My Thrive Pilates Courthouse

I have been taking Mat classes at MyThrive in Courthouse for about 3 months now. As someone who has never, ever enjoyed working out before, I now greatly look forward to these classes. Pilates is a workout that really agrees with me, but more importantly, all of the instructors and the overall experience at MyThrive are stellar. I regularly take classes with Kelly, Ellen, Rachel, Liz, and Hillary, and each class is challenging and unique. I never feel like I am getting the same workout, and I am constantly challenged. Furthermore (and this is a huge selling point for a general workout-​phobe like me) the atmosphere is super friendly and not competitive at all. There is a wonderful camaraderie in the classes, and each instructor makes sure to emphasize that each person should work at her/​his own comfort level.
The studio itself is clean, spacious, and lovely. Tom, one of the owners, is usually there when I attend evening classes, and he is always very welcoming. The prices are very reasonable, especially given the location and the proximity to various workout studios in the area. I am so happy that I discovered MyThrive, and I highly, highly recommend it to newbies, fitness fiends, and generally anyone who wants a challenging yet positive workout experience.

I came here on a groupon for 5 Barre/​Mat/​TRX classes. I’ve really enjoyed the barre classes – great instructors and class size! I also love it’s not 1 full hour… I love classes that are 30 – 50 minutes long, as I do get impatient ;-) Although, I’m bummed that it costs about $ 30 per class though :(I’ll return if they have another groupon special. I can imagine paying $ 10 – 12 a class, but $ 30 is pretty steep.

Highly suggest taking Mat 1 with Kelly, she’s wonderful! She also teaches at the Shirlington location.
This studio is very convenient for anyone in the Court House area. The entrance might be tricky to find though– it’s in the Plaza to the left of the hotel and has a sign on the door.
It’s really small, and the lasses are pretty limited, but the instructors are great!
They don’t have too much room to store your things, so people generally leave them on and around the benches in the hallway. They do have changing rooms and bathrooms though, as well as water fountains.
Some of the classes book up really fast, so try and schedule in advance if you can!
So far I’ve only done mat classes, but plan to try out reformer and trx soon.

I used to take reformer classes when this was just the Shirlington location and really enjoyed them. Purchased a groupon for Barre & Mat classes at Courthouse and remembered why I loved this studio. I have a cervical spine fusion and the instructors are very accommodating with modifications without making me feel awkward or embarrassed. And, when I try new classes or exercises and can’t do them or suck at them, they laugh with me and not at me. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgable. I have tried other boutiquey (I know that’s not a word) places but this place feels more comfortable.

I’ve been a My Thrive regular for quite a while and wanted to weigh in on my favorite Arlington destination. Pro tip: sign up for their emails to be notified about their sales.
First I want to address the price point. Don’t let the sticker price distract you. This studio absolutely offers reasonably priced classes for any level of workout intensity. I started by buying smaller 5– or 10-​class packs, but eventually upgraded to the monthly unlimited in September 2014. It used to be $ 135, they upped it to $ 149 recently.
Quick math interlude: a single class costs $ 30, but if you buy a bulk class pass, you can get the cost per class down to as low as $ 11 for the 50-​class pack. So the monthly unlimited is worth it if you attend more than 13 classes a month. While the monthly unlimited stipulates a one-​year contract, you can cancel it by giving the studio one month’s notice, which is incredibly convenient. I kept the contract in place for 9 months and nearly always saw value from it.
(And if you email the studio, they’ll enable your account to book out a full year, which is so convenient for planning your workouts!)
For people less sure about committing to a monthly quota, My Thrive regularly runs sales on their class packs. I’ve bought their 50-​class packs at a 20% discount for my past two purchases, decreasing the price from $ 550 to $ 440. I think this is such a reasonable value! So sign up for their emails to get notified when they’re running sales.
Now onto the courses. I originally signed up to get into Pilates, but I’ve been hooked on TRX after just a single class. It’s a fantastic strength workout, easy to master no matter your starting fitness level, and highly customizable to any strength level. This last bit is important; the classes are mixed level, so as you get stronger, you can still challenge yourself with even a basic exercise.
Every instructor I’ve had here has been friendly, competent, and engaging. My favorite classes are the really challenging TRX classes taught by Stephanie W. and Tatiana. The class is capped at 6 people, so there’s definitely the opportunity to get feedback and get to know the instructors.
Also, I cannot stress enough the convenience of this studio. It’s spacious, has two bathrooms and a changing room, and (most importantly!) no matter what the class, all the equipment is provided. You don’t need to bring a mat for Pilates – it’s all there. All you need to do is bring yourself and some water… which I always forget anyway.

