Results Gym

A bit of background: I’m a former meathead (still am at heart). I like free-​weights. I don’t wear an armband for my iPhone. I wear an «updated» fanny pack and I am not ashamed. I think it’s wrong to have a bar/​club or serve pizza in a gym.
I told a friend my new gym membership is like a relationship with someone you look forward to seeing versus someone you can’t stand to hear breathe. I’ve been in DC for two years. I’ve been a member of the Y and WSC, neither inspired. I’ve done a trial membership at Gold’s (Connecticut). So small. I haven’t tried Vida because I don’t wear Lululemon and I am not cute when I sweat. This is my favorite DC gym.
I love the layout. I can choose my mood– free-​weights, a quick circuit, a class, cardio etc. and efficiently knock it out. I like the variety of classes. The top floor reminds me of a «real» Gold’s gym– lots of free-​weights, big selection of cable attachments, and a platform in the squat rack. I’m really feeling the bounty of wipes for the equipment and hand sanitizer.
I deducted a star:
(1) One of the three membership staff was rude and seemed irritated by his job. The other 2 were lovely. I think they were managers.
(2) Generally, the staff is just there. Not particularly friendly or unfriendly. For $ 100+/month they should be friendly.
(3) it’s $ 100+/month.

Recently joined, coming from Vida city vista after moving to Cap Hill. I like the gym. Lots of the machines do need upgraded but I’ve only experienced one elliptical that was broken. The clientele is pretty normal, no pressure, no attitude. I like it but for the monthly fees they should work on upgrading equipment. Tanning bed also has apparently been broken for some time, even though their website says tanning is available.

I had an issue with a particular employee and the GM and another employee resolved it. A really good neighborhood gym

It’s clean and has free parking and stays open late.
There is a room of treadmills, a spin studio, and another room with older ellipticals.
Was in decline for awhile but bouncing back. Maintenance has improved. Still hate metal lockers because they’re not suit friendly and a let down at this price point. Also disappointed 15 minute abs classes stopped. I just can’t work abs on my own.
But primarily feel a decent value and the parking is a major plus.

I’ve been a member of Results for about 5 years, and will be cancelling my membership soon. I’m sad to go – Results has been good to me overall, but the change in the direction of the club means it no longer meets my needs.
1. Results is **very** expensive. They also charge extra for the Squash-​specific membership, meaning you have to pay for the full membership ($ 100) plus the monthly squash fee.
2. Dramatic reduction in classes. Results has cancelled or changed every class I like going to. Generally, most of the classes they schedule are between 6 AM and 9 AM, and it’s heavy on the yoga. That’s great for members who like yoga at 6 AM, but I don’t. If you want to take a weekend afternoon spin class like I do, you can’t.
3. Sub-​par equipment. The equipment is constantly breaking or barely working. There’s not a single cardio machine I’ve used that doesn’t have a problem, be that the TV doesn’t fully work, or the headphone jack falls out, or the machine resets after 3 minutes of use, or tensions on the machine don’t work correctly.
4. Big focus on kids gym. Hey, this is great for Hill families, but I don’t have any kids, so I don’t care.
If you’re a parent who wants to take a 9 AM yoga class and take your kid to the gym, then Results may be for you. I don’t fit this demographic, though, so it’s time for me to find a gym that meets my needs. Sorry Results.

I have been a member of this gym since it opened, for over ten years. I have stood with them through thick and thin, and given them every benefit of the doubt when changes were made that I objected to. But these past few days are making me change my mind. After enduring AC outages last summer, the AC recently broke down completely and the gym was closed for three days. As a long-​time member and supporter, I naturally (along with others) asked that my member dues be comped to make up for this period in which we paid for the gym services while it was closed. And what was their response? No credit, no discount, but they offered free water bottles. That is a completely unsatisfactory and insulting response, particularly given the new options residents of Capitol Hill have in fitness centers.

