Est. 2014 · Chicago

FORGED IN
FIRE

IRONFORGE started in a rented warehouse with two racks, one coach, and a refusal to compromise. A decade later, the standard hasn't moved an inch.

Our Story

MORE THAN
A GYM

In 2014, head coach Marcus Reid walked away from a corporate gym chain that measured success in memberships sold, not lives changed. He signed a lease on a cold warehouse in downtown Chicago, welded the first squat rack himself, and opened the doors to twelve members who wanted more than machines and mirrors.

The rules were simple then and they're simple now. Every member gets a program, not a guess. Every coach holds elite credentials, not weekend certificates. And nobody — nobody — trains without a goal written down and a date attached to it.

Today IRONFORGE runs two facilities, twelve coaches, and over ten thousand active members. The equipment is better and the floors are bigger, but walk in at 5 AM and you'll find the same thing that filled that warehouse — people who show up, do the work, and refuse to fall below their own standard.

Inside the IRONFORGE training floor
01

DISCIPLINE

Motivation gets you through the door. Discipline keeps you here at 5 AM in February. We build the second one.

02

PRECISION

Every program is engineered — sets, loads, recovery, nutrition timing. Nothing on this floor happens by accident.

03

COMMUNITY

Iron sharpens iron. You'll be surrounded by people who want you to succeed as hard as you do.

04

PROOF

We don't sell promises. We track numbers, photograph progress, and let the results argue for us.

The Iron Squad

MEET YOUR
COACHES

World-class credentials. Real-world results. Your coach isn't just a trainer — they're your edge.

Coach Marcus Reid
#01

Marcus Reid

Strength & Conditioning

NSCA-CSCS certified. 14 years building athletes.

14yr
Exp.
320+
Clients
4.9
Rating
Book a Session
Coach Jade Torres
#02

Jade Torres

HIIT & Metabolic

CrossFit Level 3, ex-national track athlete.

9yr
Exp.
210+
Clients
4.8
Rating
Book a Session
Coach Cole Brandt
#03

Cole Brandt

Powerlifting

IPF World competitor. Coached 3 national champions.

11yr
Exp.
180+
Clients
5
Rating
Book a Session
Coach Aisha Nkosi
#04

Aisha Nkosi

Endurance & Recovery

RRCA certified run coach. Ironman finisher.

7yr
Exp.
155+
Clients
4.9
Rating
Book a Session

Real Results. Real People.

TRANSFORMATION
STORIES

Derek after IRONFORGEDerek before IRONFORGEBEFOREAFTER

DEREK WALSH

IRON MASS · 6 Months

+22kg

Lean Muscle Gained

"IRONFORGE didn't give me a body. They gave me a standard I refuse to fall below."

Duration: 6 Months
Nina after IRONFORGENina before IRONFORGEBEFOREAFTER

NINA CHEN

SHRED 30 · 3 Months

−18kg

Body Fat Lost

"I stopped chasing small numbers on a scale. Now I chase the version of myself I never thought I could be."

Duration: 3 Months
Ryan after IRONFORGERyan before IRONFORGEBEFOREAFTER

RYAN OSEI

POWER BLOCK · 1 Year

Total Lifting Volume

"My squat went from 80kg to 210kg in a year. The programming is just elite."

Duration: 12 Months

"The gym doesn't build champions. The consistency inside it does."

Marcus Reid, Head Coach & Founder
IRONFORGE

Elite fitness for those who demand more from themselves. Three locations. Twelve coaches. Zero compromises.

Find Us