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Best Boxing Routine at Home for Beginners (With Minimal Equipment)

By: Author Zack Nicholas

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Resources, Striking

In this post we have a couple boxing workouts that you can do at home as a beginner.

I started boxing as a tall, skinny 12 year old with a small everlast heavy bag in my parent’s basement. Instead of just winging it, I wished I followed some of the routines in this post.

While you can do some of these without any equipment, we recommend purchasing some basic home boxing equipment to get the most out of your training.

Lastly, yes, you can learn some basics of boxing on your own. However, taking a couple classes at a trusted boxing gym will be extremely beneficial.

Boxing Routines at Home – Key Takeaways

  • The average boxing workout includes some form of warmup, technique, and conditioning.
  • Trusted boxing youtube videos and instructionals are a decent alternative if you can’t make it to a boxing gym – some good youtube channels for basic boxing instruction and information are:
  • If you want to take your boxing training at home seriously we recommend the minimal equipment below:
    • boxing gloves
    • hand wraps
    • heavy bag
    • jump rope
    • mirror

The best way to practice boxing at home is by purchasing basic boxing equipment like a heavy bag, boxing gloves, and jump rope, following a basic 30 minutes boxing routine at least 3 times a week, and focusing on learning proper technique from videos online.

15 Minute Boxing Routine with No Equipment

Warm-Up (3 minutes)

  • 1 minute of Jumping Jacks: Start with a traditional boxer’s warm-up to get the heart rate up.
  • 1 minute of High Knees: Transition to high knees, focusing on speed and agility.
  • 1 minute of Boxer Skip: Conclude with the boxer skip, bouncing lightly from one foot to the other

Round 1: Basic Punching (4 minutes)

  • 2 minutes of Jab(1)/Cross(2): Alternate between single and double jabs, adding crosses. Vary between slow, powerful punches and quick, sharp ones.
  • 2 minutes of Jab(1)/Cross(2) and Hooks(3)(4): Introduce three- or four-punch combinations starting with a jab/cross followed by hooks (left, right, or both). Alternate between fast and powerful punches.

Round 2: Advanced Combinations (4 minutes)

  • 2 minutes of Jab(1)/Cross(2) and Uppercuts(5)(6): Implement four-punch combinations beginning with a jab/cross followed by left and right uppercuts.
  • 2 minutes of Duck Combinations: Practice ducking after a jab/cross combo. Add a front uppercut and back uppercut to the series, focusing on speed and form.

Cool Down and Finisher (4 minutes)

  • 2 minutes of Active Recovery: Perform a combination of four standard squats and four pop squats for one minute. Follow this with one minute of jumping jacks.
  • 2 minutes of Stretching: Cool down with static stretches focusing on the shoulders, back, legs, and arms. Incorporate neck rolls and deep breathing.

30 Minute Boxing Routine at Home for Beginners with No Equipment

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

  1. Jumping Jacks: 1 minute to get the heart rate up.
  2. High Knees: 1 minute, focusing on bringing knees up high.
  3. Boxer Skip: 1 minute, bouncing lightly on the balls of your feet.
  4. Arm Circles: 1 minute, to loosen up the shoulders.
  5. Butt Kickers: 1 minute, alternating each foot, kicking heel to butt.

Round 1: Basic Punching Technique (6 minutes)

  1. Jab(1)/Cross(2): 3 minutes practicing jabs and crosses. Alternate between single and double jabs, adding crosses. Mix between slow, powerful punches and quick, sharp ones.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Jab(1)/Cross(2) and Hooks(3)(4): 3 minutes of three- or four-punch combinations with jab/cross followed by left and/or right hooks. Alternate between fast and powerful punches.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Round 2: Advanced Punching Combinations (6 minutes)

  1. Jab(1)/Cross(2) and Uppercuts(5)(6): 3 minutes of four-punch combinations starting with a jab/cross followed by left and right uppercuts.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Duck Combinations: 3 minutes starting with a jab/cross, then duck, and add a front and back uppercut. Focus on speed and form.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Round 3: Agility and Endurance (6 minutes)

  1. Shadow Boxing: 3 minutes of freestyle shadow boxing, incorporating all learned punches. Keep moving and focus on footwork.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Calisthenics: 3 minutes alternating between squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. Include a jab/cross with each sit-up.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Cool Down and Finisher (7 minutes)

  1. Active Recovery: 3 minutes of light exercises like jumping jacks and pop squats.
  2. Stretching: 4 minutes of static stretches focusing on the shoulders, back, legs, and arms. Incorporate neck rolls and deep breathing.

30 Minute Boxing Routine at Home with Minimal Equipment

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

  1. Jump Rope: Spend 3 minutes with the jump rope to increase heart rate and improve footwork.
  2. Dynamic Stretching: 2 minutes of dynamic stretching, including arm and hip circles, to get your body ready for the workout.

Round 1: Basic Punching Technique (6 minutes)

  1. Shadow Boxing in Front of Mirror (3 minutes): Focus on jab and cross punches. Use the mirror to correct your form.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Heavy Bag Work: 3 minutes working on the heavy bag with jab and cross combinations. Focus on power and speed.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Round 2: Punching Combinations and Power (6 minutes)

  1. Heavy Bag Combinations (3 minutes): Use jab, cross, hook combinations on the heavy bag. Alternate between fast punches and slower, more powerful ones.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Shadow Boxing with Hooks and Uppercuts (3 minutes): In front of the mirror, focus on hooks and uppercuts, ensuring proper technique.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Round 3: Speed and Agility (6 minutes)

  1. Jump Rope: 3 minutes focusing on speed and agility with the rope.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Shadow Boxing with Footwork: 3 minutes of shadow boxing, incorporating movement and footwork.
  4. Rest: 30 seconds.