been going to mythrive from june — love! love! love! the studio and the instructors. Stephanie, Andrea, Fiona are awesome reformer instructors :-)
commute is great! right next to courthouse metro station
Cons– high price, no coupons/​deals for memberships
however, i would definitely recommend going here!

I have taken barre classes here with classpass. It is a little more ballet and barre centric than some of the other barre classes where you spend most of the time on the mat. I can’t recommend barre classes with Liz enough.
Everyone I’ve met at My Thrive Pilates is very friendly and encouraging. The instructors seem to genuinely enjoy being there.

What a fun place! Everyone here really contributes to a positive and energetic environment. The instructors are top notch! Thus far, every instructor has been knowledgeable, personable, dedicated, and passionate. They love what they do and it shows.
The Classes and Instructors:
I’ve attended several Reformer classes with Sonja Lyth. She has an upbeat personality and is super helpful with corrections. She was nice enough to slow things down to a snail’s pace during my first class using the Reformer equipment and always checks in with me since she knows I am still a newbie. She’s very patient and clear when describing and demonstrating proper form. Plus, she is in amazing shape so being around her is super motivating! I definitely recommend Sonja’s classes.
I just recently attended a Core Align class with Jeff Yake. This particular class is only offered at the Courthouse location. The classes are small since here are only 5 Core Align machines available. The machine combination consists of an upright ladder and a base that has two separate tracks and two small independently moving carts with adjustable tension cords. Exercises can be performed in standing position and also while on the ground. Core Align was designed by a physical therapist to improve posture and balance and to strengthen the core. Jeff spent a good amount of time helping me get acclimated to equipment and monitoring my form. He also took the time after class to answer my questions, show me around, make suggestions, and introduce me to instructors I hadn’t yet met. Everyone really goes all out here. The Core Align workout was fantastic. I got such a great workout. I really felt it the next day where my limbs connect to my carriage (?). I attended a different workout the next day and felt so much stronger! It was pretty amazing. Exercises that are normally challenging for me were much less challenging after completing only one Core Align class. Core Align is no joke though! It really takes something. I was slightly out of breath for most of the class but not in a bad way. It wasn’t super cardio intensive but some of the moves can be a bit exhausting. I went through my 16 oz bottle of water a little too quickly. The other students (regulars) were supportive and helpful during the class. Great class!
I’ve heard positive things about other instructors as well — Tatiana (TRX and Barre), Stephanie (owner), Andrea, and Carey (not sure of the spelling).
I would be remiss not to mention Tom. He is one of the other owners. He seems to be really involved in the daily operations and tends to be onsite at the Courthouse location. He’s always welcoming and can often be seen giving quick tours to the new students. I forgot my water bottle in my car during my first class and he gave me a bottle from his personal stash. BTW, they don’t sell water onsite. He also provided great parking tips (I’ve included them below) and went out of his way to walk me to the garage to show me where to park on subsequent visits.
The Studio:
This is one of the most updated and spacious studios I have visited, especially for a Courthouse location. There are four separate workout areas for Reformer, Barre/​Mat Classes, Core Align/​TRX, and a separate space for private sessions that overlooks the rest of the studio and the street, with floor to ceiling windows.
The entire space is light and airy with great energy. There is room to move around without bumping into other students. There is a long entry way with seating. Cubbies are available inside the room for storing personal belongings. The space is well maintained and smells fresh. The equipment is new, and well maintained.
Parking:
Option 1 Weekdays:
There is 2 hour free parking available at 14^th and North Wayne Street, behind My Thrive Pilates. Once parked, walk towards 14^th street and you will see a garage with the words «Hotel Parking». Directly next to that is an entry way with stairs. Go through that entry way and take an immediate left and you will be at My Thrive Pilates.
Option 2 Weekdays:
Enter the garage located at 14^th and Veitch Street. Take a left upon entry and keep driving until you reach a ticket gate. There are signs that say government parking only, but keep going. Once you retrieve a parking ticket, keep taking immediate right hand turns until you are on P2, then drive towards the back of the garage. You will see an elevator in a glass enclosure. Enter through that elevator and take it to *G. Once you depart the elevator, take an IMMEDIATE right and you are there. It’s only like one step away from the elevator. Give yourself extra time getting here on your first day because parking can be a tad confusing at first.
Weekends:
On weekends, there is typically more street parking and garage parking is free. You will still need to get a parking ticket but you will not be charged upon departure.

