Shut Up and Box

I too joined shutup and box through a groupon. The gym on mound is nice but the one in royal oak is to small. The trainers and owner are very good and knowledgeable. But the classes and hours are limited for what they try and charge you. $ 149 enrollment fee and $ 99 a month. Needless to say my groupon is now expired and I joined LA fitness on 13 and mound for less money and more to offer. Sorry shutup and box your prices aren’t worth what you offer.

I was introduced through Groupon to the gym when it first opened and since then I have not missed a class. Its as real as it can get. Al is super ingenious with his training technique and I think for someone like me who has been trying to gain endurance and strength, the workouts have helped me a lot.
I have to leave my house 60mins to sit in peak hour traffic to get to the gym in time !! But I cant wait to get out of work and head to the class. Well worth it.

I like to vary my workouts, so I try different workout spots. I have tried the classes (with a Groupon). With this being said, since so many Groupons were sold the classes are usually full. A plus is that they use Mindbody Online scheduling. You book in advance, so you have a space with no overcrowding. The classes are open two weeks in advance, so you can register. If you don’t show or don’t cancel in 12 hours then you are charged a $ 15 no show fee, a punch on your card, or 1 week taken off from your Groupon. It’s fair given the small class sizes and number of people. Yes, I’ve had to cough up the no show fee because I forgot to cancel a class. That was my fault.
Pros:
Pricing is affordable at less that $ 50/​month for unlimited classes
Variation in classes that are offered: boxing, kickboxing, TRX, tabatta, intensity-​it is NOT for beginners, and some other classes.
A variety of trainers that teach the classes
Music that will keep you hype
Cons:
No email reminders of the class. Given that you have to reserve so far in advance it would be great to have a reminder the day before (some business have them). This may cut down no shows.
No changing room and only 1 restroom
Small building. If you are claustrophobic then bypass here.
Parking is limited (Do not park in the Burger King lot)
No lockers or place to hand your coat (cubby boxes available though)
If you lived in the area, it would be a cool place to workout as you can go home and shower after. The classes are really great if you want a good workout. It’s no fluffy spot. You will get out of it what you put in.
If they moved to a bigger location, I would commit as it is a bit small for my liking. If it were in a larger space then it would be a 4-​star spot. If most of the people stay who bought deal vouchers then SUAB would definitely outgrow it’s current location.

I, too, ambled in here thanks to a Groupon. I will keep a simple pros and cons list:
Pros:
The instructors keep you moving and you will get a great workout
Your body is challenged in ways that it has likely not been challenged before.
Cons:
Super tiny — classes book up very quickly and the space is tight (resulting in accidental collisions); maybe this is alleviated once Groupon tourists like me move on
Although you could theoretically get a reasonable strength workout by stringing together TRX/​kettlebell classes, the focus is cardio.
Technique is not emphasized and I suspect some of what they show you contradicts what I have learned about punching technique. I heard Maria is a former fighter and she walks through some of this, but who wants to take her class so early on a weekday morning?
I thought it was pricy (there is no locker room), especially since I would need to still keep my regular gym membership.
All in all, I decided not to extend my Groupon. I am glad I checked it out, though.

