gym

New Fitness Studios Coming to Pentagon Row, Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Just like burgers, cupcakes, and froyo before it, there is clearly a new business boom in progress in Arlington. This latest business trend, at least, has the promise of subtracting pounds rather than adding them.

Boutique fitness studios have been popping up all around Arlington lately, and as if to reinforce the point, the two latest entrants have very similar names: E60 and F45.

F45, an Australia-based fitness franchise, is “opening soon” at 1101 S. Joyce Street in Pentagon Row, though an opening date has not yet been announced.

F45 describes itself as “a Group-Training facility that feature[s] the most dynamic and effective training styles to date.”

Meanwhile, a fitness studio called E60 — no relation — is getting ready to open next month in Rosslyn.

Located at 1524 Clarendon Blvd, E60 Fitness is described as the “home of Elevate 60, a gut-busting high-intensity interval training class” which “uses custom equipment and a hybrid of several exercise concepts along with heart rate monitoring technology to provide a uniquely exciting and invigorating workout.”

A grand opening for the business, which has an existing location in Ashburn, is set for Saturday, June 3.

A Breath Of Fresh Air For Your Fitness At ArCTIC

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Visiting the Arctic might sound like an extreme way to change up your routine, but visiting Arlington-based ArCTIC could offer a cool breath of fresh air for your health and fitness regimen.

Sometimes maintaining personal wellness can seem like a hassle, which ultimately saps your motivation. For example, relying on one business to provide personal training, another for nutritional coaching and yet another for injury prevention and rehabilitation gets old quickly. Arlington’s Coaching-Training and Injury Center (ArCTIC) provides a whole-package solution to make staying healthy and fit easier.

The doctors at Schreffler Chiropractic launched ArCTIC, and they bring decades of combined experience to the new center. They provide individual client care to prevent both new injuries and flare-ups from existing problems. If an injury does occur, the doctors are fully equipped to assess, treat and manage the issue.

ArCTIC also has certified running, inline skating and personal training coaches, in addition to a registered dietician. Bringing together all of these professionals at one location creates a unique one-stop shop for sustaining a fit, healthy lifestyle through personal training and coaching.

Let’s face it, our lives are busier than ever. That makes the temptation to resort to frozen or packaged foods really tempting. But what you eat has a huge impact on how your body performs daily, both physically and mentally. ArCTIC’s nutritional coach can help to improve your relationship with food through discussions of what, how and when to eat to maximize your personal performance. Plus, you can get ideas to simplify eating healthily and avoid the draw of unhealthy food when you’re on the go.

Running is a high-profile activity that millions of people around the world enjoy, but only some know how to do properly. ArCTIC’S running coaches aim to help both beginner and seasoned runners reach their goals, but more importantly, they help to achieve such goals without injury.

Another calorie-burning — yet sometimes overlooked — exercise for which ArCTIC provides coaching is inline skating. The activity’s lateral movements help to offset the repetitive, straight-ahead movements of many other exercises. Inline skating isn’t quite as intuitive as running, though, so coaches can help you master proper moving, turning and stopping to optimize performance and avoid injuries.

Trying to figure out exactly which wellness plan is best for you can be overwhelming. But a fitness assessment using the state-of-the-art FitQuest determines exactly which exercises best suit your needs for improving personal weaknesses and imbalances. ArCTIC is the first and only business in the country to own this measurement tool, and the center’s personal trainers use it to completely customize your training program.

Do you feel like solo wellness programs aren’t for you? Maybe being among peers during exercise boosts your motivation? Not a problem. To complement its one-on-one personal training and coaching, ArCTIC often provides group training sessions, such as before local races. Right now, for instance, the Master the Miles program helps clients train to run an upcoming summer 5K or 10K. Another option is the Fitness Inline Training (FIT) Program that helps inline skaters train for a half marathon.

ArCTIC also provides services to other fitness facilities, such as the recent partnership with OrangeTheory Fitness. The six-week weight loss challenge incorporated ArCTIC’s FitQuest testing, and it promoted improvements in participants’ overall fitness and wellness beyond just the numbers on a scale.

Conquering fitness challenges and keeping your wellness on track has never been easier than by taking an integrated approach with ArCTIC.

Contact the experienced doctors and coaches online or by calling 703-465-1213 to set up your first appointment.

Clarendon Specialty Gym Focuses on Form, Not Fashion to Stand Out

By Tim Regan
1/4

One needs only take a drive through Arlington to see that specialty gyms are all the rage these days.

Like rock climbing? There’s a gym specifically for that. What about kickboxing? Kick away. Rowing? Running? Lifting? You can have it all in one place.

