Stroga

Very cool space and great concept. I've worked out in a lot of gyms, played a lot of sports and tried all kinds of fitness regimens. Stroga's concept is at the leading edge of the fitness training. I love the combo of group training and yoga.

Like other reviewers, my experience is that the quality of the classes vary. Their space for yoga is the best in the city, but their yoga instructino isn't my favorite. If you want to get the best yoga bang for the buck, nothing beats Yoga District. That said, the group training classes are mostly very good and I appreciate the fact that they're always offering new types of training.

In summary: 5 stars for the facility, 3 stars for the yoga and 4 1/2 stars for the group training.

Now get of your arse and start training!

So, I came up to DC to visit my sister before she ships out to Abu Dhabi for 2 years. And I got an anchoring to do some yoga. It's been MOOOOONTHS since I've actually gone to a studio to practice.
Last night I saw a woman walking on the street with a yoga mat, and I asked her what her studio was. Ends up she was the owner of Tranquil Spaces. Which when I looked it up seemed quite lovely....but a little too....um....chintzy??--for me. Tea and cookies after my yoga practice? Sorry....I was born in India...that just doesn't make much sense to me. =) Unless you have a chai wallah making the rounds with cart and a bell. =) I digress...
So, I looked up the bazillion places nearby Dupont Circle...and found that about a mile or so away was STROGA. So, I hit up Kramer books first and then made my way to STROGA.
The receptionist....a cutie with glasses and impeccable style, got me oriented. Since I'd prepaid and registered for the class the night before, he let me borrow a mat and showed me around the facilities. REALLY clean, spacious, LOTS of natural light...and a cute little siberian husky with piercing eyes gazing at you as you walked by.
So, we headed up to the....third floor? And he showed me the studio. Check out my pic I snapped...because it is STUNNING!! LOOOOTS of natural light iNCREDIBLE architecture and a ceiling that will have you wanting to peer at it during your shavasana. =)
The teacher was a young white female, with long brown hair and pretty eyes. She wasn't pushy, she didn't chatter away incessantly or needlessly, she gave precise direction and offered gentle adjustments here and there. The music wasn't obnoxious. The class wasn't crowded. (I went to the noon power yoga class on friday)....It was SUPER chill, and very laid back. For a power yoga class, I definitely felt like it was sort of...easy. Which is saying a lot, bc I have a really weak upper body and yoga is one of the only things that helps that lovely little jiggle under my arms! (Goddess help me...the older I get the more stubbornly it jiggles). So, I felt I definitely could have been pushed more. But I have been practicing now for 10 years sooooo....that may just be me. All in all though....I was a fan. =) And if I lived here, I'd probably come back.
You could chant the opening and closing om's if you wanted to. Most people chimed in...others refrained...it was all cool and unassuming.

It's not this HIGHLY spiritual, zen-like space....like the one I frequent in Dallas. It's chill, not pretentious, and peaceful. You'll like it, I promise. =)

So go get your yoga on at STROGA =)

I had never really been a yoga fan, but recently I've really gotten into it and have explored yoga at a couple different venues thanks to deal-of-the-day sites. Stroga is hands-down my favorite so far.

Atmosphere: Have you SEEN the pictures? Amazing art deco on the ceilings with chandeliers and huge windows and plenty of fresh air when needed. The yoga room is huge and there's plenty of space to move/breathe/pose. My only complaint is that Power Core starts near the end of my yoga session and there is stomping around that I hear from upstairs.

Instructors: I can't say I've had too much diversity as I've only sat in two different instructors' classes.... but... all I have to say is... Gregory Stuart. He's the absolute best. From the speaking and questioning of the mind, to step-by-step instruction (the way he dictates I can just feel my body move into position without my mind needing to process), and the flute (?) playing at the end. Great class every time.

Classes: I've only been to Vinyasa Flow, but it looks like they have plenty to choose from on their class schedule in terms of styles of yoga. I can hear the Power Core at the end of my class--that sounds good, and they've recently added spin class.

The only thing is that classes/packages are pretty expensive. I'm not surprised because it is a pretty good location, and the facilities are top-notch. Anyway, the online system is good, classes don't fill up that quick, and on Saturdays when it's warm, I get to go to the farmer's market right outside after yoga....win win. :)

Fantastic studio. The room where they do normal yoga is gorgeous. Honestly, it really adds to the workout, it lets you feel a little more relaxed and open. Just excellent.

The strength training has also beaten me up. I honestly thought I was in pretty good shape, but these workouts have me near-collapse by the end. Definitely worth it if you want to step up your routine. The teachers are always super high-energy and keep you pumped.

The yoga (I've tried vinyasa and power) is great, honestly a lot harder than I imagined yoga being. The place is pretty affordable. The staff is polite and friendly and they'll even sell you dollar waters and let you borrow mats for a dollar. Pretty nice.

This is exactly the fitness studio I'm looking for!

