9Round Oak Creek Wants to Streamline Your Workout

's doors are now open at 8907 S. Howell Ave. - the shopping complex adjacent to Target. 9Round, which has franchises all over the United States in addition to their Madison and Brookfield locations, offers a different kind of workout than your typical fitness facility.

The gym is so-named because of its nine-round/station set-up - each featuring cardio-intensive boxing-kickboxing exercises. Members begin at the jump rope and work their way around to various heavy and speed bags before concluding at an ab station.

Rounds last 3 minutes, with 30 seconds of rest in between, bringing the total workout time to approximately one half-hour.

Another unique element to 9Round is that each time you work out you're accompanied by a personal trainer, who leads you through the routine, motivating you the whole way. At 9Round Oak Creek, your trainer is likely to be part-owner/lead trainer - Drew Stauffacher.

Stauffacher possesses six years of personal training experience as well as a Kinesiology degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While the combat-style of the workout might seem too intense for your standard soccer-mom, the trainer assures that it's not.

"We're not training fighters. We strive for fitness. Our motto is 'Get Fit, Never Hit'."

Drew is also quite confident that 9Round's 30 minute set-up is all you'll need get a great, full-body workout. His advice to skeptics: "Try it! Everyone works at their own pace, but we've trained ironman triathletes here too."

Ironmen, eh? That sounds like a challenge. Be sure to check back in for part 2 tomorrow, where I'll detail my experience taking on 9Round's 30 minute workout for myself.

For more information on 9Round Oak Creek, stop in at 8907 S Howell Ave., ste. 1000 or call 414-764-6680.

Now open: Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m.-Noon; closed Sundays.