Sculpt DC

I decided to try this out for the first time yoga price. I’ve done yoga in a variety of studios as well as at Vida Fitness. Oh my goodness, we were trying to meditate and then all of a sudden, I could hear the boom-​boom-​booming and yelling from the spin studio across the hall. I could not believe that they failed to sound proof the yoga studio. It completely ruined the experience. The instructor wasn’t bad and she ended up putting on some background music but then we went into shavasana and you could hear the loud club music again, and people talking. This studio is trying to compete with the serious, high end boutique studios, but I feel like the operators are kinda missing some key components.
I’ll also would never do their spin classes because they don’t even rent spin shoes — they tell you to wear your sneakers. Any respectable spin boutique will insist that you clip in.

Great facility with a lot of variety. I really like their spin instructors, especially Emily C. and Jordan. Both are great and the classes fly by and I leave feeling accomplished and motivated. The spin room is always cool, which is a nice plus and they space out the bikes well so you never feel like you are on top of each other. You also can’t beat the location!

Reviewing spin. Ok studio– not the worst but definitely not the best. Not as competitive as other spin classes in the area.

I finally joined Classpass and promised myself to do as much yoga as I can, so I will be reviewing tons of different studios now. Sculpt is first.
I’ve tried Sculpt a while ago for spinning and didn’t care for it. I admit I’m not a big fan of spinning to begin with and have only been to Soul Cycle for the Unilocal event, so I don’t have much to compare Sculpt to. I liked the music and the instructors’ energy but I was very confused the entire class. Not good in my book. I told the girl at the front desk that it’s my first time at the spinning studio ever. Then the instructor asked whether there were new people in the class and I raised my hand. He welcomed me but didn’t offer to adjust my bike or explain what the difficulty levels were, or anything like that. The studio was really dark (it didn’t help that I got a bike in the back) and I couldn’t see anything on the little monitor to see my heart rate or adjust settings if I needed. It would be nice if someone showed me around when I told them I was a newbie, or at least showed me a thing or two about the studio bikes.
As I looked around the studio, however, it was clear that every single person knew exactly what they were doing and they were all really into it. Good for them!
Even though I won’t be back to Sculpt for spinning, I love their yoga classes. I really like classes taught by Chris, Michelle, and Soozi. All three teach challenging classes and offer great corrections. I felt stronger and calmer after each yoga class at Sculpt.
(Just fyi — they charge $ 2 for mats.)
The studio itself is alright. It gets super chaotic before and after class and it can get noisy in the yoga studio when there is a spin class next door, but the space itself is quite pleasant and you can’t beat the location, of course.

fun, clubby spinning
and nice multicolored lights!
dig the size and vibe
yoga classes: good mix
meditate, get zen, and sweat
plus quality mats
one major complain:
yogis can hear spin music
so yogis, beware!
otherwise lovely,
friendly, energetic staff
and clean bathrooms too!

I participated in the black light yoga class. Some of you may be thinking glow sticks? This isn’t a rave. They actually surprisingly helped me focus on my own poses and set a tranquil tone in the room. Our instructor lead us through some basic poses that are accessible to beginners and build strength toward resilience. I got a good work out. While the instructor will circle the room to help correct your poses, you do need to know some of the basics because it is difficult to emulate the people around you in the dark.

The glow yoga class was fun, but was also better for beginners. I found it to easy. The atmosphere is cool and the people were nice. I liked that they had sample juice & Kind bars you could grab on your way out. I probably wouldn’t have gone here if it hadn’t been a promotional event. The prices seem high for what they offered.

I went to a yoga glow class.
It’s a pretty cool concept — the room is completely dark, only some neon lights, and the stick lights we got to put on ourselves.
The thing is (and maybe it’s an advantage — up to you) — it made it much more difficult for me to keep my balance, as well as to follow the instructions fully (as you cannot really see the instructor).
Maybe this is why the class was pretty easy. I enjoyed it a lot anyway.
The place itself is nice and clean. They offer free lockers. The staff was really nice!
We also got some juice samplers, and energy bars which I liked.

