With at-home equipment and virtual class options, boxing has become a more accessible form of fitness over the course of the pandemic. As someone who has always enjoyed the sport, I'm not surprised that during a particularly stressful time people have gravitated toward boxing as a workout option. It's a great way to help combat stress, work up a sweat and torch calories — and it's a fun way to move your body.
But you don't need fancy equipment or pricey classes to give it a try. FightCamp trainers Jess Evans and Raquel “Rocky” Harris put together this 30-minute boxing workout that you can do at home using just your body weight. The best part? It's modifiable for every fitness level.
Before you jump into the workout, take a few minutes to master the boxing stance. Stagger your feet with the dominant leg placed behind you and your recessive leg placed forward. Then shift your dominant leg 45 degrees outward, and let the same side hip and shoulder follow. Be sure to guard your chin by placing one fist on either side. Tuck in your elbows and bend your legs for balance.
Now you're ready to go!
Choose your workout Intensity
There are six exercises in this workout. Before you begin, choose your interval timing based on your fitness level.
- Beginner: Do each exercise for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.
- Intermediate: Do each exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds.
- Advanced: Do each exercise for 50 seconds and rest for 10 seconds.
Related
Warm up
Jumping Jacks
Stand with your feet together and hands by your sides. Next, lift your toes and simultaneously jump to bring your feet apart. At the same time raise both arms above your head. Jump back to the starting position with your feet together and hands by your sides. Perform for one minute.
Squats
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands up, guarding your face. Next, exhale then lower your glutes away from your hip flexors and bend until they are perpendicular to your knees. Maintain an upright chest position and keep your chin down. Inhale and return back to the starting position. Perform for one minute.
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Workout
Repeat this six-move circuit five times for a 30-minute workout.
Forward shuffles
Stagger your feet into your fight stance. Next, shift your weight onto the ball of your feet. Push off your back-foot to step forward with your lead foot. Continue this motion without pause to shuffle forward. Shuffle for about three beats. Then reverse the same pattern backwards. To reverse, push off your front foot.
Tip: Maintain your fighting position during the shuffle by keeping distance between both legs.
Jab cross x 2
This move consists of four straight power punches — a jab cross performed twice — with a three-second break in-between. To perform a jab: From your fighting stance extend your lead arm in front of you then rotate your knuckles inward. Return your fist back to your chin. To perform a cross: Repeat the jab movement with your rear arm. As you are extending your rear arm, simultaneously pivot on the ball of your back feet to elongate the punch and engage your hip flexors.
Tip: Keep your elbow in close to your body and rotate your shoulder forward as your arm extends.
3 pushups to 3-second plank hold
Start in a high plank position with your hands placed underneath your shoulders. To modify, perform on your knees. Exhale then bend your arms 45 degrees to lower your body into a pushup position. Next, inhale and return to a high plank position. Repeat three times, then hold the high plank for three seconds.
Sprawl to punch
Squat down and place your hands in front of your body on the ground, then shoot your legs out into a high plank position together. Keep your spine and booty all in alignment and strong. Then, bring your feet back to the starting squat position and push to a stand. Throw four straight punches (jab, cross, jab, cross) then repeat.
Boxers situp
Lie flat on your back and put your hands on the side or behind your neck. Without pulling on your neck, bend your hips off the ground and peel your back slowly up toward your knees. At the top of the situp, throw a jab cross and then slowly lower your body back down to the ground starting with the lowest part of your spine and ending with the top of your spine. Repeat.
Jab cross x 2, roll x 2
In your fighting stance, throw four punches ( jab, cross, jab, cross). Next, imagine there is a rope next to you and your goal is to move your upper body to the opposite side of the rope. To achieve this, keep your back straight, squat down, shift your shoulder either forward or backward at the bottom of your squat, exhale and rise up.
Tip: As you are preparing for the roll, picture moving in a “U-shape”.
Cool down
Downward dog to plank
Start on all fours. Inhale, raise your knees off the ground. Exhale and straighten your legs into a plank position. Then, lift your butt into the sky by folding at the hips, creating an upside down "V" with your body. Push your heels toward the floor for a deeper stretch. Return to the starting position, exhale, then press your hips back. Perform for one minute.
Tip: Hands should stay pressed against the floor.
Child's pose to cobra
From a child's pose position, pull your hips forward, resting them on the ground. Raise your chest up then shift your shoulders away from your ears. Hold for a second, then push your glutes back to rest on your heels, returning to child 's pose. Perform for one minute.