But at one of Arlington’s newest specialty gyms, the focus isn’t trendy workouts or buzzy rash diets, it’s a dedication to form. Or at least, that’s how Corbin Jennings, owner of MADabolic at 3100 Clarendon Blvd, pitches the business, which opened to the public on Labor Day last year.

Located below street level, across from the Clarendon Metro station, MADabolic specializes in 50-minute workouts where groups lift weights, squat, do burpees and run suicides to help bolster their endurance and fitness level. During classes — which are capped at 20 — trainers instruct their clients how to move their bodies.

“If there is one thing I’d say differentiates us from a lot of other programs out there, it’s attention to form,” Jennings said. “Our trainers are not in here on a microphone in dimly lit lights trying to be a cheerleader.”

The workouts aren’t glamorous, nor are they fun. But they’re effective, Jennings said.

“It’s not the fashionable thing to do,” he added. “It’s not trendy, but we’re doing what’s right for the consumer at the end of the day.”

The gym is part of a fitness chain with locations in Charlottesville, Va., along with several others in North Carolina and South Carolina. The name MADabolic contains an acronym that stands for momentum, anaerobic and durability — the core tenets behind the training regimen, Jennings said.

Each location’s workouts are formulated weekly by the company’s founders, former professional hockey players Brandon Cullen and Kirk Dewaele.

“This is all stuff they were doing while they were playing hockey,” said Jennings. “We train you like an athlete and typically the results are like an athlete.”

Currently, the gym has about 100 members, but Jennings hopes to add more in the coming year. Those interested in signing up for classes can visit MADabolic’s website or call the business at 571-319-0172.

‘CycleBar’ Coming to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

CycleBar under construction on Columbia Pike (photo via Facebook)A new indoor cycling studio is coming to Columbia Pike.

CycleBar, which offers vigorous instructor-led spin classes set to “mind-blowing” music playlists, is coming to 3400 Columbia Pike, according to its website.

Its next-door neighbors include Sugar Shack Donuts and Chipotle.

Construction on the new studio is currently underway, according to the business’ Facebook page.

“We’ve turned up the volume on the indoor cycling experience,” the Facebook page touts. “CycleBar unites you with riders of all ages and fitness levels by creating an unparalleled multi-sensory, intoxicating journey.”

CycleBar has dozens of studios throughout the U.S.

Photo via Facebook

Earth Treks Now Open in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A massive rock climbing gym has opened in Crystal City.

Earth Treks, at 1235 S. Clark Street, opened its doors on Saturday. The 45,000 square foot facility boasts 35,000 square feet of climbing walls, with more than 400 climbing and bouldering routes, plus weights and cardio eqiuipment, dedicated yoga and group fitness rooms, private climbing teaching areas, “high-end” locker rooms and a fully-stocked gear shop.

The gym is open seven days a week — 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weeknights, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays. A day pass is $25; individual memberships are $89 per month and family memberships are $150 per month.

This is Earth Treks’ first Virginia location. The company has four other gyms in Maryland and Colorado.

In a press release, Earth Treks says it’s thrilled to be opening in a “growing vibrant hub for innovative concepts in Crystal City, home to an emerging technology hub, running and biking races, and healthy retailers like Sweetgreen and Whole Foods.”

The full press release is below.

Earth Treks, the premier climbing and fitness centers dedicated to building the climbing community, announces the opening of its first climbing gym within the beltway — and the largest in the region — on Saturday, July 30.

Located at 1235 S. Clark St. in Crystal City, VA, the 45,000 square foot center will feature more than an acre of climbing and fitness space, and will lead the industry in both amenities and size. Earth Treks adds a new layer to the active and creative community taking shape in Crystal City.

Designed by professional American rock climber Jason Kehl, the gym is packed with 35,000 square feet of awe-inspiring climbing featuring more than 400 climbing and bouldering routes. With its massive footprint, the indoor climbing gym will provide ample climbing space for every age and ability level.

“The climbing community has grown tremendously over the past decade, in part because it’s a great total-body workout, both physically and mentally. Climbing combines cardio, agility and strength training,” said Earth Treks’ founder and CEO, Chris Warner. “More importantly, it builds community, friendships, and a sense of family that lasts a lifetime. We are thrilled to be able to grow our community of climbers in Crystal City and hope to see this space bring new people to the sport.”

In addition to climbing, Earth Treks Crystal City is also a full-service gym. It goes beyond the sport of climbing to include cardio equipment and weights, yoga and group fitness, high end locker rooms and a fully-stocked gear shop. Guests can visit by purchasing day passes or monthly memberships.

Earth Treks also caters to families by providing family packages, youth programs, summer camps and birthday parties.

