enter the ring
Austin gym to launch free monthly boxing club for beginners
The new club is open to anyone with or without boxing experience.
If the scariest part of starting boxing is the price, Austinites have no more excuse not to slip on some gloves and get in the ring. Pressure Gym is starting a free new monthly boxing series on September 26 at 8:30 am. It'll take place at Padel39, a newly opened sports club for padel players.
Pressure Boxing Club will introduce attendees to boxing fundamentals, a press release says, emphasizing a welcoming group experience. (Organizers say they expect 50-100 people to show up.) Each session includes three workout "stations" that train new boxers in fundamental skills and get them fit with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and plyometrics specifically chosen for boxing prowess.
“A lot of people are curious about boxing but never try it because walking into a boxing gym can feel intimidating,” said Pressure Gym founder Shane Keefe in a press release. “We created Pressure Boxing Club to make that first experience welcoming, social and fun, while still giving people a real introduction to how boxers train.”

The release compares the new club to run club, a popular social experience for outdoorsy Austinites who want to meet new people, and maybe run (or jog, or walk) while doing so.
The first event will set up three attendees with some perks that will help in their boxing journey: boxing gloves and hand wraps from Poztev Martial Arts, 21 meals from My Fit Foods, a blood panel from GameDay Men’s Health, and a month of peptides, which may help boxers with things like muscle growth and bone mineral density, but are subject to consultation.
Other partners and sponsors include C4 Energy and SweatPals, which are bringing merch and towels, respectively, plus My Fit Foods, GameDay Men’s Health, and Poztev Martial Arts.
One more notable partner is the Texas Boxing Club at the University of Texas. Founding partner Devin Shendell explains that Pressure Gym plans to support the club "really in any capacity that we can," including lending the facility to the club and helping them train. The gym wants to help boost the club's reputation on campus while bringing attention to its own offerings. That also means UT students can expect to see a lot of each other at the new club sessions.
Just like the new club, Pressure Gym itself — despite a tough name — also welcomes beginners for boxing and kickboxing classes, as well as amateur competitors and professional fighters. It is particularly geared toward inviting in women and new participants, but also offers a high level of training for those who are ready for it.
To attend, folks will need to fill out a registration and waiver in advance. The first workout runs from 8:30-10 am, but organizers ask that attendees arrive early. Padel39 is located at 4716 E. 5th St.