I’ve been thinking about taking yoga classes, and so have been asking friends if they can recommend any. That’s when I heard about the nightmare a friend had after trying classes at Sculpt DC.
She tried the month trial membership, and was underwhelmed. The instructors seemed more into aerobic exercise than yoga. In short, it seemed liked the owners were more interested in making money from clients than in helping people to develop a practice. When time came to renew, she decided to do just one more month and then look elsewhere. That’s when the problems really began.
She was told by the woman at the front desk that she could do the unlimited yoga for a month. She was even given a date that the package would expire. She went a few times a week during that month, and then let the membership lapse.
However, when she checked her bank statements a few months later, she saw that Sculpt DC had continued to charge her over a hundred dollars a month. When she contacted the management, they told her she had agreed to a minimum of three months when she signed up for the unlimited yoga, even though it was the woman at the front desk who had signed her up online. Not once did the woman at the front desk explain that there was a minimum of three months required to sign up for unlimited yoga.
Instead of apologizing and refunding the amount, apparently the management has gotten belligerent, even going so far as threatening to bring in a lawyer because of the angry e-​mail my friend wrote.
I don’t write normally write Unilocal reviews, much less negative ones, but this kind of behavior seems antithetical to a company who professes to care about the philosophy and practice of yoga.

I echo the complaints of many other Unilocalers about Sculpt– the Front Desk and Customer Service and Management here sucks. From my experience, money is their God, not a belief in Yoga. I realize all yoga studios need to make money, but you can still make money and have a kind and warm vibe (something you would expect at a yoga studio. otherwise what kind of yogis are these people?).
First — the classes and the instructors: apart from one or two instructors, the instructors here seem to not give a rat’s butt about their students. They power through classes without so much as a glance to the students to see how everyone is faring and keeping up. I have been in classes where students are clearly doing poses incorrectly and panting to keep up, and the instructor has continued to power through the poses, showcasing her fancy moves. I distinctly remember feeling anxious and stressed at the end of that class.
Second — I once lost a locker room key here. If you make a human error like this, the staff will likely make you feel like shit. I certainly felt like shit. And was told I would have to pay a fee if they didn’t find it (they made me look in the studio, lockers, and bathrooms multiple times).
And lastly, I was given the impression from the front desk staff that I was signing up for one month unlimited yoga here. I was not told that I was automatically signing up for a minimum of 3 months. Months later, when I checked my credit card statement, I saw I had been charged for the previous previous 4 months (a time when I hadn’t taken any classes — I would have taken classes if I knew I was paying). When I alerted the staff to this — they refused to reimburse me for the majority of the months — and even threatened to contact a lawyer after I had sent an email expressing my frustration and saying I felt the need to make the information public.
I am still in shock as to how a yoga studio can treat people like this.

Today was my first class at Sculpt. I thought Pamela was a great, friendly instructor. I enjoyed her music, and found her class to be the right mix of challenging and fun. My only qualm is that, being my first time at the studio, I thought I would’ve got a walk through explaining what’s where. Other than that — I’d say I’m hooked!
I’ve taken many Soul Cycle and Flywheel classes, and find this more along the lines of Soul Cycle. Don’t get me wrong — it’s NOT Soul, but it’s more of a feel good/​fun class, rather than a competitive, numbers on the screen, race.
Looking forward to taking as many spin classes as possible in the next 30 days with their new member special!

First off, location. Most of my favorite spinning and workout studios are towards Gtown/​Dupont/​Logan. Finally a great studio in the chinatown area right off the red line. Secondly, I have taken the spin and sculpt classes. The sculpt yoga classes here are very similar to corepower, minus the large windows and heat. You won’t sweat as much at Sculpt but you will feel a lot more sore because of the attention to using weights and really burning out your muscles. I also enjoyed the spinning classes — negative that they do not provide spinning shoes but the room and music selection is very upbeat and the lights make you feel like you’re in a dance club. Also a very clean, pretty studio with great locker space (they give you an assigned locker number AND a little key to hold onto… great idea)!

