We help everyday people become everyday athletes. A week of one-on-one coaching to start, three levels in every class, and a coach on every rep — built for people with real jobs, real families, and zero interest in getting hurt.
Coached every rep — Three levels, one floor — Forge the body, guard the mind — Coached every rep — Three levels, one floor — Forge the body, guard the mind —
Sound familiar?
You’re not past it.
Maybe you wrestled in high school. Maybe you bounced off a leaderboard culture that treated a Tuesday workout like a tryout, or a garage gym that got lonely fast. Now there’s a job, kids, and a quiet voice saying you’re too old to start over.
Getting hurt
You can’t afford a tweaked back. Picking up your kids isn’t optional — so we coach every rep and pull you back before your ego cashes a check.
Wasting time & money
You’ve paid for memberships that went nowhere. Here the programming is cycled, planned, and measured — nothing random, nothing wasted.
Aging out
Longevity is the backbone of everything we program. We train people to love this for decades, not to survive a six-week challenge.
“Your best years aren’t behind you. You just haven’t been trained properly yet. We fix the belief, then we forge the body.”
The plan
Three steps. No guesswork.
01
Book a free consult
Twenty minutes with a coach. We talk goals, history, and what your week actually looks like. No sales pitch — if we’re not the right fit, we’ll say so.
02
Do your Foundations week
A week of one-on-one coaching. Learn the basics, set a baseline, understand your body. Every member starts here. It’s non-negotiable, and it’s why nobody gets thrown into the deep end.
03
Train with your people
Group classes with three levels on one floor, coached every rep. Beginners next to 10-year athletes, nobody compromising, good people on every side of you.
Self-directed training between classes and after hours, with access to all our programming. The barbells and Olympic lifts live here too — and so does official HYROX affiliate programming, seven days a week.
Every class is programmed at three levels. Same movement pattern, same clock, different target — so a first-month beginner and a 10-year athlete train side by side without either one compromising. The system flexes so the member doesn’t have to.
A real day on our whiteboard
Back squat. Level 1 — five sets of five, light to moderate. Level 2 — build to a heavy triple for the day. Level 3 — one-rep max. Same bar. Same coaching. Nobody maxes out before they are ready for it.
Level 1 · Learn it
New, or coming back after years off. Own the movement before you load it. Nobody rushes you.
Level 2 · Build it
Solid mechanics, growing engine. Where most members live — and get strong for years.
Level 3 · Test it
For the seasoned athlete chasing an edge. Bigger loads, same standard, a coach watching anyway.
The next chapter · Opening October 2026
279 Main St, Suite 110. Built for the next decade.
After 13 years in Frisco, we’re building the gym a bigger, better home — one door down from where we train today. More space, more amenities, more toys, and a recovery room. The same good people. Nothing pauses while we build it.
Where we train today
Suite 122Open until moving day
Our new home next door
Suite 110Opening October 2026
We’re not moving far — just next door, with a big step up in space and amenities. Same address, same coaches, same community we’ve served since 2013.
Coming with the new space
The recovery room. Opening October 2026.
Two cold plunges. A five-person sauna with infrared and red light therapy — still a traditional heat sauna, so it still gets hot. Recovery gets a room of its own at Suite 110, because the work only counts if you keep showing up for it.
The recovery room · Rendering — details may changeThe new floor · Rendering — details may change
Renderings of the new build at 279 Main St, Suite 110 — right next door to where we train today.
The 23 hours
Training is one hour. We coach the other 23.
What you do between sessions decides most of your results. So our coaching doesn’t stop at the whiteboard.
Nutrition
Real human nutrition coaching — a coach who knows your name, checks in weekly, and adjusts as life happens. Powered by FuelPath, not another app you’ll ignore by March.
Sleep
Recovery is where the work pays off. We help you protect it — because a strong week starts the night before.
Habits
Small daily wins, stacked for years. That’s the whole secret, and it’s why our members are still here a decade later.
The coaches
Real coaches. Every rep.
Mike Manning
Owner & Head Coach · Veteran
Coaching in Frisco since 2014, sole owner since 2018. Mike runs Black Iron on a simple idea: everyday people deserve real coaching too — programmed training, honest standards, and a floor where person comes first, athlete second.
