Can You Lose Weight by Boxing?
Yes, you can lose weight by boxing. Boxing will burn calories and help you maintain a daily caloric deficit. If you are eating less calories than you are burning you will lose weight and boxing will help with just that!
Before you go out and buy your first pair of boxing gloves, check out some of the reasons below on why boxing is perfect for weight loss…
| Activity: | Average calories burned for 30 minutes of activity: |
| Sitting | 35 |
| Stretching | 99 |
| Walking | 150 |
| Running | 375 |
| Weightlifting | 285 |
| Swimming | 350 |
| Basketball | 240 |
| Boxing* | 410 |
| Wrestling | 390 |
| BJJ Sparring | 365 |
1. Aids in Losing Weight by Helping You Acheive a Caloric Deficit
If you’re trying to lose weight, calories are king. Forget about super foods, fads, and trendy diets,
If you are burning more calories than you are consuming you will lose weight.
If you are struggling with keeping your daily calories low, doing an activity like boxing can help you burn extra calories and help you stay in a caloric deficit.
Above we have a comparison chart of different activities and how many calories they burn (keep in mind this is based off of a 185 male and calories will change depending on age, sex, weight, intensity).
However, this should give you a good idea that boxing is one best exercises you can do to burn calories.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Boxing is also an excellent cardiovascular workout, boosting heart health and stamina.
By engaging both the aerobic and anaerobic systems, your heart gets better at pumping blood to the muscles. Regular sessions will likely lower your blood pressure, improve circulation, and increase lung capacity, all contributing to overall cardiovascular health.
Boxing workouts inherently consist of short, intense bursts of activity followed by rest periods, classified as interval training. This method effectively increases heart rate and improves the cardiovascular system’s capacity to manage sustained high-intensity physical exertion. Research has shown that interval training is more beneficial to cardiovascular health than steady-state cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging at a continuous pace.
3. Uses Multiple Large Muscles Structures Across the Body
Boxing works your entire body – using your upper body as well as your lower body.
Boxing drills engage your whole body, especially large muscle structures – think about your shoulders, back, chest, and hips.
This full-body approach results in a higher calorie burn, improved muscle tone, and total physical fitness. Hence, boxing is more effective for weight loss than workouts that only focus on a few muscle groups or sectioned off to specific days of the week in a body building program.
If you’re goal is weight loss than a combination of aerobic and anaerobic types of exercises should be your go to.
When you mix upper and lower body movements in your boxing routine, you’re working out multiple muscles at once – everything from your deltoids to your calves. That’s what makes boxing such a powerful way to boost your metabolism, lose fat, and build muscle.
4. Can Help Build Lean Muscle While Burning Belly Fat
Boxing not only helps you lose excess body fat but also builds lean muscle tissue, creating a toned and fit appearance.
Again, keep in mind that boxing uses a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, while boxing hasn’t been shown to produce nearly as much lean muscle as purely anaerobic activities like weight lifting, it can still produce some lean muscle gain.
Boxing sessions can also be tailored to target different muscle groups, further contributing to overall muscle development.
Don’t forget – more lean muscle mass means a higher metabolic rate, making it easier to maintain a caloric deficit. By including cardio-based and resistance training exercises in your boxing routine, you’re maximizing your weight loss results.
5. Teaches You Self Defense and Increases Confidence
Now onto the non physical benefits of boxing, simply put, as your boxing skills grow, you’ll also see your self-confidence skyrocket.
And trust me, not only will this confidence boost will keep you motivated and focused on your weight loss goals in boxing, but will also achieve more confidence in your everyday life.
After ~1 year of boxing, I can guarantee you know way more about striking and self defense than any untrained individual. With success in the boxing gym and with sparring in boxing, you will have a ton of confidence in any self defense situation.
6. Great Form of Stress Relief
Boxing is a well-known stress-buster. As an intense workout, it lets you vent out your daily stressors.
Plus, a boxing workout releases endorphins, the body’s “feel-good” hormones. Endorphins help alleviate stress and improve mood, fostering a positive outlook.
Boxing’s focus and concentration requirements serve as a mental escape, allowing you to forget about your stressors for a while and immerse themselves in the present moment.
7. Encourages Healthy Eating Habits
As you get more into boxing, you’ll naturally start paying more attention to what you eat. You don’t want to spend all that time training hard in boxing only to have your diet limit your progress.
Yes weight loss is 70% based on what happens in the kitchen, but a combination of hard training and solid diet is the key to losing weight with boxing.
