IRON

I am taking boxing classes at IRON since a few months and I have never done it before. I really enjoy it, great coaches (Ivan, Adrian, Chris, Omar and so on). Great atmosphere, which really motivates you. In addition to this also a very challenging boxing class, from a cardio perspective.
It’s getting more more popular, so you better sign up for classes.
To mention also the great customer service

I have been training with Julia for almost 4 weeks now and she is honestly the best! I have trained with other trainers in LA, but none of them have offered me the same help and guidance as Julia has. I basically hit a wall with my training, so I came to see Julia. Even before I decided to join, she sat down with me for an hour talking about everything to go over my individual needs and goals. That is when I realized that I needed to train with her and every session has proven that I made the right decision! She has also been helping me with my nutrition, which has made a huge difference in my body composition (I gained 3 pounds of lean muscles within 3 weeks of training). Even though I am not near where I want to be yet, training with Julia has made me so much more positive and motivated. So if you are looking for a trainer that will change your life, Julia is the one for you!
As for the gym itself, it is very clean and never too crowded. Friendly staff. Parking can be hard if you come during class times, but there is valet. Other than that, I really enjoy working out here!

One of my favorite boxing classes in LA! It is definitely a great workout and it’s not one of those kickboxing classes where you just hit a bag during the whole class. There are different circuits and you also get a little one-​on-​one time in the ring with a couple of the trainers/​instructors so they can actually correct your form and stance. Love it!

I like this gym a lot. The workout is fantastic and I really appreciate how much cardio is incorporated into each class. If you want a full body workout, this is it.
There is a bit of inconsistency among the instructors though. I have never boxed before and so I require instructors who are willing to slow down a bit to help me with my form. And I’ve had a few who are great at that. One guy even pulled me aside for a full 10 minutes to work on my form and broke down my foot work. Not every instructor has been as helpful though. In the ring I could sense the frustration of some of the guys when I wasn’t getting a combo down. I would definitely benefit from a private lesson to help me with my form and technique but since I come to IRON through ClassPass the group class is my only option.
Overall, I’ll still continue to go to IRON because the good outweighs the bad. I’ve encountered more helpful and patient instructors than ones who are unwilling to slow down and help me. The atmosphere is great too. There is music blasting during the entire class and it just makes for a really intense, fun class.

Been boxing for a few weeks now and I have to say, today was awesome!!! Great workout and I highly recommend everyone to try it!
Great work Team Iron Boxing!

This place gets the job done.
It’s one step up from most commercial gyms and maybe 2 – 3 steps down from a specialized strength gym. It’s never too crowded, and even though there’s only two squat racks, people aren’t usually using them. Which is nice — but also a little sad.
It’s great that they offer towels to members, but they REALLY need some air conditioning! It was dreadful to be in here during the summer because of the heat and humidity.
Best part about IRON is the staff though. Cartier is awesome!

I’ve been a member here for 4 months and I’ve had a great experience.
First I liked the fact that the membership is month to month, rather than a year up front. Life’s unpredictable and I like that if my circumstances change I’m not locked into a contract. Second, the facilities are great. They have excellent equipment and enough of it. I haven’t found it to be overly crowded and rarely do I have to share a machine with someone.
Finally what I like most of all is the training I’ve received from Julia. I just can’t recommend her enough. The passion she has for what she does comes through the moment you meet her. Right away she made working out fun and approachable. I feel like she listened to and understood the goals I had for myself, and didn’t try to force me down a path I wasn’t interested in. She’s given me excellent workout programs as well as guidance with my diet. In just about 4 months I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, gained muscle, and I feel better than I can remember having felt in a long long time. What more could you want from a gym?

Absolutely NOT your typical gym and that’s exactly why you’ll love it. The facility and equipment is clean and updated. You won’t be using dirty outdated machines like in other gyms. Customer service is always on point. You have a great choice of experienced, knowledgeable trainers. You won’t be disappointed.

Awesome gym. The building creates a great workout environment whether for a killer workout or the boxing/​kickboxing facilities. Probably the best boxing + workout spot in LA as far as nice gyms go.

