Meet the Brothers
Matt Powles & Adam Powles
Jaguar S&C is family owned and operated by Brothers Matt and Adam, fitness trainers who believe in the discipline of pushing yourself mentally and physically. Their goal is one of fostering a culture and community who will support and push each other to get better each time you step in the gym.
Jaguar Strength & Conditioning was founded because the Powles brothers were fed up with the status quo, misinformation, and poor training going on in the fitness industry. After exploring points of view from numerous institutions and philosophies the Jaguar Method was born. Synthesizing the best aspects of powerlifting, weightlifting, CrossFit, bodybuilding, athletic and conditioning training into one program suited and challenging for everyone.
The “gym” has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a very small kid (think 4’9” and 90lbs starting high school), lifting weights gave me the opportunity to build confidence through strength. Although I’d been lifting weights for years, I wouldn’t say my pursuit of “fitness” began until 2014 when I first discovered CrossFit. My weeks of lifting “chest & tri’s” and “back and bi’s” were replace by squat, deadlift, clean & jerk days paired with high intensity conditioning. I made more physical progress in my first few months of CrossFit than I had in years of traditional weight training and thought I’d discovered the true path to physical fitness.
However, after years of participating in CrossFit at a competitive level my body was beaten, tired, and fighting constant injuries. Loving the community and class style of this training but weary of the toll it had started to take on my body I dove head first into studying every training methodology I could. Devouring books, scholarly articles, certifications, conferences, and mentorships – I was hell bent on finding the best training principles from each training style to create what is now the “Jaguar Method” of training.
In 2019, I left my corporate job to open Jaguar S&C with my brother so that we could share our training style with Chicago. I believe, above all, that the key to long-term physical fitness is a combination of science-backed programming paired with some good old fashions grit and determination.
COACH MATT
I discovered the gym in high school and was instantly hooked. After years of working out for aesthetic goals my relationship with the gym had faded until I found CrossFit and
loved the performance focus. Ready for a career change I decided to follow my passion and start learning all I could about the pursuit of strength and fitness. That pursuit led me to Chicago in 2019 to open Jaguar with Matt and I’ve never wanted to look back.
I believe anyone can learn movement mastery through practice, patience, and persistence. I take a methodical approach to training making sure athletes know the why behind the what. I hope to show as many people as I can how great it is to feel strong, accomplishing goals through hard work and dedication. To me fitness isn’t a means to an end but a game worth playing the rest of your life. We all have lots to learn and accomplish… so let’s get to it.
