Drip50: Boxing, Hip Hop and a Killer Workout

Toronto-based fitness pros Nate Bower, founder of Nate Bower Fitness, and Danny Davalos, a dance teacher and choreographer, have collaborated to create Drip50, a 50-minute workout that combines the intensity and power of boxing with the rhythmic energy of hip hop dancing. We caught up with the energetic pair to chat boxing, dance, nutrition and music.

Drip50 is a 50-minute workout fusion of boxing and hip hop. Why do these elements make for such an effective workout?

Nate Bower: Boxing and hip hop are both based on rhythm, movement and coordination. When you fuse them together you have a very dynamic workout. It’s an aerobic workout with interval components throughout. The intervals change from high intensity to medium intensity to low intensity and back to high intensity so there’s limited rest.

What if you’re not very coordinated? Can you still follow along?

Danny Davalos: The steps are challenging but I designed the steps in a way that anyone can follow along. At the end of the day, learning the dance steps comes down to muscle memory. The more repetitions or practice you do, the more your body will remember. It’s challenging but it’ll be fun even for someone who doesn’t think they’re very coordinated. You can always press play and try it again.

NB: The rhythm of the music also helps with the boxing component. It allows you to throw combinations with more fluidity. The beat of the music is allowing you to gain confidence because it makes sense when you hear certain beats of the music to punch the combination. By the end you’re not really thinking about the music and punch-jab combinations, you’re just moving to the rhythm.

Why is this workout a great do-anywhere option?

NB: You don’t need any equipment!

DD: I travel a lot and I could play [Drip50] on my phone or iPad and just do the workout in my hotel room. You don’t even need that much space. You can literally do it anywhere.

Tell us about the nutrition plan that comes with Drip50. Why include a nutrition plan?

NB: The nutrition plan helps simplify what you need to eat. It gives you average serving sizes of things like protein, fat, carbohydrates that you will need based on your weight.

DD: We all know that exercise alone is not everything. We know that 70 to 80 percent of the battle comes down to nutrition.

Why is it important to enjoy your workout?

DD: If you’re not enjoying [your workout], you’re not going to do it again.

NB: I think there’s a stigma attached to exercise that working out is not fun. If you have fun doing something that is going to make you healthier, why not? It’s so easy to get bored with your workout so the more you change it the more effective it is. Humans are not meant to run in a straight line so the more you mix it up the better your workout.

What’s the benefit of music on your fitness performance?

DD: I think hip hop has become more mainstream and people can really relate to it. Having that fun music playing in the background helps. Even me, when I forget my headphones, I’m like forget it; I’m not working out.

NB: A dope playlist will change the way you do anything. It could be fitness, it could be just walking down the street and you’ve got more of a bounce in your step. So if you add music into your fitness regimen, how can you go wrong? How can you not have a good workout?

Download Drip50 (and its nutrition plan) at drip50.com for $25.99.

Want to know what you’re getting into first? Check out drip50.com/drip10-workouts for 10 free 10-minute workout videos. This series is designed to improve strength, coordination and conditioning and serves as a great foundation before jumping into the sweat-inducing intensity of Drip50.