Earth Treks joins a growing vibrant hub for innovative concepts in Crystal City, home to an emerging technology hub, running and biking races, and healthy retailers like Sweetgreen and Whole Foods.

With easy Metro access, Bikeshare and ample parking, Earth Treks Crystal City is convenient to Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. The new location is steps from the Crystal City Metro stop off the Blue and Yellow lines, and is served by numerous biking trails. It is located one stop from Reagan National Airport, making for the perfect between-flight workout. On-site garaged parking will serve the gym and be free during peak hours. Monthly memberships begin at $89.

To learn more and follow the latest developments visit earthtreksclimbing.com and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EarthTreks.CrystalCity.

About Earth Treks

Earth Treks Climbing and Fitness Centers are the premier indoor climbing gyms in the area. Located in Maryland (Columbia, Timonium and Rockville), Colorado (Golden) and now Virginia (Crystal City), the gyms offer the best in rock climbing and fitness experiences. Earth Treks Crystal City is the newest and largest addition to the Earth Treks family. With a massive footprint exceeding 45,000 sq ft, the indoor climbing gym provides plenty of climbing space for every age and ability level. Earth Treks’ rock climbing and mountaineering guide service was founded in 1990. The first Earth Treks indoor climbing gym opened in Columbia, Maryland in 1997.

‘True Health and Wholeness’ Now Open Along Columbia Pike

By Jackie Friedman
1/10

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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Street scene in Clarendon on 4/20/16. Woman sitting at bus stop with Clarendon Metro in background.

Valor Awards Recount Harrowing Moments — Saving a suicidal woman who was about to jump from the seventh floor of a parking garage. Saving the life of a man who had just been run over by an SUV twice. Smashing a car window in order to resuscitate the victim of a major crash on I-395. Those are a few of the acts of valor recognized at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Valor Awards this week. [InsideNova, Arlington Chamber]

WaPo Questions Crystal City-Brooklyn Comparison — The Washington Post isn’t letting the New York Times get away with a quote that compared Crystal City to Brooklyn. The area’s hometown paper instead quoted a number of Twitter critics, one of whom called Crystal City a “Ballardian hellscape.” The Times story suggests that Crystal City — with its new restaurants, emerging tech scene, transportation improvements and community events — is experiencing something of a mini renaissance. [Washington Post]

Vida Fitness Coming to Ballston — High-end local fitness chain Vida Fitness is planning a new full-service gym in Ballston. The new location could open as soon by 2019. [Washington Business Journal]

Nauck Town Square Designs — Arlington County is seeking feedback on the draft design of the forthcoming Nauck Town Square park. The design includes a large sculpture of the word “FREED.” [Arlington County]

County Gets Adorable Letters — Arlington County gets adorable letters from children, who ask about things like raising backyard chickens and saving worms that might have gotten swept up as yard waste. [Arlington County]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Scene along Columbia Pike (Flickr pool photo by Dennis DImick)

Taxi Driver Fights Arlington Cemetery Tickets — A taxi driver is scheduled to appear in federal court later this month to appeal three misdemeanor traffic convictions. U.S. Park Police have been repeatedly ticketing Yahia Fayed for idling outside of Arlington National Cemetery, where he says there’s a steady stream of people looking for a cab. Federal officials say that’s not allowed. So far, no militiamen have threatened to protest federal government tyranny on Fayed’s behalf. [Washington Post]

Scary CO Incident at Gym Near Fairlington — Arlington County firefighters and medics were among those who responded to the XSport Fitness gym on King Street, across from Fairlington, on Saturday for a carbon monoxide incident. Witnesses said people all of a sudden started collapsing on their treadmills. Seven were hospitalized. A malfunctioning pool heater was found to be the cause. [Fox 5 DC]

Arlington Ready to Enforce Snow Removal Ordinance — Should snow ever fall this winter, Arlington County is ready to enforce its five-year-old snow removal ordinance. Last season, 25 citations were issued for snow removal violations. [InsideNova]

Lidl HQ Close to Opening — The new U.S. headquarters for German grocery giant Lidl is getting ready to open near Potomac Yard. The company also just purchased land near Richmond for one of its first stores in Virginia. [Virginia Business]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

New Climbing Center Planning Spring Opening in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Rendering of future climbing gym in Crystal City (via earthtreksclimbing.com)The massive new rock climbing gym that’s coming to Crystal City says it will be opening in “late spring 2016.”

ARLnow.com was the first to report that Earth Treks Climbing Center is planning to open a new 45,000 square foot gym in the soon-to-be-former Sport & Health space at 1235 S. Clark Street.

