Class Pass: Omni Fight Club
By Molly O’Brien, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant
Omni Fight Club, located above Festival Foods in downtown Madison, is a boutique fitness studio featuring interval and boxing training sure to leave you sweating. After one class, I was instantly addicted. Classes are fast-paced and intense, featuring interval training and kickboxing-inspired movements.
Omni is the perfect escape after a long day for a person of any age looking to go hard and de-stress. This class pass takes you into a week of classes at Omni Fight Club — the good, the hard and the sweaty.
My stomach did a flip as I walked into my first class and saw a boxing ring. The gym manager, Mary, helped me wrap up my hands with a long pink tape that made me feel like a force to be reckoned with. Class started with a core warm-up before moving into the varying stations. Omni works off a high-intensity interval system, meaning you do two minutes of each exercise at a station, then rest for one minute before moving to the next. Stations included punching bags, roundhouse kicks, cycling and speed bags.
Halfway through I was dripping with sweat — but so was everyone else. The cool thing about Omni is that you are completely going at your own pace at each station, yet you rotate with a group. As soon as we finished a station, my group would bump gloves with one another. There was a mutual respect in the fight club.
I also noted that when I went to bed, I swear, as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.
The next morning, I woke up with my muscles feeling more tired than sore. Attending class that night, the system was the same — eight stations, two exercises per station, two minutes per exercise — but the stations change so no two classes are alike. This kept things fun and interesting, but two minutes can be a long time to do an isolated exercise. For example, we once did speed bag punches alternating with one-leg squat pulses. Ouch.
The staff at Omni is extremely attentive. Moving into new exercises, I was consistently checked-in on and assisted by both the teacher and other staff members. When starting at a new gym, there is always an intimidation factor (especially when you aren’t hyper-fit) and Omni did a great job making me feel comfortable and welcome while still pushing me to my physical limits.
My only fault with Omni is the location. Being a little ways from central downtown and campus, it is harder to get to than other fitness studios in Madison. Many members are not students, though, and with the rise of the Galaxy and Lyric buildings, the Near East Side is definitely growing.
Between jabs and roundhouse kicks, something about physical fight-like moves immediately boosted my confidence. I repeat, a force to be reckoned with. Before coming to Omni, I had no interest in boxing. Now, I am honestly considering a membership. If you are looking for an intense workout with a new twist, check out Omni Fight Club.