains. I've had nothing but a positive experience since joining in November 2017. For a more structured workout, I can highly recommend trainer Rod Hill (FitSquad International). Rod is a true professional and a wealth of exercise and health-science information. Thanks, Rod! read more

Loved this gym but they have a rip off on their cancellation policy. When I moved out of town I froze my membership not knowing if I wanted to totally cancel my gym membership at the time. Now I need to cancel it but still have to pay for a month I don't need. Just want you to know this policy when you join and not find out the fine print later. Libby D. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. Everyone that works here is really friendly, and the members are a nice, family-like community. The monthly price is totally reasonable, especially compared to the other options in the area, and because there are three floors, you can pretty much always find a spot that's not too crowded and equipment that's still available. When I joined in December of 2016, I warned them that I might be leaving the area for grad school the following fall, and they assured me that as long as I provided proof I was moving, I would be able to terminate my membership whenever I needed to. Fast forward to a few months ago - I sent an email that I was moving and they took care of everything! They let me know when I'd be billed for the last time and I had no issues. I really miss this gym and would certainly still be a member if I lived in the area. read more

Balance is a great, and it has made a lot of valuable improvements! I really only go to Balance for my personal trainer, Rod Hill. He has been my trainer for four years, and I wouldn't go to anyone else. I recently broke my ankle, and he has helped me build back my strength. I'm now better than ever!! He is incredibly knowledgeable, and it is clear that he went to school for exercise science. I am constantly learning what new muscles do what. I am always seeing results. I would recommend everyone to train with Rod!! read more

I've been trying to get in touch with someone to cancel my membership for about 3 weeks. You have to do it through the billing department, but the billing department doesn't call or email back. That should not be legal. read more

Carly's cycling classes and the man himself, Owen's boxing sessions are the best ANYWHERE!!!

I've been a runner for as long as I could remember so when I started to plateau I started looking for a gym and was initially frustrated with all of them. Everything was so insanely priced and as someone who was totally self conscious about starting to lift a lot of them were overly intimidating. When I came across Balance I knew it was the perfect match. Not only was it completely reasonable price wise but everyone there (trainers, workers, gym members) are so friendly. I absolutely love Vince's total body gym conditioning class and Kirsten's butts and guts class but there hasn't been a class or an instructor that I've come across that I wouldn't recommend. read more

Been a member here since the new ownership change to Balance. There have been a ton of changes over the years, platforms have been installed downstairs with a few additional racks, bumpers have been added for oly lifters, and upstairs has got a bit more compressed with the addition of the new spinning studio. My review is from a bodybuilding perspective primarily. That being said, I'll lead with the good. Everyone who takes classes there seems to really enjoy it. If you're looking for a gym purely for cardio and classes, you would have no problem at Balance. I am the opposite in that I go to lift during the week and do not hit cardio or classes and as such, space has become a limiting factor for me. What's good is that they've added racks and platforms where at first there was a very small training area upstairs for members to train legs that has now turned into a turf/functional training area. The staff is also awesome and super-friendly and I've never had anything but good vibes from everyone. Now onto what could be improved. First, the free weight training area is incredibly small for the volume of members that use it. If you are looking to workout uninterrupted without working in or waiting on benches/cables to be freed up, you're going to want to come in closer to 5 or 6 am, after work forget it unless you're coming in at 7:30 or later. Part of the downside of adding the turf area and the spinning studio + racks downstairs is Balance has gotten rid of their second cable pulley station (among other things), so if one person is doing chest flys there are no alternative cables available. As far as the upstairs racks go, there are 2 flat benches, 1 incline, 1 decline, and one squat rack available, so again space and availability are issues during regular hours. The new platforms downstairs are very nice and if you're an oly lifter you'd probably be fine at Balance. That said, if you're deadlifting more than 450 there are no competition plates available and I've only ever been able to configure 450 max on the bar itself with the bumpers, so keep that in mind if you're working with weights higher than that. Additionally much of the equipment has been crammed close together to accommodate the new areas so navigating loading the hammer strength machines can prove difficult when walking around with plates in your hands. In essence, the weight training area could stand to be twice the size it is, so if you're primarily a lifter, consider this before committing depending on what hours you can make it in. Overall 3/5 for folks looking to lift, probably a 4 or 5/5 for folks looking for cardio/classes. read more

Part of a small local gym group I was stoked when balance took over this location from an old operator. You see the owners / management in the gym all the time and it shows. Its not the biggest gym but it has everything I need and the staff is super friendly. I make a point to support small local businesses like Balance! read more

Balance Gym bought this location from Washington Sports Club a couple of years ago and made substantial improvements to it, such as new and better equipment. But the best part of this gym for me is Carly, a gym instructor whose classes I have been taking for over 5 years. Carly has tons of energy and really motivates the class. She varies the workouts every week while still managing to always make them challenging but fun. read more