Jalen Hill Sr.
Co-owner & head coach
Jalen leads boxing instruction from first-day fundamentals to fight-night corners. He works with kids, adults, amateurs and pros, and makes sure every person who walks in knows what they are working toward.
571 Holtzman Ave · Columbus, Ohio
Columbus raised,
UpHill built
A neighborhood gym on the east side where kids and adults learn to box, breathe, and hold themselves together. Coaches Jalen Hill Sr. and Aja Greene lead the work — homework included.
More ways to get in the gym
WellhubTivity HealthSilverSneakers
Employer fitness benefits and eligible Medicare fitness programs welcome.
4.9★
28 Google reviews
Medicaid
Accepted as payment
Kids & adults
Both welcome, seven days
Coaches here
Jalen & Aja lead the work
501(c)(3)
King Over Clowns nonprofit
The coach
Jalen Hill Sr. opens the door,
and he's the one in the corner
UpHill isn't a franchise and it isn't a studio with a front desk. It's an neighborhood gym. Jalen leads the boxing work, and if you walk in off Holtzman looking lost, he'll ask what you're trying to get out of it.
The program is built to work on the whole person, not just the hands. Stretching, breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and massage sit right alongside self-defense and boxing fundamentals — the same fundamentals he teaches to amateurs chasing their first bout and to pros keeping sharp between fights.
Some people come in to fight. Plenty come in because their doctor said move more, or because a kid needs somewhere to be at 5 PM. All of that counts here.
The coaches
Built for the whole community.
Aja Greene
Co-owner, CEO & coach
Aja is a USA Boxing coach and official. She builds partnerships that connect members with resources inside and outside the gym, while supporting clients and parents through every part of the work.
Homework first
Gloves come off for the math
The kids' block runs 5 to 9 PM on weekdays, and part of that time is spent at the table, not on the floor. If a kid shows up with a worksheet or a test on Friday, we sit with them and get through it before they wrap up.
Parents ask for this more than anything else. School work is where a lot of kids lose their footing, and it's hard to tell a young fighter about discipline in the ring and then ignore what's happening in the classroom. Same lesson, different room.
Bring the backpack. There's a spot for it.
What we run
Three ways in
Kids boxing & mentorship
Monday–Friday · 5–9 PM
Footwork, guard, conditioning, and how to carry yourself. Homework help is built into the block. First-timers start on day one — no experience, no gear needed.
Kids boxing detailsAdult boxing & conditioning
Monday–Friday · 9 AM–12 AM
Rounds on the bags, mitts with Jalen, rope, and real conditioning. Work a third shift or a 9-to-5 — the doors are open early and late, and nobody cares what shape you walked in with.
Amateurs and pros train in the same room. Beginners are not put in with them.
Wellness
Scheduled around the boxing blocks
Yoga, stretching, breathing techniques, meditation, and massage. This is half the reason people stay. You can't throw straight punches with a locked-up back, and you can't think straight without learning how to breathe.
See the wellness programInside the ring · Uphill Boxing
The work.
Up close.
Hands up. Feet moving. Fundamentals, one round at a time — right here on Holtzman Ave.
Kids · Adults · Boxing & conditioning
Book a sessionThe motto
1000 a day
A thousand reps. A thousand skips. Counted, not guessed at. Nobody gets good on the days they feel like it — you get good on the days you show up anyway.
King Over Clowns · 501(c)(3) nonprofit
A nonprofit
behind the gym
113participants served in two years
King Over Clowns is a Central Ohio 501(c)(3) that works alongside the gym — wellness, mentorship, personal development, and connecting youth and families to resources they'd otherwise have to go looking for.
UpHill also sponsors and coaches a youth flag football team — purple and black uniforms, same colors as the gym walls. We put money into jerseys and banners and show up for the games.
Families are welcome to sit and watch. Bring the younger ones. This has always been a family gym as much as a boxing gym.
More of the gym day to day on Instagram: @uphill_boxing
Membership
$150
per month
One price, no tiers, no contract games. Medicaid is accepted as a payment method — if that's how you're covered, say so when you call and we'll sort it out.
Fitness benefit partners
Your benefits could get you here
We partner with Wellhub and Tivity Health. Eligible employer-sponsored fitness benefits may provide access to Uphill Boxing. We also offer SilverSneakers for eligible Medicare members.
Access depends on your plan and eligibility. Call us before your first visit to check what your benefits include.
Call to check your eligibilityWhat's included
- Every weekday session — kids 5–9 PM, adults 9 AM–12 AM
- Coaching from Jalen, Aja and the Uphill team
- Wellness: yoga, stretching, breathing, meditation, massage
- Homework help for kids during the evening block
- Gloves and gear to borrow while you're getting started
What people wrote
4.9 stars, 28 reviews
★★★★★
“Great energy, chill staff, kid friendly, good gym.”
★★★★★
“Good people, felt at home — got some work in.”
★★★★★
“My son comes home tired and does his homework without a fight. Coach Jalen stays on him.”
★★★★★
“Walked in with zero experience at 41. Nobody laughed. Third month now and I'm down two pants sizes.”
★★★★★
“Real boxing gym, not a fitness class. Jalen is in the corner every session.”
★★★★★
“The stretching and breathing work is the part I didn't know I needed.”
First class is on us
Get in the gym
Leave your number and who it's for. One of the coaches will get back to you — usually the same day. Rather just talk? (614) 670-4126.
Come by
Hours & location
Uphill Boxing is at 571 Holtzman Ave on the Near East Side of Columbus, minutes from King-Lincoln, Bexley and Whitehall. Walk-ins are welcome during open hours.
| Monday–Friday | 8 AM – 12 AM |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | 9 AM – 5 PM |
Kids train weekdays, 5–9 PM. Everything else is open floor.
- Address
- Uphill Boxing, 571 Holtzman Ave, Columbus, OH 43205
- Phone
- (614) 670-4126