Do you remember the old Simon toy? It was a round hunk of plastic with four buttons that would challenge you to match an increasingly tricky series of lights and sounds. Imagine that, but with punching, and you’ve got the concept of Liteboxer.
Liteboxer is a 37.5-inch by 55.5-inch training platform with six punch-panels placed roughly at head height. The LEDs in the panels light up runway-style and include force sensors to track striking power and accuracy.
It’s an innovative concept that serves up that extra bit of motivation that is often lacking in-home workout equipment. If you’ve ever boxed, you know it’s a little like playing chess while running a race — it builds mental prowess, upper-body strength, and core strength, all while maxing out your cardiovascular system. The Liteboxer does all that with the added fun and challenge of matching your workout to music.
App-ly Yourself
Liteboxer’s app interface drives the workout. There are two types of workouts built-in. The first type is a pre-determined sequence of punches designed to work different parts of your body. The second type, driven by Liteboxer’s Rythem Technology, works on the Simon principle — it syncs the lights you have to punch to the rhythm of the music. If you want a more challenging workout, simply up the PPM (punches per minute) option within the app!
Music plays through the app on your phone or tablet, which connects to Liteboxer via Bluetooth (there are no speakers built-in to the Liteboxer hardware). It’s worth noting that the Rythem Technology only works with a collection of pre-selected songs in the Liteboxer app. A drawback is the lack of customization.
You can build a playlist of these songs for a tailor-made workout or hit the quickplay option if you’ve only got a few minutes. We also like the Challenges section of the app — push yourself with a community challenge or challenge a friend for an exciting social experience.
Train. Shower. Repeat.
The Liteboxer app has a diverse range of workouts. Start with the Training Camp to build your skills and get used to punching. Training Camp features an escalating series of challenges to get you up to speed quickly.
There’s also a Stretch and Strengthen option. This workout is a series of strength-training and yoga-based exercises to ensure your muscles and connective tissue are keeping up with your cardiovascular system.
But the real gem of the Liteboxer training program is the trainer-led sessions. These sessions are created by celebrity trainer Leyon Azubuike and led by Azubuike and a collection of trainers from Gloveworx, Azubuike’s LA gym.
Once you’ve selected the trainer-led Session workout, you can choose between five different options: Quick Hitter, Full Body, Beats, Fundamentals, or Endurance. Quick Hitter is a 15-minute workout, while Full Body is Liteboxer’s signature 30-minute total-body sweat sesh. Beats and Fundamentals are both 20-minute workouts. The difference is that Beats is synced to music, while Fundamentals focuses on raising your heart-rate and shredding your abs. The Endurance workout rounds out the bunch — a 45-minute trial of skill and stamina that is sure to leave you gasping.
The Buy
Liteboxer is on pre-order for $1,495. That price gets you the Liteboxer, a pair of Liteboxer gloves, and free delivery. Current orders will ship in late September 2020. That’s enough time to get you in shape for 2021’s beach season. Time to break out of the treadmill rut. Get yourself in rhythm, build strength, and challenge your mind with the Liteboxer.