Hidden Gems: Meet Zachary Thomas of Boxercise powered by The Cincinnati Trainer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Thomas.

Zachary, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a 1999 Regional Golden Glove champion and 1999 national Golden Glove participant who turned professional shortly after not qualifying for the 2000 Olympics. I started helping one of my boxing coaches run his Boxing for Fitness classes for 5.00 dollars a hour and did that for a little over a year. A 300lbs football player came in to the gym for some boxing training during his off season and I had the pleasure of training him. I won’t mention his name but we did become good friends. He was a business major at University of Cincinnati. I trained him for one year getting his weight down to 250lbs before his first amateur boxing match. He won by a 2nd round knockout and he never looked back to play football again. He became a full time boxer who quickly gained rankings in the U.S. and qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials. He did not make the Olympics so he decided to turn professional as a boxer and start his own boxing fitness business called the Punchhouse. The Punchhouse located here in Cincinnati became very popular and I had the opportunity to help him see that vision out. Since 2010 through 2017 , I was able to learn how to run a fitness business just by working along side of him. Through the years spent training people at the Punchhouse, I gained a big following and called myself “The Cincinnati Trainer “ which stuck and became a household name for me. In the year 2017 The Cincinnati Trainer became a LLC and was voted best of Business Rate out of Cincinnati in 2024. This is how my journey started as Boxercise powered by The Cincinnati Trainer LLC.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No ! My entrepreneurship journey has not been a smooth road . I never been to school for entrepreneurship and I don’t have a degree in business. I actually was organically grown into the business. Once I had my first client who gave me five dollars to train them that’s when I asked another person if they like to train with me and they too gave me five dollars. So, my only education about business was exchange services for money. Once I gained the confidence to ask for a higher price for my services and they gave it to me then I believe that I was onto something. When I begin to train five and ten clients for $15-$20 an hour, I was then beginning to see a flow of income really starting to add up. Some were writing me checks and some were giving cash. I would deposit the checks in the bank in pocket the cash. I was depositing so many checks that someone alarmed me to register The Cincinnati Trainer as an LLC so that I become a legal business owner. After a year of having a business with a large amount of cash available I opened a business account then soon after I opened a business credit card account . I started exploring other investments and using the credit card to invest in my business . I would purchase ball caps, t shirts, exercise card games, all with my logo and branding on it. I was so excited to have the capital I didn’t do the research on how much I needed to purchase so that I wouldn’t have so much left over inventory laying around for months or even years. I ran into trouble over the years in business when I was very low with cash flow. I mean almost out of business low. I had to take out loans to save my business and pay those loans back quickly as possible. Sometimes, that can be a deadly cycle if the money is not flowing in as fast as it’s going out. I’ve been scammed for a great deal of money by not looking into the Better Business Bureau before making a decision on working with certain companies out there. I’ve overcame those bad decisions and learn from them. So those are just a few obstacles and learning experience I’ve been through while on this journey as an entrepreneur.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Boxercise powered by The Cincinnati Trainer ?
Boxercise powered by the Cincinnati Trainer is a Mobile Boxing for Fitness business and our mission is to empower individuals and communities through personalized fitness and wellness education. We are dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment so that clients of all backgrounds can achieve their health and fitness goal. By utilizing innovative training techniques, advanced-based practices, and a holistic approach, we aim to inspire our lifelong habits of health and well-being… Together, we strive to transform lives, enhance physical performance, and cultivate a cultural of Fitness in Cincinnati and beyond.
We envision a Vibrant community where every individual is empowered to achieve their fitness goals through personalized training and unwavering support.
Some of the business products that we have available is our “Box Me Fit” on demand workout video, “The Pocket Trainer pro” ultimate exercise card game, workout apparel, and boxing equipment such as boxing gloves, hand wraps, and mouth guards . We also provide personal meal plans.
Some of the business services that we provide are Boxercise personal training ,Boxercise for Parkinson’s, Shock A Bully a anti-bullying exercise program for kids available to elementary schools, corporate business group training, we also travel to your home, and provide full body stretching. All so that you can learn how to train like the pros without taking the blows.

What matters most to you?
Giving clients empowerment by encouraging clients to take charge of their health and fitness journeys while fostering, a sense of ownership and confidence. Integrity matters, I love to maintain honesty and transparency in all interactions, ensuring clients trust our guidance and services. I love to work with the community and build a supportive and inclusive environment where members can connect, motivate and inspire each other. Fun matters to me. I love to create an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere where fitness feels like a rewarding and fulfilling experience. I strive for the highest standards in training programs, customer service and facility management. Education matters where I can provide valuable information and resources to empower clients with knowledge about boxing, fitness, nutrition, and a healthier lifestyle.

Pricing:

• Pricing is only available during consultations

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TheCincinnatitrainer.com
• Instagram: CincyBoxercise
• Facebook: Cincinnati Trainer