Empowering Punch Personal Training and Fitness Studio

After just one trial class, my boyfriend and I quit our regular gym close by and now happily drive the extra distance to Empowering Punch.
The classes are a great workout, and so fun! You actually WANT to go. The instructors are knowledgeable and very approachable. And there’s a great team atmosphere — very positive and uplifting vibes from everyone who goes.
I’d highly recommend this place — regardless of your age, weight or experience level. All are welcome, will get a great workout, and have a blast doing it!

I signed up for a single drop-​in Fitness Boxing class. I was instantly greeted and told the instructor would meet with me to review all the punches with me. In this case the instructor was Dan. Super nice guy. He gave me the low-​down and I got the hang of it. The fitness boxing class is a circuit — style class. One circuit includes cardio floor work (jumping jacks, situps, squats, mountain climbers) and then you move on to hitting the bag, and then to boxing in a ring with the instructor. (I really wanted to swing my leg over the top rope upon entering the ring a la Big John Studd/​Andre the Giant style from WWE circa 1989…) Anyway, the instructor gives the entire class directions over a microphone headset. The people who attend the class were all too happy to help me and guide me around which was cool. All punches are numbered… jab is 1, etc. So all instruction is numbers. I think this is designed to make it approachable to everyone. This is a cramped space… the bags are close together so you need to restrict movement. I thought the rest between circuits was too long and there wasn’t enough encouragement to keep the heart rate up. The *only* thing that really bothered me was the smell of the boxing gloves. Whatever type of sanitizing spray they use in them has a terrible flowery/​perfumey scent that took me a few hand washings to get rid of. I think I would buy my own gloves and skip the community gloves… if you are new to boxing you will feel comfortable here. I just prefer a bit more grit and intensity with my boxing so Title Boxing is more my style.

I tried Empowering Punch for a month with my neighbor and a Groupon. It was nice to try something different. Although very intimidated at first, the staff are very gracious to help you feel at ease. What I appreciated most was that the instructors have an excellent gauge of each person’s ability, and a great knack for meeting you where you are and challenging you just enough. During the boxing classes, everyone is divided into rotating groups. While you are in the ring, the instructor prompts you to throw certain punches by number. That’s where the expertise comes in with challenging each person at his/​her level. All of the classes are an amazing workout. I really liked the Kettlebells class. I think the Bosu Step was a bit beyond me; that one was really hard. It is a little weird when the old men Mall walkers occasionally stop to gawk. But, if you ignore that, it’s not a big deal. The only down side that I experienced, beyond this type of exercise just not being my ‘cup of tea’, was the really stinky gloves. Each person sprays Lysol into the gloves after class, but they still leave your hands ultra-​stencho pretty much for the remainder of the day. I would recommend buying your own gloves. The monthly cost was also a bit prohibitive for me, although not completely outrageous.

I am SO grateful for this place. I’ve been coming since September 2011. I’d had serious emergency abdominal surgery about 2.5 years ago and just fell off the wagon when it came to working out. A year and a half ago, I decided I was sick of the weight I’d gained and chose to finally do something about it. So, I began working out on my own at a nearby Powerhouse Gym. I lost some weight (probably more due to the fact I was dieting) and kept on trucking but I didn’t feel like it was working fast enough. I’ve always worked out on my own and swore up and down I would never take a fitness class because I was sure I’d feel intimidated and/​or stupid, looking like a fish out of water. My friend turned me on to a Groupon special they were running one month and convinced me to try it with her.
So I signed up for their Fitness Boxing class. I was terrified thinking I would look like an idiot in front of everyone (doubly because it’s in the mall) and I was also scared I wouldn’t make it through the class. Holy crap. I NEVER felt like that after I worked out on my own. I made it through the class without dying, but I was absolutely drenched in sweat. It was hard. But it was fun. And was honestly? I hooked after that one single class. Prior to EP, anytime I was going to the gym, I was going with trepidation and zero stamina thinking & clawing for any reason to talk myself out of going. I never understood the people who said they’re addicted to working out, but now? I get it. I’m excited for every class I go to. You completely forget you’re in the mall when you come here, so don’t let that stop you. Everyone in the classes are really nice and inviting as well, there isn’t any cattiness or big attitudes. I’ve made some awesome friends here.
One of the things that really got me in the first few weeks I was taking classes were the huge before and after posters of clients they have hanging outside of the studio. It hit me on my third or fourth class, that the people on the posters were also actually physically in class with me that day. And every day. These were not some stock photo fake people they used as examples, but real live humans sweating it out next to me. That’s worth a million vouches right there in my book.
I’ve just started personal training with a staff member here as well and I can’t wait to see what my ‘after’ photo looks like. The first class you try is absolutely free so there’s no reason not to give it a go. I can’t say enough about this awesome studio and how much it’s honestly changed my life.

I went in for a pre-​Thanksgiving workout. I’m excited to have a place to workout when I come back to North Royalton. A great, intense work-​out. Even though a lot of the people seem intense, you don’t feel judged for being a newbie. Paul and the staff seem to be really self-​motivated and that spirit fills the gym.

I love empowering punch. I began training for my first NPC fitness show in June, but after 3 months of doing my own boring gym routine, I decided to make my last month of training more «fun».
Its more than fun. Its challenging. i thought I was strong… until I started the classes here. LOL. Anyway, I LOVE the TRX training, i really get a good core workout from that. All the trainers are awesome and friendly. They also will make you WORK! Ive tried all of the classes and theres people of all fitness levels, the classes are challenging but they can also be modified for beginners (They tell you the basic moves, and then how to make it more challenging) and they help you «get it» if youre confused (Bosu Step… Im not coordinated enough for that but the trainer helped me get the basics down. lol)
They also know you by name and treat you like an individual, even in the larger classes.
Great place. Totally worth it.

These guys are legit! I come here for boxing classes and the trainers really know what they are talking about. He was a pro boxer back in the day! It is a great workout and he moves slow enough for everyone to follow. He works with each person one on one and then moves around the group. It is fun and a great workout. I would recommend this to anyone. It is perfect for people who just want to workout or learn boxing. They also offer martial arts and kick boxing and all that jazz too. Plus the staff is really nice and they know me by name. That is pretty cool!
They have beginner packages that are super affordable. The other packages are flexible and they have enough choices to fit your budget and needs.
Give them a try, the first class is free! Seya Wednesday night!

Empowering Punch recently opened in Southpark Mall, and it is located next to Dick sporting goods on the second floor. To kick off their grand opening they offered free classes for the entire week. They offer personal training, boxing, yoga, trx, weight loss, and boot camp classes.
The gym is very open and the public walking by can see everything that is going on inside. The thought of being a window display for mall walkers terrified me and almost made me turn around before walking in. I am glad I didn’t though and gave it a try. The employees were friendly and our trainer teaching the TRX class was welcoming and made us all feel comfortable. After warming up I didn’t even notice the people walking by and was too focused on the workout to pay attention to anything else. I am not a fan of going to group classes and often feel like I get a better workout by myself, but the small class sizes (12 people) didn’t allow for any slacking off or feeling like you didn’t know what was going on.
Classes run $ 15 a class and I will definitely like to be put on display there again :)