SWEAT DC - Park View — Local services in Washington

Mixed feelings about Sweat. If you’re motivated by super high intensity workouts, this could be for you. I’m glad I came as a beginner when it was more chill- I learned a lot, liked the community, and conquered my fear of weight lifting. But the cons eventually outweighed the pros for me. I’d recommend trying it out with one off classes to make sure it’s right for you. I was a part of this gym for two years- 2021- fall 2023. But the vibe changed a lot in that time- from a welcoming but challenging environment with a variety of coaching styles to a high pressure, high intensity environment constantly pushing for more commitment and $ and eventually only one coaching style- super high energy yelling. They also in the process became less inclusive to people who weren’t already fit/ couldn’t hack the high intensity or sometimes odd movements in the workouts. Coaches were still able to modify if you asked- but near the end of my time they didn’t seem to understand why mods were needed. The structure of the workouts were rushed with incorporating HIIT and very little time for rest or stretching. For me this structure went from empowering and inclusive to really demotivating. They were also less receptive to feedback as time went on and got a bit shady with their membership and hiring practices, which was the last straw for me. Because of the high pressure, it may no longer be the best environment for someone who is very self conscious or has past health issues related to...

It's a great workout and vibe. I do drop in classes every now and then because it's close and it's sorta my club alternative since quitting drinking. However, it's not a gym that I could ever become a member of, and quality of instruction sometimes varies greatly by trainer. I've done pretty common mods (e.g. foot on floor not bench when we were supposed to do bulgarians because I was having trouble with my ankle) and was pressured/ questioned a lot by certain coaches. I've also gotten lectured for showing up 30s late to class because the train was late. Literally took up the entire warm up shaming me that I was going to miss the warm up for coming late, when I would have been fine otherwise. The program itself is great. Most of the coaches are great. The main things that keeps me from becoming a member is 1) pricing structure, and 2) inability to play sports and hit both an upper and lower day. 1) the lower tier of membership prevents you from going to an upper, lower, and full body day, so the only option if you'd want to do all 3 each week is unlimited, and unlimited is prohibitively expensive. 2) If you play any sport or really just have regular after work obligations, you'll probably never be able to do either an upper or lower day, because their splits are by day. Which is great if this is the only thing you do for a workout, or can squeeze it in in the morning, but otherwise it doesn't work...

This place is crazy fun and always challenging, but more importantly it is welcoming and inclusive to all people, bodies, and fitness levels. Sweat DC is very near and dear to my heart, and it will be to yours too.

The most common class structure is a 45-minute instructor-led boot camp-style workout. Whether you are a beginner or a fitness god, it will shred you in the best ways. There are always new kinds of classes to try as well, focusing on special techniques, themes, dance workouts and more. Their excellent locker rooms make it easy to roll in, sweat, get cleaned up, and get straight to work. This is the HIIT workout that you have been looking for, not to mention their special focus classes, running group, yoga, and so on. More important than all of that, they pay attention to building a community, getting to know everyone, making sure everyone is comfortable and included. This family atmosphere makes a big difference.

The first week will definitely be the hardest, but it's so satisfying to see results when you keep it up. The classes are fun and they fly by, so it's perfect for people like me who hate working out but love the way it feels afterward. I get no points or perks for sharing this, I just truly believe in this place. Get in there and get...