In a press release, Maryland-based Earth Treks confirmed the Crystal City location will be its fifth gym and will be “among the largest climbing gyms in the nation.”

The company has also posted a video tour of plans for the new facility.

Earth Treks Climbing Centers announces plans to open its first indoor climbing gym within the Washington, D.C. beltway. Earth Treks’ Crystal City, VA location will be its fifth gym, with three gyms in Maryland (Columbia, Timonium, and Rockville) and one in Colorado (Golden) already in operation. True to form, Earth Treks’ newest facility will be industry leading in amenities and size.

With a massive footprint exceeding 45,000 sq ft, the Crystal City location will be among the largest climbing gyms in the nation. The new gym will feature a stunning climbing wall constructed by Walltopia and designed by Jason Kehl, fitness and climbing training areas, a dedicated yoga and group fitness room, private climbing teaching areas, a fully stocked gear shop and locker rooms.

The new gym will be located at 1235 S. Clark St. in Crystal City, VA and will take full advantage of the unique space afforded by an existing health club. The high ceiling heights currently used for tennis and racquetball will soon be home to a jaw dropping 35,000 sq ft of roped climbing and bouldering terrain.

With metro access, Bikeshare, and ample parking, urbanites and suburbanites alike will applaud the new gym’s convenience to Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. The new location is just a five minute walk from the Crystal City Metro stop off the Blue and Yellow lines, and served by numerous biking trails. On site garaged parking will serve the gym and be free during peak hours. In addition to scores of shops and restaurants in the area, the burgeoning creative community in Crystal City is an excellent fit with Earth Treks’ active and adventurous customer profile.

Earth Treks’ owner, Chris Warner, expects the new location to be immensely popular as “we’ve seen a huge response since our initial announcement to the local climbing community. We couldn’t be more pleased to be coming to Crystal City.” Earth Treks is planning a grand opening in late spring 2016.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Aerial view of the Pentagon (Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman)

Highest Voter Turnout in N. Arlington — The Arlington neighborhoods north of I-66 had the highest concentration of voter turnout for Tuesday’s election. Arlington’s high-density Metro corridors and neighborhoods south of Columbia Pike generally had the lowest turnout. [Twitter]

Eric Cantor Buys House in Arlington — Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has purchased a $1.8 million house near Pentagon City. Cantor, who works for an investment banking firm in D.C., formerly lived in the Representative condominium on Arlington Ridge, overlooking Pentagon City, while serving in Congress. [Washington Business Journal]

Sport & Health Closing in Crystal City — The Sport & Health Crystal Gateway club at 1235 S. Clark Street has told members that it will close Dec. 4, a tipster tells ARLnow.com. The health club is set to be replaced by a new Earth Treks Climbing Center.

Flickr pool photo by Michael Coffman

New Family-Friendly Gym Coming to Columbia Pike

By Heather Mongilio
1/3

A new gym with a focus on a family-friendly, holistic approach to health and fitness is opening up a new location on Walter Reed Drive.

True Health and Wholeness is looking to open a new location, dubbed “Studio D,” at 1058 S. Walter Reed Drive in March or April, barring any construction delays, said gym representative Kimberly Hartke. The new location is replacing World Gym, which closed last year, and is located across from the new Columbia Place development.

The new gym will take a family-friendly approach, offering childcare programs that help kids lead active and health lifestyles while their parents work out or take classes.

“True Health & Wholeness is building a team of individuals experienced in children’s movement and fitness programming, kids nutrition education and workshop design to come use their skills to help us develop what we believe to be a major differentiator for our business when it comes to family fitness,” the gym said on its website.

Gym members will be able to take classes on nutrition and healthy lifestyles, participate in group exercises and receive massages.

“Let the days of a doctor, pill and boutique for every body part and situation slowly become the exception. We believe it’s time to move away from the niche model for health (where the focus is on stand-alone services), and move toward a holistic, customer-centric, relationship-centric, lifestyle-adaptable, results-oriented model for health. You don’t need to fit into our programs, we need to fit into your lifestyle,” the gym said.

The Walter Reed Drive location will be the fitness company’s fourth space in Arlington. The company owns three other properties — Studios A, B and C — near the Glebe Road exit of I-395 in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood.

“[Co-owner Christian Elliot] said that they have always planned to expand in Arlington (though they did look once at a Skyline/Baileys location.) But they have been in business for 10 years in Arlington, which is also their home,” Hartke said in an email.

Elliot and co-owner Nina Elliot will be holding a fundraiser to help offset the costs of opening “Studio D” on Nov. 14, Hartke said. During the event, gym instructors will lead two group exercises, followed by dinner and a dance party. The gym is also accepting donations online.

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