Defined arms; sleek shoulders; flat, tight abs; lean, firm legs -- this is the shape that women want to get from their workouts. World-renowned trainer Hector Roca and owner Bruce Silverglade bring Gleason's Gym's boxing secrets to your home with The Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women , outlining a step-by-step program that gets any woman into knockout shape -- fitter, faster, and firmer than ever in just four weeks! Boxing is not only a dynamic fitness program but also a powerful addition to other fitness routines. Using unique combinations of muscle groups and both aerobic and weight training movements, boxing works out the entire body at one time. You'll lose weight; build lean, toned muscle; improve cardiovascular fitness; and feel physically and emotionally stronger all at once. Roca and Silverglade break down all the boxing basics, from how to make a fist and how to stand, to more advanced boxing moves and various ways of jumping rope and include a nutritional plan to maximize results. The Gleason's Gym Total Body Boxing Workout for Women offers the ultimate workout for women who want to look their best, feel their best, and be their best. "Gleason's Gym is an icon in the world of boxing, and Hector Roca is one of the best trainers in the nation. I'm sure that any woman who follows the program outlined in this book will get into the condition she's looking for. Follow it, learn it, put the gloves on, get in the ring, and look great." -- Michael Thurmond, author of 6 Day Body Makeover "Illustrations and clear instructions make this a great primer even for women who have never laced up a pair of gloves." -- Detroit News Hector Roca is an icon in the boxing world, most recently named the number one Spanish-speaking trainer in the world by International Boxing Digest . Roca is a former two-time Olympic cyclist from Panama. He has coached thirteen World Champions and trained Hilary Swank for her Oscar-winning role in Million Dollar Baby . Bruce Silverglade is the president and owner of Gleason's Gym since 1983. He has served as the president of the Metropolitan Amateur Boxing Federation, chairman of the National Junior Olympic Committee, and member of the National Selection Committee. Introduction THE HISTORY OF GLEASON'S GYM Bruce Silverglade, owner In the South Bronx, during the Great Depression, boxing was known as an Irishman's sport, which is why a little-known Italian bantamweight named Peter Robert Gagliardi changed his name to Bobby Gleason before opening the doors of his boxing gym in 1937. For $50 a month, Gleason, forty-five, rented a decrepit but sunny second-floor loft in an old factory building on the corner of 149th Street and Westchester Avenue. Looking out its eight-foot windows, the fighters could see the Royal Theater, where vaudeville stars, including Sophie Tucker, performed; the Central Theater, where neighborhood kids could buy a candy bar and catch a triple feature for a dime; and the Bronx Opera House, the neighborhood's grand dame. Dues at the gym were $2 a month, and Gleason put up a tough front when it came to collecting them. He hung a sign in his office that read, "Your dues are due today. If they have not been paid, please do so and save yourself the embarrassment of being asked." Despite the notice, he let many of his struggling fighters slide for months. Barely able to afford the gym himself, Gleason hacked a cab for ten to twelve hours a night, seven days a week. With his savings, Gleason outfitted the place with four heavy bags, six racks to hang speed bags (fighters had to bring their own), and a full-sized ring surrounded by chairs for spectators. The locker rooms consisted of one toilet and two showers, which only worked in the winter. (In the summer, the neighborhood kids would cool off by running through the water that came from the city fire hydrants, which sapped the gym's water pressure.) Summer, you can imagine, was not easy on the nose. Despite its quirks, Gleason's quickly became home to a deep roster of world champions, including Jake "Raging Bull" LaMotta; Mike Belloise; Phil Terranova, who Gleason managed; and Jimmy Carter. Thanks to their charisma, boxing's popularity surged, and Gleason's reputation for turning out top contenders grew. Six days a week, morning until night, the great trainers of the day -- Patty Colovito, Freddie Brown, Chickie Ferrara, and Charlie Galeta -- plied their craft inside -- and the crowds followed. There was never a still punching bag or free space left on the floor for shadowboxing or skipping rope. The wait to get into the ring, which was first-come, first-serve, often topped out at nearly two hours. Throughout the forties and fifties, Gleason's, as well as two of the city's other boxing institutions, Stillman's and the Old Garden, flourished, but by the sixties, "Boxing's Golden Age" had ended. With no attention-grabbing boxers, the sport's popularity receded. Bobby Gleason