A new gym and wellness center that focuses on holistic approaches and family-friendliness has opened along Columbia Pike.

Located at 1058 S. Walter Reed Drive, in the former World Gym space, True Health and Wholeness had its grand opening on Saturday, May 14.

Husband-and-wife team Nina and Christian Elliot founded True Health and Wholeness to provide people with a “one stop shop” for all health and fitness needs. “Our goal is to provide a place where people can get true and sustainable answers to really change their lifestyle, said Nina Elliot.

True Health and Wholeness provides fitness, food, wellness and education services. Fitness services include personal training, small group training and large group workouts. Fitness classes such as barre and yoga are offered. Cooking classes and nutritional coaching are services that are provided to members.

Wellness services include: naturopathy, massage, acupuncture, cranial sacral, muscle activation techniques, infrared sauna, ionic foot soaks and food sensitivity testing. Education workshops are provided as well as lifestyle transformation coaching and corporate wellness programs.

“By giving people more access to different things in one place, it gives us a way to mix all those passions of our own health and wanting to have a family environment,” said Christian Elliot.

A unique part of the gym is that there are fitness programs geared toward children. The Kid Fit program allows for children to gain coordination and fitness skills. The program will be starting in the fall and are age based skill applied groups. Kid Summer Camp will be starting in July.  There is also an area called the “Little Nest” where children 6 weeks to 18 months old are cared for while a member exercises.

The gym also gives back to the community as much as they can. In honor of National Purple Heart Day on August 7, True Health and Wholeness will identify two combat wounded Purple Heart recipients and present a certificate for one year of free Pilates classes. The spouse of a wounded veteran may be substituted to receive this offer.

“This is a passion that also helps other people change their lives,” said Christian Elliot.


Glencarlyn forest (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

Report: Toddler Left in Car Suffered Burns — The Annandale man charged in the death of his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter was watching TV and drinking beer as the child sat forgotten in his car, NBC 4 reports. He was also driving on a revoked license. The girl had a body temperature of 107 when she was rushed to the hospital and had second-degree burns from the car seat. [NBC Washington]

Park Aides Get Banning Powers — Park ranger aides in Arlington now have the legal authority to ban people from parks. The County Board voted earlier this month to add aides to the list of county personnel with powers of attorney for the “Park Safe” program. Offenders who violate the ban — which is typically levied on those who repeatedly violate park rules — can be charged with criminal trespassing. [InsideNova]

Moon Bounce Opportunity — Arlington County will be holding a “Fitness Day in the Park” at Alcova Heights Park on Saturday. The event will include games, nutrition and fitness demos, an inflatable rock wall and a moon bounce. [Arlington County]

Festival Argentino in Arlington — The 2016 Argentine Festival will be held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Road) on Saturday, May 14. The event will feature traditional food, exhibitions, music and dance. Tickets are $20 in advance. [Festival Argentino USA]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick


Another barre studio is coming to Arlington.

Xtend Barre, which has existing locations in Alexandria, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood and Bel Air, Maryland, is coming to 2008 Wilson Blvd, on the ground floor of the 2001 Clarendon Blvd apartment building. Construction is underway but no opening date has been announced.

“We’re opening with almost 40 classes on the schedule including our signature Xtend Barre class, Xtend Technique, Xtend Stick, Xtend Suspend and Xtend Petites,” the company said on its website. “We are incredibly excited to announce our opening day and we can’t wait to meet you at the barre!”

The owner of the studio, Kelly Wilkinson, said she discovered the ballet-based barre workout about a year ago and fell in love with it. “It was fun, energetic and made me sweat,” she in a blog post.

Xtend Barre joins a growing list of barre studios in Arlington. Among them are Lava Barre, down the street in Rosslyn; Neighborhood Barre, which is coming to Clarendon; plus Pure Barre and Barre Tech, also in Clarendon.


Neighborhood Barre in Clarendon (photo courtesy Ian B.)A new exercise facility called Neighborhood Barre is coming to the ground floor of the Beacon at Clarendon apartment building.