I’ve been an employee/​member/​employee of Results for almost ten (10) years. I have seen the gym go through a lot of changes both good and bad.
In my opinion Results is trying to find its place in a market/​neighborhood that has changed a lot over the past couple of years.
The gym has made some positive changes including but not limited to:
1) Focusing on group classes that are the most popular (which might be why you a couple of the other Unilocalers have complained about the reduction in classes).
2) Rearranging the spaces to make it more accommodating for the members.
3) The gym café although smaller is now being solely run by the gym (instead of being contracted out) which I see as a huge positive (in terms of quality control).
4) Results has also begun to focus on their youth or junior members (something it has always done well and you will not find in places like Vida). In addition, to babysitting and youth memberships (i.e. ¹⁵⁄₁₆ year olds can use the gym without a parent or guardian, presuming they have a youth membership) the gym now offers fitness classes/​activities/​parents nights out and camps for children.
In regard to the instructors, like any other service type of environment your experience will depend on who is teaching. If you have a problem or issues with any of Results instructors, I highly recommend that you speak to management. I can speak from both sides of the gym and I can tell you something Results takes great pride in is their instructors (so they need your feedback because frankly management can’t be in or take every class). I am not sure why other people think the instructors are «low bare». I have had nothing but positive experiences with the instructors.
However, with all that being said (and being on both sides of it) I do agree that a good of amount of the equipment is out of date. The age of the amenities like the steam room and/​or sauna are beginning to cause more shutdowns for maintenance and repair.
And yes, some of the employees are «hit or miss» at the gym. I have also had issues when I have called the gym.
In a nutshell, I will continue to go and work at Results because my experience has been instructors (and members) really care about their health and fitness goals. Results provides classes that are both accomendating and challenging (depending on your needs).
I also love to convenience of the gym and that there is ample parking for employees, members and guests to use.
TIP: Results offers something a lot of other gyms will not, the ability to use their facility without a membership. By paying a guest fee of $ 20.00, providing the front desk with a photo ID and signing a waiver you can use their facility.

I regret to have to write this as I go to this gym, however, this is not a recommended gym for the price. At a about $ 100/​month in DC, this is no Equinox, no Vida (their competition — interesting story about the two of them — lover’s quarrel or something, I heard), and, for that matter, 24 Hours have been better. Quick summary: the amazing classic historic schoolhouse (I think) facilities are dated inside, at times it smells (not sure why, but it does), the staff seems to hate it there and let’s you know it, its far too much a guy, maybe perhaps a bit gay as well (which, for some, is a benefit — I don’t care either way), focused gym (the workout area will be 90% guy most of the time), the men’s bathrooms are pretty good though. The classes have terrible teachers and dated programs — you will not be overly happy with Yoga here, btw, if it is your thing — but not the worst. All in all, if you live in the area, you might be stuck with it as there are few choices — I do think the Vida in the Navy Yard is nicer though some complain it is a bit full of itself (which I might agree with). Lastly, I wanted to stress that the staff really can make or break a gym; while I gave this place a chance and while there are one or two awesome people on staff, I get the feeling of this place being over-​staffed with folks who would rather just get mailed a paycheck at home then do any work or be cheerful /​helpful.
— UPDATE —
Unlike other establishments, a manager actually acknowledged some challenges and wants to change (!). This is quite surprising as you often get canned responses which say «I’m generically sorry as we take your un-​paraphrased feedback seriously; we’ll generically try harder I promise». So, I will see what becomes of the place and revisit my review in a month or so. Stay posted.