I was first introduced to this gym through Groupon.
It’s small. Really small. This can have its advantages. You get to know the instructors and regular attendees quickly. Music is pumped up and nice and loud, which gives great motivation.
The building can be a little tough to find. I think it shares a building with a dentist, and is right between the animal hospital and Burger King.
Cramming 25 bags into this space becomes claustrophobic really quickly. Not to mention kickboxing requires a certain amount of space to move. You get to know your neighbor really quickly, especially if you accidentally roundhouse kick to their head. They don’t like that. But hey — I only had a square foot of space. What’s a girl to do?
The parking lot is equally tiny, and reminders are given to not use adjacent business parking lots. I have a theory that this is a way to get you to run or ride a bike to class: all part of their sadistic plan to impose pain on your body and whip you into shape.
Getting in and out of class is challenging, as one class piles up outside (no, literally outside in the parking lot) waiting for one class to end. Leaving or going in, all through one standard-​size door, is annoying as you bump into sweaty people trying to get to their cars.
The classes are good, but somewhat repetitive. Basically the same moves and music every week. I also really didn’t like the one-​on-​one requirement during classes: you’re prompted to «find a partner» and then literally box their gloves for 5 minutes. That just sucks, especially if your partner’s skill is mismatched with yours (height, boxing ability, strength).
Al will upsell you with nutrition classes, diet classes and the equipment that’s required, like wraps for $ 15 that you can buy for $ 4.99 at Dunhams.
The class schedule is great, with classes offered as early as 5:30 a.m. on some days, and as late as 7:45 p.m. SUAB is closed on Sunday.
I did like the opportunity to register prior to class, which guarantees you a bag and caps the number of boxers in a class (unlike other gyms that force you to share bags if it gets overcrowded). But there are often problems with the online system, deducting classes from your package when it shouldn’t, or not allowing registration for a class that still has space.
Finally, the new rule at SUAB is that if you don’t cancel your class reservation within 12 hours before start time, (with that system that’s so unreliable) they charge $ 15 or take a WEEK off your 3 or 6 month groupon package. Wow. That’s hard core, especially since I’ve had to miss classes for family emergency or illness, which can’t be predicted 12 hours ahead of time.
Overall, I enjoyed the classes, but the things mentioned above are enough to keep me away until SUAB graduates to a larger space.

I started going to this gym about two weeks ago when I first purchased the Group-​on coupon and I have been fascinated with this place ever since. I first purchased the Group-​on coupon with hesitation as I am a guy that typically likes to work out by myself at the gym or go for a run, but I figured I’d give it a chance now that the winter is coming and a friend of mine had been telling me about this place.
The first class that I showed up to was «Advanced Kickboxing», I have to admit that I was a little lost as everyone else seemed to know what to do. Within seconds, someone came to my aide and told me what I had to do in order to get started with the class. In short, the class was very high energy and fun, nonstop cardio. I was completely tired after 30 minutes, I held through until the end of the hour before calling it quits.
I have since tried many of the other classes they offer and they all provide their own challenges. After my Group-​on expires, I will definitely extend my membership for this gym. I urge you to try this class if you are someone who needs a little kick in the butt in order to get yourself to work out.
Pros:
Variety of classes is a plus
Varied schedule for the working folk
Instructors are really fun and high energy
Equipment readily available for purchase
Cons:
none… but as another reviewer noted… they are closed on Sundays…

I followed über-​energy Al, the founder and owner of newly opened Shut Up and Box, from a local gym. When I first took his class at that gym, I was amazed at his stamina, commitment to instructing and training others, and ability to use the various tools at the gym — bands, stairs, weights, jump ropes, etc. When he left, I followed him to his gym — Shut Up and Box — and I have not looked back since.
The gym is diminutive in size, but don’t you worry — it is packed with power! The classes are intense, high energy, beat-​you-​up workouts. I have worked out for years and I always heard instructors scream, «We have to take it to the next level!» This IS the next level. This IS the epitome of a challenge. I am always tired walking in, energized and profusely sweating walking out, motivated to come back!
What you learn in this gym, you can take with you in life — how to focus, stamina, strength and power. If you leave your ego at home, you will be pushed beyond your limits and wildest dreams. If you are ready to commit, you want to train your mind and body to work at its best, just SHUT UP AND BOX!
Pros:
Variety of classes (even yoga)
Morning and evening classes
Great instructors
Good location
Next door to Burger King (maybe that’s a con :-))
Cons:
Zones and areas in the building are really compact (feel like I am in Europe)
Closed on Sundays (not sure if that is a con? Everybody has to have a day for the body to recover, right?)
The area to change your shoes is really small. Sometimes it is nothing but chaos in the beginning and the end of the class, when folks are scrambling to get their belongings
Wish list:
Locker room, Sauna room, steam room, masseuse (I can dream), a larger workout area

