About Us | San Diego | Iron Core Way

About Os

Owner and #1 Gym Rat

Os has been in the fitness industry since 2005, working most prominently at Iron Core, which we now own! He is a certified StrongFirst Elite Instructor (Kettlebell Level 1, Level II, Bodyweight and Barbell) and Z-Health Movement Specialist. Os’ Z-Health education includes, Exercise Therapy, Movement Reeducation, and Movement Integration. He is a lifelong martial artist and former modern dancer having performed for Mojalet Dance Collective for three years. He is a proud San Diego Aztec where he majored in accounting. His proudest achievement is having served honorably for six years in the U.S. Army where he achieved the rank of Sargent.

About Erica

Owner and #2 Gym Rat

Erica is a certified StrongFirst Kettlebell Level I and Bodyweight Instructor. She has a background as a professional dancer and dance instructor, and she currently works at Francis Parker School. She has danced for several modern dance companies throughout San Diego, most extensively with Mojalet Dance Collective for eleven years. Erica has her Master’s Degree in Dance from Hollins University and her undergraduate degree from San Diego State (go Aztecs!) Os and Erica met in a dance class (ahh…) and were lucky enough to perform together for three years. We are really looking forward to meeting all of you and sharing our love of physical fitness.

We are a school. Not a gym.
We train movement, not muscle groups.
The Kettlebell is our primary strength-building tool.
Hard-Style principles are the way we teach kettlebells in our school.
We use a neural lens when evaluating movement.
Z-Health Performance Solutions provides the framework of our neural lens.
Bodyweight training is a preferred starting place for new students and a powerful addition to any program in any Chamber.
Each distinct modality is known as a Chamber.

The Iron Core Way

The Philosophy guiding the way we operate

AKa: bodyweight Training

The Four Chambers

In a perfect world everyone would start their fitness journey here, by using nothing more than their own body to develop a resilient and reliable movement discipline. It sure makes a lot of sense to master your own body before you resort to equipment to further challenge the limits of your physicality. From the simplest progressions (think balancing on one leg) to the more difficult (think one arm one leg push ups), bodyweight training is an underrated modality that deserves a second look. Let's get you started on the path to the best shape of your life in the most fundamental and organic movement modality. We invite you to step into our Basic Training Chamber.

The KettleBell: The Martial Art of Strength Training

I will start by telling you that kettlebell training is by far, the most challenging form of resistance training you can engage in. The kettlebell's unique design with an off center of gravity will surely challenge even the most skilled movers. However, this does not mean that it is inaccessible. Anyone can learn how to properly use this tool and that is where we come in my friends. We are certified by the gold standard of kettlebell certifications in the world, StrongFirst, and have an assortment of tools to teach and challenge you regardless of your fitness level. The kettlebell as a tool is the centerpiece of our system, and the implementation will be achieved in its most elegant and pure form, in the Chamber of Grinds & Ballistics.

AKA: conventional Training

"In the early 90's when I began using resistance training to enhance my physique. I was 130 pounds and needed a little muscle to give me some show power (don't judge, I was a teenager). With no internet and living in rural Puerto Rico, coming across quality training information came down to two things; one, word of mouth and two, a Muscle & Fitness or Flex magazine. The information in these magazines became inadequate once my focus shifted from looks to performance, hence the Muscle & Fiction joke, but through experimentation I extracted the best attributes and turned them into performance producing protocols. Five years later I began wrestling and was introduced to Eastern European strength training program designs. Conclusion, dumbbells and barbells have their place in our training regime, and the material has enough depth to warrant its own chamber." -Os Aponte, SFG

Conventional tools applied in elegant designs is the very essence of our Conventional Wisdom Chamber.

Bringing it all together

The X Chamber is a celebration of your hard work. Once a student masters the body weight, kettlebell and conventional training programs they are ready to throw it all together in challenging workouts that will put everything you have achieved to the test. Participants experience dramatic body composition changes and above all, circuits are just plain fun! You planted the seeds and now it’s time to reap the rewards.

Our systematic approach to your success

Knowledge – For our coaches, it all starts here. Without the proper knowledge base it would be difficult for our coaches to hold a strong personal practice. Which is why a lifelong commitment to learning and developing our craft is an inherent responsibility of every coach operating in any Iron Core Chamber.
Integrity – We have a responsibility to our students of providing the highest quality training in a safe and inclusive environment and we believe integrity is an essential part of fulfilling that responsibility. We expect every coach to hold the highest standards for themselves, as it would be difficult to lead in The Iron Core Way without that level of personal responsibility. We lead by example and always do the right thing.
Courage – A good life requires discipline and discipline requires courage. As coaches we will need to exercise courage as we help our students become the best version of themselves. True leaders will go up front to face challenges head on, and it is impossible to do this without courage.
Fidelity – In order to cultivate a culture that revolves around a sense of community, we must have trust in our selves, our peers, our organization and everything that makes up our Brand. This is why we must exhibit fidelity to each other and those who came before us. Always behave in a manner that honors you and your clan, the Iron Core Clan.

Our Code

The values guiding the iron core way

The HIstory of Iron Core

Iron Core is a pioneer in the kettlebell fitness industry that experienced a meteoric rise because it offered unparalleled instruction. Founder Sarah Lurie opened the first Iron Core in La Jolla, CA. The school quickly grew and moved to Pacific Beach, CA in 2007 where Os Aponte began instructing. We are pleased to announce that Os is bringing the next evolution of Iron Core, the Iron Core Way and The Four Chambers.