9Round to open in Irmo; five more coming to Midlands area soon

A seventh area 9Round fitness center will open in Irmo in February and five more of the Greenville-based kickboxing circuit-focused centers are coming to the Columbia area in the next few years.

"Consumers are becoming more aware and ambitious with their fitness levels and are looking for real fitness programs and not just access to fitness equipment," said 9Round Irmo owner and head trainer, Chris Arzu.

9Round was designed by reigning IKF light middleweight kickboxing champion of the world, Shannon "The Cannon" Hudson in 2008. Workouts consist of nine, three-minute stations of activities that include cardio, weight training, abdominal exercises and kicks and punches on 100-pound, double-end, upper cut and speed bags. A real boxing bell rings to begin the workout, another to warn the station is ending and a third to signal the end. Members have a 30-second active break between rounds to recover.

"Everything is total body. A single punch works the arms, chest, abs, back, hips and legs when done correctly. Paired with squat jumps, push-ups, dumbbell curls and planks members get a different, dynamic workout each day," Azru said. "We bring these things to the average person, so they feel like they are training like a real fighter. They’re doing things Muhammad Ali may have done."

Today there are over 450 9Round clubs located in 40 states and nine countries. 9Round Irmo is located at 10739 Broad River Rd. in Irmo and is open Monday through Saturday.

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 9:39 AM with the headline "9Round to open in Irmo; five more coming to Midlands area soon."