The game is that you say a fun fact about yourself, but it could be a total lie and the group has to decide if it’s true. My fun fact is that I’m a boxer. Not even five seconds go by, and they’ve collectively decided that I’m a liar. I stand at five feet tall and am terrified of squirrels so I don’t blame them, but it’s 100% true: Boxing is (as of now) my all-time favorite hobby.
Let me preface this by saying you will never find me in a boxing ring. Ever. When I say I box, I mean that I wake up at six in the morning three times a week, get wrapped up, put on my gloves, and punch a boxing bag. I would’ve never guessed that this fun summer hobby would transform me in more ways than I could’ve ever imagined. It started at the end of June 2023, my last summer as an undergraduate, and I decided that I needed to take on a fun hobby. Reading? Too basic. Knitting? Been there, done that. Baking? Nothing I haven’t done before. Boxing? Absolutely.
I found this boxing studio in Los Angeles offering boxing classes that incorporated full-body workouts — all to the beat of the music, in the dark, with fun lights. Although I love trying new things, this was something completely out of my comfort zone and I was a bit nervous. I’m not a “fit” person and I couldn’t imagine myself going to the gym, but I thrive when doing things that might surprise people and the thought of telling people I box was too enticing. Plus, punching a bag to the beat of the music sounded extremely fun.
“I thrive when doing things that might surprise people.”
Sydney Domael
Don’t let the club-esque atmosphere fool you because the classes and coaches are no joke and I’m not exaggerating when I say I leave every class drenched in sweat. My studio offers different types of classes: signature, box and lift, and box and sculpt. Signature classes are my favorite because you spend the most time on the bag and I’ve realized that I absolutely love punching.
I’ll give you a quick rundown of what happens every class. Many people come in a few minutes early to sign in and wrap up. I, on the other hand, come a good 15 minutes early. I always have to watch a tutorial on wrapping my hands before every class, but I can gladly say I’ve gotten much better with no tutorial needed. Once class starts, the coach of the hour calls us into the studio, giving every person a fist bump before we head over to our assigned bags. The room is dark, funky lights are shining above us, and the room is blasting with upbeat music. I’m ready to punch. We go over our punch combo of the day and always start off with HIIT cardio. We move on to shadowboxing, do a few rounds on the bag, do a specific workout aimed at legs or abs, do some more rounds on the bag, and end class with a freestyle where you hit the bag as fast and hard as you can. Finally, we close off with stretching and meditation.
One of the most apparent ways boxing has impacted my life is through my physical transformation. Additionally, the results happened quickly. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t flex in the mirror every morning and snap a photo. Incorporating this into my routine made me more productive. I always left class feeling good and it felt like a perfect way to start my day.
Even though I had to wake up super early, I always woke up excited for class. This was the first time in a long time that I felt passionate about something and was genuinely looking forward to it. I owe a big part of that to the community I had around me. It’s always intimidating when you enter a new environment and even more so when you don’t really know what you’re doing. From the front desk, to the coaches, to the people taking the classes with me, everyone’s been extremely friendly and supportive and that’s my favorite part of this journey.
I love how this new hobby has transformed me physically, emotionally, and mentally, but most of all, I love seeing the surprised look on people’s faces when I tell them I box. One of the most important lessons I gained from this experience is that sometimes it’s the most unexpected places where we discover our true potential. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually end up in the ring… Just kidding!