Consuming a balanced diet plays a crucial role in maximizing the benefits of your boxing workouts. You’ll start favoring nutrient-dense options that provide essential nutrients for optimal functioning and recovery. In doing so, you won’t just be losing weight, but enhancing your overall quality of life.
8. Encourages Discipline
Another of the top reasons why boxing is perfect for weight loss is the discipline it instills in its practitioners.
The sport demands a high level of dedication, focus, and commitment, as simply showing up to a boxing gym is not enough to achieve success.
Participants must consistently push their limits, train even when they don’t want to, refine their techniques, and adhere to a weekly training regimen to see improvements.
This discipline translates directly to weight loss, as the development of healthy habits and adherence to proper exercise routines contribute to shedding surplus pounds.
9. Utilizes a Fluid Format
This section of reasons is focused on boxing classes and benefits of including a boxing routine into your training.
The fluidity of boxing training relates to two factors:
- boxing exercises or boxing training sessions will slowly increase in difficulty throughout the class
- boxing training can specifically adapt to your fitness level
One significant advantage of boxing as a weight loss activity is its fluid format, which means it effortlessly adapts to your specific fitness level, goals, and strengths. This flexibility allows individuals with varying levels of experience to work out together, creating a friendly and inclusive environment.
It also caters to different training goals, whether they center on strength, stamina, mobility, or core conditioning. This fluid format is essential for keeping workouts fresh and engaging, ensuring diversity within a training regime.
For instance, a typical boxing session can incorporate various elements such as warm-ups, shadowboxing, heavy bag drills, mitt work, strength training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). These diverse workout components ensure that each session remains challenging and exciting, fostering an ongoing commitment to achieving your weight loss objectives. It also allows for cross-training across different disciplines, further maximizing your fitness gains.
10. It’s Just Fun
Apart from all the physical benefits, boxing is a blast!
Traditional fitness routines can get boring, but not boxing. It’s dynamic, engaging, and unique each time.
The learning curve in boxing keeps individuals challenged and focused on their goals. Boxing workouts incorporate various techniques, footwork drills, and combinations that continually evolve as one improves.
Challenging yourself and learning new skills brings excitement to the process.
*Bonus Benefit* if you’re taking boxing classes at a gym, it’s a great place for camaraderie and to meet friends
Stepping into a boxing gym, you instantly feel a strong sense of camaraderie. The atmosphere buzzes with shared goals, dreams, and sweat-soaked determination.
You find yourself amidst people who’ve got your back, urging you on and sharing in your struggle. Such unity can be a significant catalyst when you’re on a weight loss journey, as the support and encouragement spur you to stay on track and disciplined (and trust me, discipline is everything!).
If you do well and prefer group classes (like my wife does), training boxing at a gym can be extremely motivating.
The social element of boxing gives a unique edge to this sport, transforming it from a mundane workout routine into a close-knit community of fitness enthusiasts overtime.
The boxing gym environment isn’t just about throwing punches; it’s also about building connections that extend beyond the walls of the gym. Through martial arts, I’ve met some of the most friendly, interesting, and supportive people and even made several friends that I see outside of the gym.
Alternatively, what if you can’t make it to a gym or simply prefer the solitude of your own home? Can boxing still work for weight loss?
Tips for Boxing to Lose Weight
Here are some general tips for using boxing to lose weight both at home and at the gym:
- Set realistic goals: Before starting your boxing workouts, establish clear and attainable fitness goals. By setting realistic targets, you can monitor your progress, adjust your workout intensity, and stay motivated throughout your weight loss journey. If your diet is in check you guarantee results with boxing.
- Set a Schedule: try to create a set scheduled number of days you will do boxing each week (something like I will do boxing training Mon/Wed/Fri for 30 minutes)
- Focus on the fundamentals: Beginners should spend adequate time learning and perfecting the basic boxing techniques, such as proper stance, footwork, and punch execution. By mastering the fundamentals, you will reduce the risk of injury and ensure that each workout session targets the correct muscles.
- Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT): To increase the calorie-burning potential of your workouts, consider implementing HIIT principles into your boxing sessions. This form of training alternates between bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by short rest periods, providing a more demanding workout that maximizes weight loss.
- Pay attention to your diet: While boxing is a highly efficient weight loss workout, diet plays a crucial role in your overall success. Make sure you maintain a healthy, balanced diet, filled with whole foods rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, to complement your fitness regimen.
- Incorporate strength training: To further enhance your weight loss journey, consider complementing your boxing workouts with strength training exercises such as body weight exercises or a weight lifting routine. This combination will help in building lean muscle mass while increasing overall strength and endurance.