I moved to Santa Monica from NYC after sixteen years. During my time in NY, I was a member at every level of gym, from the rat-​hole sub-​basements to the ultra-​trendy private corporate luxury spa/​gyms.
IRON beats every single one, hands down.
This place is heaven for people who actually want to work out and not be bothered with pretense or showing off your newest athleisure-​wear. I don’t box, so I can’t comment on that side of things, but for lifting and cardio, this place has it all. It’s basically a giant, open warehouse with every piece of equipment you could want, hardly any people (that means no lines to use a certain item!) and super-​friendly community.
Despite other’s reviews, I have had nothing but good experiences from the exceptionally pleasant and approachable staff, both at the front-​desk and on the floor. It seems like the staff are always there, so I imagine that’s why the place is so clean… it’s basically their home! Additionally, the members themselves have all been very kind and friendly. No one is intimidating or mean. Can’t say the same for the entitled jerks back in NYC. Maybe it’s the West Coast sunshine.
The price is just right, too. I’m sure fees fluctuates based on season or promotions, but I find the rate to be extremely fair. I absolutely feel I get my money’s worth (and that’s coming from someone who has paid between $ 10 — $ 200/​month at various times). On the rare occasion a machine has been out of order, I’ve observed a fix by the next day.
Finally, I knew this place was «home» for me when I saw the picture of Arnold on the wall. Maybe it’s not his home gym and maybe he didn’t spend his formative (or any really) years at IRON in Santa Monica, but I like that he’s there, flexing his biceps, and making a goofy workout face. He reminds me anything is possible if you’re a genetically gifted and hard-​working immigrant from Austria… which I am not. Bless.

I love this gym! It’s never too crowded and has all the equipment I need. The staff is so friendly and knowledgable. Iron has a community/​family feel for sure.
If you are looking for a trainer — I can’t stress enough how awesome Julia Wagenbauer is. Having worked with trainers who wasted my time and money, Julia is breath of fresh air. She is so knowledgable and caring, frequently texting me to check in and maximizing the most of my sessions. She spreads out her one-​on-​one workouts with you so you’ll learn a new set of routines then do them on your own for a few weeks before working out with her again. I’ve noticed a big difference in my body in just 2 months working with her. She is teaching me the fundamentals of weight training and diet (macros) and setting me up so I don’t always have to have a trainer. She’s the best!

The customer service here is terrible. It’s not the person at the front desk fault, its management for not properly training/​running this business. It’s as if this gym is run by 5 different people and none of them talk to each other. I signed up through my company’s perk website and upon contacting the gym, no one knew what to do. Management didn’t even know they signed up to be a part of this program. How does that happen? So after being in limbo for 5 days (I had to call everyday and push for a resolution) I was able to cancel and be refunded my money.
Also, my friend who didn’t have access to a company perk program, had called about a membership and the guy who answered the phone couldn’t tell him how much a membership cost. Shouldn’t that be the first thing you teach your employees since that’s how you make your money? No words.

*update — they set me up on a payment plan which was nice, but still could have been avoided with better customer service.
I hate to write a bad review of a place that I have had otherwise decent experiences with, but financial matters need to be handled a certain way.
Basically I got a new debit card and forgot to switch my autopay for Iron to my new card. My bad, I get it. But, they didn’t notify me for 6 months, and only then notified me because I emailed to cancel my membership because I was moving, and asked for the $ 530 bucks.
When I asked why I hadn’t been notified for the whole 6 months, they said «you never provided us with a phone number or email address so we had no way of contacting you.» With all the forms and waivers you fill out to join a gym I find this to be impossible (plus wouldn’t they have needed a billing address for my card in the first place?), and not the most helpful response either. On top of which, a trainer I’d used there had used my personal phone number AND I’ve been in to the gym during the 6 month period in question. Could anyone have told me?
Understanding that a 6 month delinquency is a big deal, I asked them if I have been reported to the credit bureaus. (update — they said they didn’t report. Which is a win.)
I understand I erred in not moving my autopay, and not noticing that I wasn’t being charged during that time. But not notifying a customer for a 6 month delinquency is simply bad billing practice and bad customer service.
On top of that, the parking lot is always full, the shower drains are always backed up, and the evening staff never puts anything back where it belongs. Nice staff though, and I enjoyed my trainer (Jason), good dude.

