There is a certain enjoyment to my ears when I hear the crisp cracking sound of a glove against a focus mitt. Each crack becomes a beat that wants me to move and glide across the gym floor, which becomes a dance between the trainer and client, a play between rhythm, and power between relaxation and an explosion between calmness and intensity. All the while, sweat is dripping and there is a smile vibrating from one’s face.
Photo Credit: Max Elling @sickpicswmax
Pad Training is a heck of a workout containing many benefits:
Improvement in Hand & Eye Coordination
Having decent hand-eye coordination is key when it comes to health. Coordination portrays a critical part of an individual’s motor skills. Those that tend to have innate hand-eye coordination, have the tendency to reflex and react much better than those who don’t. Throughout the aging process, it is highly important to have your coordination and balance on point.
Photo Credit: Max Elling @sickpicswmax
In this case, hitting the pads will assist you in achieving coordination and balance for life.
When hitting the pads, you have to make sure you can see the target, react and hit the target, while the trainer is moving and changing the target’s position. It’s not easy in the beginning, but the more you attend pad training sessions, your hand-eye coordination and balance will develop.
During a pad training session, you basically transition between high-intensity and recovery rounds where you’ll do some moderately intense work. Even while taking that 20-second break, you’ll be very concentrated on preparing your moves for the next attack round rather than stress-related issues.
Keeps The Heart Pumping and Aids Overall Physiology
Just as if you’re performing Olympic lifting or calisthenic movements, pad training can improve the fascia. The fascia is the web of tissue weaving around our muscles and internal organs. Most importantly, it aids in our overall physiology and our proprioception.
As performing cardio is known to prevent heart disease, a pad training session provides a balanced amount of stress on both your heart and lungs in order for them to be challenged. The heart and lungs are compelled to create physiologic variations to support a much higher level of physical activity. It’s ultimately up to you on how you want to apply stress on your heart and lungs. As long as the heart rate is up during a pad training session, you’ll be on your merry way to achieving better physiological health.
Overall, wrap up those hands, strap on those gloves, react to the trainer’s cadence, and amplify your senses and work that proprioception to become healthier. Of course, seek out medical guidance before starting a new type of workout or fitness program. But if you’re good to go, pad training can be a conduit for a brand new version of yourself.
Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Box + Flow is located on Bond Street in NoHo, and offer up the most zen-like adrenaline kick you’ll ever get. And that might be just what’s needed in this crazy time.
As I arrive at the Box + Flow studio, the door states that “everything you need is inside.” Since I am here for a Box + Flow class (and hopefully a good sweat), this couldn’t be truer.
The studio has been around since late 2016 and has been a welcome addition to the evergrowing field of workout classes in NYC. What’s unique about this is the mix of boxing and yoga. You might not at first think of these two as going naturally together, but it actually does work surprisingly well.
“I have been boxing since age 20 and practicing yoga since 15. I needed some more fire to my yoga practice, and maybe in my life,” said Olivia Young, Founder of Box + Flow.
“Boxing gives me strength and confidence, and yoga forces me to really slow down and feel. Yoga lengthens while boxing contracts muscles. Together, they bring balance to my life — physically and mentally, I call it a balanced empowerment, ‘Swagger,'” she added.
Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
It’s located on the second floor and comes fully equipped with mats laid out and boxing bags lined up along a long wall. It’s a dark space without any mirrors, which I’ve personally really grown to really like in workout classes. Nothing worse than being self-conscious about how I look when I’m giving it my all — this is NOT a beauty contest, and I’ve honestly never quite understood how some don’t need a shower after a workout. But I digress.
I find a mat in the room, right next to a wall with the statements, “flow thru the fight, fight thru the flow,” and get myself ready to do just this.
“Life is about transition. We go through ups and downs constantly, but it’s truly about how you handle these transitions — how you flow through the fight. Can you find ease in hard times? Can you find strength and challenge when things become ‘comfortable?'” Young explained about the statements.
Young is teaching the class I’m in, and she does it very, very well. If you’re looking for a workout that will have you busting your butt and pounding out your aggressions — yet centers you, this is it. The class consists of boxing and working you up for the first 35 minutes, and ends with a quick and juicy yoga routine for 17 minutes, that brings you right back down again.