The business is located on N. Irving Street, next to Jimmy John’s. It’s expected to open in “late spring,” according to the company’s website.

“Neighborhood Barre is a unique workout that combines dance conditions, pilates, and isometric weight training to carve and sculpt the muscles of the arms, legs, seat, and abs,” said the website. “We are also a fitness boutique carrying a range of apparel from brands such as Beyond Yoga, Alo, and Splits59.”

This is the first D.C. area gym for the company, which has existing locations in Tennessee and Alabama.

Photo courtesy Ian B.


Ground floor of the Metropolitan Park Acadia building in Pentagon CityTrendy salad purveyor Sweetgreen and trendy sweat producer Orangetheory Fitness are both coming to Pentagon City, permit applications show.

The businesses are coming to the ground floor of The Acadia at Metropolitan Park apartment building. That the same building in which a CorePower Yoga studio just opened.

Sweetgreen applied for its construction permit on the 12th Street S. side of the building on Feb. 24. Orangetheory applied for a permit on the S. Fern Street side of the building on April 1.

Also coming to the building: a European Wax Center location. And, according to a retail leasing document, a thus-far unnamed coffee shop.

Orangetheory has existing Arlington locations in Rosslyn and Ballston. Sweetgreen recently opened in Crystal City and also has a Ballston location. European Wax Center has a location in Courthouse.

The 12th Street extension between S. Eads and Fern streets is rapidly becoming a powerhouse retail corridor, even though it’s a block from an existing, expanding retail hub: the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. A Whole Foods and a Commonwealth Joe coffee shop will be opening this summer on 12th Street S., at The Bartlett apartment building.


Dress rehearsal for the St. Peter's Players production of Godspell (Flickr pool photo by Eric)

Vida Fitness Coming to Ballston? — D.C.-based Vida Fitness is reportedly planning a 30,000 square foot gym in Ballston. The plan depends on County Board approval of a site plan amendment for the as-yet-unbuilt final building in the Liberty Center development. Given the high office vacancy rate, local developer Shooshan Co. is proposing to reconfigure what would have been a 20-story office building into a 22-story building that mixes residential, office and retail space. [Washington Business Journal]

‘WeLive’ Close to Opening in Crystal City — WeWork recently opened its new coworking space at 2221 S. Clark Street in Crystal City. Now, the company is nearing an opening for “WeLive,” a communal living space in the same building. WeLive is opening “very soon” and the company is now giving tours to prospective tenants, we hear. A second WeLive location, in Manhattan, recently opened for “beta testing.” [Fast Company]

Rail Was Once Planned for Columbia Pike — In the 1950s planners envisioned Columbia Pike as a rail corridor. That plan was scrapped when Metro was built and the Blue and Yellow lines ran south instead of west. In 2014, of course, a planned streetcar system for the Pike was also nixed. [InsideNova]

County Board Campaign Gets Underway — County Board Chair Libby Garvey and her Democratic primary challenger, Erik Gutshall, both held campaign events on Columbia Pike over the weekend. Garvey said getting out the vote will be the key to victory in the June 14 primary. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Eric


Clarendon Fitness
2907 Wilson Blvd
Tel: (703) 465-0101
Email: [email protected]

Chances are, as you walk or drive down Wilson Boulevard, you had no idea bodies and lives are being transformed under Boulevard Woodgrill and British Goodies.

But they are. One flight down in the rear of the busy city corner is a 1,200-square-foot gymnasium where men and women work up a sweat under the watchful eyes of certified, motivated trainers whose own goals are to help their clients achieve their goals.

Clarendon Fitness, with its emphasis on old-school equipment, custom-designed programs and up-to-the-minute modern fitness concepts, is far from any “lunk zone” or national chain gym full of aerobic machines and indifferent personnel more interested in your paid-up membership status than your personal achievements.