My whole life I have hated working out. I have always been active, but I’ve never enjoyed it. Getting up and going to the gym was always a chore, until I discovered Shut Up and Box. It’s a gym that was opened a few months ago by a trainer named Al Irish. He used to be a boxer and now has been training for years. A coworker of mine has been taking his classes for a few years at a local gym, but then when she told me that Al was opening up his own gym, I wanted to check it out. I started taking classes in February, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Shut Up and Box is a small gym, but it definitely has a lot to offer. There are a bunch of different classes available including kickboxing, TRX, strength training, and yoga, and they are all awesome. The gym feels like a club, but in a good way. Al not only instructs during class, he also pretty much DJs the entire time playing mostly techno music with the right beat for you to punch to. The music is paired up with strobe lights that give off the best atmosphere to be beating up the bag. It gets you pumped up and keeps you going even when you don’t think you can I walk out of every class dripping with sweat, and I am not kidding, there have been times when we are stretching at the end of class and you can see steam coming off of your body.
The kickboxing classes are much better than any kickboxing class you take in the area. You wear wraps and gloves and actually punch a bag, not just the air. The class moves fast with Al yelling out punches and tips to better your technique. Each boxing class is an hour, but the time goes by so quickly with the music and how fast you’re moving. It’s not just punching either. There have been classes where I’ve done more than 100 push ups, or countless squats, jump lunges, kicks, jumping jacks, you name it. You work your entire body, not just your arms. At the end of class, you take your gloves off and do ab exercises. The best part about it is that you don’t even realize that the entire class is cardio. This is a great way to build up your endurance without having to spend a few hours a week at the track.
The other class that I can’t stop taking is called Intensity. It’s a class Al invented, and it’s the best workout I have ever had in my life. For this class he takes down all of the bags and you don’t wear your gloves. You still are doing the boxing moves, but it’s combined with so many other techniques including plyometrics. The entire class is spent on your toes bouncing from side to side, punching, kicking, etc. Your heels hardly ever touch the floor. This class is also done to really fast techno music and strobe lights. However, this class is an hour and a half long, and it will kick your ass. It’s hard, but Al is a really good motivator and will keep you going even when you want to stop. For the last half hour, you work out your abs, butt, and legs. At this point, we usually do anywhere from 90 – 200 sit ups, planks for minutes at a time, and/​or use resistance bands to really get your muscles working. I feel like I am making this class sound awful, but to be honest, some days it really is awful and I feel like I want to curl up on the floor and hold my hamstrings that are on fire. But the thing that I realized about it is that 15 minutes after class is done, I feel great. There are times that I have been sore for a day or two after in certain places of my body, but it’s never been so bad that I didn’t want to go back. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s a better workout than any other that you can do in an hour and a half.
So what are the results I’ve gotten from SUAB besides just feeling better every day and learning self defense? I’ve noticed that I can run a lot further and easier than I used to be able to. My endurance has really built up, and running isn’t so terrible anymore. The best part is that I’ve not only lost weight, I dropped from a size 6 to a size 2. I’ve also noticed huge changes in my muscle definition. My arms are nice and toned, and I can tell my whole upper body has gone through some major changes. I’ve actually had other women comment on my arms saying that they look great and that they don’t even want to mess with me! I love that I have seen all of these results without having to put that much time into it. A lot of the fad workouts like P90X and Insanity require workouts every day for 90 days. That’s ridiculous when I’ve seen similar results by taking these classes 2 – 3 times a week.
There is an orientation class on Saturdays where Al gives a quick demonstration of punches/​technique and a description of each class. His passion to help you get the results you want will get you excited about it as well. Check out the website, register for orientation, then stop going to Zumba classes and get into a class that is motivating and will actually change your body.