KristinGeneral Manager · Coach
AileenCoach
AmberCoach
EmilyCoach
EvanCoach
LawrenceCoach
Member proof
Don’t take our word for it.
5.0 on Google
“Fell in love with moving my body, and setting goals for myself… it was the first thing that was for ME”
— Ashley K., member
“Black Iron Athletics is by far the best. The community is what really sets it apart — everyone is supportive, encouraging, and genuinely wants to see each other succeed.”
— Eric D., member
“The programming is well thought out, challenging, and scalable for all fitness levels, so you’re always making progress.”
— Christopher P., member
“Black Iron quite literally changed my life. I wouldn’t be as healthy or as strong as I am without their amazing fitness programs and incredible coaching.”
— Brian A., member
“It’s where I go when I’m feeling strong, when I’m struggling, when I need to clear my head, or when I simply want to invest in becoming a better version of myself.”
— Asher B., member
“Self improvement is guaranteed and will show with time. Honestly the best gym in the entire world!”
— Christopher S., member
“I’ve lost 30 lbs, I have more energy than I’ve had in years, and I actually look forward to working out. I wish I started sooner.”
— Marcus C., member
“Black Iron Athletics is by far the best. The community is what really sets it apart — everyone is supportive, encouraging, and genuinely wants to see each other succeed.”
— Eric D., member
“The programming is well thought out, challenging, and scalable for all fitness levels, so you’re always making progress.”
— Christopher P., member
“Black Iron quite literally changed my life. I wouldn’t be as healthy or as strong as I am without their amazing fitness programs and incredible coaching.”
— Brian A., member
“It’s where I go when I’m feeling strong, when I’m struggling, when I need to clear my head, or when I simply want to invest in becoming a better version of myself.”
— Asher B., member
“Self improvement is guaranteed and will show with time. Honestly the best gym in the entire world!”
— Christopher S., member
“I’ve lost 30 lbs, I have more energy than I’ve had in years, and I actually look forward to working out. I wish I started sooner.”
— Marcus C., member
Membership
What it costs. In writing.
We publish our prices because we’re proud of what they buy. Coaching is the product — a coach who knows your name, programming that’s planned, and a floor where you belong. If you’re comparing us to a $10 big-box, we’re not it. On purpose.
Standard
$200/mo
3 coached Strength & Conditioning classes per week
Monthly body-composition scan
Community events
Most Popular
Unlimited + Open Gym
$240/mo
Unlimited coached classes
Everything in Standard
Open gym 7 days a week
Open Gym Only
$50/mo
Self-directed training
Access to all our programming
Open gym 7 days a week
Personal Training
$120–150/hour
One coach, one plan
Customized programming
Individual accountability
Nutrition guidance
Military & first responders: 5% off any membership. Veteran-owned, and proud of it.
Every membership starts the same way: a free consultation and the Foundations week. That part isn’t optional, and it’s why this works.
Commitment: memberships start with 90 days — change takes time, and we’d rather have people who are giving it a real shot. After that it’s month to month: cancel with 30 days’ notice.
That’s exactly what Foundations is for. Your first week is one-on-one with a coach — no class to keep up with, no crowd. We meet you at your baseline and build from there. In 13 years, nobody has ever been too out of shape to start properly.
Will I get hurt?
Our whole system is built around not getting you hurt. A coach on every rep. Three levels, so you’re never pushed past what you’re ready for. Programming that plans intensity instead of chasing exhaustion. And when you’re getting ahead of yourself, we pull you back — that’s part of the job.
What does it cost?
Standard is $200 a month, Unlimited with open gym is $240, open gym only is $50, and personal training runs $120–150 an hour. Prices are in writing because we don’t do games. Want to try first? A $30 day pass covers any class, credited toward your first month if you join.
I bounced off CrossFit and big gyms before.
So did a lot of our members. There’s no leaderboard culture here — three levels in every class means Tuesday isn’t a tryout. Person first, athlete second. You’ll work hard, and nobody will make it weird.
