I have never boxed in my entire life till I was dragged by my cousin Vincent last month to Empire Boxing... the newest and fast-rising boxing empire in the Philippines. He was to do a photo shoot for the gym and I was just supposed to watch or help him taking shots with my own camera but I ended up learning all about boxing. I was surprised to learn the joys and benefits of the sport for myself and here is my story...
My younger years of playing tennis, running and swimming, blessed me to have an athletic built and a steady 115 lbs. body weight but with my career... my internet work requiring me to be stuck at the confines of my computers 24/7, I gained a lot of excess weight and had troubles getting them off lately especially that as we humans grow older, metabolisms slow down. I have a swimming pool and a gym for me to access at home whenever I had time but I don't get motivated to do so regularly and my cousin thought I needed to get myself in a new social sport.
Boxing is very much of social sport... contrary to my initial thought of having to beat a punching bag all by myself. My first day at Empire Boxing came as a big surprise. Practically 16 people I see in the clubs and bars before were there including the owner. Yes, Rob Wax Del Rosario used to be a chubby one... er... plump...er... healthy one during my hay days of alcohol as he chugs down his beers, scotch and vodkas with his friends. I didn't recognize him... the lean and toned Rob till we were introduced. This lead me to think that all these times, I have come across and mingled with people in the past who can actually box! Amazing!
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| I'm reminding you to take a look at that huge tummy i want to get rid of at the time this photo was taken last month! |
So anyways, Rob found the interest in personally training a former alcoholic... me! We started with a 10 minutes warm-up followed by a half an hour of learning how to box. I was taught how to punch properly, learning the 3 main moves... hooks (side punches), jabs (straight forward punches) and up-cuts (punches that goes upwards).
Warming down came after but throughout my first initial training, I learned that this is seriously hard work. I felt myself doing high intensity, full body work out that keeps me move all the time... throwing a punch, ducking, weaving, squats making sure that I'm getting abdominal work all the time. This lead me to believe that it is actually a cardio work-out for the whole body. Once I picked up the moves, I felt like Hillary Swank in her movie! Comparing it to swimming and running, boxing is easy for me.
I lingered longer at the gym after my warm down... watching the men and women rigidly training with instructors at Empire Boxing. Coach Rob (that's what I started to call him after my first training) told me that boxing is all about technique, not strength. He also told me all about the benefits of boxing such as increased agility and coordination, muscle tone, weight loss, etc.
Always the inquiring mind, I told him I am more concerned of weight loss... along with getting strong, lean and toned. Coach Rob told me that Empire Boxing offers various fitness programmes for men and women including strength and conditioning, weight loss consultations and work outs, and athletic enhancement by Coach Byron Jimenez during Mondays to Fridays 8am - 11am, 4 slots a day and Saturdays 11am - 5pm. Coach Rob said this program is good for toning bottom and quadricep muscles perfect for women like me who wants to lose weight around their bottom and thighs as part of an overall reduction programme and so I did. After doing 2 classes a week since June, I definitely noticed a dramatic difference in my weight and tone after following a healthy eating plan and including cardio classes in my schedule each week. Check this out...
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| Oi! I got my strong, lean and toned body back in just a month! I got my groove back... Thanks to my Coach Rob Del Rosario of Empire Boxing! |
Located at Unit 5K OPL Building, C. Palanca corner Dela Rosa Sts., Legaspi Village, below are some of what Empire Boxing offers:
But if it is rapid tone and weight loss you are after, no "B.S."... boxing is definitely something you should check out at Empire Boxing. If you got a personal fitness plan for yourself, Empire Boxing got game and they got great plans suited for what you need! Go with friends and see what you think too!