Ice Chamber Athletic Performance Training

Still awesome, 6 years later.

I’ve been going to 6am bootcamp for about 3 months now after finally getting back to exercising post-​baby. I have never felt so completely transformed by a workout regimen in such a short time. Sara and Steve have taught most of the classes I’ve attended and they’re both wonderful. I tend to get bored with workouts but every bootcamp is different. It’s a really nice mix of people and everyone works hard. I’ve seen other reviews complaining that Ice Chamber is expensive but, by my calculation, it works out to about $ 16/​class for the 3 days a week schedule. Given how much equipment they have, it seems like a very reasonable price to me.

I have worked out at Ice Chamber for several years. The Boot Camp classes include a wide variety of exercises that are challenging and keep you engaged. The combination of the top quality trainers and the cooperative environment make this a great place to work out in the East Bay. Your classmates are made up of nice people who will motivate and inspire you. This is the place to go to be challenged, and get into great shape.

Great personal training. I don’t take many bootcamp classes but the spin is great! I fell well treated and enjoy the people who go there. Very friendly.

I love this place, and I particularly love my trainer, Remy. I am not an athletic sort, and I avoid exercise whenever possible, so it’s nice to have a personal trainer who makes me laugh and enjoy myself. My husband, who thinks he allergic to gyms, also love training with Remy. Remy is great at explaining the exercises, he’s also very good at making sure one gets a good work out, but without injury.
The atmosphere of the gym is welcoming to all. There are some brutal jocks, and then there are some people like me, only in a bit better shape. And there’s a good group in between. It’s good fun.

Just a lot of hype…

Well it’s March of 2013 and I’m still working out at Ice Chamber. In fact, planning on attending bootcamp tomorrow morning. Still enjoy the atmosphere and the diverse workouts. It’s good to know that even after 4 years of working out here that I can still get sore! Getting results out of your training has so much to do with personal motivation and drive. If you’re motivated and push yourself, you can achieve much more than you can ever imagine. Ice Chamber makes that easy in a fun, challenging environment.

People come here for fitness and stay for family. Whether you are into weight lifting, cardio or lounging on a leather couch while eating tasty tamales at the annual IC holiday party you will always find a sweaty smiley encouraging gym member to talk to and to motivate you to push just a little bit harder. Check it out for yourself. Just don’t try to steal my bike seat at a Saturday spinning class.

Update — 2.5 years later. All my gushing still applies. The IC helps me to be a better me. And this isn’t a gym, this is a family!

I think it’s a great place. I can only give the highest praise to the owners and staff.
Although I am new to exercise, this gymnasium has already changed my life, making me already crave to one day finish a triathlon. In my mid-​thirties, I feel great after just a few months even after years of inactivity.
Regarding other reviews, I am still very much a foreigner to this country, which translates to me being very bad at reading people. But even being very conscious of that lack of American social skills, I would never misinterpret the environment at being anything but positive, constructive, and welcoming.
I wish this place, the staff, and customers nothing but success.
Spasiba (nod to the roots of kettlebell, if wikipedia has not deceive me once again…)

Ok, time for an update. I took a little time off from the IC and man did I miss it. I love love love the trainers here and i love the fact that each one has their own style, but they all give amazing, FUN, hard workouts (yes, my arms are still sore from 3 days ago, but that’s the only way I’ll get my pull-​ups back!).
I enjoy the camaraderie and seeing the same faces everyday. I look forward to my workout.
Steve, Maya, Jess, Danielle and Sarah are so friendly, knowledgeable and caring. They are great at what they do and they listen. I just don’t see how there could be any negative reviews of this place. I really don’t.
ALSO, one person commented on dieting– i have NO idea what that has to do with this place, but I’ve never heard any trainer giving any diet advice, you come to IC to work out– no one is telling you to diet.

