I came to this box to try it out after finally succumbing to my Crossfit curiosity after watching the games on ESPN. I took the intro class with Jim and I was immediately certain this was the right spot for me. I worked closest with Jim, Olga and Mary Scott while working out here and I found the coaching to be truly first class. The evening classes can be a little busy (but they're capped at 16 so its never too overwhelming) and Jim has such a solid background in Crossfit/PT/Gymnastics/Weight Lifting/being a legend that he always makes sure the programming is well thought out, challenging but also fun. Dodgeball to warm up? Definitely a Friday regular at this box. For those frightened to try Crossfit, I would say that there is a really wide spectrum of people in the classes from the fitness machines to the currently overweight & from young to old. This makes for interesting groups and everyone is always super encouraging during workouts - something which all of the coaches actively cultivate. There is also the availability of the gym/swimming pool outside of classes - which is definitely an added bonus that not many crossfit locations have. The facilities are first class since the box is inside the Fairmont hotel. Locker rooms, showers and the swimming pool are all top notch and there's also paleo food delivery if you're struggling to combine your workout with grabbing food for lunch. This is not your average industrial looking box. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to try Crossfit for the first time and for folks who are well experienced in WODs! Great coaches, great equipment and great people! read more

I love this CrossFit box! It is my favorite in Washington and arguably in the world, and I have done drop ins from Asia to South America. It has one of my favorite coaches, the fantastic Karolin Nilsson, who is truly a phenomenal! read more

My favorite CrossFit gym in DC. I travel for work and get to visit many CrossFit gyms, and have also been a member of other CrossFit's. Balance Gym with their CrossFit Foggy Bottom is one of my, if not my favorite. Membership also allows access to their Glover Park and Thomas Circle locations, which are also excellent. Highly recommended for anyone looking improve their fitness as well as how they look and feel. Coaches are excellent and the other members there are very welcoming. read more

Crossfit Foggy Bottom is the place to go if you're looking for a box. For anyone who thinks Crossfit isn't for you, the coaches really adjust the workout to your needs. Only thing I wish to have is the whole week workout available on Sundays. Other than that, I don't think you can get better in any other place. Look for Karolin if you aren't sure and want to try out. She will make sure you feel comfortable :) read more

This is a fantastic CrossFit box in downtown DC. The location is terrific--right in the heart of the city. The space is super clean with great, well-kept equipment. Lots of classes throughout the day. The coaches are very hands on--knowledgeable and encouraging and the community seems really strong with members who know each other well. Drop ins are welcomed warmly. The programming is fun and challenging but easily scaled and the coaches are well versed in helping individuals scale each workout to match individual needs. As a bonus it is located in the Fairmont hotel so you can't beat the locker rooms, towels and other amenities. read more

I've been active in Crossfit for over two years and tried many different gyms in DC and visited crossfit gyms while traveling and CrossFit Foggy Bottom is hands down the best you will find. The programming in the gym is fun and challenging. This gym has all of the toys you could ever dream of in a gym on top of that is the access to all of the other amenities in the gym (pool, yoga and spinning classes, steam room, meal service, etc). You'll get your crossfit fix with plenty of WODs that leave you in a pile of your own sweat and tears but the real selling point is the focus on weight lifting. The coaches at CFFB are skilled and knowledgeable lifters who will help you perfect your lifting form and achieve the gains you want to hit. I'm an athlete on a local rugby team in DC and the programming and coaching at CFFB helps me get stronger and stay fit during the off season. If you're an athlete too or just someone who wants to look good naked I highly recommend giving CrossFit Foggy Bottom a try. read more

What a cool CrossFit space! The lowdown: The box is in the basement of a globo gym set-up, which is on the lower floor of the Fairmont. The address is actually 2401 M St NW. It is one of four CrossFit Balance boxes in DC. My husband and I dropped in hoping to attend a class. We visited on Friday, July 3 (before the holiday weekend), and we missed the last class of the night. BUT, we were able to use the gym until 10 PM, which was awesome. The drop-in rate is $20. I recommend emailing CrossFit Balance Foggy Bottom before dropping in. Jim and Olga were extremely helpful and quick to respond. The CrossFit box is great. There's ample room for activities and plenty of equipment. Sadly, we didn't get to meet any of the coaches or other members (aside from one nice young woman who was working out there for the summer). We had the space to ourselves. There are two rooms for CrossFit activities, and they're divided by one large pillar/wall. There are lifting platform strips down the middle of each room and plenty of bumper plates. The only downside here was the barbells - they could use some TLC. The ceilings are high, so the space feels open. When you walk upstairs through the conventional gym space (think leg press machines and such), you can look down and see the box. There are several rowers up a flight of stairs, and it looks like they are shared with other gym-goers. An interesting note about the music: the main gym has its own music playing, while the CrossFit box can also play music. I imagine that can be overwhelming at times, the battle of the tunes. Overall, a great place to check out for a WOD if you're in DC. We're sorry we missed you all, Foggy Bottom! Hopefully we can join for a WOD next trip. Thank you for letting us use the space to lift and play! read more

