The Scoop on Rumble Boxing:
I’ve being dying to go to Rumble Boxing for some time now. For starters, they’ve been targeting me on social media since before they opened. I’ve also heard great things from friends that have gone.
When Armitron Watches invited me to come to Rumble for an event with them I couldn’t say YASSS fast enough. I was SO freaking PUMPED! Did the class live up to my high expectations? You’ll just have to read on and see…
Disclaimer: While I was invited to attend the class for free as part of the event, I was not asked to review in any way. I only review classes that I think you guys would be interested in. After giving a mini review on instagram, an overwhelming number of you wanted to read a full Rumble recap.
Lastly, I hope you guys have realized by now I’m certainly not afraid to tell it like it is. If I love a class, I’ll tell you. If I don’t… I’ll also tell you. With that being said, I’m a believer that just because something isn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean you won’t love it. And vice versa.
Okay, that’s enough disclaiming for now. On with the show!
The Deets:
Rumble Boxing
146 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Website || Facebook || Instagram
$34 per class. Class Packages available too. Additional fee for wraps and gloves.
Additional locations: Noho and coming soon to the Upper East Side.
The Studio:
Since it was a crowded event I didn’t spend much time lurking in the locker room and waiting area. Like most studios these days, Rumble features self-locking lockers, a fair amount of room to hang after class, and a well-stocked locker room.
What I really loved: The studio was set-up when we walked in. There’s no mad dash for weights — everything is already out there for you. You’re also pre-assigned a spot, similar to reserving a spin bike beforehand.
The Class:
I took class with Noah Nieman, who also happens to be one of the owners.
Before diving into the workout Noah broke down the basics of punching. I’m not sure if this is something that ALWAYS happens, or was done just because it was a press event and most of us were newbies.
We were broken up into two groups — one started on the floor, the other on the bags. I was on team floor which I think I preferred. First up was a quick warm-up for both sides. Then it was GO time. 10 rounds total, 5 spent on the floor, 5 spent at the punching bags.
The Workout:
On the floor we did circuits with weights such as:
- 12 squats
- 12 bicep curls
- 24 mountain climbers.
Repeat until the 3-minute round is over and then you get a new set of exercises. I’m not crazy about counting my own reps [correction: I’m jus lazy] so that part was annoying. Otherwise I found the floor section to be doable since you could pace yourself and choose your own weights.
Each round was 3-minutes long and what we were doing was projected on the wall. If I remember correctly we switched sides two times which kept things from getting boring on the boxing bags. I personally find I can only do so much punching before my shoulders say no thank you. Switching between both definitely helped my poor shoulders.
I don’t know if the timing of my class was different because it was a press event but it felt LONG.
The whole experience was clearly very inspired by Barry’s Bootcamp. It’s undeniable. And not a bad thing. As a hater of treadmills (UGH, dreadmills!) and tolerater of boxing, I’d choose this over Barry’s. The added projections mentally made it feel easier at the very least. I knew what was coming my way. And okay, the lack of treadmills helped. But some may argue with me that boxing is a bitch too.
As an instructor Noah was freaking HILARIOUS. I wasn’t sure what to expect having watched him that fail whale of a Bravo TV show Workout New York. In class he was a total sweetheart minus a few F-bombs. See grandma, in NYC we curse. You could tell he loved teaching. I imagine it would be a totally different experience with a different instructor. Noah’s banter and commentary made it a fun experience.
Compared to other boxing studios in NYC: It’s my favorite I’ve taken. It’s crystal clear what you should be doing at all times thanks to the projections and going over all the moves. The class has a flow and routine. And you’re not just destroying your shoulders from punching for 60 minutes. Rumble is all about the workout — it’s not a place to learn boxing technique. Which I’m totally fine with.
Bottom Line:
I left class in the BEST mood. Something I wasn’t quite expecting. Maybe it was all the punching (all New Yorkers should punch sh*t in a controlled environment!). Maybe it was the fun factor thanks to Noah’s ridiculousness. Whatever it was, I walked home really really happy. Which is pretty impressive, it was a night class and I hate working out at night.
Will I be back? In theory yes. I live much closer to the Noho location so would most likely go there. However, it’s not on Fitreserve or Dibs. I’m not sure I’ll be able to splurge on it all that often. Telling it like it is.
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