One of the most simplistic types of home gyms that can gives great options for cardio, strength training, mobility work and stress relief. Let’s take a look at how you could build a complete home boxing gym of your dreams.
What makes a home boxing gym the option for many – is how versatile it can be. Especially if you’re in the world of calisthenics, where bodyweight exercises are your primary form of workout. Having essentially a boxing gym in your home is a great complementary exercise.
Getting started is also a very easy task and doesn’t have to be quite costly. A set of boxing gloves and punching bag is plenty to get you started. Growing your gym from there would entirely be up to you when finding out how it fits with your lifestyle and where you want to take it.
Boxing is also a great addition to an already established routine that you may have. A source for building strength, HIIT conditioning and cardio. You can also use it as a warm up or cool down before the workout of your choice.
There are also more resources now with on demand workouts to keep your routine fresh.
Things To Consider For A Home Boxing Gym
Before getting into specifics on what equipment would help round out your home boxing gym. There are some things that you should consider before hand.
- Space. Although punching bags and boxing gloves themselves would not consume too much space in your gym. You would need to consider the room needed for you to physically move around. For a comfortable workout where there would be a lot of movement around the bag itself, you would ideally want an area of about 5×5 feet where you can place your punching bag in the middle. And still have plenty of room to move around.
- Budget. A home boxing gym can be as grand or as simple as you want it to be. Having top of line brand name equipment and gear would not give you a better or worse boxing workout. If you’re just starting out, start small. Gloves and a bag is the most you would need in the beginning. As you grow in the sport and in the workout, you could start adding other equipment like speed bags or hanging bags.
The Home Boxing Set Up
Setting up a home boxing gym provides the convenience and flexibility to train on your own terms. With the right equipment and a dedicated space, you can enhance your boxing skills, improve fitness, and achieve your training goals. Let’s go through the steps on how you can set up your home boxing gym, transforming a room into your own personal training haven.
- Choose the Perfect Room:
Begin by selecting a suitable room for your home boxing gym. Consider areas like a basement, garage, or spare room that provide enough space for movement and ventilation. Ensure the room has a sturdy floor, sufficient lighting, and is free from any potential hazards. - Clear the Space:
Before setting up your equipment, clear the room of any furniture, objects, or clutter. Create a clean and safe environment that allows for free movement and minimizes the risk of accidents. Remember, safety should always be a top priority. - Determine Equipment Placement:
Next, decide where to position your key boxing equipment. Place the punching bag in a central location, leaving ample space around it for unrestricted movement. Whether you opt for a wall-mounted bracket or a sturdy stand, ensure the bag is securely installed and can withstand powerful strikes. - Install Mounting Equipment:
If you’re mounting a heavy bag, follow the manufacturer’s instructions or seek professional assistance to ensure it is securely anchored to the ceiling or wall. Proper installation ensures stability and safety during intense training sessions. - Set Up a Workout Mat:
Lay down a non-slip workout mat or foam tiles on the floor to provide a cushioned surface for exercises and protect the underlying flooring. This helps absorb impact and adds comfort during your workouts. Make sure the mat covers the necessary training area, including the space around the punching bag. - Position Mirrors:
Consider placing one or more full-length mirrors along the wall facing your training area. Mirrors allow you to observe and correct your technique, ensuring proper form, footwork, and overall boxing skills. Position them at an appropriate height and angle for clear visibility. - Organize Storage:
Allocate a designated space for storing your boxing gloves, hand wraps, skipping rope, and other smaller equipment. Install hooks, shelves, or storage bins to keep your gear organized and easily accessible. A well-organized storage area helps maintain order and efficiency in your training space. - Ensure Adequate Lighting:
Proper lighting is essential for maintaining visibility and creating a safe training environment. Ensure the room is well-lit by installing additional lighting fixtures or strategically positioning lamps. Adequate lighting allows you to focus on your technique and prevents accidents caused by poor visibility. - Arrange Additional Equipment:
Place smaller equipment, such as hand wraps, skipping rope, and timers, in a convenient location within reach. Have a dedicated shelf, drawer, or storage box to keep these items organized and easily accessible. Having everything at hand saves time and makes your training sessions more efficient. - Create a Training Atmosphere:
Personalize your home boxing gym to create a motivating and inspiring atmosphere. Add motivational posters, inspirational quotes, or boxing-related artwork to the walls. Create an environment that energizes you and fuels your passion for training.
