Everyone needs a coach, even those who seem to have become masters at a profession. Combat sport is not any different as it requires adequate preparation to defeat an opponent. Rob Acosta, also known as I Am Alchemy: The Secret Weapon, understands these and has made himself the go-to coach for champions who want to stay on top of their game in the fighting arena.
Winning without breaking a sweat is I Am Alchemy: The Secret Weapon’s end goal, as he ensures everyone he coaches gets the best of his services and all the skills he has acquired over the years. His services are not only reserved for fighters and boxers. He offers actors, actresses, business owners, film producers, etc., his services in whatever capacity they need them. His training services include boxing drills that enhance the fighter’s abilities, defensive training, focus mitts, coaching throughout sparring, professional hand wrapping, muscle rehabilitation, muscle recovery, nutritional guidance and much more.
Tagging himself as “The man who can do it all,” I Am Alchemy: The Secret Weapon travels anywhere in the world to render his coaching services. In addition, he launched a non-profit organization called S.P.A.R Foundation to give back to the community. He has been invited to speak at public events to youths, and he’s more than prepared to extend his public speaking activities to people of all ages to empower, inspire and strengthen them on their journeys through life.
Getting into the combat training business was not all straightforward for I Am Alchemy: The Secret Weapon. While he had been introduced to the boxing world at the young age of 8 and pursuing an amateur career that only saw him win four out of six fights, he left the scene to build a family and focus on other things. The Brooklyn, New York-born trainer became a barber in 2002 before working as a police officer in Philadelphia between 2013 and 2017. Then, a car accident sent him into early retirement, and in 2019, he decided to pursue a career that allowed him to work on his terms and impact lives positively.
The 39-year-old was born to Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn, New York and raised in North Philadelphia. He also has Spanish roots, as his grandmother, a Spaniard, married his grandfather in the early 1900s. Thus, his journey through life has taught him the importance of evolving and adapting. Years ago, he was in entirely different fields of work and today, he owns a boxing gym, Philly Boxing 1-on-1, and works as a professional boxing strength and conditioning coach.
Since 2008, Rob Acosta has worked with a long list of credited prizefighters, from MMA to professional boxing. Philly Boxing 1-on-1 has prepared professional fighters like Jaron Boots Ennis, Cristian Carto, Zachary Ocha, Jamaine Ortiz, Jan Carlos Rivera, James Martin, Avery Sparrow, Tahmir Smalls, Rashiem Jefferson Jr and many more. I Am Alchemy: The Secret Weapon has a winning percentage of 94% to 96%, and he plans to take that percentage to 100% soon. His winning strategy entails training his clients to study their opponents and coaching them through overcoming their opponents’ weaknesses in an intensive six to eight-week camp.
His strategy has yielded positive results, and he hopes to take that effectiveness to bigger contests, stages, bouts, rings and competitions over the next few years.