Now that boxing has reached its peak as the trendiest fitness regime to get on, a number of equally fashionable boutique gyms have popped up in the vicinity promoting the sport, in turn garnering a cult-like following with their buzzy disco-lit, HIIT-infused classes.
Vanda is quite a bit different from these gyms. Located right in the heart of Singapore’s frenetic Central Business District along Robinson Road, the space is a no-nonsense boxing gym dedicated to bringing your goals to the forefront with the help of new-age technology and old-school boxing classes.
Facilities
Vanda is exactly what you’d expect of an authentic boxing gym. The space is a gimmick-free area that’s neither Instagrammable nor filled with the latest treadmill or aquabags. Instead, you get the sense that it’s the sort of place that produces actual champions who can pull their weight in a proper boxing ring.
Divided into two levels, the bottom reserved for boxing class and the upper, for Muay Thai, Vanda distinguishes the obvious difference between the two martial arts with different types of punching bags. But right smack in the center of ground level is perhaps what Vanda has come to be known for the most. As venue to White Collar Boxing, the boxing ring has seen dramatic boxing bouts between the gym’s white collar trainees as they pit themselves against each other for charity — twice a week.
A free weights section and gym floor allow for the freedom to work out on your own as well.
Classes
As old school as Vanda might sound, the gym is actually all about intelligent training.
Here, (extremely) close personal mentoring is coupled with fitness technology to help achieve goals faster, whether they gravitate around improving techniques, losing weight, or sculpting your dream physique.’
Those looking to focus on nailing punching forms or footwork can opt for the Technique and Skill Work class, while Bullet Boxing is a 30-minute high-intensity power class that revs up your metabolism for the rest of the day. Then there’s Fighter Fit, which is an all-rounded boxing class that combines technical combinations with high-packed bag work, and then topped off with explosive circuit work.
While the classes are all extremely popular amongst the busy CBD crowd, they’re still kept small and with a reasonable coach-to-student ratio so you don’t have to vie for attention. One-on-one sessions are, of course, available for those who want a more tailor-made experience.
Regardless of whatever your goal is, Vanda excels the most in making sure you attain it. Coaches such as Ryan are one of the most dedicated we’ve come across in a while, working to not only correct boxing techniques, but also doing the tedious work of steering all his trainees through better life choices. This included the entire wellness spectrum, from doing precise body mass weigh-ins quarterly, right down to a highly-personalised food pyramid that counts your optimum protein and carb intake down to the last gram.
Verdict
Close mentoring is at the heart of Vanda, so if you’re the sort that needs a little bit of push, you’ve come to the right place.
Technology that tracks heart rates and calories (which are projected on a big screen at classes) means that you can no longer cheat your way through class, and enables coaches to keep up with your activity even when you’re overseas.
Classes are well thought out and cater to every boxing proficiency, and the inclusion of shorter high-intensity classes are a welcomed addition for many time-starved office-goers looking to squeeze a quick workout in.
If you stick to both your workout and dieting regime as closely as Vanda’s coaches advise you to, you’ll no doubt hit your goals in half the time.
Shatricia Nair
Managing Editor
Shatricia Nair has a passion for motoring, beauty, and wellness, and is perpetually knee-deep in the world of V8s, retinols, and latest fitness trends. She has nine years of experience writing for digital media, and her bylines have appeared in Prestige, and Augustman. She'll do (almost) anything for good chocolate chip cookies.
