Have you ever seen a fat boxer?
That’s the first question Dan Griffin asks clients who sign up for one of his SweatBOX classes. The answer he usually gets is no.
SweatBOX is a new program that Griffin, owner of Sweat Life Fitness, located in Haile Market Square, launched about six months ago. As of now, it is the only boxing-based small group training session in Gainesville, Griffin said.
Taught by certified trainers, the class combines boxing and strength training to deliver an optimal workout in 30 minutes. 60-minute sessions are also offered for those who want to challenge themselves a bit more. On average, six to 10 people participate in each class.
During the class, heart rate monitors are used to track how many calories each participant burns. The monitors are synched to a system called Performance IQ, which allows participants to see their individual information on a screen while working out.
“The great thing about that is it gives you immediate feedback,” said Dave Warm, who attends SweatBOX weekly. “It also helps create a benchmark for future workouts.”
When the program first started, only three classes were offered per week. Now, due to popularity and demand, about 20 classes are offered each week. Griffin attributes the success of the program to three things: results, convenience and fun.
SweatBOX is different than traditional workouts is that “you get pretty much guaranteed results from doing it,” he said. In a standard 30-minute class, the average female burns between 350 to 450 calories and the average male burns between 400 to 600 calories. In addition, during the first three months, females have lost 4 to 6 pounds of body fat and males have lost 5 to 10 pounds of body fat.
Yet, Griffin said weight loss varied greatly among individual clients. Take Ronald Kutz, for example. Kutz is a 52-year-old man who lost 55 pounds in six months with SweatBOX.
“All I had to do was commit to a clean healthy diet, training with Dan (Griffin) and Chris (Pregony), and showing up four to five days a week,” Kutz said. “I am living the Sweat Life and loving it.”
Weight loss, however, is just one of the many benefits that participants can gain through SweatBOX. Other results clients have reported include lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improved sleep, higher energy levels and less stress.
Besides a proven track record of results, SweatBOX is also convenient. It’s strategically located at the “center of everything in southwest Gainesville,” Griffin said. It also doesn’t require a lot of time — unlike traditional workouts that demand hours at the gym, SweatBOX only takes 30 minutes.
Griffin’s goal is to make those 30 minutes the “best part of your day.” He wants people to have fun, so he designed the program to be engaging and exciting.
“The bottom line is, I’ve never had so much fun working out,” Warm said. “I never get bored because each session offers something different.”
The program has been so successful that it is in the process of being moved to its own facility. The new SweatBOX studio will be located in the same plaza as Sweat Life Fitness. However, the exact address has not yet been announced. Griffin expects the new studio to open for business by the end of 2015.
The new location will accommodate 16 to 20 people per class and will also offer more classes. Prices are subject to change and will be posted on Sweat Life’s website once the new location opens.
“We’re just excited for the growth of it,” Griffin said. “It’s grown via word of mouth, and that, to us, is the truest testament of a quality product or service.”
SweatBOX Results
- In a standard 30 min. session the average female will burn between 350 – 450 calories. The average male will burn between 400 – 600 calories.
- Body fat loss is dependent on the individual client – their fitness level, beginning body composition, adherence to the nutrition plan, etc…but here is the average what we have seen in the first 6 months (some changed more, some less):
- Female participants have lost 4-6 lbs. of body fat and gained 1-2 lbs. of muscle
- Male participants have lost 5-10 lbs. of body fat and gained 2-4 lbs. of muscle
- Other results we have seen or been told from clients:
- Decreased resting heart rate
- No longer needed to take high blood pressure or cholesterol medications
- Improved sleep
- More energy
- They enjoy working out again
- Stress release
- Train with their spouse – something fun to do together