It was a not-so-lazy Sunday on October 23 when our Lycra-clad Her Campus team laced up and strutted through the entrance of Omni Fight Club for our exclusive taste of Madison’s all-new high intensity cardio kickboxing experience.
We looked cute. We looked fierce. We were ready to dominate.
Then, the trek up several flights of stairs left most of us panting and questioning our current levels of fitness. Confidence levels dwindled with each heavy step. What had we just gotten ourselves into? And was it to late to cocoon in a blanket and watch reruns of Gilmore Girls?
Fortunately, we restored our motivation with the wrapping of our hands in preparation for kickboxing. In my opinion, nothing feels more bad a*** than the tautness of athletic tape on your wrist and between your fingers. I felt like I could fight someone then and there.
Hands wrapped and ready, HC members sized up the space in antsy anticipation. It was an expansive, monochromatic room, with splashes of red against the otherwise all-black, sleek equipment. Dumbbells and punching bags were organized in a semi-circle circuit that wrapped around the giant boxing ring in the center. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the sunset across the city’s golden horizon—almost like the calm before the storm.
Then, it began.
Sixty minutes of sweat-dripping, muscle-burning, adrenaline-rushing cardio intervals. We did it all. Kickboxing, regular boxing, TRX-supported jump squatting, rope-jumping, bicep curling, medicine ball throwing and even short sprinting. That’s exhausting even just to write. It’s really no wonder this workout burns a whopping 1000 calories! Talk about an efficient way to burn off a weekend full of pizzas and booze.
The best part was, I was so busy focusing on each station’s exciting, new challenge that I had momentarily forgotten the burn of it all. It was a calorie-torcher minus the torture—all thanks to the instructor’s guidance and positivity. He kept the mood light and the spirits high. Each time one of us felt like giving up, he would suddenly appear and begin mirroring our actions alongside of us—jabbing, punching, kicking. My favorite part was when he came along with hand mitts—you know, one of those black pads the teacher holds on his hands while you punch and whack his alternating palms. I felt like I was Corbin Bleu in the Disney channel movie “Jump In.”
Most importantly, the environment was inclusive and stress-free. Other than one girl, none of our HC members had kick-boxed before, and we were all at varying levels of general fitness. Yet, I felt just the right amount of pressure to push myself without the stress of unfriendly competition or judgment for not knowing how to do something at first.
By the end of the class, we weren’t the same bright-eyed and bushy-tailed bunch anymore. French braids had fallen out, baby hairs had frizzed, and faces had turned a bright shade of red. In spite of this all, we all felt an immense wave of accomplishment.
This was a workout I could do again—and should do again.
I’ve always opted for the same low-impact fitness routine, and sometimes I notice myself not working quite as hard as I should. But, Omni Fight Club swears by a “small group training atmosphere” that “pushes your pace and increases your intensity more than working out alone.” I definitely couldn’t have worked as hard without this class structure, that’s for sure.
I could feel myself sculpting and toning muscles I hadn’t used in months. This workout made me excited about challenging my body in new ways—which won’t be hard given that each class is different from the last to prevent students from plateauing. I can’t think of a better way to stay in shape this holiday season.
Best of all? They offer student discount packages.