LITEBOXER

As we wrap up Women’s History Month we are highlighting the women of Liteboxer. These trainers light up your screen with their powerful personalities, contagious confidence, and sweat-inducing drills. That would be Lissa, Maxie, Kristi, Mary, and Syd, five of our best-in-class boxing trainers!

With over 46 years of fitness and boxing experience combined between them, these five pros will inspire your fitness journey. As we celebrate the accomplishments of women everywhere as we close out Women’s History month, we sat down with these ladies to talk about what boxing, self-confidence, and female empowerment in the ring mean to them.

Learn more about what inspires these women and where they get their confidence. Then, step into the ring and sweat it out with these pros today right in your Liteboxer app.

Lissa

Lissa is an NYC-based fitness instructor, entrepreneur, and professional dancer. A Miami native, Lissa grew up on the stage attending performing arts schools. Today, dancing and fitness have become her professional focus and lifelong love. As a dancer, Lissa has always felt comfortable expressing herself through movement. She brings that movement and confidence into the ring, making her a powerhouse while training and teaching. With over 6 years of experience as a fitness instructor, Lissa is not afraid to push you to dig deeper, punch harder, and never give up on yourself. 

What do you love most about boxing? 

I love the focus and athleticism it requires. It’s such a therapeutic feeling to quite literally throw punches. Boxing combines everything I love about working out. It transports my body and mind to a place where I can turn the rest of the world off and center myself in the moment. Boxing makes me feel like a fighter, and feeling like a fighter reminds me of how strong I am.

Have you ever struggled with self-confidence? 

I think mostly everyone has! Growing up as a dancer my whole life and seeing myself hours and hours a day in front of a mirror wearing a leotard and tights will make you a little crazy. I’ve struggled in the sense of not feeling talented enough or not feeling “thin” enough. Those thoughts will eat at you. I developed an eating disorder that I severely struggled with back in 2011 and received professional help for to fight for my health and my life back. I think the best way to push through the struggle of self-confidence is to understand that every single day we can only do our very best with exactly what we have and we have to find peace with that! 

How do you want to be a role model for the Liteboxer community? 

It’s important for me to be a role model for our community because I want to be able to help someone in their journey. I have a passion to give and to inspire and I want to be able to prove to you “the person at home”, that you’re always good enough and that you always can! I want to be perceived as someone who is willing to walk the tough road alongside them. Someone who is gonna get back up over and over again no matter how many times she falls.

What tips do you have for new boxers?

I want new boxers to feel welcome and to feel safe. It's really easy to give in to fear because of the intimidation of trying or practicing something new. We all started in the new phase at one point, so we all know what that feels like. One day, it won't be new anymore. The best part of trying something new is when you start to find your groove and figure it out. As your trainer, I have your back!

Maxie

Maxie is a SoCal fitness instructor with over 5 years of fitness experience. Growing up as an athlete on the soccer field, fitness has always been a part of Maxie’s life. But it wasn’t until she discovered beat-based fitness classes in 2014 that her life turned around. Maxie brings her intense but encouraging coaching style to Liteboxer. You can expect lots of hip-hop, plenty of big beat drops, and a ton of high energy from her classes. You will leave each session feeling challenged and ready for your day.

What do you love most about boxing? 

I love how boxing is a full-body workout and how it allows me to release stress, anger, excitement, or whatever I am feeling at the moment. 

Have you ever struggled with self-confidence? 

Yes! I think it is important for everyone to understand that even the most seemingly confident person has most likely dealt with their own battles regarding confidence.  My best advice is to not compare yourself to others, surround yourself with positive, uplifting people, and make sure the social media accounts you follow are making you feel full, not empty. 

What advice would you give to women who are intimidated by boxing or feel that it's more of a male sport?

Boxing is for everybody. I feel strong, sexy, and unstoppable when boxing and I don’t think there is anything better than that! My advice for you is to build yourself up. Find a beginner’s session, practice, and just relax! It’s supposed to be fun and it will be once you let go of expectations and just flow it out!

What tips do you have for new boxers?

My biggest tip to new boxers is to relax, learn the fundamentals and punches first, and just enjoy yourself! The more you box the more natural it will feel and the sooner you let go of any doubts the better you will feel in class. 

Kristi

Kristi is an indoor cycling, group fitness, and boxing instructor from Birmingham, Alabama with over 7 years of fitness experience. She started in fitness as a National and World Champion cheerleader in Kentucky. Today, she brings that energy and enthusiasm to the ring. Known for her innovative classes and inspirational one-liners, Kristi is all about pushing you to be your very best while remaining true to yourself.

How did sports and specifically your relationship with female sports growing up shape your youth and now your adult life? 

I have always considered myself an athlete, and more specifically a female athlete. I was a child gymnast, and I took the sport seriously. I trained 20+ hours a week with other girls my age, we literally grew up together as sisters. 

As I transitioned into high school I craved something more social and decided to try cheerleading. First at the high school level, then at the competitive level. My teams were always “all-girl,” a term that if you know you know. It meant that there were no young men on our team, it also meant that we got a lot less recognition as a team for our skills and notoriety as actual athletes.