The boxing part is great. Young does a wonderful job of uniting everyone in the class as a team. Throughout the boxing segment, and especially in the freestyle moments where you’re paired up two and two — one holds the bag while the other one goes nutzo, she encourages us both by cheering us on but also urging us to support our partners with shoutouts and encouragement.
Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
“The best people have duality — strength and softness,” said Young about combining boxing and yoga.
“It is about channeling both sides of you. It isn’t about how you look — it is about how you feel. Strong AND soft. No mirrors. No judgment. Just real, authentic, you…giving 100 percent in the challenging (fight) to get 100 percent in the ‘sweetness after the struggle’ (flow),” she said and added, “And no breaks in class because there are no breaks in life.”
The no breaks in class are definitely felt, but the class is over before I know it. Ending it with yoga really does leave a sense of calm. There’s an almost serene feeling in the studio when we wrap up. All of us are tired, sure. We’ve given it our all, but we’re left with a feeling of calm and accomplishment.
And after having experienced it, I can safely say that’s exactly the feeling you’d want to leave a workout with.
If this sounds like a class for you, you can find out more about the classes, prices, and studio on its website.
Earlier this month, NoHo welcomed its own Rumble spot. This is the second NYC location of the already popular boxing-inspired workout studio that first opened its doors just this year in the Flatiron/Chelsea-area.
Needless to say, we’re beyond thrilled to have a Rumble studio in Downtown and stopped by to check out Rumble’s newest location and get our sweat on with trainer Joe Ferraro.
Now, for those of you who’ve never heard of Rumble Boxing, it’s a group class workout with elements of boxing, strength and breaking a sweat. You can buy wraps, water, and rent gloves at the front desk, and you’re all set. Upon entering the workout area, you’ll find it’s separated into two — one with benches for strength training and one with bags for boxing, with a stage in between from where the trainer directs the workout and the music. We all know that a good playlist matters.
You go through a circuit from the bags to benches, back to the bags and then end at the benches — or the other way around, depending on where you’re spot is. The studio is well-connected, meaning there’s a screen above the mirrors all the way round, so you can follow the routine if you didn’t quite catch whether you were supposed to do jabs, sit-ups or shuffle.
Don’t be scared if it’s your first time. Show up to class 5 minutes early, and the trainer will give you a quick run-through of the different punches and the right stance. You’ll leave knowing what jabs, upper cuts, and hooks are. Now, doesn’t that sound pretty kick-ass? Not to mention how freeing it can be to let go of some of those city aggressions and just punch it out.
The rest of the studio comes fully equipped, too. Taking the stairs down to the locker area, you’ll find outside lockers to stash your stuff while in class — and then men’s and women’s locker rooms complete with showers (with shampoo, conditioner and body wash from Beekman 1802), complimentary towels and an area to put on your makeup, blow dry your hair and get yourself looking as fabulous as you’re feeling.
Now, let’s just take a moment to appreciate this area fully. Hair ties, razors, dry shampoo, hair spray, body lotion… Honestly, we’d almost rather shower here than at home.
Trainer Beth Gold
The rest of the studio is designed true to Rumble’s urban-chic-meets-street feel, and at the entrance, you can find their awesome apparel. Hoodies, muscle tanks, leggings. Everything to get you looking as tough as you feel. Safe to say, they’ve hit the spot.
See NoHo’s full schedulehere and book your first class today — for the first one, they’ll do you a solid give you the second one for free. And yes, it’s true, Joe looks like a young Al Pacino. How’s that for motivation?
Much as the name implies, at CompleteBody — an exclusive NYC gym with three locations — the physical aspect isn’t the only focus. Focusing on six essential elements of strength, cardio, flexibility, nutrition, meditation and rest, CompleteBody make sure its members’ workout regime comes full-circle from inside out.
Besides excellent amenities such as a full cardio and fitness floor and an amazing climbing wall, CompleteBody offers a variety of classes to fit the gym-goers. Members can join in on everything from Yoga and Barre to Spinning and Boxing classes.