This gym is everything a gym should be. It has every machine that you need, a staff that knows exactly how to work with everyone with zero intimidation, and everyone that goes just seems to be really cool. It’s where you go to be serious about your workout without being bothered. If your looking for a spot with no fuss, look no more. This is it!

I am so disappointed with Iron. I am an avid member of the boxing gym and I seriously love boxing with their incredible trainers. I decided for health reasons that I needed to stop going because of the plastic on their boxing gym floor. It reeks and makes me smell like plastic after every workout. As a conscious alternative health person, I know that plastics can do a lot of damage and my doctor also recommended not going back.
The disappointment comes in trying to cancel my membership. As many people have mentioned here, I was told to email
and of course got no response. I called the next day asking for a manager (again like most people said on Unilocal,the manager is not around!), was told the manager would call me, they did not so I called again. Finally, I was told that I would be charged for next month too because I needed to let them know 30 days before the next charge came through — which is NOT how it reads in their contract.
Looks like they have very poor management and do not abide by their contract, as many people have previously mentioned. I guess I will be going to Gloveworx Santa Monica — which I am told is run well and also just as close!

I’ve only taken the weekend boxing classes at IRON, which I’ve really enjoyed for the most part. From a cardio perspective, I think IRON has the most challenging boxing class on the Westside.
Usually, the class is a ton of fun with stations for biking, conditioning, mitt work with the coaches, and bag work. You sweat a ton, work really hard, and get to the borderline of throw up from sheer exhaustion. It’s a pretty good time.
Most of the coaches are really nice and cool. The reason why I’m making this a 2 star review for what I previously considered to be one of the best classes on ClassPass is the attitude of one of the boxing trainers.
I’ve been going to gym classes for over a decade everywhere from Equinox, CrossFit, boxing gyms, MMA studios, yoga classes, and spin classes, but one of the trainers said the most discouraging thing that I’ve ever had a class teacher say to me during the last class I’ll probably ever attend at IRON.
On a Friday afternoon, after a long week at work, I was having a great time in class like usual. IRON had become a great escape for me. I was learning a lot and getting in better shape every time I came to class.
When I got to the mitts station this day, I was having a tough time with a new combination where I had to throw eight different punches with a couple ducks in between — not impossible, but not easy for someone who had been boxing for single digit classes in his life. Instead of slowing down or being patient, one of the trainers groaned repeatedly when I messed up the combo a couple times.
I learn by doing, not by listening — especially because I’m left handed and combinations are almost always demonstrated to me backwards. When I slowed down so I could get the muscle memory going, he threw his hands up and said,
«DUDE. IT’S NOT THAT HARD.»
It’s not that hard?
If I asked him to do a 50 foot handstand walk or double body weight clean and jerk, both of which took me some time to learn, and watched him fail miserably, would I say that? Never. Even worse, should any person in the fitness industry talk to a client like that who is directly supporting their livelihood by going to their class? A beginner-​friendly boxing class in the mean streets of Santa Monica?
I have been to almost every gym west of the 405 and am a pretty nice person. I have never felt so crappy leaving a gym class in my life. While the other coaches are nice, it proves that good athletes don’t always make good coaches.
Unless you’re a cute girl (who the coaches love), because of the lack of coaching professionalism, I would not recommend IRON’s boxing classes for novice guys looking to learn boxing for sport or fitness. They need to remember that just because they’re good at something, it doesn’t mean everyone else is. It’s not that hard.

I have been consistently training for about a year or two, but it seemed that I was not doing things the right way by myself. Luckily, I was told about Iron Gym’s personal trainers, and I decided to give it a try in order for me to get more knowledge and get better at my form.
Iron gym was incredibly helpful and resourceful. They provided me with a list of the trainers on hand, and I was able to choose who I wanted depending on the program and personal choice. Given that they have a Marine Reservist as part of their personal training staff, I automatically went to him. His name is Sebastian Rinde, and I would not have asked for a better personal trainer.
Sebastian was calm, patient, and resourceful; not to mention that his own body is his resume. He managed to fix my form, aid me in nutrition, switch my workouts, and most importantly, GOT ME RESULTS. Within the month I was noticing faster muscle development, lower BF%, and overall strength.
I am incredibly happy to have tried the CPT program at Iron Gym.
Also, not to mention the awesome environment. Everybody helps out each other, and you do not feel intimidated as one might normally do when they try out a new gym.
BEST GYM EVER!

