Workout Wednesday: 9 Round

Vitals

Class: 9 Round 30-minute kickbox fitness
Location: dozens of locations throughout Charlotte; I worked out at Cotswold
Class schedule: none; workouts start every 3 minutes
Class duration: 30 minutes
Drop-in rate: first workout free
Monthly membership: $79/month; $129 first month covers membership, gloves, bag and hand wraps (NOTE: prices vary by location); cancel at any time with a 30-day notice
Good for: people who want to punch things, people with unpredictable/irregular schedules who can’t commit to a consistent workout time, people on a time crunch
Bad for: people with a fresh manicure

How to dress and what to bring

Wear tennis shoes and clothes you can move comfortably in. I wore leggings and a t-shirt. If you have long hair, put it up at the very beginning. Otherwise you’ll have boxing gloves on and won’t be able to get your hair out of your face without asking your trainer to remove your gloves, which is embarrassing. If you have your own gloves, bring them. If it’s your free trial, you can borrow studio gloves. If you commit to a membership, you’ll pay $129 the first month, which includes the purchase of your own gloves and hand wraps. Bring water, preferably with a straw so you’re not fumbling with a screw cap while wearing gloves. Come on, Rocky. You should know this.

What to expect in class

You’ll move through 9 3-minute circuits at different stations around the room. The first 2 are with light weights or body weight, 3-8 are on various punching bags and 9 is always abs. You’ll have a trainer with you to demo each move before you start. Workouts are written on white boards next to each station in case you forget. The beginning and end of each round is signaled by a green or red light and a buzzer.

Where you’ll feel it the next day

Ego, mostly. I suck more at punching things than I thought I would. I talk an awful lot of smack for someone who missed most of her swings. Look how stupid I look…

Locker room situation

There’s a bathroom and some cubbies in the back for changing but no full shower at this location.

My take

This is a fun change of pace, especially if you want to unleash some pent up rage on a poor unsuspecting punching bag. While it’s stress-relieving to flail recklessly at a weighted sack, I’m not advanced enough in boxing to feel like I could bring 100% effort to each move. So although I was sweaty and winded, I didn’t feel like I got the full workout. I suspect the challenge evolves with more practice, but it was all I could do to not get hit in the face by the punching bag.