About Barbells for All

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In 2005, Jen graduated law school with a legal education and a heap of anxiety. In an effort to get back in shape and confront the anxiety, she took up boxing and fitness and never looked back. Her first amateur boxing match was at the Chicago Golden Gloves in early 2009. Wanting to spread the love and benefits of the sport, she opened the second LA Boxing (now UFC Gym) in the South Loop at the end of 2009. 

Fighting the good fight as a public defender during the day, Jen has established herself as one of the top trainers in the City. She is an ISSA Certified Elite Personal Trainer, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified nutritionist, as well as a certified kickboxing instructor. Jen also holds one of the few certifications in Chicago issued by the Cancer Exercise Training Institute as a Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist, a cause near and dear to her heart. 

Jen is on a mission to get people of all ages, but especially women, to learn the joy and benefits of lifting weights, and how this can influence and positively affect all areas of a person’s life no matter the age. Jen loves to focus on the big three lifts, squats, deadlifts, and bench pressing, as well as using free weights and kettlebells to create compound movements to work on general flexibility and corrective movement training. “Moving well and pain-free is always objective number one.” -Jen V. In her free time, Jen enjoys waiting hand and foot on her three cats, training in powerlifting, boxing, Muay Thai and jiu jitsu, and spending time with her partner.