Seven must-hit boxing clubs in New York City

Whether you have the fists of GGG or the jaw of Glass Joe, there’s no denying the tempting lure boxing provides as you vision yourself lacing up the gloves just once and landing that knockout hook to a heavy bag or to the chin of that annoying emailer filling your inbox with blathering solicitations (the latter, of course, can never be condoned).

There’s also little question as to why the sweet science is exploding in fitness circles worldwide. It’s muscle-building, fat-burning, and confidence-boosting capabilities make boxing second to none bang for your buck. Boxing has even become a workout staple for celebrities such as Kevin Hart and Gigi Hadid.

And in New York City there are plenty of places for you to get your fight on. Here, Metro offers you its “Sweet Seven” of the top studios to try to unleash your inner Mayweather each day of the week.

Metro’s Sweet Seven

1. A Heavyweight Legacy Fights On
Club: EverybodyFights

Location:
295 Madison Ave.
Social Media/Web:
everybodyfights.com
@everybodyfights
Why EveryBody Fights: What started as a weight-loss project escalated into a 16-0 pro career and now five-city expanding franchise for George Foreman III, son of the legendary heavyweight champion. Consider EBF the Amazon of boxing clubs: Old-gym grit meets high-end amenities (two rings, weight room, tons of cardio machines, even yoga) to create a one-stop fight-and-fitness experience for boxing and fitness enthusiasts. “One day you can do your bag, one day you do your work, one day you do your shadowboxing and technique. Put it all together, you’re doing a authentic boxing training camp,” Foreman says. In the ring, learn proper punch technique in EBF’s Mittwork class, then take your knowledge and fury to the heavy bags for its signature Trainx360 classes. Each class will feature actual knockdown sequences from hundreds of historic and classic fights. “My favorite was Sugar Ray Robinson’s in his [1950] fight against Jean Stock: a jab, right cross, left hook to the body, left hook to the head, and a straight right down the center,” Foreman recalls.

Courtesy EveryBodyFights

2. Standing Room Only
Club: Rumble

Locations:
146 W. 23rd St.
700 Broadway
1495 3rd Avenue
Social Media/web:
rumble-boxing.com
@rumble_boxing
Why Rumble: There are plenty of reasons why Rumble remains the must-try boxing-themed workout class in the city. “Rumble is an experience that has to be done to truly understand,” says Rumble co-founder Noah Neiman. A Basquiat stares at you in the lobby while dozens of Aquabags are waiting for you in Rumble’s techno-energized fight room. Here your fists will land pop-pop jabs and crosses while the boom-bangin’ beats dropped from DJs Chachi and Rick Wonder keep you amped throughout this 45-minute workout experience that also include plenty of high-intensity conditioning drills. After the high-fives are done, you’ll leave shreddin’ and sweatin’, and beggin’ to sign up for another round of classes. “This workout has this insane aura to it that I’ve truly never witnessed before in my 18 years working out,” Neiman says. “It’s like interactive theater for your soul.”

Courtesy Rumble

3. Old-school Ass Kicker
Club: Trinity Boxing Club

Location: 116 Duane St.
Social Media/web:
trinityboxing.com
Why Trinity: “Other clubs will give you abs, we’ll give you guts,” says Martin Snow, owner of Tribeca’s Trinity Boxing Club, just as he wraps up demonstrating a jab’s brutal effectiveness with a “love tap” to the chin. No gimmicks or house music here, Trinity is the old-school, real deal for fighters seeking their inner Ali and unleashing their Tyson-like fury. You’ll warm up with jump rope, finish with gut-busting ab finishers and in between learn the jab-cross-roll-hook techniques in the ring from the former Golden Gloves heavyweight champion and his team of top-level boxing trainers. “By the end of class, you’ll know how to throw a punch when a punch is coming at you, plus why you’re throwing that particular punch,” Snow says.

Courtesy Trinity Boxing Club

4. Overwhelming the Oculus
Club: Gloveworx

Location:
185 Greenwich St.
Social Media/web:
@gloveworx
Gloveworx.com
Why Gloveworx: “Prehab is the best rehab,” points out Dustin Enriquez, lead trainer at Gloveworx, the fight factory that just opened its doors in Lower Manhattan’s Oculus last month. It’s an important opening element in each GWX session, which begins with extensive warmup movements (planks, shoulder taps, pushups) prior to putting on the gloves. From there, it’s jabs, hooks and crosses followed by a punishing finishing round or two of sled pushes and/or VersaClimber movements. Besides landing jabs, by the end of class, Gloveworx will have taught you as well the lost art of actually ducking a punch. “Think of having a marker in your mouth and you’re writing the letter “U” with your mouth,” says owner Leyon Azubuike, whose client list includes Jennifer Aniston. “That’s how you roll.”

Courtesy Gloveworx

5. Casting a Shadow over the Competition
Club: Shadowbox

Location:
28 W. 20th St.
55 Prospect St., Brooklyn
Social Media/web:
sbxboxing.com
@sbx_boxing
Why Shadowbox: According to Shadowbox founder Dan Glazer, that first jab-cross-hook-cross you throw at the bag during TKO class will be a feeling of equal parts excitement and nerves in this full body and mind workout. By Class 2, expect to be more amped and up for the challenge of landing right hooks to the sounds of anyone from A$AP to Michael Jackson, Calvin Harris and Missy Elliott. “Once the intimidation factor is completely removed from the equation, and it becomes clear that this workout is designed for everybody, you’ll want to experience the class over and over again,” Glazer says.

Courtesy Shadowbox

6. Brooklyn’s Baddest
Club: Rhythm Ryde

Location:
127 Plymouth St. Brooklyn
Social Media/web:
rhythm-ryde.com
@rhythmryde
Why Rhythm Ryde: With a mom and pop business mentality and a EDM-hip-hop-infused vibe and you’ll see how Rhythm Ryde owner Joey Foley made his Brooklyn spin studio hipster cool. Silently, the former University of Pittsburgh wide receiver has created one of the city’s up and coming boxing-themed workout classes with an eight- to 10-round combo of jab-jab-crosses to the bag interspersed with injury-prevention-geared body-weight movements which still keeps the heart rate elevated and the body burning and yearning for the next Rhythm Ryde class. “You’re going to feel and want to say “I am the greatest.” Foley says. “You’ll leave sore, but you’ll be creating the best version of yourself — while having a hell of a good time doing it!

Courtesy Rhythm Ryde

7. Harlem Hit Machine
Club: Hurricane Fitness

By appointment only
646-221-8815
Hurricane@HurricaneFit.com
Social Media/web:
@hurricanefitnessnyc
Why Hurricane Fitness: The city’s best kept fitness secret is tucked away in Harlem where trainer Rodney “Hurricane” Carter conducts his Boxing Express conditioning class from his private studio. To the beats of Cardi B and Ciara, Carter’ss 45-minute, high-octane, bags-and-burpees beatdown will get you fight fit regardless of age or fitness experience. Boxing Express class sizes are small, allowing Carter, a personal trainer and former amateur figher to give more personalized attention to each client. “It’ll certainly knock you out,” Carter says. “It’s a fun-filled, fast-paced, functional workout that’s always changing and is created in a way to allow individuals to compete against others, but more important, against themselves.”