I did the unlimited group reformer membership for about 5 months and used every ounce of that membership up. I was attending 4 — 6 times per week (sometimes 2x a day). It was always great to see Tom immediately upon walking into the studio, he’s always friendly and professional and he always made me feel welcome. The studio itself is simple and beautiful. Huge floor to ceiling windows, lots of natural light and when the weather is nice the instructors open the door for some fresh air.
The workout itself was fun and varied, I liked that there weren’t mirrors in the studio which allows you to actually feel what you’re doing rather than just gazing at yourself in a mirror. I found this to be super helpful for being able to correct myself just by feeling that the movement was off rather than just seeing it in a mirror.
I wish I still lived/​worked close to the studio as I would still be an unlimited member there with no hesitation! Sure it’s expensive, but welcome to the world of pilates where small studios and classes come at a higher cost.

I have been taking private pilates classes with Danielle M. for a couple of months now and all I can say is WOW. Although I have a background in Pilates, it’s been over 10 years and several injuries since I’ve been engaged in the discipline. I live close to the Courthouse location and was excited when it first opened. I continue to enjoy it here — always being welcomed by my first name immediately upon walking in, going right up to the upper level for private sessions.
Danielle is by far one of the BEST instructors I’ve ever had — she is always mixing up the sessions so I’m never bored (and neither are any of my muscle groups) — always finding new and interesting ways to get me working. Each session is literally the fastest hour of my week.
Whether you’re a newbie or a pilates veteran, I recommend My Thrive Pilates. They really take the time to learn your background, history, past injuries and likes/​dislikes and then match you up with a trainer that will best work with your style/​preference.

I was spending a few days in DC and went to thrive for 1 session the day before I left. Staff were friendly and the owner was on-​site, which i always like, and he was great to. Took a class with Danielle and she was great. Study is clean with a few different varieties, reformer, mat Pilates, trx and some others. Would definitely recommend.

I am a fan of reformer classes here with Natalie Spaniol and Ann Tassey and barre with Shirley Eggleston. Unfortunately, Shirley’s only barre class is midday Sunday, and I usually want to be done with my workout by then. However, Natalie and Ann tend to alternate on Sunday mornings and although both of their classes are very different they both provide variety, correction, and challenges in making me feel like I get my money’s worth when I see them. Natalie’s also in the studio early most weekday mornings which I like for when I can squeeze in a weekday workout.

This is a review of the Courthouse location.
As a student completely new to Barre classes, I felt underwhelmed by my experience at Thrive. The studio is bare bones and not welcoming. The floor of the studio rooms is painted concrete and is not gentle on feet. The black mats provided are slick and make it hard to hold positions. I could not hear the instructor over the small speaker.
Contrastingly, I attended my second ever barre class at Barre3 in Georgetown and it was a much better experience, which I will review under the Barre3 Unilocal listing.
All in all, I continue to go to Thrive Pilates for barre classes because it is 1 block from my home. Location convenience and class times drive my use of Thrive Pilates. I look forward to checking out LavaBarre’s new location in Rosslyn when it reopens.
Thrive Pilates: PLEASE make your user experience more positive by adding cork flooring, mirrors, a sound system the enables the instructor to be easily heard, and curtains for the windows, so the people walking by don’t stop and stare.