I really hate to write negative reviews, but unfortunately this place has gone downhill significantly since my last review.
Was getting frustrated by gym being closed more often than others and they even shut down to film a commercial without giving members any perk or credit.
Parking lot is always full even when there’s not many people at the gym. Why? Didn’t used to be this way until recently.
They raised the rates so they could make «improvements», but all I have seen is the front desk now has a faux rock texture on it — which doesn’t help me work out. They also removed the speed bag because «the sound was driving [a manager] crazy». I liked the speed bag — they are not putting it back.
My contract stated my rate was locked in. I talked to them about that, they said too bad. They will not honor it. So I’ve been paying the higher rates.
Spoke to a manager who said they are a «boutique» gym and the difference is in the personal connection vs a big corporate gym like Equinox that doesn’t care about the people or customer service. She said she would comp me a month for the shutdown and my troubles. I checked my statement and she didn’t. I joined Equinox recently and turns out their customer service and personal connection has been much better.
I came in to talk to a manager and was told twice (earlier and later in the day) — manager isn’t here. Email «
». I had emailed Torri directly before and gotten no response. I am not going to email if it goes into a black hole. That’s why I’m writing this review instead. If they were really a small gym with a personal connection that I could trust to do what they say, great. It’s what they claim, but my experience has shown its not true.
At the very least we expect a gym to honor their contract, have good customer service if that’s what they say they have/​care about, and not charge your card if they are giving you a month free.
I cancelled my membership. I have heard from other former iron members that they continued to charge after canceling and it was difficult to get their money back. I’ll post here if they do.
Also I still want my money back for the free month. I’ll post an update here on that too.
UPDATE
— — — — — — — — — — — — — -
The rumor was true, they did end up continuing to charge me another month even though I had cancelled. When I emailed Lizzy (manager) about that, she asked me to send her the email showing that I cancelled. There was none, I had gone in person and asked the front desk. I have it in writing because I asked the person who cancelled my membership (I think his name is «G») to give me a printout showing that it was cancelled. According to Lizzy the front desk people are supposed to be trained to have you email in cancellation. Not crazy about this policy but all gyms make it hard to cancel.
Thankfully the owner monitors Unilocal and reached out to me personally. They ended up correctly cancelling my membership and I didn’t get charged this month. They also ended up crediting me that month they were supposed to back when I was still a member.
I appreciate that they followed through and I feel there is good resolution here. The owner does care about customer service and I hope they work out the kinks.

Two, three, two, double hook!
I took my sixth class at Iron last night, and the combo drills are still fresh in my head. This class is seriously addicting because the progress you build in technique, agility, endurance, and power are noticeable after just a few classes.
Working with the coaches on the mitts is my favorite part — when the class is not as packed, you get more attention and ring time which makes it that much more fun and in turn, that much more challenging.
Each coach has their own personal style, which makes it fun to work with them to improve your skills in different areas. They are also super patient, encouraging, motivating, and friendly to newbies.
And the biggest plus of all? These are professionals — either current or previous pro boxers and/​or coaches. So, you’re getting legit boxing training, not just a wannabe fitness class that is inspired by boxing moves.
The class consists of 3 minute drills — you’re split up into even groups and each group rotates between cardio, shadow boxing on the heavy bags, strength training exercises, and working on the mitts with the coaches. Again, when the class isn’t packed to the gills, the workout is more intense, focused, and you really get a fantastic intense sweat on. But, even when it is packed, you still get a great workout and literally live for your turn on the mitts. SO FUN.
If you have class pass, be sure to get up on this! Otherwise if you haven’t been there before, first class is free if you give them a call.
See you in the ring!

The boxing classes with Johnie are everything! It’s kind of like a circuit class with 3 minute intervals in the ring with a trainer. I love it because working with a professional fighter on the focus mitts improves your stance, your combinations and gives you an overall better understanding of what a fight is like.
You also get to work on the heavy bags, do strength training and cardio… all in one hour!
Also a perk– the trainers are super friendly and cute to boot :-)