Our coaches
Coaches Who Compete.
Every coach on our staff competes — or has competed — in the sport they teach. That is not a hiring preference; it is a requirement.
How we hire
Three things we will not compromise on.
Every coach at Ironside meets three standards before they are allowed to coach a class. First, they hold a current certification from a body we respect — NSCA-CSCS, USAW, NASM-PES, or equivalent. Second, they have at least three years of in-the-room coaching experience under another head coach. Third, they actively compete or have competed in the sport they teach.
That last one is the hardest to hire for. It means our boxing coach has fought, our strength coaches have lifted on a platform, and our conditioning coach has raced. We hire it that way because you can read a textbook on a movement, but you can't fake having done it yourself.
Meet the head coaches
Marcus Reed — Strength
Twelve years on the platform, six as a national-level powerlifting coach. Marcus runs our barbell program with a single goal: get you stronger without breaking you.
Jess Okafor — Conditioning
Former D1 sprinter who turned her speed work into a metabolic conditioning system. Expect to breathe hard, then breathe right.
Diego Alvarez — Boxing
Eight-time amateur boxing champion. Diego teaches footwork before he teaches a punch — and it shows in every fighter he trains.
Rae Lindgren — Mobility
Movement therapist with a clinical background. Rae is the reason our older members lift heavier than people half their age.
“Boxing here changed my year. Diego is a real coach. Worth every dollar.”
Maya R., member since 2024
Train with one of our coaches.
Book a 1-on-1 session to get assessed and dial in your training.