Review: I tried boxing at Crubox, Singapore’s newest fitness studio from Los Angeles and loved it (so did the Kardashians!)
Boxing studio CruBox from Los Angeles has a cult-following: The Kardashians, singer Mandy Moore, model Hailey Baldwin all have punched their way to fitter bodies here. The fitness studio is now opened at Duxton Road and it promises to give an intensive yet addictive workout experience to all women and men of all ages, fitness levels and boxing abilities.
The studio is founded by siblings Valerie Ding, Bebe Ding and Calvin Ding, and CruBox is their second fitness concept to be launched locally, after the popular CruCycle studio. The trainers leading classes at CruBox are trained through the studio’s special programme which was developed by professional boxer and certified coach Julian Chua. Fun fact: Julian was schooled by Freddie Roach, who had trained Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson and Amir Khan.
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As a keen gym-goer myself, I’ve decided to try out their class, which is a 50-minute high intensity, music-driven group class that combines boxing techniques such as shadowboxing, heavy bag work and bodyweight exercises. The class takes place in a dark room, and on different days, there will be themed classes such as Hip Hop Wednesday or 90s Remixes.
I walked in to instructor Jolyn’s class on Hip Hop Wednesday – the studio fits up to 36 sandbags and is dimly lighted except for a faint blue light. After acknowledging I’m new to the class (with only a handful of boxing experience under my belt), Jolyn led the packed class with some shadow boxing techniques: the angle placement of feet, fists protecting the face and body swaying movements. All this essential for a good warm-up, or in general boxing matches, a way to mentally prepare yourselves before a fight.
What I liked about Jolyn’s class is she’s attentive to her students and gives ample time and attention to correcting the students’ movements. At the same time, she pushes and motivates the class with reminders on why we’re working so hard on a normal Wednesday night. Her energy is infectious, her vibe, warm and motivating. I can see why coupled with the music beats, one leaves the room feeling pumped and good about shedding those calories from the day. As a beginner myself (I’ve only attended possibly five boxing classes prior to this), it was easy to follow the trainer’s instructions, which were clear from the start.
The studio offers complimentary rental of gloves and towels, and clients have access to the clean and sleek changing rooms, where belongings can be safely stowed in 72 secure lockers. Women’s and men’s bathrooms are available at the studio, with three shower stalls each for women and men.
CruBox is located at 68 Duxton Rd Level 4, Singapore 089527. For more info on their classes: www.cruboxing.com.sg
