There is no shortage of CrossFit gyms in NoVA but Sand & Steel Fitness strikes the perfect balance…read moreof exceedingly knowledgeable coaches, thoughtful programming, an enthusiastically welcoming community, and the cleanest gym you'll ever walk into. The exercise equipment and pro shop gear/supplements are all top of the line - you can tell that a lot of time is invested into making sure that S&S is outfitted with the high quality fitness products you need to reach your goals. Group classes are intentionally small so coaches consistently provide the feedback necessary to promote progress and prevent injury. In conjunction with the workouts, Nutrition and Mobility coaching create the perfect antidote for the desk life that plagues many of us in the DMV area. Sand & Steel meets everyone where they are, making it easy to just show up and do the work. Paul and Dawn maintain a strong culture of safety, standards, and support so, no matter what class or session you're in, you will get top tier instruction, modifications, and motivation from day one.

Pros: squeaky clean (even my home gym is not that spotless). The owner, Paul, is super nice,…read morehelpful, and inspiring. The overall atmosphere is not intimidating at all. There are so many activities and things to do besides the actual workout which provides for a strong sense of community. All the above make it a great box, what makes the place exceptional is the fact that they go out of their way to help and support you. Paul worked with me to create the best plan that fits my time, finances, and goals. My coach, Ben, who is super nice and knowledgable, went above and beyond to teach me the right form and technique. When I told him I was little nervous about taking the first class, he offered to workout next to me to make sure I was doing well. That is a level of care you only see in people who are passionate about what they do and take pride in their work. Cons: None. Really, none!

SweatBox is located inside the Vida Fitness in Ballston. The first time I went, I nearly got lost…read moretrying to find the studio on the lower level of the gym, tucked in the back. It's worth finding! It's like a fun fitness party. The workouts are all a bit different and all incredible. I felt stronger and more energized after starting at SweatBox. The main SweatBox classes offer a combination of cycling, weights, and more in a high-intensity interval training format. It's a full body workout. Expect high energy, upbeat music, dim lights, and plenty of sweat. There is also a Stretch and Mobility class that is great for loosening up tight muscles. The instructors have a very positive attitude and inspire the students. This isn't one of those studios where you'll feel shamed or intimidated. Much of the credit goes to the Studio Manager, Gwen, who is also a fantastic instructor and lovely person. Gwen makes sure that everyone gets a great workout while having a great time in class. SweatBox is super lucky to have her! For me, it comes down to this: SweatBox motivates me to beat my own personal bests. I saw huge changes in my endurance and confidence after only a few classes. I would definitely recommend giving this studio a try.

Truly love SweatBox. Fantastic music! This is the best workout if you want real results. It's tough…read morebut doable, well-structured, and keeps you engaged the entire time. I always leave feeling accomplished and energized. Worth every minute.

I 1st one to start off by saying this is more than a gym, It's a community. I started my weight…read moreloss journey January 11th 2019 and I've been holding off writing this review for a while now. I've encountered So many experienced coaches and trainers, that are well educated in nutrition , weight loss and fitness also great motivators. I started off with a 6 week challenge and during that time I lost 16 pounds, I was amazed!. Out of all the Fitness centers, fad diets, personal trainers and Nutritionist; I have never gotten long lasting, life changing results until I encountered The Worx. After the 6 wk challenge I decided to join and I did that for me because I deserve it plus it was working. During my journey at The Worx I gained a healthy mindset, great discipline and my self esteem leveled up. I lost a total of 50lbs from the start of January 11th til August of 2019 . I was ecstatic !! not only did I look better but I felt so much better too. my energy level went up my self esteem went up and I will look great. By all means this gym, No, this community is by far the best choice I have made for my life change. I will recommend anyone who is searching for MORE to give The Worx a try and give yourself a chance. YOU DESERVE IT!

I used to work out here pre-COVID. I love the classes. She also offers personal training. It's so…read morehelpful for me because I'll definitely find a reason to not workout or give it 100%. The coaches are encouraging and the workouts are great. It's such a supportive community for all abilities and levels.

I recently got back into orange theory and I am so happy I upgraded to unlimited. The workouts have…read morebeen very challenging and every day is different! The Ballston studio is great at mixing up workouts and classes as well as engaging with their members through happy hours or the themed classes. The studio is clean and the coaches, manager and other staff are always so friendly. The coaches are a great source of encouragement during the class and make it a point to demonstrate correct and safe form while conducting the workouts. They offer a 45 minute lift class as well as a 90 minute weekend class in addition to their regular 60 minute classes. Orange Theory is great for all types of experience levels from beginner to experienced. If you live in or near the Ballston area I would recommend this to anyone.

