The creator of the classes is Rob Forcelli, a three-time Golden Gloves boxer with a record of 14-1. He was also a baseball player who had to give up the game due to a knee injury, a kick boxer who fractured his ankle, a soap opera actor in "Another World" and a "Potato King" street vendor in Manhattan.

His philosophy: "A contender is somebody who strives to better themselves. Everybody in life, no matter what you do for a living, wants to be a contender."

Rob Forcelli and his Contender's Club videos are listed in the January 2004 issue of W magazine as the hottest up-and-coming fitness trainer and fitness videos in the country.

One benefit of this workout is that it only takes five square feet of space to do it, so it works in Hawai'i's small homes as well as in hotel rooms so those who travel can take it with them.

The popularity of his classes inspired Forcelli to develop a series of videos that enable folks to participate in Contender's Club classes at home. The format is divided into "rounds," as in boxing, and uses moves such as jabs, hooks and punches in conjunction with jumping rope, squats and push-ups.

A warning: These workouts are not for beginners. They may challenge even intermediate fitness buffs.