This article originally appeared on People.com.
What Is it: Rumble is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), strength training, metabolic conditioning (METCON), and uppercut throwing cardio in one clean class.
Who Tried It: Emily Strohm, PEOPLE Senior Writer
Level of Difficulty: 8/10 This class is a challenge from start to finish! I was dripping in sweat and my muscles were on fire, but the beauty of it is that you can go at your own pace. And NO prior boxing experience needed!
When I heard that Rumble boxing was the best workout in the Big Apple, I decided to try it out for myself. Plus, David and Brooklyn Beckham, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin are just a few of Rumble’s A-list members, so I was ready to give it a shot. Just in case I needed back up, I brought along two of my People Magazine colleagues, Janine Rayford Rubinstein and Kaitlyn Frey to help test it out.
When I walked in to Rumble for the first time, I knew right away this place is not your average boxing gym. The interior is pristine, the walls are covered with gorgeous pop art paintings of Tupac, Brad Pitt and Sylvester Stallone and the there’s no shortage of six packs or incredibly shredded bodies strolling around.
The trainer for my first class was none other than the founding partner and trainer Noah Douglas Neiman. A former Barry’s Boot Camp instructor, he’s got a serious social media following, (which may or may not have to do with his dog Oz) and the guy can teach one hell of a high intensity boxing class.
Once you check in and get your glossy custom white Rumble gloves and wraps, you head inside the dimly lit room to warm up and start throwing punches. I love the darkness for two reasons: 1. You get in there and get in the zone. No one cares about what the person next to them is doing, even if it’s Selena Gomez … it’s all about putting in the work without having to think about what you look like. 2. The lighting system is timed perfectly with the music so you feel like you’re dancing at LIV Miami. When that red light hits you, it’s hard not to turn it up.
For me (and probably a lot of people) music is also a major part of my workout. Rumble has an in-house DJ who creates mixes for each trainer’s personality. When Noah played Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow halfway through our workout, I suddenly got my second wind.
The class is split up into two groups and you alternate over ten rounds switching from punching the bags to working the floor with weights. It’s 45-minutes of fun and a whole lot of hard work. Before we began, Noah ran through each of the six punches and in case we got lost, the sequence is always listed on a digital screen at the front of the room. He’s an attentive guy despite holding down a jam-packed gym — he wasn’t going to let me slide while doing what felt like my 150th squat. “I love when I look over and you’re giving me side eye,” he jokes after our class. “That’s ok though.”
Verdict: After experiencing Rumble myself, now I know why the members and trainers look as great as they do. Amazing workouts, entertaining trainers and an all around awesome time. Rumble: Celebrity tested, People Mag Approved. Can’t wait to get back to my next class!
