Last night was my first kickboxing class at my local ilovekickboxing.com studio. My legs hurt today in all the best ways. I adored class and you better believe I signed up for a one-year membership before I left the studio.
The one downside is the price of membership and how the company tends to keep it under wraps for the most part. When I sighed up for their internet special (5 Classes for $19.99 plus a pair of boxing gloves) I started scouting their website to check membership pricing. They are up front about the “After your first class we’ll show you how to save $100 on membership!”- so you know after class it’s time for the hard sell, but it’s not advertised on their website what you’re saving $100 on.
I did some digging and googling and found the structure of membership. Being armed with that info when I went in and having time to discuss the membership costs with my husband beforehand, I was comfortable with the hard sell approach and there was no sticker shock.
Here’s the basic deal:
The enrollment fee is $197 (they knocked off $100 if I signed up right then hence “You can save $100!”)
You can sign a 7 month or 12-month contract. 7 months had a monthly cost of around $175 (as I recall, I didn’t choose this option, so I may be off) and the 12-month option cost $145 a month. Both options came with 2 free months added at the end of your contract terms. Husband and I discussed the $145 price tag over the course of this week between me signing up for the classes and going to the class. Had I not already known that going in, I think the sales pitch may have rubbed me the wrong way.
I’m not a fan of high pressure hard sells. Anytime the price of membership isn’t listed prominently on the website I know that I’m walking into a set up.
But, onto the fun part: the class.
When I walked in, since I was scheduled as a first-time attendee, they knew exactly who I was and greeted me by name. A trainer had been assigned to me and the other first timer attending that night. They gave me a waiver promising not to sue them if I didn’t listen and maimed myself during the workout. My trainer took me on a tour around the little studio from the Pro-Shop with some cute shirts, hoodies, and branded merch for sale, to the success wall with before and after pictures and testimonials, to the locker room. In the locker room, we went over my current activity level, my goals for working out, and things that I feel I struggle with. We discussed how the studio could help me with those things and how many times a week I should attend to see the results I’m wanting.
Oh! While we did this, I was doodling on my new boxing gloves. When they give you your gloves they have a box of paint pens for you to personalize them with. I thought that was fun.
After the tour, it was time for class. The trainer, my co-newbie, and I set ourselves up in a corner of the mat, so we could have our own little session. The entire class starts with a cardio warm up. We ran circles around the mat (with high knees, butt kicks, and combinations thereof), did leg lifts, planks, and burpees (HATE BURPEES). Our trainer showed us how to do the exercises and then showed us modifications because hell if I can do a burpee.
After cardio is stretching and brining your heart rate down. Which I needed because I was getting nauseous toward the end of cardio. I would stop and take a breather when needed and no one gave me crap for stopping. There was no passive aggressive “Come on! You can do it! Get in there!” It was “Are you good? Do you need some water? Take your time and get back in when you’re ready.” Stretching made my yogi-soul happy and I was back to feeling ready to go.
Now on to boxing! The class trainer gave everyone combos to do, talked them through, demonstrated nice and slowly a few times and then the class went to their bags and had at it. I and my co-newbie were taught how to execute the basic punches and kicks of kick boxing and had our own little mini-class in our corner. We learned how to jab, cross, left/right hood, left/right kick, and left/right roundhouse. We practiced on our own bags and our trainer gave us corrections on form and execution.
It was so much fun. I felt like I was in a training montage for a Rocky movie or something. We even got a combo to try jab-cross-left kick-right roundhouse. It made me feel like a badass.
After bag work was pairs work where we all paired off (I and co-newbie obviously got together) and did some training exercises where one person punched and the other one provided resistance.
At the end of class was more stretching and announcements.
By the time I got home last night I was already contemplating going this morning.
I am no where near ready for back to back workouts yet. For sure I’m going back on Friday, and I may get a class in on Wednesday after work if I can make it over there in time. But for today I'm going to relish in my incredibly sore legs. I earned this pain.
The atmosphere was amazing and encouraging. The class instructor introduced us at the start of class and called for a round of applause afterward. She checked in on us a few times to keep us feeling included in the larger class even though we were doing our own thing in the corner.
Something I super love about, at least the location I signed up for, is the support and accountability. I really really need someone to keep me accountable. Two of the trainers at the studio have friended me on Facebook and they have added me (with my permission) to a private group on Facebook as well. I was introduced to the Facebook group when I signed up for the internet special and then got a shout out when I joined.
And, as if I didn’t love this place enough, they have a monthly charity partner! If you check in to the studio when you go to class using that month’s hashtag the charity partner gets something. This month it’s a shoe charity and for every ten check ins, a pair of shoes is donated to a person in need.
Gotta love that.
All in all, I’m super stoked, pumped, excited, and hopeful for this new experience. I’ve been curious about kickboxing for years. Like, since I was an eight year old. I think I may have found my thing.