Founder and owner and head trainer Pascal Laporte, who opened his first gym in 2007, describes the atmosphere and attitude of the gym as friendly and fun, “but we take fitness seriously. We watch every movement the client makes, and that’s what separates us from a big-box facility.”

Clients are matched with a personal trainer who specializes in the client’s particular targeted achievements. “We have a multi-trainer system that allows people to progress quickly to their goals with a specialist,” Laporte said. “If we start you off with a fat-loss program, you might eventually move to a corrective exercise program and then you might be inspired enough to train for a marathon. You’ll work with a different trainer during each phase of your success, someone who already knows who you are and understands you through collaboration with the other trainers.”

New clients to personal training might not know a dumb bell from a kettle bell, and the intimidation factor can prevent them from beginning a life-changing transformation. Laporte’s staff is trained to educate clients and they thoroughly explain not just how to do the exercises but also why they are doing them. This education goes beyond teaching how to do dead lifts and squats: They also provide advice on nutrition, recovery, stamina and other aspects of overall health and well-being.

And those who are already well versed in fitness, powerlifting or competitive sports will find Clarendon Fitness’ programming useful in sharpening their skills and reaching a higher level of performance.

To arrange for an initial consultation and evaluation, contact Clarendon Fitness at 2907 Wilson Boulevard at [email protected] or call 703-465-0101.

The preceding was a sponsored local business profile written by Buzz McClain for ARLnow.com.


Many Arlingtonians work tirelessly each day to climb the corporate ladder… but that doesn’t do much for our quads.

That’s where 9Round comes in.

The constant motivation and ever-changing routines at this trio of Arlington boxing and fitness clubs aim to take the body back to basics — in just 30 minutes.

“We don’t have to hunt for food anymore. The big hunt now is the paycheck,” but the routine at 9Round “feeds that innate desire to move and battle, so to speak, and to survive that society no longer has,” said Rob Graveline, a co-owner and trainer 9Round’s Arlington locations.

Graveline and co-owners Michael Agrillo and Todd Wilson have opened three 9Round locations in the county — in Ballston, Courthouse and along Columbia Pike — plus another in Falls Church.

Graveline, who grew up in Arlington, said the neighborhoods had the right “vibe” for the fitness club’s fast-paced, fun atmosphere.

9Round offers a continuous circuit and members can drop in at anytime and start exercising — and each workout takes just 30 minutes. The nine stations focus on endurance, cardio, flexibility, range of motion, functionality and core strengthening. The fitness centers on the clubs’ signature boxing and kickboxing workouts.

Without that drive to find food or safety, what’s left to push us to be fit and healthy?

“The body literally thinks ‘If we’re not chasing something to eat it or being chased by something… why the hell am I doing it?'” Graveline said. At 9Round, “We go back to a lot of that really basic instinct that feeds that need to move,” he said.

The club’s routines capture the body’s natural movement patterns, which are associated with every body, regardless of age, Graveline said. In fact, his 6- and 9-year old daughters both exercise at 9Round — and so does a 70-year-old woman who underwent open-heart surgery two years ago.

“It’s really designed with the idea of being efficient, safe and having fun,” Graveline said.

A trainer is always on hand to motivate, assist or modify the routine for each individual member and virtual nutrition advice comes with every membership.

“You might be in a room full of people… but this is about you and we’re there to help coach and make sure you challenge yourself an see results, and to have fun — but at the same time to make sure that you don’t overdo it,” Graveline said.

After less than two years in business, it seems like the owners were right about 9Round fitting in with the Arlington neighborhoods — online reviews of 9Round in Arlington have been overwhelmingly positive.

“People seem to love it,” said Graveline, who also is a trainer at the club. “I had one woman say she literally went home and dreamt about the workout. Another person said it was more like a nightclub with fitness built in.”

But the No. 1 draw? No class times.

“You don’t have to run a marathon, you don’t have to spend an hour or two every day” to get fit, Graveline said. The 30-minute time commitment “eliminates a lot of the excuses” for skipping the gym, he added.

