On the 22nd of October our fitness-guinea pig, as she likes to call herself, Alice has tried out a new fitness class at “The Box”, Brighton’s first boxing inspired gym and fitness studio. Alice has a diploma in personal training for circuit and spin and is always on the hunt for the next big challenge.

ATMOSPHERE / INSTRUCTOR  

The class took place in a studio, a room where possibilities are endless! There are boxing bags at the back with boxing gloves, steps, resistance bands tied up on pull-up bars and skipping ropes. Upstairs you have the showers with individual cabins and included shampoo and shower gel!

The studio had such a nice family atmosphere. Participants included regulars and new people too. The music is motivating. The instructors are very welcoming and make you feel at ease! Lucy, the owner, and trainer Lewis gave me a very warm welcome. The class consisted of a small group of people, which makes the training feel really personalised. It’s also a great way to meet new people between 2 rounds (if you can still catch a breath).

STRUCTURE / FITNESS LEVEL  

The workout consists of 3 rounds with 3 exercises per round that last 90 seconds each. There was little rest in between exercises. Each round is divided into small groups. I’ve personally never done boxing before and I found you don’t have to be a boxing professional at all. If you’ve ever done circuit classes before that will definitely help you, but is also not fundamental. It was easy to understand how it works.

There’s roughly a two minute rest between each round as the instructor demonstrates the moves for the following round. Each round is different  which keeps it really exciting and time passes so quickly. There’s a mix of bodyweight exercises, cardiovascular and resistance exercises. You get to use the pull up bar, resistance bands, the wall, the skipping rope and the boxing bag. It is great to learn some basics and lingo of boxing. You’ll get it really quickly! 

EFFECTIVENESS 

The exercises are based on functional training and work on your strength, power, agility, reaction time… all very useful and important skills for every day life! The session was overall intense and challenging but I felt amazing after it. It’s an great class where you will definitely see yourself progressing every week as you improve your cardio, strength and boxing skills.

Photo from the official website

WHAT TO WEAR  

I recommend you wear a tank top, sports leggings and a casual pair of sports shoes. You get warmed up quickly and very sweat. I went in a long Sunday morning long sleeve T-shirt… I regretted it immediately after the warm up!

PRICING / BOOKING

At The Box fitness you have a lot of options to chose from and can really tailor it around your every day life and fitness habits. You can get the £50 Monthly membership (No contract) if you plant to go very regularly. Try it out for an £8 Drop in class or buy 10 classes for £70 / £120 for 20 classes. They also offer personal training for £40 per session or £220 for six.

You can either book via the website or through MindBody which is a booking app. They are also partners with MoveGB.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST… WILL I GO BACK?

Definitely. For my own goals as I need to improve my skills, but also for the atmosphere. The Box is extremely friendly and this makes you want to come back. The trainers are constantly going the extra mile to show you the proper techniques and assist you all the time.

Written by Alice-Rose Brard

If you’re interested in trying out The Box, Alice is looking to go on a weekly basis with a boxing buddy so hit her up on Instagram: mind_your_body.

At the time of publishing this, The Box are offering the first session for free, which you can book via their website when you scroll to the bottom. It’s based at 26 Castle Street and offers a range of fitness classes, including ‘Box’N’Burn’ and ‘Yin Yoga’.

Disclaimer: This class was given to Alice for free in return for this review, but her opinion is entirely her own! at 26 Castle Street and offers a range of fitness classes, including ‘Box’N’Burn’ and ‘Yin Yoga’.

Disclaimer: This class was given to Alice for free in return for this review, but her opinion is entirely her own!