TITLE Boxing Club Of Stow

Photos by OHventures

TITLE Boxing Club Of Stow

4433 Kent Road

Stow, OH 44224
(330) 474-7062

I have never sweat more in one hour than I did when I took a class at TITLE Boxing Club of Stow! When it comes to giving you a killer workout and getting you in shape, they mean business!

Boxing requires you to be in peak physical shape, and to have stamina, strength, agility, and endurance to be a success in the ring. TITLE Boxing Club offers classes that deliver the amazing results of boxing, minus the combat. These intense workouts transform and strengthen your body from head to toe by showing you how to master the moves of the boxing pros. It is incredibly fun and rewarding experience that will have you coming back for more!

In Ohio, there are 16 TITLE Boxing Club locations: Columbus (2), Grandview, Hilliard, Highland Heights, Kettering, Liberty Township, Loveland/Cincinnati, Medina, Mentor, New Albany, Pickerington, Powell, Solon, Westlake, and Stow. There are even more locations all over the United States, and one in Mexico.

My friends at the TITLE Boxing Club of Stow are particularly awesome, and invited me and my friends Greg and Brandon to check out a kickboxing class one night this fall. I had known the owner Cindy and the trainers Michael and Tori from TITLE Boxing Club of Stow's recent sponsorship of the local Wellness Walk & Run in Stow. This 5K raised money for breast cancer screenings for those in need. The folks at TITLE Boxing Club of Stow are incredibly devoted to keeping the community healthy in all ways, so it didn't take much to convince me to stop in for a class.

The three of us had little or no experience in boxing before this class (I had taken one class a few years ago in Columbus), so we had to be taught the basics. The class required we wear hand wraps (which are sold on site in various colors) and boxing gloves (of course!), which are provided at the gym. There are various group classes that are available, including traditonal boxing, 30-Minute "Calorie Crusher," 60-Minute "Power Hour," 75-Minute "Super Sessions," one-on-one personal training, and kick-boxing (which is the class we took).

The gym was set up with punching bags all lined up in rows. Everyone gets his or her own bag, and the instructor (ours was Tori) stays near the front of the class demonstrating what to do, and guiding you over a headset. The class was an intense cardio workout that incorporated toning exercises that are guaranteed to help shed pounds.

We were taught the various boxing moves, such as the jab, hook, uppercut, and cross. We then were given a series of combinations of these moves for the duration of our hour long class. We added kicks, and moves around the punching bag.

At the end of the boxing session, Tori led us in a series of ab work that pushed us even further! We definitely got a full well-rounded workout that was fun and different, but also a challenge. It required coordination and concentration, and was a great way for us to get together to try something different. It was perfect for letting of steam during the work week!

Tori and Michael let us get in the boxing ring for a photo op (shown above) and also try on the giant oversized gloves (shown below). They were fun, personable, and dedicated to what they do. 

I recommend a group boxing class to anyone looking to spice up their workout. You can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour when you take a high energy, high intensity class at TITLE Boxing Club of Stow, and you build muscle and endurance at the same time. Our group proved that you don't have to be a boxing pro to take a class! Any level of ability is welcome. Ask about coming in and trying your first shot free so you can see for yourself!

Top 10 "Top 5" OHventures Lists

Need an idea of what to do to to spice things up in Ohio? Need to scratch some items off of your Buckeye Bucket List? How about 50 ideas? Here are the Top 10 "Top 5" Lists by OHventures to give you a couple of fun activities to choose from, whether it be sipping on some Ohio wine, riding on world class roller coasters, or dodging paintballs with friends.

1. 5 Great Ohio Bike Trails: The Backroads & Beaches Bike Route in Lorain County, Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, Olentangy Greenway Trail in Columbus, Little Miami Scenie Trail in Clark County and Warren County, and the Ohio to Erie Trail.

2. 5 Unique Ohio Workouts: Boxing, Pure Barre, Boot Camps, Rock Climbing, and Trampolining

3. Top 5 Wineries in Ohio: Heineman's Winery & Crystal Cave in Put-In-Bay, Camelot Cellars in Columbus, Thorncreek Winery in Aurora, Gervasi Vineyard & Italian Bistro in Canton, Lakehouse Inn & Winery in Geneva.

4. 5 Ohio Museums That Won't Bore You: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Center of Science & Industry in Columbus, National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame & Musuem in Pickerington.

5. 5 Reasons to "Go South" in Ohio: Chillicothe, Lebanon, the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Marietta Brewing Company, and Shawnee State Park in Scioto County.