I moved from Balance to RESULTS, and I wholeheartedly regret it. The quality of classes was lower, and the timing and variety was just not as good. In addition, the customer service for members is terrible — I often find myself wanting to remind the management that I pay to belong, not the other way around!
Also, it’s not a very social place at all, sadly.
Here’s an example of a challenge I faced. I wanted to cancel my membership, and here’s what happened:
–Called, no answer
–Emailed, no answer
–Called, talked to someone who needed a clarification from a higher up, did not hear back
–Finally cancelled both my and my husband’s memberships; they said that 1) they did not need a form and 2) that they would drop the 30-​day notice period to the # of days left in the month (17 days).
My membership was canceled, but they still charged the full 30 days without telling me. On top of that, they never cancelled my husband’s membership despite my making it clear in EVERY conversation that I was talking about two memberships, not just one. I asked them to drop the charges to reflect the shorter notice period as they’d promised, but here’s what happened next:
–called in the AM, membership office not open — no one offered to take a message, said to call back when it opened.
–called back when membership office was supposed to open — oops, the person is running late. I was asked to call back in another thirty minutes. I had already called twice in the morning, so I asked for them to call me at this point.
–received a call 30 minutes later and got the unsatisfactory answer of RESULTS reneging on their earlier promise of dropping the 30 day notice; representative was very resistant to dropping the other membership and insisted it was my mistake. I asked them to consider keeping their promise. They circled back with their higher up, and the answer was ultimately a no (which is fine).
In general, I would love it if the membership folks were:
1) responsive and followed up either in a timely manner OR specified a time by which they would follow up and stuck to that
2) took responsibility for their mistakes (in this case, promising one thing and doing another AND forgetting to cancel the 2^nd membership)
3) offered (reasonable) flexibility with policies in order to keep members happy and engaged and leaving on positive terms rather than with a bad taste in their mouths.
Ultimately, this is a sad, lose-​lose situation. I think RESULTS made $ 60 from reneging on their promise, but I know that this is never a gym I will set foot in again; I will never recommend it to anyone; and I honestly don’t have very much that’s good to say about it while leaving. Of course, do read the other reviews — plenty of people like it and have gone there for a long time, so this is just one person’s opinion and experience. But — no matter what — I do like being treated with courtesy and transparency, and I strongly value relationships. I also sincerely hope that my experience is an anomaly and that other members are treated with much more kindness and respect than I was.

Jesse in guest services is VERY rude. I’m moving and had come in two weeks earlier to cancel my membership. At that time I filled out their 30 Day Cancelation Form. Today I came back in to confirm that I would not be charged for April. Jesse said that he could NOT find any record of my cancelation in their computer system and had the audacity to accuse me of lying and trying to get him to break the policy.
I have been a member for three years, giving this place my money every month. Until today I had very few complaints but the way Jesse spoke to me was one of the worst customer services experiences I’ve ever had. Lots of exasperated looks and eye rolls. He seemed to be annoyed to have to put in effort to deal with a customer and in a hurry to put his headphones back in.
Vida opened a quarter mile down the street and I’ve moved to a new apartment by the Navy Yard. The customer service there is SO much better. Not to mention, everything else about the facilities.
My advice, don’t fall for the friendliness that the Results staff show you when you sign up. Real customer service is demonstrated by how you treat people even when they are no longer your customer. Overall, very disappointing experience.

I could write soliloquys about the ways in which this place is terrible. To begin, my room mate and I went to check out Results after having moved to the neighborhood. We met with Jesse Spooner and were told that if we signed up together, the enrollment fee would be waived and each of our memberships would cost $ 89.89 per month. Within that week, we both made the attempt to join the gym. My room mate was given the rate that we had been told and then when I tried, I was told that I would now need to pay $ 10 more per month than the rate that I was told. When I asked why, I was told that they are being ‘audited’ and that upholding my government rate would no longer be an option.
Reasons why this ‘new’ rate was unacceptable:
1. The gym is old with nothing but outdated equipment. I am all for a place having ‘character’ but Results is in need of a major renovation and facelift especially considering the extremely high membership fees (I had the regional passport membership at Washington Sports Clubs allowing me to go to any of the gyms in the DC area and even that only cost me $ 79)
2. Jesse lied to me about the rate and would not stand by the guarantee that he made when he was fishing for memberships
My room mate signed up for the $ 89.89 rate and completed all the documentation needed to uphold the given rate (this was in November). In the past month, Jesse has emailed her twice to tell her that she now has an incomplete membership. He stated that Results needs to make copies of all her IDs again and that she would have to complete the documentation again (even though this was all done the day she signed up). If she did not come in to re-​do everything, she would begin to be charged $ 117.38, almost a $ 30 a month increase. This was poor service and bad form on behalf of the gym.
In the end, I joined VIDA the week that Jesse lied to me about the rate and was given a lower rate than Results had initially offered. The place is brand new with all of the best equipment and amenities. My room mate put in her 30 days notice with Results earlier this week and also joined VIDA. If Results Gym continues with this business model that loses memberships, provides poor service, offers less than satisfactory equipment/​space and lies to potential customers, the place will stand no chance of competing with VIDA (5 blocks away) or staying in business.