- Track your progress: Keep a record of your workouts, including duration, intensity, and weight loss results. Monitoring your progress will help you identify areas that may need improvement while keeping you motivated and focused on achieving your fitness goals.
Why Boxing is Perfect for Weight Loss – Last Words
Listen, if I haven’t convinced you by now, boxing is a great form of exercise to lose weight and keep your cardio engaging.
Why not learn some basic striking and self defense skills along with some confidence while burning calories.
In this post we’ve laid out some options and info for training at home on your own or training at a legitimate boxing gym.
Boxing is perfect for weight loss because it is an intense aerobic and anaerobic form of exercise that supports both fat loss and muscle gain. With boxing, you can learn a new skill while staying engaged,having fun, and losing weight.
I hope this post has been helpful for anyone looking to try out boxing to lose weight.
Thanks for reading and hope you have a good day – Zack
Frequently Asked Weight Loss Questions in Boxing
Q: How many calories can you burn during a typical boxing workout?
A: Depending on the intensity of the workout and individual factors such as body weight and fitness level, you can burn up to 800 calories per hour during a boxing session.
Q: Can you lose weight just by doing boxing workouts and not changing your diet?
A: While boxing workouts are highly efficient in burning calories, your diet will ultimately determine your weight loss or weight gain. Boxing can help you maintain a caloric deficit which is the number one factor required to lose weight.
Q: Is it necessary to spar and compete in boxing to lose weight?
A: No, sparring and competition are not required for losing weight through boxing. However, if you are interested in sparring and competing they are a great way to sharpen your skills and find out what works and what doesn’t among your boxing techniques. Finally, you should only spar if you’re comfortable. If you prefer to just train boxing and lose weight along with the other benefits mentioned in this post that’s totally okay!
Q: Is Boxing Safe for Weight Loss at Any Age?
A: Boxing is suitable for weight loss at any age, as the intensity and progression of training can be safely tailored to each individual’s fitness level and personal goals. As with any exercise, it is crucial to consult a medical professional before beginning a new fitness program, particularly if you have pre-existing health concerns or haven’t been active for an extended period.
Q:How Long Should I do Boxing to Lose Weight?
A: While the exact duration to reach one’s weight loss goals varies depending on individual factors, a general time frame to consider would be at least 3 to 6 months of regular, dedicated training. With a solid diet and maintaining a daily caloric deficit, you can safely aim to lose 1-2% of you bodyweight each week. (if you weigh 150 lbs you can safely aim to lose ~1 lb per week). Remember slower weight loss is always better!
Q: Will Boxing 3 Times a Week Get Me in Shape?
A: Boxing 3 times a week can definitely help you get in shape. 3 times a week is a solid number of sessions to aim for each week. I wouldn’t recommend aiming for less than 2 days a week.
You can go beyond 3 days of training each week as long as you closely monitor your recovery.
Q: Why Do Boxers Lose Weight Fast?
A: One of the main reasons why boxers lose weight quickly is due to the high-intensity nature of their training routines. Again, the intensity of boxing training can be tailored to your own fitness level.
Boxing combines elements of both strength training and cardiovascular exercises to create incredibly efficient workouts.
Q: Can Boxing Help You Lose Belly Fat?
A: Yes, boxing can be a highly effective method for losing belly fat. This increased calorie expenditure in boxing training can help you maintain a caloric deficit and reduce fat in the body, including around the midsection.
Q: Is Boxing Considered Cardio?
A: Yes, boxing is most definitely considered a cardio exercise.
The reason for this categorization lies in the fact that boxing incorporates high-intensity interval training (HIIT) principles, which effectively elevate the heart rate and engage the cardiovascular system. The exercises performed in boxing usually fall in line with aerobic exercises similar to running or biking.
While some exercises may be similar to anaerobic exercise (like that of weight lifting), the majority of movements you do in boxing will be closer to aerobic exercise (cardio).
Q: Does Shadowboxing Help with Weight Loss?
AWhile it may not be the most intense part of your boxing training or the most effective type of training to lose weight, shadowboxing can contribute to weight loss.
The key to achieving weight loss through shadowboxing lies in the intensity and duration of the workout. The more vigorously one performs shadowboxing exercises and the longer the session, the more calories will be burned, ultimately contributing to weight loss.
Zack is an avid jiu jitsu practitioner and martial arts nerd. He currently holds a brown belt in BJJ. When not on the mats or in the gym, he can be found going for walks with his wife, attempting (and often failing) to train his dog, and frequently obsessing over a specific hobby only to forget about it a week later.
