YMCA Alexandria

We came to the YMCA over thanksgiving break because my daughters coach wanted her to swim while we were on vacation. The facility is clean with a wide variety of things to do. The equipment is in good shape and the pool was exactly what she needed. This isn’t some swanky gym but it got the job done. I have to give kudos to the man working the front counter in the early mornings — he was exceptionally nice and he made the 6 am workouts a pleasant way to start the day.

First, I went there because my GF wanted Yoga back in her life. That class was cool and I enjoy it. The 2 stars are due to the lack of a real gym. You know, for basketball, volleyball, the fun stuff the «Y» did before it got sucked into the «kiddy party» and low rent weight room vortex. How could a «Y» gut a gym and turn it into two crappy spaces? Easy, turning it’s back on it’s historical mission, loss of vision and too many rug rats (and Mommy’s deep pockets) at a place for «young men».

They have a nice facility. I don’t really use the pool or weight room and stick to mostly fitness classes. Their Bodypump class is excellent. Unfortunately, they only offer Zumba twice a week other than office hours and the Wednesday class isn’t great. I moved here from a neighborhood YMCA with Body Jam hip-​hop dance and more dance fitness classes, which I wish they had here. I still come for the Body Pump, though.
The nice thing about the membership is that you can use it at any Y in the DC Metro Area. Individual memberships are $ 78 a month, but you get a 15% discount if you have BCBS insurance, so I only pay $ 66.36 a month for an individual membership. However, I have had lots of issued with overpayment and inaccurate payment and when I call to say I was overcharged, they say they will give me a credit on my next month, then forget, so I have to wait a few months for the credit (if I remember), which is frustrating. Other businesses credit your card on file when they overcharge you.

The review for a YMCA are going to have a wide range of perspectives because of the varied nature of what people use them for. If you’re comparing this YMCA to other YMCA’s, as a local (subsidized) community focused organization that prioritizes social activities over fitness, then you’ll be happy.
If you want the YMCA to be the local crossfit gym or Golds, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
The staff that works at this YMCA (in Del Ray, Alexandria) is friendly and courteous. The equipment is well maintained, if dated, and usually accessible even during busy times. (This location does get VERY busy) The classes are popular but not overflowing with individuals, and they do a good job of providing classes and kids events. It’s not expensive, and it has plenty of parking.
I love the people here and the sense of neighborhood/​community. The facilities are exactly the same as they were at the YMCA in Newport, RI, so I don’t expect more. This would be a five star review if the equipment wasn’t ancient.

Not what I expected at all.

We just joined the Y last month. So far my husband and I have been very happy with the gym. The classes are great and the instructors I’ve had so far are really nice. It’s super close to our house. Never too crowded. The price is a little steep, $ 100 per month for my husband and I, but that seems to be the going rate in the area. Otherwise, we are really happy we joined.

We have used this Y’s location’ to give our kids swimming lessons, and for summer camp, and I think those programs are terrible.
First time coming was for children swimming lessons, and the place was a mess. First Saturday and they had just one instructor for 12 children. So their was no instruction or anything really happening that day. On the management side, they realized how they blundered and brought in more instructors the following Saturday.
Most recent time around was for their children’s summer camp program, and that was a disaster. First day of camp and they basically lost my kid. The kids were supposed to take a bus to a location for art, and they packed up his lunch, but forgot to take my boy, which left him pretty much unsupervised and unattended most of the day. Oh yeah, and without a lunch that day. Picking him up and hearing about his experience was awful for a parent.
Again, it was the management that admitted what a screw up they did, and they also refunded our money for the day. But seeing that whole experience, and the lack of care that the camp counselors showed towards my boy left me never wanting to use this place again.
If there are any parents who are interested in further details of what happened I’m sure my wife would be more than happy to talk to them.
I’ve always had a positive experience dealing with their staff at the front desk, and their managers seem to be cooperative and understanding. It’s just the rest of the staff who they hire for their special activities, especially children’s activities that I strongly hesitate taking any of my kids back.

The people are VERY friendly. I’m a crossfitter. I’m utilizing a free 3 month membership that my apartments give me at the start of the lease. Figured it was free so I’ll go then hunt for a crossfit box. It doesn’t have everything, but its enough to get a good workout as long as you know what you’re doing. If you go there and complain that you can’t get a good workout, you might want to ask about their personal training. Very close to home. Very hospitable.

