GYM REVIEW | 9Round PDX

May 3, 2014 · by Katrina Ninjarina · in Classes, Dude Approved, Female Friendly, Find Fitness, Gyms/Studios. ·

I walked through the doors to find boxing gloves hanging directly in front of me. This must be the place. My Funky Fit partner in crime, Josh, was already waiting for me. I filled out a form, complete with my “boxer name” (Ninjarina, duh!) and we proceeded to our workout.

As the name suggests, this is a boxing-style circuit workout. But, lets start with I think makes it pretty unique. There are no class times at 9Round, you just show up and jump in on the next three minute round. In 30 minutes, you’ve completed a sweat-tastic workout and you’re on your way.

9 rounds of circuit-style kickboxing training | All Photos courtesy of 9Round Pearl District

The first couple stations are meant to act as a warm up. We performed walking twisting lunges with a weighted ball alternating with walking overhead presses. The next station was a little more strenuous with some flys in a lunge, balancing on a bosu-like contraption. From there we moved onto heavy bags for punching and kicking. Abs, uppercuts, speed bags and other kickboxing equipment and techniques were implemented with a friendly trainer there to check our form if we needed it. In between rounds they kept us active for 30 seconds with anything from speed punches to bear crawls. We were moving the entire 30 minute session. At the end we were sweaty and pooped and agreed that it was a kick-booty workout.

Heavy bags, speed bags, and more.

Helpful trainers to guide you through the workout.

Kickboxing is becoming a highly popular workout with classes ranging from dancey cardio kickboxing to full on sparring. I think this is a nice middle ground. You get to gear up and really go to town, hitting and kicking real heavy bags in hand wraps and gloves. But, at the same time, you never have to worry about taking a punch.

Another cool feature at 9Round was the digital display on the wall showing heart rate information. Anyone utilizing a MYZONE heart rate monitor can gauge their performance by watching the screen. It activates as soon as you walk in the door! This allows you to maximize your workout by staying in your cardio or fat burning zone, or to compete with another participant if that’s your motivation.

So basically:
This kick-boxing inspired circuit-style class gets you going within three minutes of walking in the door and keeps you moving for 30 sweaty minutes.

Work it:
Throughout the 9 rounds you will work your entire body.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls…
This workout is great for men and women. Check with the studio for age restrictions.

Gear up:
They have everything you need for your first visit. Your own gloves and hand wraps can be purchased on location.