I was a college cheerleader, a national champion, and a member of Team USA in its founding years on “all-girl”. “All-girl” was a badge of honor that we wore proudly— we could do everything the boys could do, with just women. We had to work a little harder to gain respect, to get the impressive skills, to even earn a scholarship. That was something I was used to fighting for, and I was proud of that. 

Female sports took me out of my comfort zone, built my confidence, taught me grit, perseverance, respect, and hard work. Cheerleading shaped me mentally and physically and eventually helped me land in a career field that I love. I’m able to use exercise as a positive outlet, and the tools I learned in both gymnastics and cheerleading like being a good teammate, a (not just literal) cheerleader for others, a confident young woman are what shaped who I am as a person and as a coach. 

What advice would you give to women who are intimidated by boxing or feel that it's more of a male sport?

I would tell women that I thought the same thing, that I understand how intimidating and masculine it seems. But like anything else, you have to give it a few tries to really know, and if you do you’ll probably love it. Boxing gets better with time— and not because it gets any easier, but because YOU get more confident. 

I still have no plans to use my boxing on another human, but I feel more confident in my athleticism, ability to defend myself, and my overall fitness. Being well-rounded is important, and boxing provides both a physical and mental outlet that other sports don’t. I think being intimidated by something is fine, but you can’t let that stop you from trying— and that applies to all aspects of your life. If you never try you’ll never know how strong, resilient and fierce you actually are! 

Mary

Mary is an NYC-based fitness instructor and personal trainer with over 19 years of fitness instruction experience. Her fitness career started as a personal trainer in college and eventually crossed over to group fitness a few years later. Her inspiration came through watching Tae Bo kickboxing videos and learning from the instructors at her gym. For Mary, it’s all about the music, intensity, and rhythmic aspects of fitness and boxing. In her classes, expect to build up your self-confidence and power with music that keeps you moving. 

What do you love most about boxing? 

What I love most about boxing is that it’s empowering and accessible. Whether you do contact or non-contact, musically driven or just sparring, 10 years old or 80 years old, there is space for everyone. You will always come out feeling stronger after a workout. Not to mention all of the physical and health benefits it offers, especially as you age

What can people expect from your Liteboxer workouts? 

I’m excited to bring an innovative style of boxing fitness into the homes of others. I do believe that Liteboxer allows for a more diverse population of fitness enthusiasts to explore because it’s not intimidating and it’s fun. I’ve been punching air for a while through cardio kick, now it’s time to actually punch something, to the beat, which will challenge the body and mind in a completely different way.

What impact do you hope Liteboxer will have? 

My greatest hope for Liteboxer is that it will make boxing less intimidating and more fun, especially now that it can be done in the comfort of your own home. I also hope that it will create a new space and set the standard for boxing fitness within the fitness, tech, and app industry.

What tips do you have for new boxers?

First, breathe and allow your body to sink into place, your boxer’s stance. Second, be patient and focus on learning and mastering one skill at a time, and apply it to the next session. Third, don’t take yourself seriously, laugh when you mess up, celebrate your success at the end of each workout. Boxing takes a lot of time and practice to master. I’m still working on mine.

Syd

Syd was born and raised in NYC. Even though she’s been an athlete her whole life, Syd started her career as a high school English teacher in New Orleans. After teaching fitness at first as a side hustle, she eventually made the transition to fitness as a full-time career. For Syd, boxing was love at first punch. She began her amateur boxing career in Dubai where she had her first amateur fight. Syd blends her in-ring experience with years as an indoor cycling instructor to bring energy and motivation to your Liteboxer workout.

What do you love most about boxing?

There’s nothing quite like feeling the impact of your own power as expressed through a punch. It’s a release, it’s therapy, it’s a sport and an art form all in one! Plus, it’s pretty cool to know you can beat someone up. I also love boxing to the beat because it invites an engaging and fun workout. Moving your body should be fun. I think if it feels like work, you need a new workout. LiteBoxer definitely does NOT feel like work. It feels like a party. 

How do you describe your training style?

Athletic, educational, liberating, and FUN. 

What tools do you use in your daily life that give you confidence? 

This sounds cheesy but I have been practicing putting my feet flat on the ground whenever I need to make a decision or have a difficult conversation. It reminds me to act from a place of security and stay connected to myself. I practice the sport of boxing partially because I love the confidence it instills in me. Being around uplifting people I know want the best for me, eating healthy foods, writing in my journal, hanging out with my pup, and lifting some heavy-ish weights are all practices that help me feel confident.

What advice would you give to women who are intimidated by boxing or feel that it’s more of a “male sport”?

Oh, man. It is a GAME CHANGER. Walking around as a woman knowing that you can throw a punch is empowering. I am constantly surprised and awed at the sound of my impact and I am fully in love and obsessed with the sport. It has been my longest, most successful relationship to date. Boxing is not for everyone, but I say take a jab at it, and see what comes out!

What tips do you have for new boxers?

Don’t stress about perfection. Let it flow and the rest will come with time and practice.