Used a groupon to try out some classes.
Barre was much harder than I thought –a great workout. Small class size was great, and although I am not the most coordinated person, the instructions and demonstrations were easy to follow. Can’t wait to give it another shot.

The instructors here are awesome and tough. This place isn’t for people who just want to sit around and stretch — be prepared to work and get awesome results! And use some common sense — if a pose /​position is bothering you, STOP. Your instructor doesn’t have a psychic connection with your spine or your shoulder. Most importantly — they are most definitely not going to chastise you for stopping and will actually help modify the exercise so speak up! Clean, updated equipment with wonderful large windows where you can watch folks outside — trust me — this helps take your mind off your abs when you’re in the middle of a set of 100s! And the only people who have come up and pressed their faces against the glass have been toddlers and small children. Adults may glance as they walk by but they’re probably thinking, «wow I should probably start doing something like that» so relax — your plank position may actually be helping to start someone else’s fitness kick.
The instructors are very creative which keep classes interesting — even if you come 3 – 4 times per week. The entire vibe is friendly and laid back — not uppity at all, which is a refreshing surprise. I’ve been a cardio junkie my whole life and this is the first time that I’ve stuck to [and enjoyed!] resistance training!

Tough workout. Different than what you will do at other local pilates studios.
No mirrors. Floor to ceiling windows in the group reformer room. So yes, passersby stop and stare. Kind of expensive but worthwhile.

I bought the Groupon for 5 reformer classes and have been going to the Level 1 with Marina. Marina is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and responsive to questions and concerns. My friend and I had never done reformer before and she eased us into the practice in our first class but has also watched our progress and adjusted accordingly as we have moved forward.
The studio is brand new and clean. I agree with the other reviewer that it’s a bit weird that people walking by can see in, but I’m focused on my workout, so I don’t care that much. Can’t beat the location.

Helpful note: the entrance is accessible via the Courthouse Plaza area near the water fountain area. Instead of accessing it from Adams St, continue 15ft down Clarendon Blvd, then hang a right at/​go past Fireworks Pizza, and continue to the back of the plaza. You’ll see a giant window/​door (that’s a studio) and the entrance is just to the right of it.
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This really should be 3.5 stars.
To give you some background, I’m decently athletic (ride my bike to work, go for runs after work, try to stay active, etc) but my posture is crap, my balance is almost crap, and I envy long lean muscles. I’ve tried Yoga a few times but just wasn’t feeling the active-​muscle burn, just the slow stretchy burn. If I’m going to be doing something for an hour, I want it to get my heart up even a bit while being able to zone out a little. I also wanted something to help with my stretch-​ability, posture, and over-​all well being. This is how I ended up trying Pilates…
I’ll jump into high level pros and cons right off the bat:
Pros:
–clean studio (clean wipes in every studio!)
–classes start on time
–online class registration is a breeze
–helpful instructors that seem to make the class easy for beginners, tough enough to give a good workout, but quick enough for the experienced to not get bored
–small class sizes
–mat pilates classes are interesting, fun, and can translate into home workouts
–TRX classes are great fun, expect to get the heart-​rate up and sweat
–bathrooms are separate from changing rooms
–temperature is well-​regulated
–water fountains in case you forget your bottle
Cons:
–it’s pricey (see below)
–classes start on time, but end early (range of 5min to almost 15min)
–hard to find the first time
–not a ton of class time flexibility (see below)
I’ve been to three classes now, two mat pilates and one TRX. I loved all three enough to continue to want to attend classes and I actually look forward to them. I’ve had three instructors and all had their own styles of teaching, but all three were very warm, welcoming, supportive, and didn’t feel at all like a boot camp instructor (even though my abs begged to differ.). They had a way of keeping the class moving, helping the newbs, giving options of easier/​harder moves, and varied the use of equipment. Explanations of how to do each move and what to expect from them were also given and very helpful. It seems like the instructors really love what they do, care about the students and want to help them, and have a talent for what they do. That warm fuzzy feeling is key to any fitness location, in my opinion.
I’ve left the classes feeling worked, stretched, energized, refreshed, and overall good. The instructors are keen on asking ahead of time about any injuries and promote good form to avoid new injuries, which is key. The other folks attending classes seem friendly and looking for a good workout, just like myself.
Overall, the classes have been a refreshing workout and I truly enjoy it. However, the one thing that will probably hold me back from continuing is the price. I’ve looked around at other studios and have seen lower prices, especially for buying in bulk. I really want to try a reformer class as well, but their intro prices are for non-​current-​customers only, even though I’m only taking mat classes. It’d be nice to see some better discounts for bulk purchasing of classes, or even do a mixed package of 10 mat/​TRX and 10 reformer. Or frequent purchaser discounts. They don’t need to be as steep discounts as Groupon every time per say, but there needs to be something. Otherwise folks will just assume that only the elite are worthy enough for different fitness modes.
On top of the price, two of three classes ended early which doesn’t lead to a very good cost/​benefit ratio. Lastly, the schedule is pretty much the same every week, which for some folks is great, but most of the scheduled mat classes are at times that aren’t convenient so my time-​options are limited every week. I wish there was a morning Mat class, as well as additional weekend classes.
In conclusion, I really, really want to stay with the studio simply because I don’t feel one bit out of place, even though my grace is very much lacking, and I can already feel the benefits. The price and what I get out of the classes for it, however, might be the deciding factor. I’m hoping to nab a deal of some sorts (buy 20 get 5? 25% off 10 or more class packages?). The studio convinced me to get into pilates as strength training which is the best positive I’ve gotten from here

