Ditch your spin class and jump in the ring with the spate of chic new boxing spots around town, where SoulCycle-like beats are paired with traditional jabs for the ultimate workout. These slam-bam-glam studios are taking the grit out of boxing and turning it to glitz for those Pilates die-hards who are looking for a bit more punch. So this spring, throw on some gloves and get ready to rumble.
Gloveworx’s personalized workouts are changing the boxing game in LA
“We wanted to make boxing more accessible,” says founder Leyon Azubuike, who owns Gloveworx with Nick Henry. The goal of their latest LA space, at Westfield Century City? “To get rid of the things that are common in a traditional boxing environment—leaky pipes, the grit and the grime!” Azubuike adds that clients are “never bored, mentally or physically,” and are always engaged through personalized workouts, which range from one-on-one time with a coach to only six to eight people in group sessions. 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., gloveworx.com
Gloveworx founder Leyon Azubuike
CruBox’s Calvin, Bebe and Valerie Ding are taking LA’s success to Singapore.
The Ding siblings—all under age 35—who own this WeHo space started with CruCycle (a spin studio) in their hometown of Singapore. They’ve now launched CruBox Singapore to mimic the success of the LA hot spot, where 24 chic and sleek white bags line the room and moves are paired with music in an atmospherically dark 50-minute class. “One of our main goals was to increase workouts for women,” says Valerie, who helped make boxing more inclusive for all levels, ages and genders. 8453 Melrose Alley, West Hollywood, cruboxing.com
Women give it to the bag at CruBox’s new WeHo space
Rumble’s WeHo studio.
Co-founded by former Barry’s Bootcamp master instructor Noah Neiman, who has a passion for boxing, along with partners including Eugene Remm (Catch, FlyWheel), this studio, which first took New York by storm, is known for killer yet addictive workouts. Classes fit up to 60 and are split between weight training and traditional moves on specially designed aqua bags. “You feel like you are part of something bigger than just a workout,” says Neiman. Be sure to get an Instagram-worthy shot in front of all the fab in-house art. 8544 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, rumble-boxing.com
Rumble co-founder Noah Neiman is determined to make you feel the burn during one of his high-intensity classes
Step up to one of BoxUnion’s 40 bags and prepare to get down and sweaty.
“There are all these places now that are giving people an opportunity to try something they may never have tried before,” says Felicia Alexander, who, together with Todd Wadler, owns BoxUnion studios in Santa Monica and now on Robertson Boulevard. “By definition, boxing is intimidating—people are worried that they’re going to get punched in the face—but BoxUnion changes that.” The 45-minute class in a dimly lit, 40-bag room builds six or eight punch combinations—to pay homage to traditional boxing—that sync to beats that vary from Whitney Houston to Drake. An instructor on a center platform that mimics a runway keeps the “match” on point. 120 N. Robertson Blvd., boxunion.com
Step up to one of BoxUnion’s 40 bags and prepare to get down and sweaty.
Photography by: Gloveworx and Leyon Azubuike photos by Allen Zaki; Crubox photos courtesy of Crubox; Rumble photos courtesy of Rumble boxing; BoxUnion photos by Christina MacDonald
