“The Vision: After 10 years in a smaller space near the U of M, Cellar Fight & Fitness Kickboxing upgraded last summer to a much larger new facility in St. Anthony. The gym, led by kickboxing champ Chris Cichon, now has more floor space for its variety of boxing, kickboxing, muay thai (Thai boxing), jiujitsu, and mixed martial arts training classes taught by past or current competitors.
Workout: After a short warm-up, partners pull out gloves and pads to trade off punch and kick combos for two- to three-minute rounds. Depending on the instructor, some kickboxing classes add in rounds of plyometrics or pounding on heavy bags. Sometimes abdominal work is included at the end of the workout for added conditioning.
Vibe: Fun and intense. With ’80s rock blasting in the background, kickboxing is the most accessible class at the gym, but it requires a bit of bravery to work out next to MMA and muay thai fighters (of both sexes) in training.
Our take: We found kickboxing to be a great way to punch away the winter doldrums and get fit fast—two evening classes a week is enough to see results along your waistline, but it’s more fun with a friend in tow.”
– Mpls / St Paul Magazine
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