Cool Down and Finisher (7 minutes)

  1. Heavy Bag Burnout: 3 minutes on the heavy bag, throwing continuous punches at a moderate pace to burn out the muscles.
  2. Rest: 30 seconds.
  3. Stretching and Relaxation: 4 minutes of static stretches focusing on the shoulders, back, legs, and arms. Use the mirror to ensure proper stretching form.

Recommended Boxing Equipment for Home Workouts

For at home boxing training we recommend the below essentials:

Related: Here Is Our Full Boxing Equipment List Post

With those four items you can get an excellent boxing workout, if you want to consider some additional items for home boxing training we recommend:

  • pull up bar
  • dip stand
  • dumbbells
  • barbell
  • kettlebell
  • resistance bands
  • boxing slip bag

Should You Lift Weights as a Boxer? (Does Lifting Weights Help Boxing?)

To answer the question directly, yes, lifting weights can be beneficial for boxers. However, there are a couple key things to keep in mind.

There are several options for including strength training and weight lifting into your boxing routine (and all of which can be beneficial):

  1. Calisthenics (Pushups/pullups/dips)
  2. Weight lifting with Explosive movements that mimic boxing movements
  3. Bodying building weightlifting routine

In general, we believe you should train boxing to get better at boxing and lift weights to get bigger and stronger

Force = Mass x Acceleration so if you can increase your mass your punches (given that your technique is correct) should become stronger.

So weightlifting can definitely help with boxing in terms of your increasing overall strength and body mass. However, boxing training should be your main focus with weightlifting take a back seat.

Female Boxing Routine for Beginners

While any of the above routines can be performed by women, below we have created a simple 30 minute boxing routine that any woman can do at home:

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

  1. Jumping Jacks (2 minutes): Begin with traditional jumping jacks, spreading your legs shoulder-width apart as you raise your arms over your head.
  2. Mountain Climbers (1 minute): Shift to mountain climbers, alternating knees towards the chest in a plank position.
  3. Arm Circles (2 minutes): Finish the warm-up with arm circles, rotating your outstretched arms forward and backward.

Boxing Drills (10 minutes)

  1. Jab – Cross – Duck – Left Cross (5 minutes): Start in a fighting stance, perform a rapid jab-cross combination, duck, and finish with a powerful left cross.
  2. Plank Punches (2 minutes 30 seconds): In a high plank position, alternate extending arms into a jab punch, focusing on form and balance.
  3. High-Low Straight Punches with Squat (2 minutes 30 seconds): Stand facing a bag, deliver 20 straight punches, squat, and repeat the punches in the squat position.

Core and Strength Training (10 minutes)

  1. Round 1 Strength: Boxer Push-Up (5 minutes): Perform boxer push-ups in a plank position, lowering halfway, then all the way, and pushing back up to the plank.
  2. Round 2 Strength: Bicycle Crunches (5 minutes): Lie on your back and perform bicycle crunches, twisting your torso to bring opposite elbows and knees together.

Cardio Finisher (5 minutes)

  1. Jump Rope Shuffle (5 minutes): Finish with a jump rope shuffle, alternating tapping one foot out while hopping on the other, for an energetic close to the workout.

Related Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Learn Boxing by Myself?

Yes, you can start your boxing journey on your own, but it is always best to get some legitimate instruction from a coach at a boxing gym. If that is not possible you can use technique instruction from experienced boxing coaching from videos on YouTube or other locations.

Again, in person training at a boxing gym is best, but if that’s not posible video instruction is another option.

Is 30 Minutes of Boxing a Day Enough?

Yes, an intense 30-minute boxing session can give you a solid workout. Remember, it’s not just about the duration of the workout; it’s about the intensity as well.

Boxing 30 minutes a day is more than enough to see some progress. We recommend starting with 30 minutes of boxing 3 days a week for beginners and with minimal equipment like a heavy bag, boxing gloves, and jump rope.

Is 15 Minutes of Boxing Enough?

15 minutes of boxing is enough if the intensity is kept high. For example, 15 minutes straight of hitting a heavy bag will be very intense and a decent workout.

However, we recommend aiming for 30 minutes of boxing training 3 days a week with minimal equipment (heavy bag, gloves, jump rope) to get the most out of your boxing training.

How Many Hours Should a Beginner Boxer Train? (Each Day/Week)

Training as a beginner boxer should ideally start at 3-4 days per week, with the duration of each primarily focused session being 30 minutes – 1 hour.

You can always increase your weekly training sessions over time, but we recommend starting at 2-3 training sessions per week atleast initially until your body gets used to the training.

What Is the Best Way to Practice Boxing at Home?

The best way to practice boxing at home is by purchasing basic boxing equipment like a heavy bag, boxing gloves, and jump rope, following a basic 30 minutes boxing routine at least 3 times a week, and focusing on learning proper technique from videos online.

Will Boxing Alone Get Me Ripped?

While boxing is a full-body workout, it will not get get you ripped or help you gain muscle in the way that weightlifting and dieting will.

If you’re goal is to lose weight, boxing can help you burn calories and maintain a caloric deficit. However, if your goal is to gain muscle you should lift weights and be in a caloric surplus to gain weight and muslce.

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