WESTFORD — What was once a mattress store on Littleton Road has been transformed into a high-energy boxing fitness studio, equipped with heavy bags, an open floor space, and flashing lights.
About a year after opening its doors at the new location at 174 Littleton Rd, Box2Burn has established itself into the Westford community.
Box2Burn owner Sean Eklund said the move came after the gym outgrew its former location farther down Littleton Road, where it had operated for more than a decade.
“It’s what I wanted to do,” Eklund said. “It started small and we kind of outgrew it, which is good.”
Renovations at the new location began last February, the process required extensive work to convert the former retail space into a fully functional boxing fitness facility.
The location needed a lot of TLC, with Eklund noting that the space had to be reworked to meet all the requirements of a Box2Burn gym.
“Of course, like anything with construction, you always run into certain things,” Eklund said.
Learning how to use a space nearly three and a half times larger than their former gym was also a challenge.
“Even though it’s a bigger space, it did kind of fill up relatively quick,” Eklund said. “This is like three and a half times the size of the other place. We have so much room and then all of a sudden we were like, ‘All right, we’ll put this here, well now that room is full.’”
Box2Burn started back at its previous location. Eklund said the idea for the gym grew out of his time training at Gold’s Gym in Chelmsford, which was owned by his uncle, Micky Ward.
“That’s where we always trained,” Eklund said. “That’s where I trained for my fights, that’s where everybody trained.”
When Gold’s Gym was eventually sold and no longer operated as a gym, others encouraged Eklund to start something of his own.
“A couple other guys were like, ‘Why don’t you just start your own? You’re basically already doing it,’” he said. “And I was like, ‘I never thought of it like that.’”
From the beginning, Eklund said the goal was to make boxing accessible to people who might otherwise be intimidated by the sport.
“Before, we always heard, ‘Oh, I don’t want to box, I don’t want to get hit,’” he said. “And you don’t have to get hit, that was the whole point of us creating this type of atmosphere and these type of classes.”
Eklund said Box2Burn allows people the chance to experience the intensity of a professional boxer’s workout without the physical contact.
“If you can do a legitimate boxer’s workout, like how we train for a pro fight, minus the getting hit part, then you have the best of both worlds,” he said. “You’re never going to get a better full-body workout, and the actual risk of injury is almost nothing.”
Still the thought of boxing can deter people.
“People hear ‘boxing’ and they’re like, ‘Whoa, I don’t want to get hit,’” he said.
However, Box2Burn’s mission is to change that perception while delivering a workout that is both effective and enjoyable.
“It is one of the best full-body workouts, and it’s fun,” he said. “For a lot of people cardio can be boring, even to hop on a treadmill for a half hour or to just go to the gym by themselves and hit a bag.”
He said the classes combine cardio, strength, and technique in a way that keeps people engaged.
“It’s trying to educate them,” Eklund said. “It also is a self-defense form, no question, but it’s all wrapped up into a fitness package.”
The gym welcomes both seasoned athletes and complete beginners. Eklund emphasized that newcomers are supported from their very first class.
“Everybody remembers their first class,” he said. “So nobody’s looking at you like, ‘Oh, look how tired that person is.’ They’re actually motivating you, trying to help you get through it.”
Trainers are experienced in boxing and are trained to meet clients where they are, regardless of experience level.
“It doesn’t matter your experience or conditioning level,” he added. “You come in, you stay at your own pace, push yourself, and eventually you’ll just keep getting better and better.”
Eklund said getting through the door can often be the hardest step.
“We always say the toughest piece of equipment in the gym to use is the front door,” he said.
Box2Burn offers a wide range of classes, including boxing, strength and conditioning, kettlebell training, cardio, and pilates. Classes are scheduled throughout the day, with options as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 7 p.m., making it accessible for people with varied schedules.
Beginners attending their first class can expect to learn basic boxing fundamentals while still getting a full workout. Eklund said consistency is key to the gym’s success, and that consistency starts with the trainers.
“All of the trainers have worked for Box2Burn for a very long time,” he said. “They have a grasp for the community and the way the classes are run, so clients feel consistency no matter which trainer or which class they attend.”
Many trainers come from boxing backgrounds, bringing both technical knowledge and coaching experience into each class.
For Eklund, however, the most rewarding part of running Box2Burn is the community.
“The people, the people,” he said. “It’s seeing the progress in the person from somebody who comes in as a beginner, and then months down the road you see them again.”
He said the transformation is often physical, but just as often social.
“You see them on the bag and you’re like, ‘Wow, this person has actually put in the work,’” Eklund added.
One year into its new home, Box2Burn continues to grow, bringing a unique choice to Westford’s fitness community.