I found CrossFit Foggy Bottom through a Yelp review and initially thought it sounded too good to be true. Having visited a few CF boxes (gyms) in the past that were basically garages modified into a gym, I had never heard the types of comments about a facility. All I need to say is that I was blown away by everything. The CrossFit area has everything you could need from full racks, bars, rubber weights, ropes, kettle balls, medicine balls, etc. The coaches (instructors) are very helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. I've worked closest with Jim and Olga who are both fantastic coaches and athletes who practice themselves and set examples. The motto is "Keep it Classy" and this describes it perfectly. Additionally, the location inside a Fairmont hotel allows benefit from all facilities including great bathrooms, sauna, pool, lifting/cardio area, free towel service, free lockers, and great Paleo take-out. Without sounding over the top in commendation, this is the best gym I've ever been to and wish I wasn't leaving DC so I could continue here. Highly recommended for at least a free visit for which they are very accommodating. TL;DR - Fantastic facility that holds up to all the other reviews. read more

Have you always wanted to try CrossFit but were intimated by all the F-words and heavy metal music playing during the work outs? I WAS! If your answer is YES, then you are at the right place. The slogan is "Keep it Classy". The work out schedule is great, thanks to Jim, the director of CrossFit at Foggy Bottom, you hit almost every muscle during the week. Starting with warm up and mobility, you stretch all the muscles that are soar from yesterday and warm up the muscles you will work on that day, it gets followed by Olympic weight lifting and some gymnastic work and then the fun metcon. The emphasis is on your "form" during the weight lifting and it is amazing that every time there is a review (almost everyday), I pick up a new point that helps. Coaches are awesome as well. They take a real interest in making sure your form is correct (taking videos of you and explaining what you did right or wrong) and giving you pointers on how to do it better. They figure out what is your learning style and how they can encourage you to do better. I was intimated by everything (even the burpee) when I first started, almost a year ago and didn't know the difference between clean and jerk! I remember my first week and first time I had to row 1000 meters , I was ready to quiet around 800 meters but then everyone was cheering for me (of course I was the last one!) and just thought I can't disappoint this many people, so I finished it! And now I am addicted. Other than the program and coaches being great, you get to work out in a friendly environment. Even the webpage has some inspirational quotes from time to time and some useful nutritional facts. Overall, I believe CrossFit Foggy Bottom is the best CrossFit in DC. read more

Overpriced for a drop in, and the coach might as well not have been there. At $25 to drop in, I expected they would have a pretty good facility, and they did. I nearly changed my mind and asked for a refund before even starting to work out though because the coach paid zero attention to me for several minutes until I finally had to walk up and introduce myself. Then he chided me for coming too early before the start of the next class and seemed quite bothered that I might want some extra time to warm up. He only gave a few annoyed corrections and cues during the class, and seemed much more interested in whatever was going on on his phone. The only thing good about this experience was the actual workout. I won't be back and I don't recommend it. read more

I have been a member of CrossFit Foggy Bottom for over a year now and I can truly say that it is the best fitness environment that I have ever been a part of. The CFFB slogan is "keep it classy" and it is something that is consistently practiced in every aspect of the gym. Starting with the Crossfit Program Director, Jim Bathurst (Google him) to all of the coaches at CFFB, they are all true professionals who take a genuine interest in your fitness progression. One of the most appealing things to me about CFFB is the large focus on practicing correct form during all lifts and movements. The coaches at CFFB keep you safe and away from injury by creating a culture that promotes doing things the correct way. The classes are kept at a reasonable size which allows coaches to provide the proper attention to everybody in the room. The facilities are very impressive, the gym is located inside The Fairmont Washington DC Georgetown, need I say more?.... and the same goes for the equipment in the gym, it is all new, clean, and well organized. Everything you would want and need in a crossfit gym is here, and in addition to your crossfit membership you also have access to the rest of the gym which includes a pool, steam room, endless machines, equipment, group classes, hot tub, huge locker rooms, ping pong table, lounge area, and more! The Executive Chef of The Fairmont (who is also a CFFB member) has created a Paleo Menu that is available to gym members. For around $10 you can order a meal and arrange to have it waiting for after your workout! I'm talking Grilled Salmon, Steak, Chicken, the works! A great additional service! I highly recommend CFFB to anybody. No matter your current strength, fitness, or skill level Crossfit Foggy Bottom will assist you in reaching your goals. read more

Great place. Coach was very friendly and through. Highly recommend if your in the DC area to check this place out.