I purchased a Groupon for five mat classes and took my first class yesterday. I signed up for the mixed mat Pilates class because I’d taken a bit of Pilates previously and have been taking barre regularly for about a year.
What I liked:
Ellen, the instructor, had an upbeat personality and explained each set we were doing and what exercises we should be feeling where. She came around to assist and was helpful but not overbearing. She also asked us who were new to the class what our Pilates experience was so that she could tailor the class appropriately, since this was a mixed level. Others in the class had taken Pilates and/​or yoga before.
The online system to sign up for classes is easy to use. I also like that when you’re signing up, it specifically lists how many spaces there are total in the class and how many are still available.
Why I’m not giving five stars:
Am really not a fan of people being able to walk by outside and see me exercising. I know the studio is newish, so maybe something like curtains or window shades are forthcoming; I hope so.
I found the overall studio and space to be a bit sterile (concrete floors, and the space felt more of like a traditional classroom/​meeting environment than a studio to me), but this may also be due to the fact that it’s new. And much of this is certainly not the studio’s fault, since they need to work with what they have.
Other:
I could tell that my barre background was really helpful for this class. I was familiar with the idea of focusing on breathing (although this class really emphasized it, which I think is something I can bring back with me to my barre practice), and many of the flexibility and balance elements are similar to exercises in barre (which makes sense, given that my barre classes incorporate elements of Pilates). I wasn’t necessarily looking for a challenging or unchallenging workout one way or the other because I was just looking to mix things up a bit with my exercise routine, but I don’t think I’d recommend this class (at least not the mixed mat Pilates class, though I can’t speak to the other ones) to someone who has done barre and/​or other similar workouts and wants something a bit more intense or faster-​paced. (Also, if you’re used to working out with music, there was none.)
However, if you’re looking for something different than your usual routine or want to incorporate Pilates as part of other exercising that you normally do, I would recommend the mixed mat class.

Wow.
Just got back from my reformer class where the instructor tried to herniate all of the discs in my back. After sitting at a desk typing for 11 hours my back was stiff which is why I typically enjoy pilates. Instead of adding resistance or coaching my verbally for assistance, she just decided to pull my legs up over my head. Pretty much wrapped her arms around my legs and then picked me up.
Then, instead of correcting me by tilting my head gently or telling me to lift my chin, etc. she PULLED MY PONYTAIL! The ONLY time someone pulls my hair is when they are making sweet love to me, obviously I did not enjoy this class. 90% of the exercises we did in class on the reformer you can do on a bowflex! Basic gym moves, not pilates. This was a mistake coming here, should have stayed at my old place. Damn you Groupon!