It’s amazing how far down hill this place has gone. Was a member in the opening years and went back recently to rejoin. I felt like membership barely tolerated me. It’s a no from me on Results.

I know I’m a member, but this place is going down hill fast while the fees are going up. Machines are showing serious wear and the locker room smells like ammonia. What is THAT all about? They should be thankful there is not a Planet Fitness in the city yet.
At over $ 100/​month, there should be a more professional look and feel AND smell here!

This is a really good gym, and a bargain, all things considered. When I moved to DC I was reluctant to sign up because of the poor reviews. But, it was close, so I figured it was worth a try. I have been impressed. I have taken their Boot Camp, Cycling, Yoga and Pilates classes and found them all somewhere between solid and inspired. In two months (granted, one was August, which is slow) I’ve only seen one class get so full someone was turned away (RevYoga– great class!) The staff is friendly and professional, the equipment is in remarkably good shape, and even in the pre-​work rush, I can always find a spot on my preferred machine. If you want gloss, this is probably not a good fit, but the gym has character (great old building), they keep it remarkably clean, and offer a nice mix of classes and solo options.

Old historic school turned into a fitness club! Lots of rooms and space. Great equipment. Super friendly staff. And not an overly intense gym attitude vibe. While I was only there as a one-​day guest — I could see it being a gym I’d frequent if i lived in DC. Definitely check it out.

I was a member here for eight years. It was a block from my house before I moved, so the proximity motivated me.
I liked that karate classes are an option here. Most gyms dont have a martial arts option (cardio kickboxing doesnt count) and martial arts dojos tend to be expensive. I liked that staff are generally friendly and that there is a café for grabbing a quick bite.
I did not like that it got so crowded after work, that fees are on an upward trend, and that the music was awful most of the time. I also did not like trainers using half of one side of the gym with their ropes. Over the past year, people have not been putting their weights back and often leave them scattered all over the place — seriously if you are strong enough to do deadlifts, then you are strong enough to take the weights and put them back before walking off. This is a recent problem as it did not used to be like that for most of the time I belonged — is it the new members? lack of orientation about gym protocol? I have raised this with staff but did not see appreciable changes before I left. Note: I worked out in the late evenings.
This gym always struck me as conservative and reluctant to change. I often thought they would be in trouble if they had real competition — besides the crappy little Washington Sports Club up the road. Now with Vida building a palatial gym from the ground up at Navy Yard, this is not good news for Results. With one or two exceptions, most of the Vidas have the newest equipment, ample space, great music, and provide an energizing experience.
This is the last location that Results has left. It was great for a while — but DC changed and is not the same city it was years ago. Results will either catch up with where DC is now or it will close down eventually.

I’ve been a member of Results for about a year-​and-​a-​half. There is much about the gym to love. The fact that it’s a repurposed old school leads to a quirky and, to me at least, charming layout. The staff is generally helpful and friendly. There’s a basketball court, squash courts, and a rock-​climbing wall. I’m not much of a group class person, but many instructors get rave reviews and all the classes are free. A suggestion box on the gym’s website provides a refreshing degree of transparency into what customers are saying and how their issues are being dealt with. (I have no way of knowing, of course, whether they’re filtering out some complaints — but they do publish some.)
All of that said, Results is clearly falling short in a few areas and will need to fight for its life once the nearby Vida opens with new facilities, new equipment, and lower cost.
Here are the problem areas, as I see it.
— As other reviewers have noted, much of the equipment is ancient. Handlebars on some cardio machines are rusted; metal plates for the heart rate monitors are missing; strange, unsettling grinding noises emanate from some machines. While there are also some new machines, there are others that clearly need to be dumped, tout de suite.
— Some of the machines are downright dirty. The foot platforms on the ellipticals, for instance, collect a lot of grime that is not regularly cleaned.
— Many maintenance issues are outstanding for way too long. A TV on a cardio machine may be broken for weeks. Headphone jacks are hit-​and-​miss. One of the sinks in the men’s restroom was inoperable for a week or more. The hot tub feels like it has a sand-​covered floor due to degraded mortar (or other debris). The hot tub is not infrequently out of service anyway, along with the steam room. Oh, and one day, when I tried to use the locker room phone to let the front desk know that the water in the hot tub was not hot, the phone itself was broken too.
— Management loves to respond to customer complaints with promises that sound wonderful (new equipment coming! renovations soon!), but then the promises either never come to fruition or they are delayed interminably. I’ve been hearing about the carpet in the men’s locker room being replaced for god-​knows-​how-​long, but still it sits there, literally held together with duct tape. What could possibly take so long to replace carpet? As anyone who has lived in Chicago (or watched WGN) will know … Five-​eight-​eight, two-​three-​hundred, Empiiiiiire.
I’m an idealist and an optimist (or at least I want to be), so I’m giving Results three stars in the hope they get their act together in the next few months. I don’t want to switch to Vida. I want to stick with the charming neighborhood standby. But I fear that they may leave me, and many other customers, little choice.

