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Not all Phoenix fun comes with dim lighting and fancy cocktails. Sometimes, there's nothing better than endorphins, sunshine, and sweat. Lover of all things outdoors, The Outsider explores the more natural side of Phoenix.
Steve Rosenstein, co-owner of The Duce, is on a mission to revive some sweaty, old-school nostalgia.
Just how nostalgic is a Mad Dog workout? Find out after the jump.
The backstory: Long before Steve Rosenstein and his wife Andi moved to Phoenix, the Chicago-based couple started a clothing line with a fitness flare called Fitigues.
"Everything we have done in our careers together has [had] that athletic spin on whatever we're doing. Even if it's clothing," Rosenstein explains.
It wasn't long after opening that Rosenstein started sharing the gym with friends after work. They would meet daily and put together workouts and weight lifting routines.
When asked why he is so dedicated to a more traditional style, he eagerly explains that old school is the best style of training. "I think now that everybody has done every type of training in every facility there is, they have started to realize you can get a better workout on a playground than you can at Gold's Gym -- and without all the froof," he says.
Froofy-free fitness? We had to give it a shot.
Our quads were burning in minutes, and our egos had dissolved after the second honk.
Rosenstein then lead his squad indoors for a 30-minute, circuit-training workout on his retro gym equipment. The workout included weight-lifting, crunches, pull-ups, boxing, and a few other unique activities including a fire hose (you'd have to see it). The highlight of the workout was the 60 seconds in the ring spent enthusiastically jabbing at Rosenstein's shielded hands to the tune of his motivational yells and Chicago accent.
Attendees finally convened in the boxing ring for 15 minutes of push-ups, shoulder presses,
and curls. And to celebrate the finish, participants sucked down a freshly-squeezed, grapefruit mimosa (which might be why half of the participants show up).
The Duce is at 525 South Central Avenue. Mad Dog workouts are every Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. and are $10.
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