If you have ever found yourself wanting to explore a new form of physical activity, but haven't known where to begin, you're certainly not alone. For me, that challenge has always been boxing. As someone with the most elementary of skills when it comes to hand eye coordination, you can understand my concern. After far too long questioning when I would finally take my first class, I decided the most logical first step was to consult the experts for the ultimate guide to boxing for beginners.
Known by many as Australia's least intimidating boxing class, naturally, I headed straight to premium fitness studio Hustle Boxing to have my questions answered. First opening its doors in Sydney in 2019, the fitness studio has just opened its second location in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, fully equipped with the all-new Hustle Track concept – in case you're looking for a curated treadmill and floor movement workout!
But of course before we get to that, most of us are here to have the basics answered, and Hustle Boxing founding trainer Sam Maree was happy to oblige.
What’s the first thing someone new to boxing should know?
Boxing is a lifelong journey and regardless of whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’re always learning! There is an unbelievable amount of skill to be learnt as a boxer and it really is a beautiful sport.
Are there different types of boxing workouts? How do you know what type of workout is best for you?
There sure are! This probably oversimplifies it a little but we would say that there is fitness boxing, technical boxing and then something like Hustle – which we believe sits right in the middle by offering a great workout while developing and improving on your skills at the same time. The only way to find out what works for you is to try them and see what suits you and where you’re looking to go in the sport.
How many times a week should you do a boxing workout?
As many times as you like! You know the saying, practice makes perfect. Well, there couldn’t be a truer analogy than putting this to boxing. This being said, listen to your body and if you feel yourself getting sore or prone to injury, give yourself a break so you can come back in a day or two, ready to fire again!
What are five mistakes people often make when taking up boxing for the first time?
1. Taking themselves too seriously – boxing really is an art and it takes years and years to perfect. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re not ‘getting it’ straight away, or even in the first few months – persevere!
2. Boxing isn’t (necessarily) fighting and you certainly don’t need to bring agro to a boxing class to enjoy yourself.
3. Listen! People might think they know a thing or two about throwing a punch but from our experience, 9 times out of 10, they don’t! Listen to your instructor and enjoy the process of learning something new with a humble outlook.
4. All the gear, no idea! One of the best things about boxing is its simplicity, you can literally start practicing with zero equipment. The latest active wear is cute and who doesn’t want a brand new pair of boxing kicks, but at the end of the day, all we need you to bring is the right attitude.
5. Its all in the footwork! Most beginners completely ignore the importance of footwork. Once you’re shown the basics of correct footwork and you practice regularly, your boxing will transform!
How does boxing enhance other existing forms of fitness/training in your regime?
Our fitness products have been specifically designed to work hand in hand with one another. Apart from the obvious skill improvement aspect, our boxing works with our functional training by keeping your heart rate high as you swap from boxing to floor and back again.
Tell me a bit about the new Hustle Boxing space. Why Brisbane?
The space in Brisbane really is next level! We launched 3 years ago in Potts Point, Sydney and that space blew people’s minds, but this has seriously raised the bar again! We’ve got two amazing, nightclub inspired fitness spaces with state of the art technology including commercial grade stereos, customisable lighting and huge screens showing the workout instructions so you can see them regardless of where you are in the room. The bathrooms are inspired by day spas (and they are seriously beautiful) with Dyson hairdryers, massive showers with fluffy towels and even a custom make up station for the girls! Our lobbies are equally cool and have been designed to be really unintimidating (just like everything we do!) and a great space to hand with old and new friends before and after a class.
Hustle Track is an extremely unique concept. What are the benefits of merging the two forms of fitness in this way?
We’re so proud of Hustle Track and absolutely pumped to introduce this exclusively to Brisbane (sorry Sydney!). Everyone who tries Hustle, loves it, from the experience at the front desk to the papering you can give yourself in our bathrooms, it all just works. Our boxing classes are extremely popular and will obviously always be a big part of what we do (just look at our name) but we also know that people want and need variety which is why we have introduced Hustle Track. It’s the same high intensity experience, banging tunes and big vibes, but instead of aqua bags, we’ve introduced premium, feature rich treadmills that can hike up to insane incline levels and high speeds (if you dare!). We’re finding that our members absolutely love the mix from boxing to running on different days and really aren’t looking anywhere outside of the Hustle brand for all of their fitness fix!
