Sunday, July 27, 2008
Life, Health + Fitness

Fight club

Wanna be an ultimate fighter—or just look like one? Knuckle Up Fitness can help you do both

By Colleen Oakley

When I signed up for a training session at Knuckle Up Fitness, a martial arts studio, I thought I was signing up for a rinky-dink karate class—you know the ones where you learn some combinations, do a few kicks and barely break a sweat.

I was wrong.

And two days later I’m still sore from the 75-minute butt-kicking that trainer Craig gave me at the ungodly hour of 8 in the morning.

Yes, Craig told me when I showed up, the gym does teach a mix of martial arts—jiu jitsu, muay thai, and other crazy-spelled types of fighting, and they do train fighters. But they focus on getting the average Joe (or Jane, in my case) in shape using total-body training techniques—that also happen to help out if you find yourself in a ring with gloves on.

Having just come off of my boxing boot camp a few weeks earlier, I was ready to throw some more punches, but I soon found that this workout is about more than technique. I warmed up on the treadmill. Then Craig took me through an intense circuit series of weighted lunges, cleans, jabs, squats, sit-ups, plank things with arm bands, and push-ups. He kindly threw in a few water breaks when I needed them (which was often). After about 40 minutes of sweating profusely, Craig asked me how I felt.

“Like I’m going to throw up,” I said.

“Good,” he smiled, then let me sit down to catch my breath.

We then moved to the other side of the gym where I did some weights, some resistance training, more sit-ups, squats, and tricep dips. For each move, Craig (who is not hard to look at, incidentally) explained to me how it helps fighters in the ring—either with balance, or explosive movements, or getting out of tough holds.

Finally an hour and 10 minutes was up. I’d been through a bottle and a half of water, my shirt was drenched, and if I didn’t have a 6-pack stomach, it wasn’t for lack of trying. I was ready to go home and collapse, but Craig wasn’t done.

“Now let’s get into the ring, and you can go a 5-minute round,” he said.

I looked at him, waiting to hear he was joking.

“Seriously, you can gain more respect for fighters and their endurance,” he said, laughing at my expression.

“I really respect them already,” I assured him, but he was already halfway to the ring.

I put gloves on and he strapped his hand pads on. For a full five minutes, I threw combinations, including jabs, crosses, hooks and knee-kicks—and just in case that wasn’t hard enough, Craig threw in squat-jumps, burpees (don’t ask) and push-ups.

“You’re done!” he said, when his watch beeped.

To sum up, while learning how to kick ass, I got my ass kicked. And it was awesome. SP
Colleen Oakley is a freelance writer in Atlanta and the former editor of Women’s Health & Fitness magazine. Got a fitness challenge for her? E-mail her at colleen@sundaypaper.com.