JEFF NOCKELIN

My passion for fitness started early.  I joined wrestling in Jr. High and continued into through high school.  It was in the wrestling room that I first learned to really push myself physically. After high school I joined the Navy where I continued to push myself in the physical realm.  

I was the Athletic Petty Officer in my bootcamp company and from there got into Navy Dive School.  This is where I hit my first speed bump. I blew out my inner ear and had to have it surgically repaired, permanently disqualifying me from diving.  I continued to workout after being honorably discharged from the Navy, however it wasn’t long before life threw speed bump number two in my path.

In a year I went from a stocky 190 pounds down to 135 pounds.  After seeing several doctors I was diagnosed with cancer, there was grapefruit sized mass pressed up against my heart.  For over a year I underwent chemotherapy treatments which ultimately knocked out the cancer.  This was a serious speed bump but I was determined to show everyone that I was not “damaged goods”. So, I began to rebuild myself and got back into great shape.  With my passion for training coupled with my life experiences and hurdles I knew I had to get certified as a trainer and make this my life’s work.

Shortly after getting certified I moved to Seattle and began my career as a personal trainer.  I found a boxing gym to cross train at in order to compliment my weight lifting regimen.  Once I really dedicated myself to training and sparring I began getting the best of guys who had already fought in the ring, so I decided to try it myself.  

After winning several amateur fights I was offered two pro contracts. Instead of trying to go pro in my, now, mid thirties I took the opportunity to work and train with two former professional fighters, George Credit and Greg Haugen, the latter being a 3x World Champion.  I was also fortunate enough to have talented sparring partners including Walter Wright, a pro boxer, and David Jackson, a member of the 2000 Olympic Boxing team.  The experience and knowledge I gained from these athletes made the five years I spent in Washington state one of the best experiences of my life.

After perfecting my training style I came home to the North Fork and have spent the past ten years changing peoples lives dramatically.  Through all my years of experience with different types of training I’ve developed a unique combination of training techniques that are challenging and that deliver results.  When you are committed to training at The School of Hard Nocks you will look and feel better than ever.  How do I know? Because I do it, I’m my own advertisement.