Caveman Conditioning class at LA Boxing

Chicago 6/7/11Students do a variety of exercises during a Caveman fitness class at LA Boxing in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood.

Photo: Allison Williams

The class Caveman Conditioning at LA Boxing South Loop (8 E 9th St, 312-922-8269)

The details “I gotta warn you, it’s a proper beat down.” That’s the first thing LA Boxing trainer Mike Chalmers says about the new class he designed. Following in the tradition of CrossFit and even MMA fitness, the Caveman class involves hardcore explosive movements, supersets and cardiomuscular exhaustion. So what’s up with the name of the class? Chalmers says students employ some actions that seem like something a caveman might have had to endure, such as jumping, squatting, crawling and running. “Like a lot of these new-wave fitness formulas, the workout seems to be a success if the participant is basically crawling around looking for a bucket to puke in afterwards,” Chalmers says. You spend about a minute at one of a few stations that each involve an exercise or movement and hit a large number of muscles. By the end of the hour-long class, you’ll have completed about 21 different exercises—to exhaustion. “Last week, over half of the class just laid on the mat, unable to do anything when I ended the session,” Chalmers says. “And many of these folks are in shape.”

When to take it Tuesdays at 4:30pm. Monthly membership rates start at $69.