CBXT: The class
Their signature workout class, however, is called CBXT. A workout that hits all the major muscle groups in just one class–and even better, in as short as 45 minutes. Perfect for busy New Yorkers! The workout is based on the Tabata Method, high intensity interval training.
“This is a timed workout including 45 seconds of high intensity followed by a short 15-second cooldown before starting up in high intensity again. This short rest enables the body to keep the heart rate up, creating an aerobic state and in turn burning more calories over the 45-minute class than your basic workout,” explained Davide Butson-Fiori, regional group fitness director at CompleteBody.
The class is fast-paced and you go through six stations with different exercises targeting different muscle groups. By using TRX, kettle bells, agility ladders and so much more, the stations allows you to. Each station has two different exercises and are moreover supported by tablets playing a video of an instructor demonstrating each exercise.
What sets it apart from other classes are two-part. “First, all instructors are certified personal trainers. This allows the member to get the best instruction for a safe and effective experience. Our trainers know how to push and also how to modify if needed, and they are encouraging and motivating,” said Butson-Fiori.
“Secondly, our CBXT workout is done with heart rate monitors that display real time heart rate, calories burned and your activity level. This allows our instructors to monitor your progress and afterwards review your workout and give goals for the next session,” he added.
The CBXT workout is great for improving your overall physical health on three levels. With intervals of cardio, it builds great lung capacity and a strong heart, it builds muscles and tones through its targeted exercises, and the classes end with a core section, a stretch and a guided meditation to “help members reset.”
And best of all is the energized feeling in the class. “The energy and the desire to succeed that every member exudes, it motivates and feeds everyone involved,” Butson-Fiori stated.
While a successful career on Wall Street is the end-game for many people, that is not the case with Downtown Manhattan resident Jamie Lewis. In the midst of thriving within the hedge fund world, Jamie’s passion for boxing in her off-time inspired her to pursue a different path. She had noticed the lack of chic bags that can suit a businesswoman both at the office and at the gym. This led Jamie to experimenting with prototypes, taking night courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and ultimately launching JLEW Bags.
JLEW Bags — which carry a “Made in New York” tag — have found immediate acclaim from all sorts of folks. Women’s Wear Daily referred to the brand’s bags as “ones to watch” at the Los Angeles Fall 2016 Contemporary Market. xoJohn added JLEW to its list of “favorite sponsors,” per its work within the the MTV Music Award Celebrity Lounge. Boxer Mikaela Mayer is a fan, having talked about JLEW in Glamour. Sportstyle, TMZ and Celebuzz! have also covered JLEW happenings.
Downtown had the pleasure of conducting Q&A with JLEW Bags founder Jamie Lewis prior to her Nov. 18 in-ring appearance at the Hammerstein Ballroom. JLEW Bags can be visited online at www.jlewbags.com, while the rising fashion brand also maintains a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The story I’ve heard is that you came up with the idea for JLEW Bags while working as a hedge fund executive on Wall Street and sought a fashionable bag for your boxing gloves and work essentials. Was there an exact moment that inspired this? A particular walk or experience?
Jamie Lewis: Picture a woman suited up for work in heels and a dress walking down the street with boxing gloves slung over her shoulder. You can imagine the looks and comments. I figured the best way to stop these was to find a bag big enough to hold the gloves inside, but all I found were gym bags designed for men that looked out of place. I watched other women commute around Manhattan and realized I wasn’t alone. Everyone seemed to carry a luxury handbag in one hand, plus a canvas tote, reusable shopping bag or cheap nylon bag in the other. Why weren’t these women — who care so much about their appearance — accessorizing with a more appropriate carryall? I searched only to realize one didn’t exist. Therefore, I decided to make my own.
How did you find the company that you source your leather from in Brooklyn?
JL: We don’t source our leather in Brooklyn, but we do manufacture JLEW bags in Brooklyn, New York. I tried Googling, cold-calling manufacturers in the Garment District and even tried sourcing using Alibaba. All of the research compelled me to manufacture in the U.S. My brother told me about a company based in Detroit that facilitates the introduction of designers to manufacturers in the U.S., called Makers Row. From them, I sourced and sampled with American manufacturers across six states until I found the quality craftsmanship and likeminded business person with whom I felt comfortable working, which luckily enough, had its facility in Brooklyn.
