9Round Fitness Review: The Ultimate Boxing Workout

After hitting up a 9Round Fitness in Cedar Park, Texas, you'll be left with no doubt: the 30-minute boxing workout is tough and programmatically genius.

The combination of heavy bag boxing and kickboxing work, conditioning, and core drills set to a three-minute timer helps keep you moving while taxing your system in just 30 minutes.

The best part? There's no waiting around for a class to start. You show up whenever you want and dive straight into the day's pre-planned workout developed by the on-site coach.

9Round's Genius Programming

9Round isn't a Tae Bo-style cardio kickboxing workout; instead, it's a serious boxing/kickboxing circuit that incorporates heavy bags, speed bags, gloves, and wrist wraps.

Coaches put together daily workouts for members to follow, and the coaches remain on-site to instruct you as you go, walking you through the program, so there's no wasted time between exercises.

Also, because the rounds are set up in a circuit, you can start at any station and progress through your workout from that point forward.

This is nice when the facilities get busy—you don't have to wait for the first station to free up—you can hop in on station five, cycling through to station nine before starting over at station one, continuing your workout until you get through station four, which completes your nine rounds.

And don't worry, the coach is on hand to help you figure out where you should jump in. 

General Workout Structure

As a franchise, every gym is set up the same way, so regardless of the facility you visit, there shouldn't be any surprises about what to expect. For instance, all nine of the stations are programmed the same way:

• Round 1 and Round 2: Rounds one and two are focused on conditioning work, such as jump rope, jogging, and cardio-based exercises like burpees and mountain climbers.
• Round 3 through Round 8: Rounds three through eight are boxing rounds—you don your wraps and gloves and beat your way through the bulk of the workout. 
• Round 9: The ninth and final round is the core strength round. During this round, you perform exercises to strengthen your hips, abs, and lower back.

9Round Pros:

Here's why you'll love this workout:

• Workouts are planned and delivered by a trainer. There's no guesswork for the participant, and you have someone there to help you master your form during each move.
• Workouts are only 30 minutes long. Who doesn't love a short, effective routine?
• You can show up and start whenever you want. You don't have to wait for a particular class time, so you can always fit a workout into your schedule.
• Workouts are challenging but appropriate for all levels. There's a benefit to working hard and pushing limits, but workouts need to be scalable for a varied population. 9Round routines are based on time and primarily focus on bodyweight exercises—this means you can easily adjust the workout by slowing down or speeding up your pace or incorporating modifications to make it appropriate to your fitness level. And if there's ever a concern about a specific exercise, you can ask the trainer to provide you with an alternative.

9Round Considerations:

As with all routines, though, there's no such thing as a perfect workout or a workout that's perfect for all people. Before you sign up, consider the following:

Possible Differences Between Franchises

The main thing to keep in mind is that 9Round is a franchise, so while the system is developed by corporate headquarters, there may be differences between owners and trainers that could affect your personal experience.

It's always a good idea to ask about your trainer's qualifications and certifications before you put your health in his or her hands. You may also want to check the facility for things like cleanliness, overcrowding during busy hours, and the availability and helpfulness of its staff. 

Small Facilities and Limited Hours

9Round facilities are small and typically managed by only one or two trainers. This means the facility may not be open during times that are most convenient for you.

For instance, the facility I attended is open from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm some days, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm other days, then reopens from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday. If I were an early morning or late night exerciser, this schedule might not work for me.

That said, hours vary from facility-to-facility, so your local gym might be more accommodating.

Less Personal Attention When the Facility Is Busy

During peak hours, if two or three participants are exercising at each station, it's unlikely that a single trainer could provide as many individual tips or pointers. If you're familiar with the exercises and already have stellar form, this isn't a problem, but if you're new to the workout it could leave you open to potential injuries.

Make sure you communicate with the trainer and ask for extra assistance if you're unsure about what you're doing.

You May Need to Warm Up on Your Own

In a perfect world, you could start your 9Round workout at the first station, which would enable you to warm up as you perform the conditioning exercises designed to raise your heart rate and prep you for more intense work.

Unfortunately, if the facility's busy, you may need to jump in at station six or seven, diving into the meat of the routine without any proper warm-up. If this is the case, you'd probably be better served to spend a few minutes warming up on your own—jogging in place or doing jumping jacks—before you start your first round.

This will make your workout take a little longer since you're adding your training onto the 30-minute program, but ultimately it makes for a safer, more effective routine. 

A Word From Verywell

The only way to find out if a workout program is for you is to head to the studio and give it a try. Luckily, most specialty studios like 9Round offer new participants the chance to try a class for free before signing up. Check with your local studio to take advantage of its free workout offer.