2009-10-02T14:12:00.116-04:00

Check Out Our Review in TimeOut

Boxing Class

Element Fitness (10-43 48th Ave between Vernon and 11th, Long Island City, Queens; 347-709-9272). $22, 10 classes for $200
Length: 1 hour
Type of activity: Boxing
What to expect: Boxing moves combined with muscle-building ab work, plus old-school cardio stints, like jump-roping and jogging.
How in shape you need to be: Occasional exerciser
The verdict: Turns out, I’m a badass. Aftern an hour spent at this boxing class, I spent the rest of the day annoying friends with my freshly learned pugilistic prowess. Pop pop, pow! The class size was small, with just seven people (it was only the second week of sessions at this new fitness center, which offers once-weekly workouts in boxing, martial arts, cross training and core work), so instructor Mike was able to provide personal attention, checking our form and providing encouragement when necessary. We quickly learned the basics—the boxing stance and a few punches—and then put it all together into cardio-building combinations. To practice our moves, we paired off, one victim holding pads while the other threw jabs and hooks—and we all got added workouts from interspersed squats and jogs around the room. Class ended with (oy!) two minutes of jump rope and a couple more runs around the small space. Though my technical skills are not quite at “I must break you” levels just yet, it was really satisfying to feel like we could kick butt so soon, instead of spending the entire hour—or even several classes—niggling over exact form. And while the combinations were enough to raise anyone’s heart rate, the addition of small spurts of cardio and calisthenics made the hour feel like a complete-body workout.—Billie Cohen

ELEMENT FITNESS