You can learn boxing at home alone by simply choosing the right boxing supplies, setting up a proper training area, doing basic boxing moves, and training with weights.
If you want to become a self-taught boxer with no instructor yelling in your face, don’t worry – you can make your dreams come true by doing none of those complicated exercises.
Remember those scenes of the all-time favorite movie Rocky – it’s a great example of how to learn boxing at home alone. His training regimen employs improvised equipment and basic workouts, such as push-ups, pull-ups, or running stairs.
He developed strength, speed, boxing moves, techniques, and everything else that is a must for a good boxer.
Many people want to learn boxing because of all the benefits – it’s a great way to get in shape and build strength. But, it can be tough to find the time to go to the gym.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to start boxing at home like a professional in just 30 minutes a day.
Table of Contents
6 Steps To Learn Boxing At Home Alone
Step 1: Choose the Right Boxing Supplies
First, you’ll need some supplies to start with. These can include boxing gloves, a heavy bag, and some protective gear such as mouth guard and sparring shoes. Keep in mind that everything needs to be your size.
Remember that if you are an absolute beginner, you don’t need any equipment – you can do shadow boxing to learn some basic movements, such as stance, footwork, and punches.
Finally, be patient when starting out. It may take time to develop your skills, but with patience and dedication, you can become a professional boxer in just 30 minutes per day!
Step 2: Set Up Your Area
In order to start boxing like a professional, you’ll need some space to practice. You can set up a makeshift ring in your backyard, invest in a proper boxing gym at home, or simply an empty space with a full-size mirror and punching bag.
Luckily, boxing workouts take up a minimal footprint, so I recommend you to set up the area that is about 8 feet by 2 feet, for example.
It needs to be big enough to fit a boxing bag in the middle of the room with enough space to move around. If you don’t have a punching bag or enough space for it, practice shadow boxing and consider buying a self-standing one.
Ensure your training area is weatherproof from rain or boring-to-eyes sunlight. Also, the floor is pretty important – rubber mats can ease the stress placed on the body and lower the risk of injuries.
If you have no choice and need to practice on the carpet, ensure to utilize a fan and towel to minimize the moisture and sweat build-up during a training session.
A training area needs to have suitable equipment for your sport of choice. As I said, it doesn’t need to be expensive or original – you can train with some DIY, improvised equipment. Not everyone has hundreds of bucks for a home gym.
A boxing bag that you can hang on the ceiling is number one and enough for you to get started. An excellent alternative is a self-standing one. This boxing bag type requires less space and it’s easy to store after training.
Besides the punching bag, you can add speedballs or floor-to-ceiling balls, but it’s not necessary for the start.
Some people prefer training outside. In that case, keep in mind that your equipment needs protection – the sun and moisture can slowly destroy the shell and filling.
For those lucky people who have a big area for training, a boxing ring can be an interesting option too, especially if they have a sparring partner.
Once you’ve got your space ready, you’ll need to set some basic guidelines for yourself. Begin by setting a timer for 30 minutes and committing to do one round of punches each day.
After the timer goes off, stop and take a minute to reflect on your practice. Did you work on your footwork? Did you focus on using your hands instead of just punching? If not, make sure to focus on those areas next time around.
Boxing is an intense sport that requires dedication and consistency if you want to become good at it. By following these simple steps, you can start building your boxing skills in no time at all!
Step 3: Warm Up and Stretch
It is important to warm up and stretch before every session. Not stretching can lead to a lot of injuries. Warming up and stretching help your body to improve better after a training session. It improves blood flow and loosens up muscles.
There are two types of stretching to improve your boxing workouts – dynamic stretches and static stretches.
Dynamic stretches involve moving your body actively to warm up your muscles, while a static stretch involves pulling a muscle or joint to its stretch point and holding the position for approximately 20 seconds.
Dynamic stretches are the best before a training session. You can do arm swing, back rotation, or hip circles. Also, you can do some light punching and kicking exercises.
It’s important to do static stretches after throwing punches and being active. For example, you can do posterior and anterior shoulder stretch, forearm and bicep stretch, and calf and thigh release.
Step 4: Learn the Basics of Boxing
Boxing can be a very versatile sport enjoyed by people of all ages. There are many different styles and techniques that can be utilized in boxing, and it is important to learn the basics of boxing so that you can maximize your potential as a boxer.
In this step, you will learn about the basic tenets of boxing including footwork, punches, and defense.
You will also learn how to execute basic punches and footwork, which will help you defend yourself against an opponent. Finally, you will learn how to warm up for a boxing match and make sure that your body is ready to go.
By following these steps, you will be able to start boxing at home like a professional in just 30 minutes a day!
