How I’m Getting Fit by Punching Stuff

I just completed day four of my boxing fitness class. Since my first few tweets about my new workout, I’ve been getting questions from everyone I talk to. It seems that a little geek like me taking swings drums up some interest.

Day four was the hardest yet, probably a result of a nasty cold I have right now. It may also have something to do with the couple pints of Guinness I drank last night with Mark and Phil or the big breakfast I ate this morning at Lizard’s Thicket with my Sunday school guys group. However, Guinness is one of the best beers you can drink. It is low in calories and high in vitamins. At Lizard’s Thicket I skipped the carbs (do you know how hard it is skipping grits?) and stuck to the protein. I’ve been pumping protein into my body like a champ recently. Still, today was a tough one.

I’ve been a little off in saying that I’m taking “boxing lessons.” Right now I’m really taking a boxing fitness class. After I get my body ready, I will move up to sparring and then to all out boxing. To get a good idea of what boxing fitness is, go watch an old Rocky flick. I’m not punching raw meet, but the workout is that intense.

The class takes place at Fight Club University, which I’m told is the old Brick House Gym location near the corner of Assembly and Rosewood. It’s a big warehouse. The warehouse doors are left open with fans running inside the warehouse itself. That creates one hot place to workout and one reason it is so friggin tough.

The workout lasts an hour and the routine has been different everyday I’ve been there. There seems to be about 20+ different exercises that they mix in and out. Today the workout went something like this:

1. 15 minutes of lunges, high kicks and butt kicks from one end of the gym to the other. At each turnaround, we have to do 25 jumping jacks and 10 pushups.

2. 15 minute tire workout. They are massive tractor tires. Workout includes step-ups, sit-downs, shuffle bounces and mallet swings. In between each of those sessions we have to squat 2 ten-pound kettlebells 15 times. “Step-ups” are just step-ups and step-downs on the tires. With sit-downs, we sit-down, step-up, punch and sit back down. With shuffle bounces, we shuffle back and forth on top of the tires. I don’t know if they are really called mallet swings, but basically we swing a giant mallet the size of an axe over our head and slam it down on the tires. All of this may sound easy, but after about 30 seconds, each exercise hurts like a mofo.

3. 15 minute jump rope. This is my least favorite of all the exercises. Maybe it is because I am very uncoordinated, but I have an incredibly difficult time with these three five-minute reps. I absolutely hate it.

4. 10 minutes on the bags. I love strapping on the gloves, but it’s hard as hell. Maybe it would be easier if bags were at the beginning of the workout, but after all the pushups and kettlebell squats, my arms feel like noodles. We’re given different assignments on how we are supposed to be punching the bags during the workout.

5. 5-minute ab exercises. Yesterday we were allowed to do whatever we wanted to as long as we did it 75 times. I was pretty beat, so I went for the “easy” 75 crunches. Yesterday’s ab exercises were far more difficult. I’ll explain those for you next time we do them.

Today’s workout was the hardest yet, but it was also the first time I lasted the entire hour without giving up. I swear, the first time I literally almost vomited all over the gym. I quit after 45 minutes, went outside onto a grassy area and just waited for the puke to come. Luckily I was able to hold it in.

I absolutely love this new workout and I plan on canceling my gym membership at Anytime Fitness. Don’t get me wrong. Anytime Fitness is a fantastic gym and if you are a person who can push yourself hard, this is the best gym I’ve found in Columbia. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people. I need someone teaching me what to do and pushing me to do it. I’m pumped that I found Fight Club University on Groupon.

It is also important to point out that the instructors are really great. They are always happy and kind. They don’t make you feel like a dumbass when you do not know how to do something and they take the time to teach you. They aren’t mean when you have to tap out, but they also don’t let you give up easily. They seem to know exactly how hard to push you and that is something I greatly appreciate.

I’m a goal setter. My goal right now is to get in good enough shape to cut last year’s Mud Run time down by 20%. Next goal…getting in the ring with some ripped dude.