I wish I could give the aquatic instructor a different rating than this Y, as he was fantastic and was able to teach me how to swim after many years of trying and failing. He was patient, flexible in schedule and in 1 month of lessons, got me from wading in a baby pool to being able to go scuba diving on my honeymoon in Hawaii. If you’re looking for swimming lessons, I highly recommend.
That being said, from an administrative point of view, this is the worst and most unorganized office I have ever dealt with. After placing our account on hold back in March, we were erroneously billed in April. Since then, I have spent almost 4 weeks trying to get credited the money that we were incorrectly billed. My initial call they had identified that they had our signed paperwork on file. However, after my third call, the same person I spoke with advised that they could not find the paperwork. My call last week I was told that everything was taken care of, although they couldn’t exactly give me the date of when everything was going to be processed. I called today, as it’s now been a week and a half and nothing has changed.
One person in particular on their accounting staff is rude, unreliable and lazy. I continue to call and have remained polite despite her inability to process a simple piece of paperwork. She has never called back as she said she would, and she does not know how to treat customers over the phone. I’ve confirmed my account is now on hold, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we get billed for a second month and have to go through this process again.

My review is based on a spin/​cycle/​abs class I took in the evening of 3÷17÷14. I received a three (3) day guest pass online to try the YMCA.
The staff is very friendly and welcoming at this facility. I had no trouble understanding where the spin/​cycle/​abs class was and how to get to and use the locker rooms.
I liked the fact that borrowing a lock did not incur a rental charge.
I also enjoyed the large window in the spin/​cycle studio. Although, my spin/​cycle instructor was nice; I was not a fan of her music selection which was a playlist from the 90s. The tempo for most of the songs was not fast enough for me. I was also surprised as a guest that spin instructor did not ask if I needed any help with bike as I was guest. (I spin/​cycle at another gym so I didn’t seek the help but it would have been nice for her to ask.) However the instructor does a 15 minute abs class after the 45 minutes of spin/​cycle and I found the class challenging (in a good way). I love combination classes because I feel like I am getting a better overall workout.
Although this gym is a good option if you live in the area I do not think I will be going back as I enjoy spin/​cycle as my primary fitness activity.
I also did not enjoy the locker room «experience». The locker room was small and I felt slightly uncomfortable changing in front and/​or near the number of kids of all ages that were coming in and out from what I am guessing was swim practice or lessons.

Decent gym. I like the cardio equipment and how close it is to home. The staff is also very friendly.
There could be more 10,12,15 pound weights downstairs as there is only one set of each. Therefore, a lot of waiting for weights in the downstairs area. Also the cardio equipment could be cleaned and dusted.
Free daycare!

Awful DO NOT GO! old equipment and horrible trainers. Management is lackluster at best. Lazy staff, my husband needed a new card and the front desk never gave it to him, just let him go workout. So I guess they will let anyone go workout with that policy. Also you can’t read or even touch your cell phone. The gym staff will interrupt your workout. When I asked why since there are people using tablets at the gym, I was told its the size of the phone… I guess lol. It is annoying when people are on the phone talking at the gym but reading an article??? If the trainers where as good as they say they wouldn’t be fat and working at the YMCA. For the cost it’s a disappointment it was just close. Unless you like gyms with a very very old crowd and rules that are ever changing this is for you. But if you like to workout go to LA Fitness or WSC. It’s a better deal in the long run.

I’ve been going to the Alexandria Y for about 10 months now and love it. A friend talked me into joining with her, then after a few months she quit going, so I was on my own. I only go during the day, so that’s what this review is based on. The staff here is wonderful and very friendly and made me feel welcome. Nicole, who teaches Zumba and an assortment of fitness classes, is excellent and her classes are ALWAYS fun. I haven’t had the other Zumba instructors’ classes but my friends say the other teachers are great, too. If enough people want more classes, they add them. They’ve added more of the Zumba and yoga classes I take in the last several months, in response to requests. There are a number of yoga classes from rank beginner (that was me) to pretty advanced. Those instructors are wonderful too, and help you learn. This Y also has some great personal trainers who are recognized athletes in their own areas of expertise; the personal training here is a value compared to other gyms. Need advice on your biking or running from a triathlete? Want to learn to box? They have you covered at this Y.
The best thing about the Alexandria Y, though, is the people. Everyone is courteous, and it’s quite an eclectic mix here. People are serious about fitness, and you may be working out beside firefighters, an ex– SEAL or ballet dancer, or even a former Rockette.. It’s mainly an adult vibe during the week day, but they have day care for kids– the good thing is that we adults have our own space so you won’t feel like you’re overrun by children if that’s not your thing.
There’s lots of free parking, the place is always clean, and the equipment is in good working order– they just got all new spin bikes for the spin room. If you haven’t worked out in years it’s a nice place to get started– they’ll help you achieve your fitness goals. This isn’t a place where you feel like you have to put on your «look» to work out or compete with anyone while you’re lifting– thank goodness! I agree with the other reviewer that said this place has a «soul» –and it’s a warm, welcoming one. On the whole it’s a great experience and I am glad my friend talked me into joining.