What about To The Market? How did you first become aware of them?
JL: A good friend invited me to a holiday pop-up at her home that she was hosting for Jane, the founder of To The Market. I loved what Jane was doing and immediately wanted to figure out a way to collaborate. Our first collaboration didn’t work, but both of us believed in the mutual mission of empowering women so we kept brainstorming, emailing, meeting and Skype-ing to make something work. This led us to creating the Treasured Clutch, a special edition of our Celebrity Clutch. The women who hand bead our bow logo on the clutches are survivors of disaster living just outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I expect this will mark the first of many fantastic collaborations.
So when it’s said that your bags are “Made In NYC,” was that always the plan? Or a happy accident?
JL: Initially, I cast the net wide and worked with teams in Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut and New Jersey, in addition to New York. So I guess you can say it was a very happy accident indeed that we found the manufacturer who “fits” best with us right here in New York City.
Which was the first product that you made a prototype for? Is it still sold?
JL: The Triangle Top Tote was our very first bag and we sell it today, although we have improved the design already. The clean design and high-quality construction transition well from workout to work to weekend, yet the functionality really sets it apart. Zippered pockets inside and out guard necessities like your cellphone, mini iPad, keys, passport, tickets and wallet, while the interior pouch pockets keep larger items prone to dirty up your pretty bag contained and organized — think high heels or flats, tennis shoes, spin shoes, water bottles, and of course boxing gloves.
Do you have a favorite of the JLEW line?
JL: Great question! I love the entire JLEW collection, but I worked the hardest on developing the zip top duffel, and that’s the bag that WWD honed in on when they identified me as an emerging designer to watch.
Is it true that you yourself went to FIT to learn how to make bags?
JL: Yes! After making over 70 prototypes in my TriBeCa apartment, I got to the point where I wanted to move forward and produce the bags. I shared them with a veteran in the fashion industry — she had 30+ years experience, and in the nicest way possible, she indicated I wasn’t ready and encouraged me to go back to school.
The next day I enrolled in evening classes at FIT. I had so much fun and learned a great deal, so much so that our first JLEW bags employee was a classmate and one of our advisors was one of my professors!
Is the end-game for you to only make JLEW bags? Or are there are further aspirations for the JLEW line?
JL: We just added jewelry to the website this week. I love boxing and it inspired the launch of the bags, so just in time for the holidays, we launched a mini boxing glove charm with our signature bow placed on the inside top of the laces of the glove and on the cuff you’ll find our JLEW logo. We have a couple of new designs I’m anxious to roll out, but that will likely happen in the new year.
Are you able to apply much of what you learned on Wall Street to your company?
JL: I believe my Wall Street career laid a great foundation. Every day is different, but skills like negotiating, managing processes and people, thinking critically, processing large volumes of information, writing and pitching have proven invaluable. Having a great product isn’t enough, I learned on Wall Street and am learning with JLEW Bags.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
JL: Analyzing businesses is not the same as running a business — so many aspects of this business are challenging because they’re entirely-new. I’ve never even thought through, let alone produced, a fashion shoot before or built a website. There really aren’t enough hours in the day to do or learn everything I’d like. I’m still figuring out the best way to manage all of the tasks, “turn it off” to get sufficient sleep and pace myself.
Every day a different challenge arises, which excites me. We try to absorb the opinions and ideas of everyone around us in an effort to improve continuously and connect with our customer, but balancing that with the notion that we cannot be all things to all people is yet another challenge.
Are you still boxing? What was the gym that helped inspired JLEW?
JL: Still boxing, and hopefully I’ll get to fight again in 2017! I’m training out of Church Street Boxing downtown and Mendez, which was the gym that helped inspire JLEW.
I understand that you are also involved with Haymakers For Hope. Any events coming up for that organization?
JL: I fought in 2013 and raised over $30,000 personally for the organization, and their annual New York event takes place Friday, Nov. 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. They’ve already raised over $600,000 for this event alone.
