Feeling so bummed out after boxercise class!

[BananaLana]

It’s my first proper exercise in a while so I expected to be unfit, but my god.

I am in really good shape, I’m 25 and I was a runner when I was a teenager. I’ve always been really fit, or at least fitter than the average person. I thought I’d be a bit rusty but I was shocked.

We had to do 3 rounds of:
30 seconds of a given punch (changed each time)
30 seconds of body weight exercise (think burpees, jump squats or plank)
60 seconds punch
60 seconds body weight
90 seconds punch
30 seconds bodyweight
40 seconds shuttle run.

Not to sound mean but even the ones out of shape were able to punch, at least slowly, for the whole 60 and 90 seconds.

Me? I had to stop every 10 seconds. My arms were burning and I physically couldn’t do a repetitive movement.
I was also basically walking towards the end.

I felt AWFUL. I was huffing and puffing and felt so put out because I couldn’t do repetitive punches or movement for more than 10 seconds at a time.

it was embarrassing. should I even bother to keep trying?

That sounds a tough circuit, and as you said, you haven't done any exercise for a while. Don't give up, it will get easier! Or do a slightly less arduous class for a bit! Good luck.

I've done loads of different things. I've swam, I've ran, I've done general gym stuff, crossfit, cycling, various team sports, and boxing. Boxing was easily the hardest. It's all arms. The burn out happens so quick. Don't be upset. It takes a bit to get used to it. If you get the chance to go to a charity or white collar boxing event then you'll see, it's fittest person wins every time. After 1 round they are all bushed.

Boxercise is famously challenging! You'll get so much better so fast I promise and it'll be wonderful to experience. Keep going and in 3 months' time, check your progress. I think you'll be amazed.

Strong legs, weak arms?

Keep going! I guarantee all of the people in the class started off like you did. It's bloody tough!

You will get better. In a months time it will start to fall into place and you'll realise you can do an extra 5 without feeling like dying and the transitions are easier.

If you came to my kickboxing class you would judge me as one of the out of shape women, overweight and I’m double your age. You would look at me and decide you were fitter because you used to be a runner. I’d beat your arse at that kind of circuit because I’ve been doing it for a while. You don’t have to be young and skinny to be fit.

Sounds humbling. As others have said boxing is notoriously demanding fitness wise. If you keep going, at your age especially, you'll feel yourself progress really quickly which will be really rewarding.

I guess you've learned not to judge other people's fitness levels based on their body shape though!

Bummed out? What an awful phrase!

So your upper body isn’t that strong. That’s fine. Keep at it and you’ll improve soon. Why would your automatic reaction be to quit? It would make me more determined to go back!

You learnt a lesson don't judge other people by their appearance.

Yeah also came to say weaker upper body. It's possible to be fit but have some muscles more or less developped depending on your genes and habits. We even see this with one half of tye body is stronger where we have been lifting babies or shopping /hand bags mostly on. My left shoulder is much more sculpted and i have less of a saddle bag on the left thigh from years of wearing my DC on my left hip. The bad news is that my left hip now hurts now! (Bad posture while carrying heavy)

Just keep at it it will feel amazing when you notice how much easier the class is getting. I like soaking in epsom salt for sore muscles and yoga.

How rude of you to be judging the other people in the class, it's people like you who make people hesitate to join a gym.

What made you think you were ‘in shape’ and ‘reasonably fit’: do you do other exercise?

keep with it!

Whenever I have tried a new exercise class in the past, I've found the very first one unbelievably hard and hurt so much the next day, but have always found the second class so much easier - not like I've become super fit after one, more like the muscles were woken up in the first class. Keep going, I think you'll see a difference in how it feels immediately.

And yes, you might see an older, overweight person doing better than a slim young un but you have no idea what their start point was like, they might have been much bigger or have been going to this class for ages or were athletes but life or illness got them out of shape. They might be overweight but have a physical job or genetically have more muscles in their arms. I think you should keep going to it, it's opening your eyes to a lot of new things.

Well I think you should either keep going or try and find a different class that you might like more.

and don’t be embarrassed people will
be too busy working out to know whether you’ve done 5 seconds or 30!

outing but an entry level boxercise class put me out my marathon training by aggravating my knee niggle massively so it wasn't even my arms. my sympathies to you

Two things spring to mind reading this. Firstly boxing is hardcore - I did a white collar bout in 2022 and it was super physically hard, I was a runner too (half marathons) but this was far more physically testing.
Secondly I go to a women's weightlifting class 3 times a week now, its all women aged 30 and over, lots of shapes and sizes and ages what you realise very quickly is that doesn't necessarily equate to how fit they are and particularly how much they can lift. I love seeing women from all spaces in life getting fitter and stronger, having my arse kicked by a 65 year old last week was super inspiring!

By “out of shape” do you mean “not thin”?

Because those are two very different things tbh.

Think of your lack of upper-body fitness as a gift - it means that (if you stick at it) you will have the joy of seeing rapid and significant improvement. Especially at your age. It is much more difficult to make those sorts of significant improvements when you are older. Enjoy the journey.

Also, of course, don't judge the others in the class , or judge yourself against them. Everyone is facing their own private goals and challenges.

I started Pilates after only running.

Oh my gosh , using my upper body for the first time was so difficult! For weeks! I was literally trembling half the time.

And although my strong legs found some of the lower body exercises comparatively easy, the muscle bulk from running makes them extra heavy.

But I kept at it and it's slowly changed my life (and shape ) and I bet boxercise can do that for you.

Boxing is very intense cardio work. I used to kickbox and a one hour training session would have me drenched with sweat and absolutely exhausted.

Stick with it as the increase in upper body strength will be worth it.

Do some upper body weights in the gym.

You said that you used to be in better shape than everyone else, what happened? Did you stop exercising?

You’re supposed to feel done in after a class.

Keep going; I started weights and functional training 6 months ago and my fitness and strength level has massively improved.

Lay off the judgement of others though - it’s really obvious when someone is like that in a class.