Still the best spin studio in DC (and their other classes are great too).
When I first moved here from Los Angeles, I checked out a bunch of studios in DC but none were remotely as challenging as my old one back in LA, then I discovered SculptDC.
Nearly two years later I am still at SculptDC because I get an insane workout that continually challenges me.

I am very confused about the hype around this studio. Its attempt to be like a boutique is sad; it’s as if a gold’s gym just painted their walls white and threw in a Buddha.
The instructors are HORRIBLE… constantly just saying «turn it up again.» Mam, it only goes up so high. They also attempt to be like instructors from amazing studios by saying similar phrases, but in monotone voices. The counting is always off and they just talk at you… and turn it up again.
The towels feel like they have splinters in them. The bikes are unstable and the pedometers don’t work, but the instructors still reference them.
Not sure what the changing lights do? Perhaps to distract from the sub par class…
Also please stop asking for my ID for the stupid key chain… the front desk service is sub par as well, so having to increase our interactions with them is a bad idea.
I go here because it’s classpass and it’s close to me but i always dread going I never leave wanting to go back.

Long story short the FRONT DESK SUCKS! That lady Ashley H is not helpful at all.
I called in to find out what happened to my 5 passes Spin classes I just bought last week, which went from 5 classes to 1 class left in 1 week. What happened is that I registered for 1 class and then realized that I did not have my sneakers with me so I cancelled almost right away. What they don’t tell you is that even if the app tells you that it’s all good and you are good to go well you actually have to call the front desk to talk to someone for them to cancel it for you so it’s not held against you and so you are not losing that class.
Well, the front desk NEVER EVER pick up the phone. I have called many times between the hours of 9 – 11 AM and no one is there to assist you. However, once they pick up the phone you then wished you never called because honestly there is ZERO customer service, there is nothing that makes you want to say ’ Thank you so much for your help!” Instead I called in and spoke briefly with Ashley who almost made me feel «dumb» that I did not understand their policy of cancellation, which no one ever talked to me about, and after explaining my case and trying to see if I could maybe somehow have that class pass back to my account for later use she said «No, unfortunately that’s the way it works, you have to call in to cancel…» I hope you have a better day, goodbye”. There was no sense of compassion whatsoever.
The front desk is horrible, you do not know who does what and who is there to help you or if there is just an instructor filling in. It’s just very chaotic.
There is one girl at the front desk that I like and I wish I knew her name, but she has always been very kind to me and she is always smiling. The best part is that she calls me by my name and I was very surprised when she knew my name the 2^nd time I came back.
Despite the fact the CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ALMOST NON EXISTENT The spin instructors are good and they are the only reason why I come back. If they want to keep clients coming back a little bit more kindness and appreciation for their patrons will go a long way.
Soul Cycle will be my next spot. I know it’s more expensive but I just got off the phone with the help desk and honestly maybe Ashley should give them a call to see how it’s done. Not only they tell you they can’t wait to see you! but they also wish you to have a WONDERFUL DAY!

I tried Sculpt DC with class pass. The instructor was Dru who I’ve done classes at Biker Barre with and like. The parking isn’t easy in the Chinatown area, luckily I found a good spot near the Spy museum.
The front desk staff was not unfriendly but not overly helpful, I had to ask them where to go for my class. I liked the Cycle and core combo class because there was some abs added after the spin portion. Dru is great and super motivational so no complaints there. The abs portion is done in the yoga studio located next to the spin studio downstairs so very convenient.
The studio was clean and nice, free towels and a water cooler if you bring your own bottle. I would come back again for sure.

