How I started boxing
Major delay on the blog, sorry world! Life has been so busy with traveling and lots happening at work. Since I took my first real in-person boxing lesson a little over a year ago and I’ve been getting a lot of questions asking how I got into boxing, it felt like now is a good time to reflect and share how it all began. The whole process kind of sprung out of nowhere, but every second of it has been a fun ride. Let me break it all down for you:
First Boxing Class
My first “boxing” class ever was at 9Round Fitness. It was when I was a sophomore in college and my friend, Lexy, and I were trying to find free workouts while back home for break since we didn’t want to pay for a gym membership for the week (broke college kids being broke college kids yknow). I really did not like it. Though the class was different from anything I’ve done before, it wasn’t exciting or adrenaline inducing for me, so it just didn’t stick.
A couple of years later, at the beginning of 2020, I took another boxing class after seeing all the hype about this place on Instagram. Rumble, this is you! I’m big on group fitness, at the time I didn’t know how to program workout routines for myself, so I relied heavily on group classes to make sure I break a sweat. I took my first Rumble class in Palo Alto, which was a 45-minute drive from where I lived at the time (whew!). The energy I experienced there was like no other, and I was always itching to go back. Sadly, after just 2 classes quarantine shut it all down.
Quarantine
Before all the madness happened, I had been going to OrangeTheory for the past 2 years. Since studios were closed entirely, I had absolutely no idea what to do when it came to working out at home. I had no equipment and no experience with programming workouts for myself. Luckily, I had been following Rumble on Instagram and they started holding workouts daily on Instgram Live. I thought working out alone in a room hitting air would be more awkward than anything, but once I broke a sweat and got that post-workout high afterward, I realized that boxing was actually something pretty special to me.
Once things slowly started to open up again, I was living with my parents in the East Bay. The workout options in the suburbs are pretty limited, so I had to do some good searching to find a boxing gym where I could hit mitts. I ended up finding a place called Star Method Boxing that did 1x1 personal training sessions. I was a bit hesitant to invest so much money in personal training, but I was eager to get my hands hitting real shit.
I started training with Adam at Star Method once a week, while still taking Rumble’s virtual classes on all the other days of the week. Let me tell ya, my body went throouuugh it after adding mitts to my routine. I thought I was in good shape, but working out in person really was a totally different experience for my body.
I also reached out to one of the trainers I met through Rumble. She was the absolute sweetest and one of the most badass, inspiring, women I’ve ever met. Her name is Ali, and she was kind enough to drive all the way out to where my parents lived for personal training sessions once a week. I did regular strength workouts as well as boxing workouts with her. I give her the majority of credit when it came to correcting my form when I was first starting out. She was pretty well versed in her boxing training, and I was lucky enough to have her guide me through most important part of boxing, the basics/proper form.
Moving to the city
Once I moved to SF, the pandemic had calmed down a bit but the majority of restaurants, stores, and gyms were still closed. Since I was now paying San Francisco rent, I no longer had the funds for a personal trainer. Luckily, I found an outdoor gym that had small group boxing classes.
LuxFit became the spot for me in the city. I started taking their small group boxing classes twice a week. It was there that I not only bettered my mitt hitting skills, but also started to learn how to hold mitts for others - an important skill to have! During the time I trained at LuxFit, I got to learn from 2 different coaches. They were so different but I loved them both! Overall, I learned how to hit mitts faster, react defensively quicker, and build up longer combos.
When some of the mandates began to be lifted and indoor gyms started to open back up, I was finally reunited with Rumble! (the moment I had been waiting for literally an entire year). The vibes of Rumble (lights, music, beat drops, adrenaline rush, etc.) are just something you can’t replicate, so it was so nice to finally feel that hype during a workout again.
Since Rumble’s focus isn’t on perfecting form or precision when hitting the bag, I wanted to continue training with people who helped me get better with the little details. As a perfectionist, and I’m big on having good form when working out so that I don't strain or injure myself. So, in addition to Rumble I started going to Third Street Boxing - which not only focused on form and hitting mitts, but it was also a lot closer of a commute for me.
Backtracking to when I first started taking Rumble’s IG live classes, I would always watch Sean Hall’s boxing videos in amazement (and for motivation). Just take a look yourself, everyone is so fast and looks so good hitting mitts, you can’t not be impressed. Low and behold the time finally came for me to work with one of the best boxing trainers in SF! I’ve been training with him for the past 4 months so far, and he continues to push me past my limits and I continue to be amazed by what I’m capable of.
Today
Nowadays I mix up my training so that I don't get bored, and I’m always learning something new from different trainers. I want to sustain the excitement I have for boxing long-term both mentally and physically, so I think it’s important to mix it up and keep my body and mind challenged.
My path for boxing was very sporadic, but I hope this inspires some of you out there to get up and go after it 🥊
*I box for fitness. I don’t intend to get in the ring with anyone, so this path of training is not indeed to help you with that!