Everybody was disco fighting
Does fighting an imaginary person serve as a legitimate fitness regime? Stephen Heard signed up for Fight Do to find out.
Fight Do is what you’d consider high intensity interval training. It is primarily a cardiovascular and strength training workout, and you can expect to be glistening with sweat at the end.
Cooked up by global fitness organisation Radical Fitness, Fight Do is a programme that takes foundation techniques from combat sports like boxing and kickboxing and bundles them into an accessible group workout. To an upbeat soundtrack, an instructor leads class members through animated choreography which sees them fight imaginary opponents. No fighting experience is required, and the skills obtained probably aren’t recommended for real life fighting situations. Class instructor Terry Thorne suggested that Fight Do has the potential to be more intense than a combat or martial arts training session. Having already been put through the ringer with Muay Thai conditioning and being left with bandaged feet after a judo lesson, I was intrigued.
The lights were turned off, bar some hyper-colour LEDs, and a thumping club track came over the sound system to signal the beginning of the class; the vibe was more disco than dojo.
The warm-up commenced with some jabs and running on the spot with high knees. The class was broken into intervals that lasted around 10 minutes each and worked both the left and right sides of the body separately. We were encouraged to engage the core with as many exercises as possible. Flanked with a classic boxing bell sound effect, each interval offered a different level of intensity – an ‘‘accelerator’’ feature occasionally ramped things up to boost the heart rate.
The actions varied from punching into thin air – including jabs, hooks and uppercuts – to roundhouse kicks, jumping elbows, blocks and knee strikes. Proper striking techniques don’t particularly matter. It’s effectively punching and kicking yourself fit. Variations of traditional bodyweight exercises like burpees, lunges and planking were periodically added to achieve a full body workout. We finished with some light running and core work that stayed on theme – crunches were enhanced with slow-motion strikes and hooks.
Terry’s enthusiasm and the upbeat soundtrack – complete with punching sound effects straight from a Hollywood film – made for an incredibly enjoyable workout experience. Like Zumba, Fight Do falls into the category of: RADICAL FITNESS fitness in disguise. Fight Do is what you’d consider high intensity interval training. It is primarily a cardiovascular and strength training workout, and you can expect to be glistening with sweat at the end. Thorne considers Fight Do a great fat burning programme. ‘‘It will seriously challenge your cardiorespiratory fitness, burn lots of calories and continue to do so for hours afterwards.’’ As well as all the usual benefits that come with physical activity, the fast-paced choreography element of the class will help sharpen up your co- ordination. The idea of fighting an invisible person also makes for an entertaining experience. Thorne says he has never witnessed an injury in Fight Do. ‘‘Group fitness is something that everyone will always only work to what they define as safe and effective. So, the participant will work within what they feel they can, or can’t do.’’ Those with heart problems should visit a medical professional for a full health fitness assessment before signing up. The same goes if you’ve had any previous back problems. Listen to your body and take each class at your own pace. ● Fight Do classes are held nationwide. Find your local at: radicalfitness.net/ newzealand/