I decided to go out of my comfort zone and try a new workout class, so I went to Box N Burn in Westwood and attended my first boxing class. Disclaimer: I do not consider myself very athletic, but I try my best to work out regularly. I was drawn to go to Box N Burn for several reasons. Firstly, your first class is actually free which was a very compelling reason, especially for a college student. Secondly, I am the type of person who needs discipline during a workout. I like working out with others because it helps me push myself so that I don’t get lazy during a workout. Thirdly, I have recently been getting frustrated doing the same sets at the gym, so I wanted to try something new and different. Going into this new boxing class, I assumed the hour-long workout was going to be mainly boxing and following along with other participants in the class, but boy was I wrong.
The studio consists of one huge room and some other locker rooms. There is a desk to check in and all the staff were extremely kind and helpful. The huge room was divided into portions and included two rings, an area with treadmills and bikes and an area with several punching bags. In the center of the room, there were a bunch of black mats, different weights and dumbbells. There were also cubbies for people to put their belongings in. The workout totaled to be a complete hour. First, as a new member, I was taught how to wrap my hands, and then I was given boxing gloves. There were four stations and we were supposed to cycle through each station a total of three times. Each cycle was 15 minutes, thus the bulk of the workout was 45 minutes and the remaining time was dedicated to a warm-up, ab workout and a warm down. The first station was practicing boxing moves with the coaches there, and the second was doing lunges and squats with the medicine balls, weights and dumbbells. The third station was more of a free fall with the punching bags, and the fourth station was doing cycling, more workout with weights and running on the treadmill. We started with a basic warm-up, then went through each station three times. Finally, we ended the workout with some core exercises and a warm-down.
I loved it. I am definitely going back for another class. I have never experienced a class that I felt every area of my body benefited. I was extremely sweaty within the first 20 minutes of the workout and all the instructors pushed you to the appropriate limit. The next day, I was extremely sore which is a sign of a good workout. I felt very energized after my morning workout, and honestly the boxing portion of the class was a great way for me to physically release any stress or aggression I had pent up.
For UCLA students, the location of Box N Burn is very convenient. They also have another location in Santa Monica. The benefits of working out somewhere that is not your typical gym is that during a workout class, you have other people who are experiencing the same thing as you. Additionally, you have an instructor to push you and aid you to work out without hurting yourself. There are a lot of classes that provide the same service. For example, just down the street from Box N Burn, there is a SoulCycle studio for anyone who wants to experience intense cycling while listening to some great music. There are also several different yoga studios around Brentwood, Westwood, and Santa Monica if people want a more relaxed workout. I urge everyone to take advantage of different workout places, especially those that offer free classes for first timers, because you never know what may come out of it.