Boxing L.A.-style comes to Cary

At L.A. Boxing on Harrison Avenue, traditional exercise machines line the walls, but the classes center around individual punching bags.

"We don't do pilates. We don't align your chi," said Mona Johnson, who runs the franchise. "You come to work out here."

The classes are lead by professional boxer Bonnie Mann. She holds a world title and is prepping for fights this summer.

Mann said you don't have to be a boxing pro, though, to benefit from her classes. She aims to guide and correct first-timers, while motivating the more experienced people in the class.

Participants first wrap their hands to support their fingers inside the boxing gloves. And once the gloves come on, the real workout starts – no choreography, no music, just a hardcore session with a punching bag.

Trainers say the resistance of the punching bag enhances the workout, and Mann's classes do not allow for a real rest in the entire hour.

Those two things mean that participants who go all-out can burn 1,000 calories a session.

Mann encourages novices to go at their own pace, which means they might not reach that goal the first time out.