I’m particularly fond of this organization because their mission is so broad; each fighter can direct his/her proceeds to be donated to the cancer charity of his/her choice. I’ve been in the gym with a number of the fighters – they’re fired up and have been training hard; it’s sure to be a fantastic event.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
JL: After boxing, my favorite activity is traveling for surf adventures, primarily throughout Central America. The ramp of JLEW has kept me hunkered down this year, but hopefully surfing’s in my future soon.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?
JL: Tutto il Giorno is the prettiest restaurant in downtown Manhattan — and most delicious! If you venture uptown, 44 & X is an absolute must.
What is it that keeps you living downtown?
JL: I lived in Murray Hill for a good 13 years before moving to London. Upon my return, I headed straight for downtown and haven’t left. It feels more authentic, less hectic. I love running along the West Side Highway, frequenting the various farmer’s markets, being around so many artists. TriBeCa feels like a community, a neighborhood.
Finally, Jamie, any last words for the kids?
JL: Visit us at 290 Mulberry Street and follow us on Instagram @JLEWbags. We’re planning a really fun event in downtown Manhattan to kick off 2017 that you won’t want to miss!
In the ring, few are accomplished like boxer Abner Mares. As an amateur, he had 112 wins, 84 of which by knockout. As a professional, he has won 29 of his 32 fights, winning 15 by KO. Abner has earned plenty of gold as well, holding the IBF Bantamweight Title, the IBO Bantamweight Title, the WBC Super Bantamweight Title and the WBC Featherweight Title at different points; he was also a medalist at the World Junior Championships, Pan American Games, and the Central American & Caribbean Games. Abner’s next fight will be on Dec. 10 in Los Angeles against Jesus Cuellar.
Beyond the ring, Abner also manages to stay very active. He is a family man, which he explored further in our Q&A for Downtown. He does commentary and other television work, which he notably did for Telemundo as part of the Rio 2016 Olympics. The former three-division world champion boxer will be hosting his fourth annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway on Nov. 20, consistently giving back to the California community he grew up in, Hawaiian Gardens.
Abner’s Dec. 10 match will be live on Showtime, whereas his other activities can be followed on Twitter via @AbnerMares.
Abner Mares: Boxing changed my life. It kept me out of gangs, gave me a career and I met my wife through it! What I love about boxing is the science and sport of it. From the strategy, to the fitness to the matchup of fighters, I’m proud to be part of the sport.
What do you wish more people knew about boxing?
AM: There is a science to it. It’s not just two men brawling. The training is very precise from the food to how much cardio and when, the importance of strength training and stretching. It’s a complete sport and once you start training in it you not only see the benefits of it, but the dedication you give it benefits your whole life.
Is boxing in New York different from boxing everywhere else?
AM: I think boxing fans are the same in every city — they are FANS. They love the sport, respect the sport and support the sport. I’m disappointed I couldn’t fight in New York and perform in front of my New York fans but appreciate them immensely.
What sort of training is needed in order to become an announcer?
AM: Well in boxing you need to first know the sport. I was honored to be part of the 2016 Olympic team for Telemundo/NBC Sports. It brought back a lot of memories for me from the Athens Olympics when I competed. Having that first-hand knowledge helps when you’re discussing it, and as a fighter, calling the fight is something that comes naturally. I also think that it helps to have a good team around you that can prepare you for being on-camera — it is about pacing, knowing your subject and working with your producers.
Do you have any aspirations to be anything besides a boxer or an announcer? To act? To be an entrepreneur?
AM: I love the sport of boxing, so I want to manage fighters and help develop their careers. I have acted, it’s not my thing. I do want to do more TV work — commentating, helping explain the sport to viewers.
Would you ever see yourself doing MMA?
AM: No, I’m a boxer. I watch MMA and have a lot of respect for those fighters, but it’s not my sport.
When you’re not busy with boxing, how do you like to spend your free time?
AM: I spend a lot of time with my family, my wife and two girls as well as my parents, brothers and sisters. I’m a family man — part-time dance team dad for my girls, biggest cheerleader for my wife and her business. My daughters are very active; dance team, the beach, movie night and school, most importantly.
