Lightbox is a compact venue nestled within the Vauxhall arches, close to Vauxhall Station. Usually a vibing club where house music reverberates through to your very soul, this popular South London spot transforms itself during the week into an even sweatier workout space courtesy of fitness collective New Motion.
The space is undeniably cool. In fact, wandering in feels a little strange, especially if you’re used to corporate or dreary gyms. Not only are the walls covered in twinkling LEDs, there’s a bar behind you, which feels like a particularly cruel taunt during a post-work class. Luckily, as soon as the workout begins, those distractions drift away.
New Motion have a mixed bag of classes on offer, including: 4Kardio Dance, HIIT x House and Vinyasa Flowz. I headed into Box ‘n’ Bass. Wraps on, I begin a supercharged warm-up where cardio takes centre stage. As everyone star jumps to the beat, the LEDs inject some fun into the workout. Then begins the boxing, where combinations and pad work are joined by some high-tempo tunes to get you really pumped. Later on in the class burpees are also thrown into the mix, as well as core-testing planking variations, squats (lots of ‘em) and sun-salutation-esque twists. It’s all pretty sweaty and tough, but it’s so much fun that it hardly seems to matter. Plus, punching things whilst listening to Pow by Lethal Bizzle is nothing short of hilarious.