Quite honestly, I don't think I can say enough good things about CrossFit Foggy Bottom's programming. Having done it now for just under a year, I can say that I am fitter, healthier, and generally more positive because of the coaches and staff at the gym. Having heard a number of complaints about CrossFit prior to joining, I was skeptical, but they quickly removed that and replaced it with a rekindled passion for working out. The vibe is laid back, friendly, and communal. No doubt about it, the workouts are tough, but that's why you want to go to a gym like this. They push you to reach and extend your limits in a way that does not feel overly forced. The coaches are committed to helping you work on form, to adjust your program as needed for injuries (or sleep deprivation), and it's just a great, great place to work out. read more

Dropped in for a class coached by Lars. Great programming and guidance for the WOD. Very impressed.

Great Facilities and Great Coaches -- Jim B., Karolin, Craig, Joe, Olga, Rob are all fantastic and they're all different, so they offer different cues, so you'll get lot's of critiques. They also have very different personalities, so there's a coach to fit your preferences! Locker rooms are better than anything you'll find in DC, plus the Fairmont cooks paleo meals that you can order before your workout and heave ready after your workout. read more

First of all, with regards to the crossfit training, this is as good as it gets. The workouts are carefully programmed with strength training, mobility, conditioning, gymnastics work, and more. This is not a box where you are given weights and told to just crush it - form is of the utmost importance here. The coaches are all extremely friendly and watch athletes for any issues and give helpful suggestions and areas for improvement. Second of all, the facilities are great- you pay for crossfit but also have access to a gym in the Fairmont hotel with a pool, steam room, sauna, nice showers, lockers, etc. This also gives you access to ordering paleo meals cooked up by the chefs at the Fairmont and brought down to you when your workout is over if you are on the run and need a meal to go (i.e. a nice steak with sides for a cheaper price than getting a salad most places.) Foggybottom crossfit attracts all sorts of people: some who are new to crossfit or weightlifting, some who are experienced, some young, some a bit older, some with kids, foreigners who want a good workout while on business trips...it is really the perfect mix and a fantastic atmosphere in which to be a part. read more

I am visiting the DC area for an 8-week summer internship with my husband, and prior to our arrival, our first order of business was to find a good CrossFit gym, since it has been our addiction since we started almost two years ago. After seeing the good reviews about this box, not to mention the fact that it was .02 miles from where would be were living, I sent an email inquiry about joining. The gym's head coach, Jim, emailed me back right away, and my husband and I met with him our first week here. We were immediately impressed with his welcoming personality, but even more so with his knowledge about Olympic and power lifts and focus on form and safety. Needless to say, we joined and it has been a fantastic experience. I have received SO MANY GREAT tips about my form and technique, and have already seen more progress in just a few weeks than I have in the almost two years of CrossFitting at another box. The coaches are incredibly attentive, and again, incredibly knowledgeable about their craft. The other cool thing is that you get a regular gym membership along with your CrossFit membership, so if you want to run a few miles on a treadmill (I do), hop on the rower for a 2k row, or do your own lifting or WOD in the weight room, you have that option as well. The locker room, pool, sauna, and facilities are beautiful. I love this place and am going to miss it when I return home after this internship! read more

Facilities are top notch, all the equipment you need, and some of the coaches are very knowledgeable and decently well accomplished in their field. Jim is an excellent director, and definitely knows his stuff. Eric is a good coach and a strong lifter. Nicky is fairly accomplished as a Crossfitter, but leaves more to be desired as a weightlifting coach (/as a weightlifter himself). Some of the other coaches may be knowledgeable but lack credibility given their current lifts, fitness levels, experience, etc. While you can learn from anyone, credibility matters when you are paying money for a service. Personally, I wouldn't pay money for a marriage counselor who is many-times divorced, or to see a psychiatrist who is mentally unstable, regardless of the "certifications" and level of expertise they may bring to the table. I think that some of the coaches should practice what they preach and make sure that they are setting a strong example for their athletes. read more