I go to YMCA National Capital and Alexandria. Alexandria is a newer facility, other than that both offer awesome cardio classes. The instructors are great and the music selection too. I burn anywhere from 350 – 600 calories per a 45 – 55 min session. I had a concussion from an at home injury so they were kind to put my membership on hold for a few months while I recovered. Also, there was a mix up with payments and the Membership Director took care of the error right away. Great customer service and Excellent Instructors! Fun workout, you don’t even know you are working out and the time flies by with the these classes!
I will say that my rating went from a 5 to 3 star because Zumba is a really popular aerobics class that I really enjoy and well as others. Yet when I started going to the Alexandria campus this summer they had 3 weekday evening and Sunday morning classes, which was great. In the fall, the Zumba classes went to 2 weekday evening and Sunday morning classes and in the winter it dwindled down to 1 weekday evening and Saturday middle of the day classes. I’m not going to Alexandria anymore. I can’t believe that there are not any Zumba instructors that can teach more than 1 day a week in the evenings and inconveniently in the middle of a Saturday. Also, the classes are packed for Zumba but not as much for the other aerobic classes. It just doesn’t make any sense to not have more Zumba classes available for the 8 – 5 working crowd.
As of next week I will be going to the Arlington campus as they have 3 weekday evening Zumba classes and a Bollywood class, which I have been looking for at a YMCA facility. This is great! I’m looking forward to the change!

This Y is pretty good, I only go there to swim however so this rating is based on the pool mostly. There are four lap lanes when the pool is lap-​swimming only, however the lifeguards don’t enforce the LAP ONLY time and allow people to do water aerobics in the lap lanes even when lap swimmers are there. Very annoying. The pool is pretty warm so you get hot when you’re doing laps. You’ll see swimmers who don’t know what they’re doing and don’t know how to circle swim or smack you when they cross the midline of the lane. The lifeguards don’t manage the lanes well when it’s busy. Don’t go weekend afternoons when the pool and locker room is overrun with children not being watched by their parents, jumping on the scale and running in the showers.
I really appreciate the towel service and the front desk people are always really nice. Parking is easy and always available. The guest fee is cheaper than other area YMCAs. For real swimming, go to Washington-​Lee. Otherwise this is a great neighborhood pool.

i joined the y when i moved home last year, and i love it. the staff are incredibly nice and friendly, and a lot of the people working out have families or are older so the atmosphere is very laid back and not competitive at all. my dad and i work out regularly together with a trainer there, and we love that a) he comes up with routines that almost never use the machines and b) he is able to (seemingly easily) deal with the large difference in our age and fitness level.

I like to come here for the logistical convenience. The workout equipment is okay to get around to every body part but it is not quality stuff. It is exactly what you would expect from a YMCA. The pool is often crowded but if you know what time to get there, you may beat the rush or be able to get some lap time in. Personally, I would rather go to Chinquapin or Lee District if time allows but if not this will do in a pinch. Staff is always helpful and the place is maintained well. Lock up your stuff though, some people here tend to have sticky fingers.

Overall I really like the Alexandria Y. It’s always clean. The staff are all really friendly and if you go frequently they know your name.
The membership fees are a little steep. We pay $ 98 per month for myself and my husband but I feel like we really get our money’s worth. If you are looking for some place that you can just work out for 30 minutes on an eliptical and leave then this place is probably not for you.
The area where we get the most value is the classes. My husband and I both practice yoga and we go to the Sat morning class with Wendy and the Tuesday evening class with Loraine. The yoga instructers here also teach at Mind the Mat. If we were to take the same amount of classes at the yoga studio (about 16 classes per month between the two of us) it would cost way more. I personally care more about the quality of the teaching than the setting so I get my money’s worth in the yoga classes alone.
They also have a lot of other group classes. Spin, Zumba, step, weights, you name it. I also really like that they have FitLinx for the weight machines. The system keeps track of how much you lift and your settings for the machine so you don’t have to write it down.
it’s certainly not the fanciest gym but if you take advantage of all they offer then it will definitely be worth it.

This is a well maintained facility. I never use the weights in this facility, but the cardio equipment is nice to use. They recently upgraded several of the machines, including all of the treadmills and some of the recumbent bikes, which means for newer, well functioning equipment. They also have a wonderful selection of fitness classes, including step, pilates, and yoga. The instructors are knowledgeable, although you’ll find that each has their own style of teaching. The price for this YMCA is a little high for what you get, which is access to weights, cardio equipment, swimming pool, and free access to classes with a full membership. For the full membership, I pay around $ 78/​month for one person, but I do not mind the higher cost since I like the location and cleanliness of the facility.

Alright place. The membership prices are steep for what you get ($ 95 for a couple, but its walking distance for us so we suck it up.
The place is nice that it isn’t a meat market and the staff is really nice. However, the equipment is very limited, there is often a wait on the cardio machines, and the classes aren’t the greatest.
The pool was a big selling point when we got here, but I gave up trying to do laps b/​c often there are only two lanes open for laps which are over crowded and the rest is free swim for babies. As you can expect, crapping in the pool is frequent…
I would still give it 4 stars b/​c its close to me and has a great staff, but now for their machines they had a problem with comcast and got rid of the cable. Seriously?