Graveline has 26 years of experience in the industry, but said 9Round is the most effective fitness model he has seen.

“I’ve seen the highest percentage of success in the shortest period of time” with 9Round, Graveline said, noting that the most successful members also changed their diet and maintained a regular workout schedule.

“It continually motivates clients to come back regularly.”

The preceding was a sponsored local business profile written by Michelle Rosenfeld for ARLnow.com.


TWC AdThe following promoted post was written and sponsored by BbG Fitness, which is debuting a new web-based fitness, lifestyle and nutrition service.

Ginny Wright, certified wellness coach and owner of the award-winning outdoor fitness company BbG Fitness, announces the launch of the Total Wellness Challenge (TWC), a 30-day program that begins on Monday, February 22.

The program is the culmination of more than ten years of work with Wright’s local clients and is based on current health and fitness research. For four weeks, participants post points in three important areas of wellness: nutrition, exercise and lifestyle. The TWC makes it fun and easy learn and practice sustainable habits that lead to weight loss (if desired) and long-term health benefits.

The object of the game is to earn the most possible points each day and post them online using a custom platform created by Arlington firm Design TLC.

By posting daily reflections — which also earns a lifestyle point — players share and are accountable, while receiving support, encouragement and often a dose of humor from their fellow challengers.

For $39, challengers receive access to “TWC Approved” food lists, weekly meal plans, recipes, BbG home workouts, printable charts for keeping score and round the clock email support.

Feel better and see results: Take the BbG Total Wellness Challenge! ARLnow readers receive 10% off. Use code ARLnow for discountLearn more and register here.


9Round Penrose in Dec. 2015Rapidly-expanding kickboxing gym company 9Round opened a new location along Columbia Pike over the weekend.

For now, the fitness club’s location at 2501 9th Road S., at Penrose Square, is in a “soft opening” period, announcing hours of operation on a week-by-week basis. It will be open from 4-9 p.m. through this Thursday and 4-8 p.m. on Friday.

According to 9Round partner Michael Agrillo, the location is offering specials for the opening and will host a grand opening party soon.

This is the second 9Round location to open in Arlington in the last three months. The other opened in November on N. Quincy Street in Ballston.

When the company first announced the new Arlington gyms in September, Agrillo said the company may look at a new space in Pentagon City or Crystal City.

That brings the total number of 9Rounds in the county up to three with considerations for a fourth, including the first Arlington location in Courthouse at 2250 Clarendon Blvd.

The Penrose Square gym is also the first of two 9Round gyms that opened in northern Virginia this week. A location in Falls Church at 6649 Arlington Blvd opened yesterday. It will be open this week during the same hours as the Penrose Square location.


Rendering of future climbing gym in Crystal City (via earthtreksclimbing.com)Earth Treks Climbing Centers is planning on opening a massive new climbing gym in Crystal City, its first inside the D.C. Beltway.

The Maryland-based company is planning to open a gym at 1235 S. Clark Street, two blocks from the Crystal City Metro station, according to a State Corporation Commission filing. Without saying where exactly it would open, the company yesterday announced the new gym on its website.

“Earth Treks’ newest facility will be industry leading in amenities and size,” the company said. “With a massive footprint exceeding 45,000 square feet, the D.C. metro location will be among the biggest climbing gyms in the nation… The roped climbing area alone is so massive that you could drop the entire Earth Treks Timonium building in it and have room to spare.”

The gym will feature a 35,000 square foot climbing wall, fitness and climbing training areas, a yoga and group fitness room, private climbing teaching areas, locker rooms and a “fully stocked gear shop.”

The gym is expected to hold its grand opening by the start of summer 2016.

Earth Treks has three existing climbing centers in Maryland — in Rockville, Timonium and Columbia — and another in Golden, Colorado.

The address in the SCC filing — 1235 S. Clark Street — is the same address as the Sport&Health Crystal Gateway fitness club. A Sport & Health gym near Clarendon closed last year.

Rendering via earthtreksclimbing.com


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