McLean Gyms and Fitness

Exercisers spread throughout spacious workout areas at Results Gym, whose downtown location is as well known for their architecture as their athletic amenities, including choice of a dry or steam sauna, access to the latest in technologically advanced exercise equipment. A Hydrowork training pool with user-controlled current and an underwater treadmill let patrons practice outrunning sharks at cross-species track meets. In addition, massage-therapy, personal-training, and nutrition-counseling services are available. The 65,000 square-foot Capitol Hill location houses four international-sized squash courts, a full basketball and volleyball court, and a 38-foot climbing wall.

Nestled next to historic Georgetown, The Health Club at The Fairmont Washington, D.C. houses a 50-foot lap pool, racquetball and squash courts, Italian-designed Technogym equipment, and a full complement of fitness classes. Complimentary towels, toiletries, and locker services complete with dry saunas cement this health hub's status as a luxurious sundae of wellness topped with a bubbling jacuzzi cherry. A spread of brand-new cardiovascular equipment whirs beneath the glow of flat-screen televisions, and the club's inset spa offers massage and skincare services to pamper by appointment, like a rental grandma.

Since 1973, skaters have been sailing effortlessly across Fairfax Ice Arena’s spacious, icy surface during public skate sessions, figure skating–lessons, and hockey leagues for all ages. At the family-owned arena, a staff of dedicated skating coaches guides students while calling upon experience from the St. Petersburg State Ballet on Ice, Disney on Ice, and the lesser-known On Golden Pond on Ice. The arena is open throughout the year, hosting a full hockey and figure skating–pro shop in addition to its Arena Café.

A 30-foot rock-climbing wall soars up through The Energy Fitness Club's two floors, towering over the 17,000 square feet of fitness facilities. Certified guides lead students up the custom-built routes during official climbing-certification classes. The presence of credentialed experts extends to private training studios, where nationally certified instructors lead a variety of innovative group fitness classes, along with boot camp, personal-training sessions, and nutrition consultations.

Below the climbing apparatus, rows of advanced cardio and strength-training equipment challenge guests. Once they retire from the club’s exercise arena, clients can revel in the elegant hardwood lockers that wrap the walls of the full-service changing rooms. Childcare facilities are also available. Throughout the month, the club hosts social events—from group hikes to happy hours with complimentary wine tastings—providing clients a chance to mingle and politely request permission to poke the bulging muscles of the buffest members.

CEO Peter Harvey believes that a quality gym staff must demonstrate more than technical expertise. "Service doesn't only mean showing someone how to do an arm curl," he says. At each of Fitness First Health Clubs’ 17 locations, his certified personal trainers develop workouts that zero in on each person’s specific goals, giving clients the skills to pole-vault over impassable plateaus. By steadfastly refusing to hand out fish in favor of putting on master classes in fishing, they help clients become self-sufficient, educating them on fundamentals.

During these one-on-one sessions, and in solo workouts, guests set calories ablaze atop rows of continually updated equipment. Treadmills, recumbent bikes, and strength-training tools line the walls, augmented by state-of-the-art gear such as the Frederick club's Sproing—a soft-platform-based machine that minimizes stress on the joints while an exerciser runs.

Members can also drop in for as many group classes as they can muster. Inside a separate studio, stationary cycles whir in time with galvanizing music, kickboxing strikes arc through the air, and barbells rise with each BodyPump rep. For more meditative practices, Pilates sessions and several types of yoga enhance flexibility and focus.

PGA instructor Kevin Hamluk tailors golf instruction to the individual swing habits and physical limitations of his students, demonstrating a successful approach that earned him a spot as a finalist in the 2012 Best Young Teacher awards from Golf Digest. Kevin works with his students to develop a dependable swing that fits their bodies and improves their ability to ward off feral flagsticks. Along with providing private lessons on the range, Kevin offers clinics that cover the full-swing, short-game, or putting techniques and online video lessons that involve students sending him videos of their swings for analysis, corrective feedback, and a direct line to casting agents.