“Fitness boxing simulates an actual round in the ring. And you don’t see that many fat boxers.”

- General Manager Butch Evans, LA Boxing

Are you the type of person who likes to look good while you’re working out? Do you hit the gym in cute togs and designer sneaks, and tread the treadmill for an hour without breaking a sweat?

If you’re ready for a change of pace—and a potential big change in your shape—try fitness boxing. There’s nothing pretty or polite about it; you’ll hear grunts, groans and occasional prayers as participants try to get through the tough-as-nails sessions. And you can definitely expect to sweat.

What do you get in return? First, a sense of exhilaration—the kind of “I did it!” feeling that comes with concentrated exertion. Next, your muscles—the ones you didn’t know you had—will inform you of their presence, perhaps for the first time in years. You’ll get an energy boost, a cardio boost, and a quick reduction in stress.

Not enough for you? Stick with fitness boxing (also known as executive boxing), and you’ll probably drop pounds and inches in record time. A typical hour-long class burns 900 to 1,200 calories.

Trainer Wayne Nelson said fitness boxing, which is a non-contact routine, offers “one of the most demanding full-body workouts you can do. In addition to increasing muscle tone and reducing body fat, it improves reflexes and increases agility, endurance and coordination.”

Classes are non-stop. One moment you’ll be pounding a heavy bag, the next running laps down the hall, the next doing push-ups. Nelson uses jump ropes, speed bags and medicine balls for superior cross training that can equip you for any sport that relies on core strength, including golf, tennis, basketball and mixed martial arts.

Boxing’s effectiveness, said Nelson, stems in part from the principle of muscle confusion, a training protocol that relies on variety to prevent plateaus and ensure consistent results.

“Muscles have memory; they’ll do whatever you’ve programmed them to do. So if you only ask for five pushups, they’ll build the capacity for five pushups,” Nelson said. “You’ve got to challenge them by throwing in another component and working more quickly so the muscles really have to perform. That results in growth and increased endurance, gives you the cardio input and leads to overall fitness.”

Butch Evans of LA Boxing said the level of cardio and resistance to be found in a boxing class “simulates an actual round of boxing—and you don’t see many fat boxers.”

Though the classes are demanding, he said, “members get great weight loss results, as much as 15 to 20 pounds in a month. I have one member who went off her diabetes medication after a few months of fitness boxing, and another who totally transformed her body for her wedding. She just got back from her honeymoon, and she looks sensational.”

Do you have to be already fit to try fitness boxing? Both Evans and Nelson say no.

“You just have to pace yourself,” Evans said. “It’s just like anything else; before you ride a bike, you use training wheels. You have to crawl before you can stand, and walk before you can jog, jog before you can run.”

“You make adjustments according to your fitness level,” Nelson said. “This is not competition and involves no sparring. You’re working against your own body’s ability to perform. Whether you have a disability or other limitation, you can do it and have fun.”

The popularity of boxing as exercise has waxed and waned over the years. In the late 1990s, Billy Blanks enjoyed more than his 15 minutes of fame with Tae Bo kickboxing, but some fitness experts deemed the workouts too fast and frenzied for anyone but the super-fit, and Tae Bo took a dive.

In 2004, Hilary Swank’s Academy Award-winning performance in Million Dollar Baby reignited the trend, and today, fitness boxing is still going strong, attracting as many women as men to classes around the country.

Evans isn’t surprised by the interest. “Boxing keeps coming around is because it’s one of the best basic workouts. It’s not a craze or a fad. It’s just a good, solid basic routine that will get you strong and keep you fit.”

Still not convinced? Still prefer to climb the treadmill to nowhere? Nelson issues a challenge.

“To get results,” he said, “you’ve got to be tough. You’ve got to be in it to win, despite the struggle. With me hollering in your ear, you’ll be surprised what you can do.”

Evans promised, “Nobody’s going to hit you, and you’re going to go home with all your teeth.”

By Marjorie Preston

Marjorie is Managing Editor of Casino Connection Atlantic City.