About
Built in an old ironworks
A former foundry on Douglass Street, a few hundred feet from the canal. The steel beams stayed. So did the attitude.
Our story
Two coaches, one empty warehouse
Jamal Carter and Erin Walsh met coaching at a Manhattan chain where classes were 40 people deep and nobody learned to squat properly. In 2017 they signed a lease on a gutted foundry in Gowanus, bought six racks off a closing gym in Queens and started coaching friends at 6am.
Nine years later Ironworks has 1,100 members, fourteen coaches and a floor big enough for a 40-metre sled track. What has not changed: small classes, a coach who knows your numbers, and programming that treats strength as a long game.
We are not a franchise and we are not trying to be. We are a neighbourhood gym that happens to take lifting very seriously.
We don't care what you look like. We care what you can lift next month.
Coaches
The people yelling encouragement
Every Ironworks coach holds a nationally recognised certification and completes 40 hours of in-house training before leading a class.
Jamal Carter
Co-founder, head of strength
CSCS, USAW Level 2. Former D1 linebacker. 300 kg deadlift, very patient with beginners.
Erin Walsh
Co-founder, head of conditioning
NASM, Precision Nutrition. Ran the NYC Marathon in 3:08 and still prefers the rower.
Diego Santos
Olympic lifting coach
USAW Level 2, national-level competitor. Will fix your clean in one session.
Kayla Brooks
Foundations & mobility coach
DPT student and the reason our members' shoulders still work.
The floor
9,000 square feet of work
House rules
How we train
Form first
No weight goes on the bar until the movement is right. Every time.
Progress over punishment
Workouts should leave you better, not wrecked. We train for decades, not days.
Leave it better
Re-rack your plates, cheer for the last finisher, wipe down your bench.
Come meet the crew
Book a free class and see why our members stick around for years.