Do Fitness Boxing Gyms Offer a Good Workout?

With all the mounting evidence of how impactful an impact to the head can be on our health and wellbeing, there is no way that I would recommend any of you put yourself in danger of getting hit. But with gyms like 9Round popping up around the world, where there is no chance of you getting into a ring, let alone taking any punches, I feel confident including boxing workouts in my fitness toolkit.

So, with that out of the way, when a listener named Morgan called the Get-Fit Guy hotline and asked about boxing workouts, I was excited to dig in. This is what Morgan said: “I have a question about boxing. Can you get fit by doing a boxing type of class? I really enjoy them but are they really enough to get me fit?” That is a great question, Morgan, let's take a look.

Fitness Boxing

The genre known as fitness boxing is simply an adaptation of the movements from the sport most of us associate with a fellow named Rocky. Personal trainers and fitness entrepreneurs alike have taken many elements of boxing, both the punching and the general fitness, and blended them into an exercise routine that we all can do. In a nutshell, these workouts use heavy bags, boxing gloves, and other boxing and kickboxing gear, combined with aerobic and resistance training exercises to provide a full body, sweat-inducing, and somewhat cathartic workout. 

Unlike traditional boxing which requires that you spar with a partner, fitness boxing involves throwing punches (sometimes kicks) at a punching bag. Generally speaking, there are two main types of classes:

1. One type has you follow an instructor to perform a series of boxing movements that have been set to music, similar to aerobics, BodyPump, or SoulCycle. The class includes a mix of tight punches (jabs), large punches (hooks, uppercuts), ducks, squats, and some fancy footwork.
2. The other type of fitness boxing class involves circuit training that is a combination of strength training, agility, HIIT, and punching bags. This is the style that seemed the most appealing to me. So, with the help of an internet search, I booked my first session.

Get-Fit Guy Goes Undercover at 9Round

I put on my false nose and fake glasses to attend a (free) trial session at a boxing fitness gym called 9Round.

9Round bills itself as...

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