Featured Trainer: Jack Silva

by Paul J. Scott

Featured Boxing For Fitness Trainer Interview with Jack Silva

As a trainer, Boxing for Fitness opens a massive door of new opportunity to get more clients.  It’s one of the best ways to grow your business, have more engaging workouts with your clients, and train a wider range of clients. We sat down with Boxing for Fitness trainer Jack Silva to get his take on what Boxing for Fitness has done for him as a personal trainer.

What influenced your start in the boxing industry?
My father, he was the 1968 Greater Lowell boxing champion. I was kind of born into it. My dad wasn’t crazy about teaching me how to box – didn’t want me to get hit in the head – but I kept wanting to do it, I wouldn’t relent. My father passed away when I was 12, and as soon as I was 13 I was training in the gym. I started competing, and in 1986 I competed in the New England Junior Olympics and got the bronze medal. The next year I won the novice division in the Golden Gloves tournament and dedicated the victory to my father.

What do you enjoy most about teaching boxing for fitness to Individuals?
I love the fitness part of it. Nobody’s getting hit in the head. I get to teach people Olympic style boxing, nobody’s getting hurt, but they’re still getting the same caliber workout as an Olympic boxer. It’s pure adrenaline in my classes. We get warmed up and go hard for a good hour. For some of my students it’s the highlight of their week. Everyone learns something, gets a great workout, and leaves with something they didn’t have when they came in that day.

What changes have you observed as a person evolves in their boxing for fitness training cycle?
Confidence. Especially for beginners when you see somebody come in and get in the left hand or right hand position they don’t know how to stand or hold their hands right. It’s really like a baby who doesn’t know how to walk. You take them through the beginning stages and by the end of one session they know how to stand properly. A few sessions later they’re getting stronger, they’re losing weight, you can tell their confidence is up. They start coming in and wrapping their own hands with confidence, they start taking control of their workouts and really owning it. The transformation is such a thrill to watch.

If there was a fitness instructor out there that was thinking about learning and teaching the boxing for fitness training regimen and becoming certified with Boxing For Fitness, Inc, what would you tell them?
You can’t go wrong. If you learn how to teach these workouts, you’ll have clients for the rest of your life. You see more and more of these boxing and fitness centers popping up. It’s just another tool you can use to build your client base. And it’s one of the best tools available. It’s really one of the best workouts in the world and I’ve done triathlons and everything else you can think of.

If there was a fitness Instructor thinking about learning and teaching boxing for fitness to individuals – both men and women – what would you tell them?
Anyone. Men, women, children, even people with Parkinson’s disease can train. It’s great for seniors – it gives them a sense of something to look forward to. It’s rewarding and uplifting. Kids love it too. Even as young as kindergarten and first grade. They love hitting the bags and can’t get enough of it. If you’re an instructor and offer this, get ready to expand your client base.

Being a part of the Boxing For Fitness community you now have access to all of the members and visitors to our site who are looking for Trainers just like you.  Trainers that teach people the Boxing Work Out regardless of their desire to box competitively. What would you tell those Individuals about what you have to offer and why they should try you and your methods of training?
If you want to come out and train it’s a great way to build strength, lose weight, burn calories – give it a shot. You’re doing everything a boxer would be doing, without getting hit. It’s a fantastic stress reliever. A friend of mine is a psychologist and actually recommends to patients to hit the bag for stress relief. Got something bothering you at work, family issues… come down to the gym and get focused on your workout and all of the sudden you’re having fun and feeling good. It’s hard work, but you’re learning, and building a skill – that’s why it’s fun as opposed to other workouts.

by Paul J. Scott

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