By Annabeth Reeb
Since the emergence of the UFC craze, men have increasingly relied on boxing and MMA-style workouts as new routes to finding peak levels of fitness.
However, since Victoria’s Secret models divulged boxing as their workout of choice, gyms have been popping up everywhere with a new-founded interest in the sport by women. Boxing is especially great for former high school athletes that relied on sports to keep them fit. Boxing feels less like a workout and more like a sport. There are multiple boxing/kickboxing choices in College Station, and we were able to try a few out.
TITLE Boxing Club: TITLE boxing packs a high-intensity workout into one hour. You alternate punching the bag with other cardio exercises, such as running and jumping. If you’re looking to burn calories and leave feeling fulfilled, TITLE is great. They focus more on exercise and less on actual boxing, which is nice for people new to the sport because there’s no learning curve. TITLE takes the idea of boxing and turns it into a fun, high intensity workout. Another plus, their clubs are opening all over the nation, so you can bring your membership home with you.
9Rounds: 9 Rounds is different than other exercise-class businesses in one very distinct way: there is no class time. This is especially great for college students with busy, inconsistent schedules. When you want to work out you simply arrive at the 9rounds gym, scan your membership card, and jump into your first round. The 30-minute workout is exactly what the name suggests, nine rounds of different boxing and kickboxing stations. In between stations the trainers lead a 30 second group exercise, and then it is on to the next round. At least 3 trainers are walking around helping you with each exercise, which gives you a little more insight into the actual technique of the sport.
Both of these gyms are convenient, fun, and high-energy. Boxing is an amazing way to stay fit because the training involved is designed to keep boxers in the ring for extended periods of time. Both of these gyms are primarily for exercise and fitness, not actual training. If you want to get serious about the sport and maybe throw a couple of punches every now and then, you’ll have to go for the real deal.
There are multiple gyms around Bryan-College Station, but we got to try out MMA Unleashed. Unleashed is a friendly gym that teaches the sport of boxing to all ages. The owner and staff are professional boxers themselves, making class time a valuable learning environment. These guys may be big and scary on the outside, but they are truly looking to help everyone who walks through their door. Whether you’re looking to master the sport or just to get in shape, boxing is always a great option.
