Noble Iron Fitness

This place is quite possibly the most under-​rated gym in San Francisco. I almost feel bad giving it more exposure because I selfishly don’t want the classes to get too crowded but I have to give Patrick and his Russian kettle bell class the recognition and praise it deserves.
I found this place through Class Pass and to be honest was a little underwhelmed the first time I came in. I almost couldn’t find the place as there is no sign whatsoever and it is actually inside of another Gym (Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu). The front desk didn’t know what to do with me at first as I wasn’t there for martial arts, but after some explanation and signing a waiver I got connected with Patrick, the instructor.
Patrick does not coddle you. He does not give you inspirational speeches or nutritional advice. He is not here to be your friend. He is here to make you work. In the world of boutique fitness studios I found this to be a breath of fresh air.
Each class consists of Patrick leading you through a deceptively difficult Kettle bell workout full of full body moves that force you to recruit all of your strength and stability to get through them. Yes you will be doing a lot of kettle bell swings but you will also be doing other moves like the fiendishly intense Turkish get up, clean and press, hanging leg raises, goblet squats, one-​handed swings, and much much more. Patrick also incorporates some interesting full body stretches into the routine, which give you little breathers and help you keep those hamstrings limber as the class goes on.
Patrick cares a lot about proper form and will not hesitate to tell you if you are doing a move incorrectly. This is a rarity in the modern fitness landscape and is much appreciated! There is nothing sexy about a back injury.
These classes are so great because there is simply no cheating or slacking with kettle bells. You cannot hide from the hard work here. Kettle bells are so effective because they make you perform complex compound movements that require a degree of core stability and recruitment of all of your major muscle groups. Each move requires your utmost focus, attention, breath, and strength. As such you find yourself working pretty much every muscle in your body, breathing hard, and sweating a ton by the end of class.
Come here. Work hard. You will sweat. You will learn. You will get stronger in a no-​bullshit setting.
This class is certainly not for everyone. If you are looking for entertaining work outs with choreography and music and talkative receptionists you should not come here. You will not have fun and will feel out of place. There is no fluff or padding to these classes. They are full-​body weight training with the fat trimmed out (fitness pun intended).
Come here for results. You won’t regret it.

I’ve been taking Patrick’s Kettlebell class since I moved to San Francisco in mid-​January. I highly recommend his classes. He is a disciplined and knowledgeable teacher. He doesn’t talk a lot, but when someone needs form correction, he is right there (relentlessly so) to point it out. When I’ve asked any questions, his answers impress me that he understands the why and how behind Kettlebells and strength training in general. I did Kettlebells with another great teacher in Minneapolis for 3 years prior to SF, and even still, my form has improved with noticeable difference in all around strength and form since I began with Patrick.
The workouts are a good ass-​kicking that sneaks up on you and will definitely make you stronger.

I just tried the kettlebell class with Patrick and I’m already excited about going again as soon as possible. Patrick gave clear instructions, was very patient and supportive, and managed the class well despite there being several of us with very differing levels of experience. Good weight-​lifting form does not come easily to me but Patrick was really encouraging and patient. He started by breaking down the common movements into their main components and as my form improved, we began to combine it all together. It was fun, very challenging, and very fluid — he did a really good job of keeping things interesting, briefly resting one muscle group while working another. It really was a great experience and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone curious about kettlebells!

I took a class from Patrick for the first time last night — it was my first kettlebell experience ever, and even though I really don’t like weight training, I liked his class a lot. So much so, that I paid in advance for a series of 10. I found Patrick to be very clear in his instructions, patient, attentive and supportive. As a newcomer, he was very focused on my form and watched me closely. I appreciated the way in which he was teaching me the foundations of the movements so carefully. I am excited to see my evolution with this practice. Thank you, Patrick!

Patrick has been coaching me for 3 years. He is meticulous regarding form and corrections. In addition to excellent kettlebell training, he also improves flexibility with his extensive knowledge of body movement. I highly recommend Patrick for all levels of physical training.

Patrick is an excellent coach. He always takes the time to make sure that I’m using the correct form and answers any questions I have. He runs a very tight, challenging class and consistently throws in new exercises to keep things fresh. The class is a good mixture of students from the Jiu-​Jitsu gym and people who come in just for kettlebells, everyone is helpful and inviting.
If you’re thinking about getting into kettlebells, Noble Iron Fitness is where you want to go. Classes are only $ 10 (or free for members of Ralph Gracie Jiu-​Jitsu) and there’s no commitment to join any sort of membership program. Just show up, pay and train.

Patrick Jernigan will get you into killer shape and make sure that you learn flawless kettlebell technique. He is RKC Certified and adept at scaling the program design to meet your training needs at any fitness level. Patrick has a great sense of humor, he is personable and he is an excellent coach. He takes the time to give each new client a thorough movement /​muscle imbalance screen prior to participation. Train with him for increased strength, cardiovascular conditioning, weight loss and Mixed Martial Arts physical prep. I have been a personal trainer for 8 years and I always learn a lot training with Patrick.

Kettlebells were foreign to me before I started training with Patrick, but now I am a convert! The workouts are challenging and interesting — much more engaging than traditional weight lifting.
I’ve taken classes with Patrick and have done personal training sessions with him — he is great at both. He has a gift at getting you to push yourself without making you want to kill him. He’s also very attentive — he constantly has an eye on your form to make sure that you get the most out of the movements and avoid injury. By far, the best personal trainer I’ve had!

Patrick has been training me for about a year and I’m very happy with the results. I’ve gotten stronger not bulky which is fantastic and my injured left shoulder has recovered. As soon as I come back from my travels I will be training with him again.