Boxing

For the past few years, my Saturday ritual has been going to my favorite boxing class at the gym.  The class used to be in the boxing room with real hanging bags a couple years ago when it first started, but it could only hold 6 people max, so it moved to the bigger main studio with free standing bags (not as good of course, but does the job for us amateurs).  The instructor Brian is very good, and he would set up different stations for the students to rotate to.  The stations could be either punching the bags using different combinations (speed, power, etc.), or doing push ups, sit ups, weights, resistant bands, ropes, balls, etc. etc.  He is very creative!  So we would rotate from one station to another every few minutes until everyone has been to every station.  The hardest one though, is the one on one session with him.  He wears these mits and holds them out and tells you what punches to throw.  I'm always breathless within 30 seconds of my session with him.  But it's so fun!  And he is very encouraging.

Well yesterday was his last class.  He has a wife and kids and I guess Saturday class is getting to be too much for him since he wants to spend it with his family.  So yesterday he kicked our asses!  Not too many people showed up, so he could really work each of us individually hard.  I did one of my best sessions ever with him, and he said that I had become a much better boxer.  My back feels sore today, which is rare nowadays since I do box so often.  I remember the very first time I did it, I literally couldn't move for 2 days after!  My body hurt all over in places I never thought existed, even laughing or coughing hurt like hell.  But of course if you work those muscles often enough, they don't get like that anymore.  So for me to be this sore today, I know I worked out hard yesterday!  Boxing is definitely one of the best work outs out there.

But I'm so sad that now it's over.  What am I going to do on Saturdays now?  I've tried other boxing classes, but none have even come close to Brian's class.  You just can't substitute certain instructors.  Same as my Wednesday spin class instructor - they just got rid of her class out of nowhere and it was immensely popular!  Very upset that I'm paying over $150 a month for my gym membership and all my fav instructors are gone.  The only one I like now and can go to is my boot camp class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings but that's hardly worth the hefty membership due.  I mean I know I get to use the nice amenities such as Kiehl's products in the locker room, but for $150 a month I can go buy them over and over again.  Ugh!!!

This definitely feels like the end of an era.  I've been already slacking on going to the gym lately, and this does not give me motivation to go back.