Our Ethos
We are going to be real with you. This is not a gym.
You will not get a key card and a free reusable water bottle. You will not have the opportunity to mind-numbingly kill time on a treadmill, nor will you get to take pictures of yourself on the cable pull-down machine in front of the mirrors.
We have none of these things. We do none of these things. Machines and mirrors are for cattle and brushing your hair. They have no place here. What you will find is authenticity, accountability, and commitment.
At Iron Legion, you are a part of a movement. We are a strength culture based in Ocala, Florida and we have a very different view on strength and conditioning. Our focus is you. Our focus is strengthening you and building your confidence one quality rep at a time.
We’re not a great fit for everyone. Iron Legion is where you come when you have decided that it’s time to transcend all the bullshit trendy gyms and all of the terrible advice on the Internet. We are here when you finally, truly commit to who you want to be.
When you are ready to commit to the work, we are ready to commit to you.
At Iron Legion, you join a team. And the best teams are led by the best coaches.
Our quality programs are led by a carefully selected team of coaches. We are with you each step of your journey to a stronger, leaner, faster, and more confident you.
You can expect a very unique blend of programs, each designed to enhance and complement the other, ultimately enhancing your human performance. Each program is led by a specialist in their respective field.
After all, we are forging better humans here.
Iron Legion takes great pride in the ability to work with people at any age or level of fitness. Whether it’s your first day in the gym or you’re an advanced competition athlete, we have a team that can support and optimize you to be your best.
My name is Ted Dreaver, and I started Iron Legion in 2012. I genuinely enjoy meeting new people and finding out where they are trying to go with their health and fitness. Come see us in Downtown Ocala and ask for me. Let me show you what Iron Legion can do for you.
Coaches & Stats
Let us ask you a question. If this was something we didn’t care about, why would we be here or do what we do?
Time is valuable.
You have it in limited quantities and so do we. You’ve created an image of how you want to view yourself and of how you want to be viewed by others in your mind. It requires change and a break from routine to achieve your image and fitness goals. The journey can be long, rigorous, and challenging. Change is a process that starts with learning the way. This is where we come in.
Your training and education during our process is everything. Value your training sessions as these windows of time are steps on the journey to who you want to become.
Start today. Break the mold. We will help you find a program with coaches that can get you where you want to go.
Ted Dreaver
I learned early in life that the lone wolf mentality was bullshit. Surrounding myself with a team of focused, respectful people who are on the same mission made even the most intense projects manageable, successful, and enjoyable.
I’ve always been a gym rat, even when growing up traveling from city to city. One thing always bothered me about the globo gym space. It was sterile, faceless, impersonal. There could be 100 people in a random Gold’s/LA Fitness but the place would be completely devoid of social connection. There was no real push to get better. I would watch people everywhere move like cattle from machine to machine, never making any progress while managing to look bored as hell.
Fast forward to 2011. My wife and I have a growing family. I was weary of the road and had always wanted to start my own fitness business that helped people and I was super interested in alternative fitness models. Read Ted’s Full Story.
I started Iron Legion in my backyard. (WATCH VIDEO)
Three people and a basketball full of sand sealed with duct tape. We threw it at a target I mounted on an old satellite dish. We had rust and sand in our eyes, but it was the beginning of the hard work shoulder-to-shoulder with companions and the human connection that would become what exists today.
That growth came from the careful selection of leaders that are the Iron Legion Team. Our coaching staff has included professional athletes, Olympic weightlifting world record holders, strength and conditioning coaches from NASCAR, collegiate coaches, MMA athletes, doctors and prominent members of the first responder and tactical communities. Some members of our coaching staff have numerous certifications from USAW, NASM, BirthFit, and more.
What about the Iron Legion team? We train Ocala’s leaders, movers, and doers. We focus on our mission together. What’s the mission? To forge better humans.
Kaitie Neratka
I never expected to have such a love and passion for coaching until I became a strength + conditioning coach. It also took me a while to not respond with “oh I’m just a coach” when I was asked what I did for a living. It took seeing over and over and over again the changes that took place in members’ lives not just physically but mentally and emotionally to realize I have one of THE most important and influential jobs.
I have the opportunity to help guide someone to be healthier, happier, more confident, stronger, faster, increase longevity, heck even see the reverse of health issues. It’s a blessing to be able to watch someone be brave enough to walk into a training facility, say “I’m here to make a change”, and then be able to help them reach their goals.
My philosophy as a coach has always been quality over quantity. Whether it’s weight, skill level or reps. If you can’t do a skill at its most basic level extremely well you do not need to be adding weight or speed or technical difficulty. I know some may disagree with this and of course there are exceptions to every rule.. BUT it never fails that when I have two athletes at the same level and one has patience to work on perfecting a skill and another rushes to just do the cool stuff, every single time the athlete who took the time will pass up the athlete who didn’t.
