Club upgrades and new services continue!

November 10, 2025 by mint-sk

Updated November 18: We are excited to continue increasing MINT’s offerings, which will happen in phases over the next few months. We are carefully planning and anticipate minimal or no disruption to members.

The fitness floor is undergoing some equipment reconfigurations
A newly created stretch area is now available next to the glass office; that area will also be remodeled soon
Please be aware that on Saturday, Nov 22, MINT will close 1 hour early at 8pm due to overnight work.
Upgrades to a number of strength and cardio equipment pieces
Light construction; painting, flooring, etc
The front area that has been the stretch studio will close on December 1 for remodeling

More soon on new services coming!

2025 Facility Fee Update

September 22, 2025 by mint-sk

Members,

This year, MINT celebrated 19 years! Our gratitude for your continued support only grows deeper. The community you’ve helped create here inspires us every day and allows us to keep MINT a vibrant, welcoming retreat in the heart of DC.

This past year, we’ve reinvested in your experience with exciting upgrades, including fully refreshed locker rooms with new showers and saunas, our cutting-edge Fit3D Body Scanner, front door facial recognition security, and expanded class offerings. Paired with our team of top-tier instructors and trainers, these enhancements ensure MINT remains DC’s premier health club. And we’re not slowing down—new equipment upgrades are already on the horizon.

As part of these ongoing efforts, please note that the annual Facility Fee will run on or about October 4. This fee helps support a portion of the continuous improvements that keep MINT thriving and evolving.

Thank you for being such an essential part of MINT. We’re excited for what’s ahead and grateful to have you with us on this journey.

Patrick and Melissa John

Founders, Owners, and Operators

Meet Charlie: MINT’s Newest Personal Trainer

September 7, 2025 by mint-sk

We’re excited to introduce Charlie Martel, the newest addition to our talented team of MINT personal trainers. With a background rooted in strength training and a passion for helping people feel stronger—inside and outside the gym—Charlie brings an empowering, encouraging approach to every session.

Charlie Martel, new personal trainer at MINT DC, specializing in empowering strength training for building muscle and confidence

How Charlie Got Started

Charlie’s fitness journey began when he worked with personal trainers as a teenager. Their impact went far beyond physical results. “They had such a positive effect on me inside and outside the gym,” Charlie shares. “I thought to myself that it would be an amazing career for me, and I hope I can have the same positive effect on people.”

After exploring other career paths, Charlie realized personal training was where he belonged. He began studying for his NASM certification and hasn’t looked back since.

Why Personal Training?

Charlie discovered early on that he loved helping people build confidence through fitness. He started by informally training friends and family and quickly saw how much it boosted their self-esteem. “I’ve always been passionate about working out, and helping people with that journey seemed like the perfect fit,” he explains.

Charlie’s Training Style

Charlie’s training style is empowering and encouraging. His goal? To set clients up for success with habits that build confidence and long-term physical performance. Whether you’re brand new to training or chasing new personal records, Charlie meets you where you are and helps you move forward safely and effectively.

His Specialty: Strength Training

Charlie specializes in strength training, the very thing that first got him hooked on fitness. He works with clients to build strength and muscle mass while managing fatigue and prioritizing safety. “Whether it’s adding more muscle or increasing bench press numbers, I can be a big help in performance and keeping the lifter safe,” he says.

Advice for First-Timers

For anyone considering personal training for the first time, Charlie has simple advice:

Be yourself, and know your strengths and weaknesses.
Remember that training is not one-dimensional—there are countless ways to improve performance.
Always be curious and ask questions, whether you’re a client or a fellow trainer.

Life Outside the Gym

When he’s not training at MINT, you can often find Charlie outdoors with his dog, walking through Rock Creek Park or along the National Mall. He also enjoys biking around the monuments with friends.

Charlie’s go-to spot for a healthy, affordable meal in DC is TEASHI Café downtown, where he loves the chicken and rice bowls packed with vegetables. And at home, he’s been experimenting in the kitchen with a new culinary project: perfecting the art of making Peking duck.