6. 5 Extreme Ohio Thrills: Cedar Point in Sandusky, King's Island in Mason, Splatter Paintball Park in Mount Gilead, Skydiving in Xenia, and Ozone Zipline Adventures in Lebanon

7. 5 Great Ohio Breweries: Rustbelt Brewing in Youngstown, Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Columbus Brewing Company, Fat Head's Saloon in North Olmstead, and Elevator Brewery in Columbus.

8. 5 Doggy OHventures: Grater's Ice Cream, Wineries, Dog Parks, Hiking Trails, and Doggy 5Ks.

9. 5 Great Running Events in Ohio: Air Force Marathon in Dayton, Canton Marathon, Capital City Half Marathon, Warrior Dash Ohio, and Cleveland Urbanobstacle.

10. 5 Ways to Cool Off in Ohio: Boating, Parasailing, Canoeing, Kayaking, and Paddleboating.

5 Unique Ohio Workouts

It's summer! It's time to bust out the beach body! If you find it daunting to keep up with the upkeep of perfectly chiseled body, you may need to introduce a few unique workouts into your routine. The key to sticking with a fitness regimen is to make it fun! So here are 5 fun ways to stay fit in Ohio.

1. Boxing: If you want to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, like Muhammed Ali, you will find that boxing is not just for the bulky, scrappy badass guys you see in the movies. Check out a listing of all of the boxing gyms located in Ohio by visiting BoxingGyms.com. I found some boxing facilities located nearby in Columbus. With the encouragement of one of my coworkers, Julie, I decided to take a boxing class after work at the Thompson Recreation Center near downtown C-Bus. I learned to jab, uppercut, and hook in under an hour!

2. Trampoline Parks: Indoor trampoline parks typically consist of a massive arena with a giant trampoline court, oftentimes with trampolines even on the walls! Exercising on a trampoline is extremely effective. In fact, one can burn 1,000 calories in one hour! Your legs are the primary muscle group being utilized, however your core also benefits from trampoline workouts, and you improve your balance and get a heck of a cardiovascular workout! The great thing is, you are having so much fun laughing while you are doing it that you don't even feel like you're working out.

3. Pure Barre: Pure Barre is a massively popular gym taking over the nation with new locations popping up every week! Each class incorporates ballet bars, weights, bands, and small medicine balls in a series of isometric movements, which, thanks to my trusty dictionary, are muscular actions in which tension is developed without contraction of the muscle. The motions are set to fun, upbeat music,  and instructors help guide you by giving demonstrations and thorough instructions on how to perform the moves correctly.

4. Bexa Body Fitness: Everyone has that local gym that they absolutely love. For me, it's Bexa Body Fitness in Westerville. It's not your typical cookie cutter, shoebox gym like Urban Active or Planet Fitness, which are found on seemingly every corner you look. Unlike those dime-a-dozen gyms, Bexa Body Fitness exudes energy, excitement, and entrepreneurship on a level that makes you feel like you're right at home working out and exercising with longtime friends. They offer unique workouts such as piloxing (pilates combined with boxing), power yoga, and boot camps!

5. Rock Climbing: Rock climbing is my FAVORITE of all fitness activities! If you think you're up for the challenge that is indoor rock climbing, there are a number of places in Ohio you can go to do it. Most of the time, indoor rock climbing facilities will provide the proper shoes as well as the harness (and sometimes a helmet...but that is usually not needed or utilized). All you need to bring in most cases is yourself, your wallet, and your energy! Instructors will be on hand to help belay you on the rock walls and teach you all you need to know to scale the wall like Spiderman!

Boxing It Up

Photos by OHventures

I've always thought that the sport of boxing was for brutal brawny badass guys that could punch your lights out like Sugar Ray Leonard, cut your eye open like Rocky Balboa, or even bite your ear off like Mike Tyson (maybe he confused it with an ear of corn). While those guys are no doubt strong, scrappy fellas who I'd never want to cross in a back alley, they aren't fighting just to fight, they're fighting for the glory of the sport of boxing.

I wanted to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, like Muhammed Ali. So, I checked out a listing of all of the boxing gyms located in Ohio (thanks to BoxingGyms.com), and found some nearby in Columbus. With the encouragement of one of my coworkers, Julie, I decided to take a boxing class after work at the Thompson Recreation Center near downtown C-Bus.

I came to find that, while this was not the fanciest of gyms, one major perk was that two-time International Boxing Council (IBC) champion and Columbus native Michael Clark would be teaching the class (pictured above). I had the privilege of speaking with Michael briefly before the class and he told me that he grew up at Thompson Rec Center, and trained there his entire life. He said that teaching the classes at the very place that molded him into the professional boxing champion he is today is his way of "giving back to the community." His classes are only $10-$12 a pop, which is extremely generous and a great deal, especially from someone of his calibur.