I have been forging better humans for 6 years and I have my masters in exercise science and rehabilitation and my NASM nutrition certification.
Isabelle Reynolds
I’ve always been someone who picks something challenging to learn. I took classes in college because I thought they would be interesting, not because it would be an easy A. In 2012 I found myself in a gym, trying out a program and being thrust into a world that I had never known before. I immediately wanted to learn everything I could. Because of that, my journey with strength + conditioning has taken me on a path I didn’t expect.
Finding fitness has quite literally changed my life. My non-athlete self was riddled with self-doubt, body dysmorphia and low confidence. The barbell didn’t care though, and I felt the shift. Becoming encouraged by the idea of what my body could do and not what it shouldn’t look like.
I’ve seen a lot of growth in myself in the last decade. My family has grown with more babies, my education has expanded, and I’ve met people with beautiful souls. What drives me now isn’t how quickly I can get to the next thing, but how well I can do it and how meaningful are my connections with my community.
I’ve set out to nurture and support our local community, especially women during the motherhood transition. I am proud to be a part of a team that tries equally to make our place better than before.
I’m currently a USAW-1 coach, CrossFit L2 coach and BirthFit coach working at Iron Legion full time as the Media Manager, Content Creator, Coach, Part-Time Smoothie Maker and Tik-Toker.
Javian Dunbar
I have unwavering passion for the world of combat sports. My focus is on wrestling and No-Gi Judo, and proudly, I wear a purple belt earned at Pedigo Submission Fighting – a testament to the countless hours of dedication and hard work I’ve poured into the realm of martial arts.
My journey into this world began when I was just 18, training with The New Team Trauma in Ocala. Back then, it was all about self-defense, but something extraordinary happened along the way – I fell head over heels in love with the sport.
I’ve had my fair share of experiences in the fight game, having been a former MMA fighter, kickboxer, and Jiu Jitsu competitor. I’ve tasted the adrenaline and excitement of competition firsthand, and it was this life as a fighter that naturally led me to the path of coaching. Over time, I’ve come to cherish the art of teaching just as much as the art of fighting.
My coaching philosophy is straightforward, yet immensely powerful. I firmly believe in training others to confront the reality of violence, whether it’s against a skilled adversary or someone untrained. My aim is to equip my students with the mental fortitude and physical prowess required to perform when it truly matters.
At Iron Legion, my goal is to forge an army of warriors – students who can hold their ground against fierce competition and any potential physical threat in the world. Our program is meticulously designed to complement the rigorous physical training that defines our gym. Ultimately, my mission is to assist individuals in shedding their inhibitions, unveiling their true selves, and evolving into formidable forces in the world.
So, if you’re on a quest to transform yourself, both physically and mentally, and if you’re looking to be a part of a tight-knit community dedicated to self-improvement through combat sports, you’ve arrived at the perfect place. Join us at Iron Legion, and together, let’s unleash your inner warrior.
Ryan Allen
I have always been interested in the gym starting from middle school. After some time in the gym, I discovered powerlifting and found my calling. I competed in my first meet in 2016, since then I have competed a handful of times. In 2019 I became a state level referee and in 2021 I earned my national referee status.
One of my main goals is to help the sport of powerlifting grow and help take it to the mainstream platform. I have coached a multitude of different athletes from beginners to more advanced lifters. I have also handled athletes at over a dozen competitions with many taking 1st place in their respective division. I have been to over 30+ powerlifting competitions ranging from small local meets to the biggest stage of the World Games in the capacity of coach, athlete, or referee. My goal as a coach is to help push athletes past what they believe they can do.
I have completed the USAPL Club Coach certification.
Wayne Smith
Education: Firearms and Defensive Tactics.
Paying attention to the small details of working with an athlete, helps them reach their goals.
Tim Zapata
Forging better humans for 10 years, multiple years in organized sports
Effort and consistency combined will give great results
James Geering
Foundation Training, Student Instructor, NSCA CPT, Strongfirst KettleBell Class, BSc in Exercise. Physiology and Kinesiology from UF, 25 years of coaching martial arts and fitness. Forging better humans and athletes for 16+ years.
Making people mentally and physically stronger and more resilient so they can thrive in life.
Casey Allen
8+ years as a firefighter paramedic. Rescue specialist for special operations technical rescue team. Forging better humans for 10+ years.
“You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready”
Casey Walsh
Forging better humans for 10+ years, AS-Criminal Justice Technology, General Instructor (FDLE), Defensive Tactics Instructor (FDLE)
Finish stronger than you started.
Mike Oliveros
Many years competing in the highest levels of endurance, mental toughness and ruck events.
Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.