Train with Charlie at MINT

Whether your goal is to get stronger, build muscle, or feel more confident in the gym, Charlie is here to help you every step of the way. His empowering approach and strength-training expertise make him a great partner for anyone looking to take their fitness journey to the next level.

How Goal-Setting Can Enhance Your Workout

September 5, 2025 by mint-sk

Do you set specific goals for your workouts, or do you go with the flow? If you’re more of a flow type, consider incorporating some goal-setting into your routine. Your goals can be big or small, and based on consistency, reps, weight, distance, or speed. Read ahead to see how this can benefit you.

Short-term goals become long-term habits

Setting short-term goals that you know you can accomplish (e.g., working out twice a week, adding one more rep to your next set) can increase satisfaction and encourage long-term commitment and discipline. Having a clear reason to show up for your workout makes you more likely to do it. Think of short-term goals like a to-do list. You get that accomplished feeling of crossing something off, which leads to better long-term satisfaction in your routine.

Structure leads to success

Creating goals can help you understand your “why” and hone in on your objectives, leading to more focused and tailored plans and results. If your overall goal is to run a marathon, you’ll create shorter-term plans to increase your running mileage or incorporate cross-training or targeted stretching.

Track your progress

It can be hard to see incremental changes to your fitness on a day-to-day basis. By setting and accomplishing goals, you’ll see progress in real time. This is rewarding and motivates you to keep going. It also helps break you out of plateaus; when you see your strength or endurance increasing, you know it’s time to move to the next milestone.

What are some of your fitness goals? Let us know, and be sure to tag us in your sweaty selfies!

Mix things up at MINT

August 22, 2025 by mint-sk

Have you ever gotten into a workout rut? Suddenly your usual routine feels stale, you’re slogging through classes you normally love, maybe your energy is lower, and your motivation drops. While a bummer, this happens to everyone from time to time. Mixing up your workout routine is a great way to reinvigorate yourself – and it can also be really great for your fitness! Both your body and your brain reap the benefits of trying new activities. Here are X positive outcomes to switching things up.

Yoga class at MINT DC gym – woman practicing side stretch pose on mat in bright, light-filled studio with dumbbells and fitness equipment.

Prevent injury

Overuse injury or “repetitive strain injury” can occur if you work the same muscles over and over. This happens from putting your body repetitive motions. When you change the type of workout you’re doing, you give your most-used muscles a chance to rest and recover. Which leads us to the next benefit…

Build new muscles

When you mix up the types of exercise you do, you naturally engage different muscles that might not always get as much attention. Unless you have specific targeted fitness goals or are a professional athlete, a good approach is to do a little of everything. Up your stamina with cardiovascular activity, put those muscles to work with some weights, and increase your flexibility with low-impact body weight movement. It’s all beneficial to your overall health.

Get results

People come to the gym with all different goals for their workout. Whether you’re aiming to hit a certain rep count, lift at a heavier weight, or just want to move your body in ways that feel good, changing things up can push you in the right direction. When you do the same activity consistently over time, your body gets used to it. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, introducing new movement will challenge you and help you grow.

Discover a new passion

Your new favorite workout could be the next new thing you try! While routines are great, they can also prevent us from branching out. Are you normally a high-intensity exerciser? Maybe a lower-impact activity like barre or pilates will engage your brain and body in a totally new and welcome way (and trust us, you will feel the burn). Usually hit the gym solo and do your own thing? Try a class, maybe you’ll be your new best workout bud!

MINT offers over 60 classes per week in a variety of formats. Offerings include cycling, HITT, rowing, strength training, barre, pilates, yoga, dance, and more. Equipment in the open gym is updated consistently as well, with new machines being added regularly. We encourage you to try one new thing this week! Whether a new-to-you class (check out our new stretching workshop on the weekends!), a different time of day, or a higher/lower intensity workout, let us know how it goes.

Do you love a routine? Or are you more of a “try something new every week” kind of person? However you choose to move your body, we’re here for it!