Beautiful, spacious and welcoming... Right now they are offering complimentry yoga classes until the 25th. Morning and evening practice with light tempo music such as Thievery Corporation traveling in and out of your down dogs. During the evening classes the smell of real candles fills and luminates the room with a sense of calm. Once finish head straight to the lounge and have a cup of hot cider or fresh fruit.

Stroga = Strength + Yoga

Yoga on 2nd Floor
Strength on 3rd Floor

March 1st is the offical opening.
Come take advantage of this unique mind, health and lifestyle of The best of DC.

I usually only rate restaurants, but Stroga deserves a shout out!

I do not have enough good things to say about this studio. It has a spacious, welcoming, and relaxing atmosohere that makes me excited to come to class every time!

The instructors are warm, open, and always willing to help you better your practice... whether they give useful tips, hands-on adjustments, or different variations of poses to challenge yourself. The assistants in bigger classes are awesome!

Even in a room full of people, I still feel like I am being attended to. I would definitely still call myself a beginner, and the hands-on adjustments really help me feel what I am doing so that I can replicate it better the next time.

This is a great place for both beginners and experienced yogis... and everyone in between!

I very rarely write less than stellar reviews, but I felt like I had to write about Stroga. I live in the neighborhood and received a coupon in the mail to attend classes for free for a week. Good marketing on their end, but kind of backfired since the downstairs studio is just really outdated and shabby.

Anyway, since the weather has been awful this winter, I thought it might be nice to try a gym that's around the corner. The guy at the front desk was really nice and got me all set up in the system.

The spin class I attended had a great instructor. I really, really liked her music and her overall demeanor -- and the class went by quickly, but that's where the positive stuff ended.

Stroga felt dirty and poorly laid out compared to other boutique gyms and studios I've been to. There was no mirror in the spin room so for beginners, it was hard to focus on form. I feel like this isn't a deal breaker, but I personally like having a mirror.

There is only one bathroom and when I used it after class there were no paper towels. Also, if you want a towel to wipe off sweat during a class, you need to purchase one for a dollar. That was a weird "extra" that I wasn't expecting. You can buy water for a dollar too.

There aren't any showers and the locker area is for men and women. I wanted to quickly change my shirt after sweating throughout the class but I had to wait in line for about 5 minutes for the bathroom to free up.

If I'd been to Stroga 3 years ago, I probably would have said it was quirky and great. Today though, with so many incredible fitness options in the DC area (RideDC, SoulCycle, 305 Fitness, SolidCore, Vida, Mint, Studio DC, etc etc) Stroga just felt poorly kept up.

It was fine as a free weeklong pass, but I would never pay to belong to the gym.

3.5 stars

I attended Stroga's sunday community class with Mimi Rieger. FYI Mimi is yoga badass so I definitely recommend her classes across the DMV area. It was my first time at Stroga although I have a friend who lives in upper Dupont area/AMo area who frequents the studio a lot but lucky for those who live close to Stroga because for us less fortunate folks, parking is a nightmare! horrible horrible parking situation boo.

Front desk person Veronica was very welcoming and accommodating as she pointed me up the stairs for donation collection and class. Stroga's Yoga studio is beautiful- love the molding and calming, room is well lit, large and very spacious. Bathrooms are clean and there is a water bottle.

A-OK yoga studio but parking situation and difficult public transportation commute would definitely deter me but if you are local, check it out!

I hate to leave such a poor review for Stroga, but my experience lately has been horrendous. For the past 8 months I have had an unlimited membership and have gone 3-5 days a week.

A month ago as I was walking to a class, I got an email 15 minutes before that it was canceled. I was annoyed, but realized these things happen. A week later, I'm sitting in spin class warming up and a front desk person comes in and says sorry there's no instructor. Again, these things happen. Another time I showed up and the stereo was broken so they canceled class but again, didn't feel the need to send an email. In the past 24 hours, this has happened to me TWICE for a total of FIVE times in 1-1.5 months. From what I hear, the teachers have emailed Jeff saying they can't make it but he doesn't bother to find a sub or send a courtesy email to people who rush home from work or wake up extra early to make a class. They offered a comp class for people that were paying by the class but for people like me who have unlimited it was just "too bad" with an unsympathetic sorry.

Also, Jeff fired the absolute best spin instructor (Krista) supposedly because she asked for a mike.

I will be canceling my membership. I think there are other gyms out there that are more reliable, especially if you are joining primarily for spinning class.

I used to love Stroga. It was convenient and had great classes and a good schedule. And the best instructors around! I frequently went to group training classes.

I am now extremely unhappy with them. First of all, they got rid of the best instructors and filled up the schedule with boxing/combat classes, which is fine, but they eliminated so many of the group classes that I loved. My other HUGE complaint is they keep offering Groupon/Living Social deals. They are always for new customers only, of course, and they make the classes SO FULL!!!! There is no room to get a good workout in because you are constantly running into the person next to you. I have a few classes left on my account, but after that I will not be buying any more. Why should I continue to go to a place that doesn't value their customers and is just constantly trying to drum up new business when they can't make their current customers happy?