Virgin launches boxing fitness class Punch

Virgin Active has launched Punch - a boxing workout that consists of 12 rounds, focusing on speed, core and power.

The class, which has premiered at its Barbican health club in London, consists of a warm up followed by rounds of combinations on punch bags with interval body conditioning.

Rounds 1-4 are classed as amateur; these are two minutes each and designed to ease the body into the workout. Rounds 5-10 are titled professional; these build up in complexity and challenge, while still using six basic punches.

Round 11 is the knockout round where you work in pairs on a bag and focus on speed while you both hit and work together. The final round is called core and focuses on the abs to strengthen and improve balance.

The 50-minute workout is part of Virgin Active’s commitment to product innovation. Last year’s rollout of Grid classes, its Barre programme, the HEAT (a high energy athletic training class) offering, Hydro (a high intensity swim class) and Iron ZUU (group exercise combining weightlifting with movement), helped boost global revenue by 6 per cent to £483m (US$615.5m, €548.6m).