Being a lifelong nerd and total wimp I’ve spent most of my life avoiding the gym. But thanks to Jessica and the Ice Chamber, I now actually kind of look forward to going each week.
My wife and I do pairs individualized training, and it’s working quite well for us. I’m rather surprised by the negative reviews here, because we’ve both had a very positive experience and really enjoy our training there.
And Jessica has always been encouraging and helpful when training us, and our workout is varied: some cardio, some strength training, some balance. I’m not a workout expert, but what we’re doing has been challenging me to keep improving and teaching me a variety of new exercises and how to do them.
The only downside is that the place lives up to the name: it is quite ridiculously cold inside when it’s cold outside. I suspect the new building also gets pretty hot in the summer. I’d ding them perhaps a half star for that if Unilocal let me, but it’s not the biggest deal. Sure it is a little pricey, but individualized training always is, and so far I think it’s worth every penny.
I only hope I can work my schedule and finances in order to be able to go more than twice a week in 2010.

I really enjoyed working out at this gym 3 years ago when it was a bit smaller. I particularly enjoyed being a part of a community and even made a great friend. The programming was interesting and I even started personal training with Juliet – who I liked very much and I understand started her own gym.
I took the evening class. The classes *are* expensive.* At one point we learned that both Steve and Maya would be taking time off for the arrival of their first baby. I went directly to Steve and expressed my concern that Jessica would be teaching the classes for the unknown duration. (In my experience Jessica’s classes were cardio-​based and much more like the fare offered at 24-​hour fitness – but at IC prices.) I asked that before Steve left, that Jessica be mentored on how to offer more IC-​type classes. Steve did not respond professionally, to say the least. He was angry and rather juvenile. He asked me not to return to the gym – after much vitriol. I tried to chalk it up to a man expecting his first child and maybe experiencing some nervousness around that – but now I come to hear that I was not the only person who has been summarily dismissed from the gym upon expressing feedback.
Wow, Steve.

I’ve been trudging to gyms and exercise classes since the Age of Jane (Fonda, that is), and The Ice Chamber is that rare facility that both challenges people of all ages and fitness levels, with impressive results. While some reviews have portrayed the Ice Chamber as competitive, I’ve found it to be quite the contrary. The environment is a collaborative one, which creates a motivating atmosphere. And the community of people there is wonderful, one that I really missed while I was away this past summer. After just one week of getting back into classes, I already feel more energetic. And the endorphins created from the intense 45-​minute workout leave me feeling uplifted and, in turn, more productive throughout the day.
Steve, Jessica and Maya are not only well-​versed in multidisciplinary areas of fitness, they also practice what they preach. Each one is an athlete in the finest sense. They take the time to get to know each new member, and provide personalized attention throughout the workouts. Their routines always vary, which keeps classes interesting, and they constantly create innovative ways to enhance even the most basic equipment. Safety, however, is always a priority, and individual variations and proper use techniques are always provided.
I’m delighted to have found this wonderful place to exercise, and feel so much better as a result. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an exercise facility that’s intensive, multifaceted, and thoroughly rewarding.

I was also kicked out of the Ice Chamber. I had been a member for both personal training and for core classes for over a year. I had a good experience and paid for my membership in a six month rate. When it was time to re-​up my membership I was quoted a new rate over 50% higher. I asked the owner about the increase and received a very defensive email about the rates and was told I had to choose whether or not the service was worth it. I did choose to continue but the next day I was called into the office and told by the owner and his wife that I should not come back.
It makes no sense to me that a gym can actually stay in business with this kind of behavior. I give this gym one star — only because zero is not an option.

I was actually just kicked out of Ice Chamber for writing my original review. it appears I am a traitor. I should not mention the fact that I have had friends that came to IC for a month & left because it did not fit their budget, the classes were too big & they were intimidated by the competitive folks. I should also not write positive reviews of their competitors.

