TAMPA, Fla. — Don Hinson’s dream of a professional boxing career was short-lived.
“I had one pro fight, got the W, but I hurt my hand,” Hinson told Tampa Bay 28 sports anchor Kyle Burger. “That took me out of the sport for a little bit. But I still have love for the game.”
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But Hinson is never against the ropes. He rolled his love of the game into a career as a trainer at “Boxing In a Box” where he’s teamed up with fellow experienced trainers Justin Mitchell and Junior Garcia.
“Each one of the trainers has a different style, which I like,” Ashley Thomas said. “You get a little bit of something different. Each one pushes me in their own way.”
Mitchell opened “Boxing In a Box” in July 2024 and has welcomed people of all ages and fitness levels.
“A lot of women come in here, a lot of men, and they assume that boxing is getting hit,” Garcia said. “There’s no fighting at all. Once you get past that image of what we do here, and that everything is individualized for yourself.”
Boxing for fitness has so many benefits, not just strength and conditioning, when you’re hitting the bag.
“Number one, it’s a great stress reliever,” Thomas said. “If I’m stressed out about something, I can just take it out on the bag. It’s a very dynamic exercise. Not only do we learn the skills of boxing, we’re also doing HIT training as well.”
“We also add condition training where you’re not just hitting bags,” Hinson added. “You’re touching weights, you’re on the floor, sit-ups.”
“The thing about boxing is a lot of people think you’re just going to punch the bag,” Laura Polanco said. “It’s not that, we got conditioning, we got stations. It’s more cardio. It helps you.”
Polanco has been boxing for 10 months and has lost over 60 pounds and gained 10 pounds of muscle.
“I always like to be active. So boxing has helped me,” she said. “You’re losing pounds, but at the same time you’re toning. I like to sweat a lot.”
“We’re going to touch your mind, body or soul,” Hinson said. “It doesn’t matter your fitness level, it doesn’t matter if you’re in shape or out of shape. All you got to do is show up.”
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For Tampa Bay 28 Sports Anchor Kyle Burger, pride in our local teams goes beyond college and the pros. Sports connect us as communities and families. You can connect with Kyle to share your passion for your local athletes below.
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