The studio was on the smaller side and a little cramped. Space 8 on the floor was no where near a…read moremirror. The coach was nice though! The room was warm. Coming from AZ I'm used to the rooms being fully air conditioned. The management was not great as I was informed as a visitor that I'd be paying an extra fee to take the class once I was already en route in an uber. It would have been nice to have been informed that their studio was a level 5 and that I would be charged beforehand. I spoke with the manager after the class to explain my situation and she didn't seem to care. Being a long time OTF member with many visits to studios across the country my first time visit to this studio did not leave the best impression.

I can always count on Barry's to push my limits!…read more I missed the gym a couple days this week because of work and decided to come here today to make up for it! The instructors have changed from when I first came but today's instructor was awesome!! I love how today's instructor gave a base for the class and encouraged you to go at your own pace but push yourself... They have opened a location in Bethesda so maybe I can make that my Barry's home vs taking this ride. But it's definitely worth the ride!! Happy Yelping!

Barry's is so welcoming! This class really kicked my butt though!! Really great location with good…read moreparking and great workers that also make great smoothies! Will be back :)

I trained at Crossfit Annandale for the summer, and I cannot say enough great things about my…read moreexperience there. I emailed every single xfit gym in the Annandale/Burke/Fairfax//Arlington area looking for a place to call home for the summer, and Crossfit Annandale was by far the most responsive, had the most reasonable rates, and seemed the friendliest in that initial email exchange. Once I got to the gym, the athletes were friendly, encouraging, and generally awesome. The coaching staff was incredibly knowledgeable, emphasizing good technique while also holding every athlete accountable for doing good work (read: leaving you gasping on the ground like a fish out of water when the wod was over). Sam, the owner, was at the gym basically every day, either coaching, or working out, or doing one thing or another to improve the facility (some days, I'd wager all three); he and his wife are so rad, and their attitude totally comes through in the way the gym is run. It feels like recess, it feels like home, it feels like it works! I had multiple PRs over the summer (bench press and double-unders, as well as strict pull-ups), and I'm certain that it's because I loved showing up to Crossfit Annandale everyday and just trying to kill every single workout. That's the kind of environment they've created at their gym, and I, along with every other athlete I saw there, left every single workout smiling. Go there. Work hard. Love fitness, and love Crossfit Annandale. They'll totally love you back.

I have been a member here for 2 years and would recommend this gym to anyone I the area. It is a…read moregreat Crossfit gym with capable coaches and a great atmosphere. Great for both experienced athletes and people new to Crossfit. There is a good selection of equipment and it is kept in good shape. The coaches are all encouraging and friendly as in addition to being well informed on working out. There is ample parking right in front of the gym. Facilities are similar to what I have seen in other Crossfit gyms in the area - just one bathroom. The gym is cleaned regularly.

The results really do speak for themselves. It's not cheap to have a recurring membership and we…read moreonly did a a weeklong trial (which is very affordable) there before we moved, but the experience we had couldn't have been better. The coaches are so positive and motivating, as well as thorough in their pre workout demonstrations and make those small corrections in our movements that make all the difference in our results and the burnnn! The HIIT circuits are setup so nicely, flowing through about 10 different stations and leaving the whole body worked by the end of the class. These classes are pretty solid for building muscle but you're not going to get huge or insanely strong with this style of workout. This will be more for toning muscle/athletic build as well as gaining functionality and work capacity. It's nice that it's all based on time rather than numbers so everybody can go at their own pace. However, if you really want to push yourself as hard as possible, then I'd say this targets the heart and lungs more than anything, and health is what it's really all about. This is even true in the resistance classes, which you always leave with a serious pump. The weights you're using aren't as heavy as CrossFit which mostly allows for you to push yourself in a safer and higher paced manner and there's more variance in exercises and movements than Orange Theory without the concern of running injuries so while all of the big name HIIT enterprises have some advantages, I believe F45 is the best because it has the most well-rounded diverse stimulus mentally and physically and therefore has the most potentially for truly being "in-shape", healthy, functional, and athletic because you're more motivated to consistently train hard and allowed to do so while staying injury free. If I have to knock it I'd say that some of the exercises are more body building oriented (fly's and curls) than I'd like, but most are also performance based. I will also admit, if this were my only training then I'd definitely like to have heavier weights on resistance days because those end up mostly being muscle endurance for me (which ultimately is more important than raw strength if I'm forced to choose). I'd also appreciate a little more sprinting but I know that greatly increases the injury risk so I understand the omission there. Also if there was more space, I would love to incorporate something more explosive like med ball throws and rope climbs. All in all though, considering the energy in there, the results you'll get from start to finish only sacrificing 45 minutes to make the rest of your day better, and possibly even have another little social outlet, this place is great!

I get it I'm older, but the staff here was dismissive and just plain rude…read more Guess they saved me money by being rude up front before I got into a contract or whatever with them. Disappointing for sure.