These negative reviews are ridiculous. To the Phoenix Gym people who claim to have been «kicked out» of the Ice Chamber in September of 2009 (on account of gently speaking their minds!), plus cruelly silenced by the evil Steve and viciously subjected to inhumane diets, do you really think this is the best way to attract people to your new gym? Please.
My husband and I have been regulars at the Ice Chamber for more than three years now, and we are both in the best shape of our lives. I married a computer geek five years ago and now? He’s got an amazing body too. We’ve met quite a few friends through Ice Chamber, and look forward to seeing everyone’s friendly face in class. IC days are the highlight of my week.
Re: the negative post by someone who asked Steven to «mentor» Jessica — anyone who has spent more than five minutes at the IC knows how unfounded that is. As for the implication that she’s inexperienced with weight training, Jessica is an accomplished weight lifter and regularly competes nationally and internationally with kettlebells — her sport and her particular area of expertise. Visit
to get an idea.
Every day is different there — some days it’s a lot of cardio, the next day might be mostly weight training. It’s not an a la carte type program, you can’t join and expect to only lift weights. You *can* expect that every day is different and uniquely challenging, and rigorous no matter what your current level of fitness is.
As far as the criticism that their dieting routine is dangerous, all I can say is it’s complete bullshit — there is no «dieting routine» at Ice Chamber. I’ve heard the trainers tell people that if they’re looking to lose weight they’ll need to improve their diet as well as work out regularly, and that’s it. Last week one of the trainers was trying to drop five pounds in a week — but she is in training for the Olympics tryouts. For regular folk, this gym is just about working out.
And it’s not competitive, I don’t get that AT ALL. There is in fact a lot of laughter and cheering each other on, and a great deal of camaraderie and support for each other.

I have so many good things to say about this place.
I’m in my second month of the 7am Boot Camp class. I’ve already lost 10lbs, dropped my body fat by over 2% and gained a lot of strength. Even though I have been going there for a little bit now, every day is hard. The trainers are spectacular! They always have new exercises and great enthusiasm. The membership fees may be higher than a regular gym but this place is worth every cent! I really mean that. I probably would have paid to join a gym and stop going after awhile because I’d be bored of the machines. This place makes you do new exercises that are challenging and fun.
If you want to read up on it, just check out their website. Their blog is totally awesome! It keeps me up to date on all the activities that are going on. If your ready to see sweat and steam rolling off your forehead, you shouldn’t look any further!
(I told you I loved this place!)

Hello all,
Look no further. The ice chamber is AWESOME. I have nothing but good things to say. Steve and Maya are super friendly people that know what they are doing. They will not only get you in shape– they will do it with tons of support and encouragement. Also, Jess is awesome, too. Kick-​ass.
My only only slight criticism of the IC would be the price. It is REALLY pricey. Of course, you do get what you pay for so I could not deduct any stars for this one obstacle that I perceive. I cannot afford to spend $ 200 p/​month for 4 days p/​week @45 mins per day. So that said, I will be moving over to an MMA gym in Oakland for my workouts but I WILL be back at the IC when I need it! You guys are great!

I’m a veteran of many different types of group exercise and sports going back 25 years. I used to be a trainer and teacher of several types of group exercise myself, before I became a «professional» and got very selfish with my workout time. I have studied anatomy and physiology and have taken many seminars on strength and conditioning coaching.
I say this because it has made me hypercritical of classes I attend, from spinning to yoga to boot camp. I’m a stickler for good form, good «cueing,» good program design, safety, and attentiveness. I hate: instructors that teach because it’s a way for them to be on stage.
You will find all of the good things I listed at the Ice Chamber. Key to the programs’ success is the varied backgrounds of Steve and Maya, combined with an incredibly strong grounding in the fundamentals of strength and conditioning coaching. The workouts are an eclectic mix of techniques used in different types of exercise and taken from the coaching programs of many sports (track and field, martial arts, weight lifting, yoga, FOOTBALL, just to mention a few…)
So the workouts meet my criteria for being well designed. And the instructors manage to NOT fall into the trap of doing the same thing over and over again. That variety is key to the participants success (read: consistently getting stronger and leaner). The cueing is awesome and all of the instructors are adept at demonstrating good technique. All of the movements that they teach are manageable by the average person (even a deconditioned one) and scalable for the badasses in the class (whose presence is an inspiration!).
Most important: no instructor is there to show off or make it all about them. They are there to provide you with a great workout and to support you. I am so impressed with how engaged Steve and the other instructors are in every class. These people never phone it in.
One last note for those of you that are reading these reviews and thinking that this sounds great but WAY too scary. Those of you who are thinking right now «well if I start working out and lose twenty pounds maybe I can try this.» Stop that thinking and sign up for a class. Do it now! Seriously, it’s a tough workout but don’t be intimidated! I was scared before I started and I am an exercise freak and former badass. I know how scary it sounds, but people are right when they say it is a supportive atmosphere. There are people of many levels, many shapes and sizes and (yay) all ages. GIve it a try. It may surprise you. Best of all, YOU may surprise you.