I used the free pass this evening, thus I can only give my first impression of new user who has attended a few gyms. My scope will be limited to the initial orientation, culture/​energy, a spinning equipment/​class, treadmill/​cardio equipment; ladies’ locker-​room; and «café»
1. The layout is labyrinthine– I literally felt like a mouse in a maze. In one sense i love this– it’s quirky, feels like a mystery to figure out… but on the other side, i’d like to know the location of the restrooms, showers, and the rock climbing wall. I would have loved a tour and orientation to the facility.
Perhaps a map, if not a guided tour? But… wouldn’t it be nice to show your potential clients all your facility has to offer and let them know procedures for things such as Rockclimbing?
Non-​sequitur: Perhaps they could also have a lock that they loan to noobs checking out the facility, because i had to buy a lock. So, it’d just be an easy and thoughtful gesture.
2. The Culture:
Maybe due to my disorientation, and brisk front staff, but it was a tad intimidating and everything seemed a little icy to me– like everyone is in their own zone with Walls are high. Which is cool in a gym, we’re all there for our own goals, but I felt awkward asking for directions to things like toilets.
I did like that there were couches in the main floor and it felt like a chill club house, could definitely chill out there if you have friends who are also members.
I plan on joining, and will give an update to the culture.
3. Spinning equipment:
I liked the machines– they were easy to use, can monitor the gears precisely (as opposed to knob-​based bikes) and had a nifty computer that automatically calculated time, rpms, and watts. Great for monitoring progress and intensity of work outs.
4. Spinning class:
intense! I felt like my butt was kicked (and kinda aching today, argh, too long since i’ve been in the saddle!) I do truly love that feeling of having pushed my limits and The instructor was great!
— side note, there were a lot of guys in this class, which is refreshing, since the last spinning studio i attended was mostly women.
5. Cardio Machines:
The treadmills in the running room (on the first floor) were lifefitness and had private tv monitors. i’m pretty dang new to treadmill running, but i couldn’t find the place to plug in my earphones and stupid iphone had died so i ran in silence looking at the screen. Be sure to bring your iphone charged! I really do like a room specified for running!
Cardio machines are also placed in the hall of the second floor– including treadmills and ellipticals– and I believe another room. Plenty of variety. Although there is a sign-​in sheet for the cardio equipment for peak hours, I think there will always be some kind of machine available that will make you happy.
6. Ladies locker room:
definitely feel like i’m in an upgraded school gym, but nice with lots of privacy… especially since it wasn’t crowded. I like that the lockers have a variety of sizes. You can now fit that Nortface sleeping bag coat with no worries.
There is a hot tub and saunas! But i’m Kind of nervous about accessing them… what’s the procedure? do you undress at hot-​tub side? before getting in? do you walk in the nude from locker to tub and tub to locker? do you use flip flops? I’m making it a goal to find out this week. by trial and error.
IMPORTANT Tip: After wandering around the locker rooms lost in search of toilets, I realized after finding a clothed woman, that you have to go through the hot tub to access the bathrooms and showers and a dry heat sauna.
Café:
I like how that Results celebrates local vendors, as they offer food from local deli The Silver Spork. However, I feel a juice and smoothie bar would be an asset in line with health goals and could provide the recovery drinks that can promote health and reduce injury after work outs.
Tip: their memberships are monthly and currently $ 111. Pricy. (also have an $ 85 off-​peak membership. Unfortunately, as a 9 – 5’er that seems like a lot of money for only weekends as there is no way in hell i’ll just go work out after 9pm!) I love that there is no year-​long contract.
Tip: Rock Climbing is on the third floor and according to a flyer i stumbled upon, you have to take a belay test to show you’re ready to rock climb. They offer an hour introduction class for $ 20 and a Tuesday night intro climb. I can’t wait!
Will i sign up?
Yep, at least for the winter months when it’s too cold especially when raining and windy (for me) to run outdoors… it’s pricy but most convenient to my flat… and rock climbing easy access in my hood!