Basics of Boxing you should learn first:
- Punching techniques like Jabs, Cross, Hooks, Uppercuts
- Footwork
- Blocking techniques
- Mental Preparation
- Rules in Boxing
Beginners can start by watching boxing videos on YouTube or reading articles on the subject. Once you have a basic understanding of the basics, you can begin practicing at home with a trainer or punching bag.
It is important to be patient when learning boxing, as it takes time and practice to develop the proper techniques.
If you put in the effort, boxing can be a rewarding hobby that helps you stay fit and healthy.
Step 5: Start Training With Weights
After reading through the article on how to start boxing at home like a professional, it is now time to get down to the nitty-gritty and start training with weights. Boxing is a full-body workout, so you will need to be prepared for some serious muscle soreness after your first few workouts.
There are a few things you can do to ease your pain and make your training more effective.
First, make sure that you are warming up adequately before beginning your workout. Warming up will help increase blood flow and flexibility in your joints, two key factors when it comes to preventing injury.
Second, use proper form when punching and kicking the bag. Any muscle overuse can lead to injury, so be sure not to twist or pull at your joints when working out.
It’s important to have an adequate weight training program that covers every single muscle you need for a ring battle.
Every person has individual needs, so consider talking to someone who will give you some good advice about your training program. Listen to your body and choose what’s best for you and your improvement.
First of all, you need to go through the general preparation phase. Do three sets of 10-12 reps of various exercises, such as squats, bench press, crunches, lat pulldown, triceps pushdown, and bicep curl.
This phase lasts about 10 weeks, and then comes the specific preparation that focuses on the development of skills you need in the battle. Train strength with power and speed with agility for approximately 12 weeks.
Romanian deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, broad jumps, and box jumps are great for this phase. And the last phase is the competition phase where the aim is the maintenance of strength and power.
Ring training and competition dominate here. You can do crunches, squats, hang cleans, and Romanian deadlifts one or two times a week.
Related article: The Truth On Boxing And Weightlifting : Does It Help Or Hurt?
Step 6: Add More Exercises & Advanced Techniques As You Improve
Boxing is a great workout that can be done at home with just a few simple exercises. Adding more exercises as you improve will help you to get the most out of your boxing workout.
Advanced boxing techniques to focus on as you improve:
- Practice Punching combos. When you’re working on your punching patterns, it’s important to focus on using your body and not just your hands. Make sure to keep your chin down and use your shoulder as a shield when you’re punching.
- Work On Your Speed and Power. One of the most important things you can work on is increasing your speed and power. This can be done through drills that focus on throwing punches quickly and powerfully. Additionally, you can also work on this by sparring with a more experienced boxer.
- Add Defensive Tactics. Defensive tactics are just as important as offensive skills when it comes to boxing. When you’re sparring, make sure to use your hands and feet to defend yourself. Be sure to keep your head up and focus on blocking punches instead of throwing them back.
- Practise With Proper Equipment. When you’re boxing, it’s important to use proper equipment. Make sure that you have a good punching bag that is evenly weighted and free from dings or tears. Additionally, make sure to wear protective gear such as gloves and a mouth guard.
Can You Practice Sparring Alone?
You can practice sparring alone by shadow boxing or using punching bags, and practicing against a wall or another object.
Sparring is a great experience if you want to learn boxing for self-defense. It can help you improve your speed, power, and defensive tactics and gain real-life experience (this is the most important thing).
It is true that you need at least one partner for those flow drills. A good reaction time comes with experience via hands-on training with a partner. But, you can solo prepare for sparring.
There are some solo drills that help you to improve both physically and mentally and to develop your strategy and reaction time.
The first step of your solo practice is visualization. Close your eyes and visualize everything about the fight day – your opponent, the audience, everything you hear, feel, or smell. It really helps you to practice more effectively.
The next step includes reactive drills. Their purpose is to reduce that flinch while a punch is coming toward your face. A heavy bag won’t help you here – you need something that can hit you back, and that’s a double-end bag. Some people prefer cobra or slip bag, too.
Another thing that will help you to be great at sparring is watching other people fight and studying it. You can slow down the videos to see the individual movements of boxing legends. You can do some screenshots and highlight those details you want to remember.
After that, do some shadow boxing. Don’t be static, move around and imagine it’s a fight day. Do some blocks, uppercuts, and hooks, and make it realistic.
Also, you can do some virtual sparring and improve your reaction time. You can find a virtual sparring partner in some YouTube videos.
There’s not a real threat of getting hit but it can really help you. You need the screen up at eye level and react to those punches coming from the screen guy. It sounds interesting, right?
Conclusion
You can become a good boxer even if you stay home and train. You don’t have to spend a lot of money – you can do everything with DIY or used equipment.
It’s important for you to go step by step – learn basic boxing movements and once you master those, go with weight training and advanced exercises.
There are no excuses – even though you’re too busy and always in a rush, you can find 30 minutes a day and start boxing like a professional and see results.