The one downside is the price of membership and how the company tends to keep it under wraps for the most part. When I sighed up for their internet special (5 Classes for $19.99 plus a pair of boxing gloves) I started scouting their website to check membership pricing. They are up front about the “After your first class we’ll show you how to save $100 on membership!”- so you know after class it’s time for the hard sell, but it’s not advertised on their website what you’re saving $100 on.
I did some digging and googling and found the structure of membership. Being armed with that info when I went in and having time to discuss the membership costs with my husband beforehand, I was comfortable with the hard sell approach and there was no sticker shock.
Here’s the basic deal:
The enrollment fee is $197 (they knocked off $100 if I signed up right then hence “You can save $100!”)
You can sign a 7 month or 12-month contract. 7 months had a monthly cost of around $175 (as I recall, I didn’t choose this option, so I may be off) and the 12-month option cost $145 a month. Both options came with 2 free months added at the end of your contract terms. Husband and I discussed the $145 price tag over the course of this week between me signing up for the classes and going to the class. Had I not already known that going in, I think the sales pitch may have rubbed me the wrong way.
I’m not a fan of high pressure hard sells. Anytime the price of membership isn’t listed prominently on the website I know that I’m walking into a set up.
But, onto the fun part: the class.
When I walked in, since I was scheduled as a first-time attendee, they knew exactly who I was and greeted me by name. A trainer had been assigned to me and the other first timer attending that night. They gave me a waiver promising not to sue them if I didn’t listen and maimed myself during the workout. My trainer took me on a tour around the little studio from the Pro-Shop with some cute shirts, hoodies, and branded merch for sale, to the success wall with before and after pictures and testimonials, to the locker room. In the locker room, we went over my current activity level, my goals for working out, and things that I feel I struggle with. We discussed how the studio could help me with those things and how many times a week I should attend to see the results I’m wanting.
Oh! While we did this, I was doodling on my new boxing gloves. When they give you your gloves they have a box of paint pens for you to personalize them with. I thought that was fun.
After the tour, it was time for class. The trainer, my co-newbie, and I set ourselves up in a corner of the mat, so we could have our own little session. The entire class starts with a cardio warm up. We ran circles around the mat (with high knees, butt kicks, and combinations thereof), did leg lifts, planks, and burpees (HATE BURPEES). Our trainer showed us how to do the exercises and then showed us modifications because hell if I can do a burpee.
After cardio is stretching and brining your heart rate down. Which I needed because I was getting nauseous toward the end of cardio. I would stop and take a breather when needed and no one gave me crap for stopping. There was no passive aggressive “Come on! You can do it! Get in there!” It was “Are you good? Do you need some water? Take your time and get back in when you’re ready.” Stretching made my yogi-soul happy and I was back to feeling ready to go.
Now on to boxing! The class trainer gave everyone combos to do, talked them through, demonstrated nice and slowly a few times and then the class went to their bags and had at it. I and my co-newbie were taught how to execute the basic punches and kicks of kick boxing and had our own little mini-class in our corner. We learned how to jab, cross, left/right hood, left/right kick, and left/right roundhouse. We practiced on our own bags and our trainer gave us corrections on form and execution.
It was so much fun. I felt like I was in a training montage for a Rocky movie or something. We even got a combo to try jab-cross-left kick-right roundhouse. It made me feel like a badass.
After bag work was pairs work where we all paired off (I and co-newbie obviously got together) and did some training exercises where one person punched and the other one provided resistance.
At the end of class was more stretching and announcements.
By the time I got home last night I was already contemplating going this morning.
I am no where near ready for back to back workouts yet. For sure I’m going back on Friday, and I may get a class in on Wednesday after work if I can make it over there in time. But for today I'm going to relish in my incredibly sore legs. I earned this pain.
The atmosphere was amazing and encouraging. The class instructor introduced us at the start of class and called for a round of applause afterward. She checked in on us a few times to keep us feeling included in the larger class even though we were doing our own thing in the corner.
Something I super love about, at least the location I signed up for, is the support and accountability. I really really need someone to keep me accountable. Two of the trainers at the studio have friended me on Facebook and they have added me (with my permission) to a private group on Facebook as well. I was introduced to the Facebook group when I signed up for the internet special and then got a shout out when I joined.
And, as if I didn’t love this place enough, they have a monthly charity partner! If you check in to the studio when you go to class using that month’s hashtag the charity partner gets something. This month it’s a shoe charity and for every ten check ins, a pair of shoes is donated to a person in need.
Gotta love that.
All in all, I’m super stoked, pumped, excited, and hopeful for this new experience. I’ve been curious about kickboxing for years. Like, since I was an eight year old. I think I may have found my thing.
Great detailed review. Thanks
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