UPDATE:
Dissatisfied and canceling membership. This is a very poorly maintained facility, despite exorbitant membership costs. I feel as though the owners of Results are taking advantage of members, as they rarely (to never) make improvements, update or replace equipment at this location.
I can’t wait for the new Vida Fitness to open in 2014. Finally, Results will have some competition in Capitol Hill, though I don’t really think it will make them step up their sorry game.
Let’s start with the filthy, unusable whirlpool in women’s’ locker room. Disgusting. Shredded carpets, walls in desperate need of painting, and ancient equipment throughout. ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS PREHISTORIC. Where the heck are my membership fees going? All of this can be yours for $ 1200 per year. What’s worse is that Result’s management responded to my review with a claim that the gym would undergo a full makeover in summer 2013. That was a lie. It’s now December and I don’t see any equipment updates or signs of renovation beyond a newly painted electric blue accent wall at the front desk.
With that, I’m out.

I wanted to love this gym, I really did. It’s impossible, though, and something needs said about it.
Where to begin? Oh, I know. Let’s start off with the gym equipment. It literally looks like the management here took all of the profits they made from members, invested in a time machine and traveled back to the 1970s to steal gym equipment from an inner-​city school, probably near baltimore, and transported all of the equipment to Results
(Yes, I get the gap in logic that exists in this scenario. How could management have raised enough money to invest in a time traveling machine without having enough gym equipment to begin with. Well, you’re taking this all very literally and I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s a hyperbole, after all, and you’ve gone and ruined my fun with your ‘analysis’.
What do you want from me? Perhaps they’re wizards, too, and probably even gypsies. Yes, clearly they are time traveling gypsy wizards who now manage a gym. They’re obviously very boring people, because if you had all of those abilities and access to time travel why would you operate a weak gym in Capitol Hill? Surely you could find a more interesting activity to occupy your time.
Even if they wanted to keep it kind of tame, they could at least create a combination cookie shop and pretzel factory. Of course, they wouldn’t be just any old cookies and pretzels. They’d be the best cookies and pretzels ever. They could even make the coveted pretzel cookie, it’d sell like crazy and someone would probably make a reality show about all these crazy time traveling gypsy wizards who run this amazing pretzel cookie store and serve congressman and hill staffers snacks. I’d watch that until the networks fail to renew it for Season 2.
I wouldn’t do that. If I had those abilities, I’d do something way more interesting. Perhaps I’d put the world under a hypnotic spell that made everyone obsessed with bridge. Then, I’d go back in time and set it up so that I would be the natural successor to the presidency of the World Bridge Federation, so that I’d be the youngest president ever. Then, I’d be able to make kings and rulers across the globe and they’d all owe favors to me. The entire world would be on its knees, cowering in fear from ME and I’d have power, fame, and money. Jay-​z would kill to hang out with me.)
Anyway, the equipment is old and outdated. All of the signs hanging throughout the gym look like they’ve been there since the gym opened. The carpeting is shot and looks like nobody cares about it at all. It is also the most poorly set up gym I’ve ever belonged to, as if management took a course in gym design and decided they didn’t want to listen to anything the instructor said, and just put equipment anywhere they felt. It’s a huge gym, yet I can’t even find a real dip bar anywhere inside of it. Ridiculous.
So, stars are calculated as such:
½ star for a basketball court
½ star for rock climbing wall
½ star for parking included with membership
½ star for allowing me to cancel my membership without signing a yr long contract
I can’t wait for another gym to open up so I can quit here and join somewhere else. I’ve been a member here since August of 2013.