Bottom line: great place, not for me. (I’m currently trying out all the spin studios in DC and reviewing them here for people who are looking for the same in the future!, so this is only for the spin class.)
Atmosphere: Very chaotic check-​in but very nice downstairs — lockers and changing rooms, etc. The spin room was very dark with the color-​changing neon lights around the outside, and a platform for the instructor. The bikes were very nice but they didn’t have readouts or feedback tech on the bike (i.e., rpm, watts, etc).
In my mind, the pros here were: the instructor was great (helped me set up my bike, very enthusiastic, kept the workout moving and pushed the crowd); the bikes were nice; there was an arm workout involved that was tough; the room wasn’t too hot; and the crowd was varied and friendly.
However, this wasn’t the studio for me. I want a spinning class to be about spinning and challenging myself; it’s hard to do that when there’s no baseline. «Give me a 5 on your difficult scale» isn’t very helpful; I use the readouts to keep a baseline and stay on target. Also, I don’t want to spend the class doing push-​ups or curls on the bike (it just takes away from working your legs) — I can lift on my own, and am moreso looking for a serious cardio workout without the strength building element.
That being said — if you DO want a full body workout and are less concerned about spinning itself, this is a beautiful space that’s convenient and has a lovely and enthusiastic staff. Plus there’s yoga, apparently?

Disclaimer: Went there using Classpass. Would absolutely pay additional money to spin here more than the allotted 3x a month.
Absolutely the best spin class I have ever been to! I have never felt so energized and happy after a workout. I felt like I had gone out clubbing with my friends instead of gone to workout but the arms and shoulders workout left me sore.
I have done spin for a few years, but usually at a variety of Golds Gyms. This is my first time taking spin at a studio. The instructor was very friendly and came over before class to help me adjust my bike and gave me some pointers. I loved that the weights and a towel were already placed in my bike for me (I picked up some heavier weights in the middle of the room based on preference. The instructor was encouraging but did not talk so much that I couldn’t focus on the actual spinning (an unfortunate occurrence with other teachers). To be honest, at times I could not hear her well over the music at times but figured out what the class was about quickly from watching neighbors.
Locker rooms were available and once I checked in I was given a key which I then returned at the end of class.
Music: A. Unique tracks that keep energy up.
Temperature: A+ Perfectly cool. I am not a fan of spin studios that get hot or muggy and this certainly helped me push myself during spin.
Location: B. 2 – 3 blocks from the metro with some parking out front that is rarely available.
Teacher: A+. She did not look like the normal typical spin teacher (had some curves which I really appreciated). Her motivation and energy level was just perfect.
I will definitely be back!!!

This may be the swankiest yoga studio I have ever been to.. .. You know that Asian restaurant, Buddakan, in NYC and Philly? Well, SculptDC reminded me of that place, weirdly enough.
I love the décor of this yoga studio. There is a buddha statue at the front of the room and the yoga mats are all red. SculptDC has more of a chic vibe than other studios I’ve visited and I think that goes in their favor.
The yoga and spinning class I attended here were great. Both instructors turned off all the lights during class so you can really focus on your own workout. I really loved the yoga class I attended. The instructor had a ton of positive energy and played really relaxing music.
Unique aspects of this studio — SculptDC is super convenient if you work near metro center as it is located right next to Pi Pizza. They also provide all the equipment, including mats, so you just have to bring yourself. I also really like that they offer mints and hair ties as amenities.

I recently completed a 30 day trial at Sculpt– which is located only a few blocks from my job.
Overall, I liked the concept (only spinning/​cycling and yoga/​Pilates) and the space is beautiful. Over the course of 30 days, I tried several different classes.
I found that the quality of the yoga classes varied based on the instructor. Some instructors came across as knowledgeable and experienced, and others, not so much. There were times when poses were not thoroughly explain, and when the instructor would ramble on about their personal life. There was also one day that we got on the mats to start a class only to discover they had not been cleaned. The class was delayed 5 – 7 minutes while the mats were quickly cleaned. The yoga room itself is gorgeous and peaceful. Instructors are a matter of personal preference so other people may not be as picky, but I have been doing yoga for several years and have seen all types.
With regards to the cycling, I found yet again the experience varied greatly on instructor. One lunchtime instructor had a great playlist and was very helpful to newbies. Another evening instructor asked how many people were new to indoor cycling and several hands went up. I was surprised that no general instruction or offer to help with fitting bikes followed.
Overall, I think the regular (not intro) rate is steep for the varying quality of instruction. But if you factor in proximity to office, and nice facilities, I could see more of a justification.