For those who missed out this summer, starting in September l’Usine d’Opéra will be offering exclusive boxing classes directly inspired by the training followed by models. We previewed the “Training Like a Model” workout at this popular Parisian club, and can vouch for its effectiveness and other benefits. The program has been designed to achieve the ‘perfect’ body by combining intense cardio-vascular activity with volume-free muscle-strengthening exercises, promoting the development of long, lean muscles. Get started!
Dear Venusians, it’s too late! Most of you are already on vacation elsewhere… At the beach most likely, and that Eres swimsuit that held all your hopes for the season is already unsheathed. So let me ask you, is your gait secure? Do you keep your head up and your shoulders back as you stroll along the sand, shuttling between the sea and your deckchair? I certainly hope so, but if your confident gait has been stolen by the young lady two rows back, don’t be too hard on yourself.
We all know this woman very well: she’s the one who’s there to remind you that you could have done better. She’s usually a six-foot blonde with a luminous golden tan who can’t stop smiling. Don’t be put off by her grace, and instead, make friends with her, chat a little and she’ll sympathetically explain her secret: pilates? Yoga? Swimming? HIIT (high intensity interval training)? Don’t be fooled, you’ve already tried it all, this woman will tell you sincerely, and her secret, and that of all the Victoria’s Secret models, is boxing, quite simply, and you can do it too.
The elegant and discreet Usine à Opéra club was keen to prove to us that boxing is indeed a sport accessible to all. Our trainer was undaunted by our worried faces when we discovered the skipping ropes and gloves waiting for us in the training room. Amused, he said, “So you’ve never done jump ropes when you were younger?!” How could we explain to him that we were talking about childhood rather than youth? “It’s like riding a bike, you never forget. You’ll see!
We’ve seen it. Yes, you can’t forget the skipping rope. Of course, you shouldn’t push it either, and when he encourages us to do hops or double jumps, half the room looks at him doubtfully. But otherwise, it’s true that the warm-up is quite malleable, and can easily be adjusted to each individual’s abilities. It’s also an effective preparation: 5 to 10 minutes of jumping rope quickly raises body temperature and heart rate. It also works the shoulders, pelvic girdle, thighs and calves, and girdles the abdomen. So don’t be afraid to take the plunge.
We’re all warmed up now, and head straight into the first phase of the class, which consists of a group shadow-boxing choreography. Once again, I’m preoccupied, because choreography and I are two things. I have no sense of concordance and I’m one of those people who hate having a rhythm imposed on them. A Zumba class is a real nightmare for me. But strangely enough, I have no problem with it. There’s no procrastination, the movements are precise: jabs, upper-cuts, hooks, swings. The jabs work and tone the arms, sculpting them and strengthening the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. Upper-cuts and hooks engage the obliques, abdominals and lumbar muscles. This has the merit of being clear, not asking for vague and dubious hip movements. Also, the combination of footwork during these exercises multiplies cardiovascular effort (in other words, increases your chances of burning fat and calories).
We’re all already dripping with sweat, but we’re sharing an unusual peach, and our endorphin secretion needs to be stimulated. For this second phase, we’re paired up to work in pairs, alternating English boxing sequences. My partner wears the gloves and I wear the bear claws. She performs uppercuts and swings, punctuated by squats in between, while I move and land. I’m overwhelmed by what’s happening in front of my eyes: I don’t recognize my office-mate any more, she’s possessed of a bestial animosity that makes me all the more vigilant in my landings, because if she hits me, I know I’ll simply be knocked out.
The roles are reversed and I understand better… The endorphin that comes with the power to hit with all one’s might is both liberating and empowering. You let off steam, but you also gain height. This program also has a psychological impact: the intensity of the blows and the precision of the movements demand motivation and regularity. A real discipline… Claude Debussy said it: discipline must be sought in freedom…
Finally, we finish the session with push-ups, core training, sheathing and stretching to work the deep muscles. After all this, when you step out of your shower you’ll feel like a newborn and that blonde on the beach who intimidated you will be light years away from your thoughts. So get cracking.
Training like a model” courses will be available at Usine Opéra from September.
l’Usine Opéra
8 rue de la Michodière
75002- Paris
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