You can create a well-equipped and inviting home boxing gym that facilitates effective training and helps you achieve your goals. Remember to maintain the cleanliness and safety of your training space and regularly check your equipment for any signs of wear or damage. With your own home boxing gym, you can enjoy the convenience of training on your own terms and elevate your boxing skills to new heights.
Boxing Equipment For A Home Gym
A great thing about having a home boxing gym is that you really do not need a lot of expensive equipment.Now that we figured out our space and budget, let’s get into the meat of what is needed for a home boxing gym and optimize our space.
Punching Bag
It wouldn’t be much of a boxers gym if there were no boxing bag. But which type of bag is the question. For a more in depth article about punching bags for home, we go over it in this article.
For most, a free standing punching bag would likely be the best option as it is most cost effective and easy to set up. It would also give you great versatility in moving it around as you need.
If your space allows it, a hanging heavy bag is a preferred option by many boxing enthusiasts, however set up for this would require a bit more work, and your space itself would need supporting beams or stable frames in order to accommodate the bag.
Boxing Gloves and Hand Wraps.
Another one of the essentials if you were to box at home. You will see plenty of choices when it comes to boxing glove. Horse hair stuffed, leather, synthetic leather are all versions of boxing gloves out there. Finding the pair that fits well and is well padded is a decent option for most beginners.
Protect your hands when boxing. You will need to get proper hand wraps for added security to your hand. It may seem pointless since you are using gloves that are already well padded. But there is still space in the glove where you hand could shift when punching and causing an injury.
You can read how to measure and find the perfect fitting glove here.
Skipping Rope
Skipping rope is an essential component for a home gym and comes with many advantages. It is a perfect way of warming up or cooling down before or after a workout, and gets your some practice to keep you light on your feet.
Not to mention the cardio you get from skipping work that helps burn calories, enhances lung capacity, and promotes overall fitness. It sure beats the bulky cardio equipment and comes at a small fraction of the price.
Focus Mitts
If you have a trainer or partner, both will benefit in from investing in a pair of focus mitts. Even if you are beginners.
These are the large padded mitts that provide a target for you to strike, improving your hand-eye coordination and timing. It adds a new layer of boxing training allowing for more punch combinations and defence work. Something you wouldn’t get from hitting a heavy bag alone.
However, not everyone would have a partner available at all times which brings us to our next piece of equipment.
Reflex Bag
A reflex bag, also known as a cobra bag, is a small, air-filled bag (about the size of a speed bag) used for boxing and martial arts training.
Similar to a free standing punching bag, the bag itself sits on a coiled spring that is attached to a large base. This allows the bag to bounce back, forth and side to side when being used. It’s a great way to practice your movements and get a good work out in, best of all no partner is needed.
What Type Of Floor Should A Home Boxing Gym Have
Often overlooked for any type of home gym, having the proper flooring should be one of the top of mind priorities in any gym. We’re not talking about hardwood, concrete or carpet, but more specifically a type rubber mat that helps protect your original floors and equipment.
Finding the right type of mat gives you better grip when moving around, and with the small amount of cushion provided, helps with the pressure on your joints.
Home Boxing Gym – Nice To Haves
Maybe you have plenty of room in your home gym or just have some money left over in your budget. There are a couple of items that can help make your home boxing gym more like…well… a boxing gym.
Although these items aren’t totally necessary to have in your gym. It does give you added benefits to have all your fitness needs in one place.
Weights & Calisthenic.
If you’re boxing, there would likely become a time when you would want to get stronger, and your current routine just doesn’t cut it. A couple of ways to meet those needs is creating an area where you can comfortably do push ups, sit ups and other types of body weight exercises.
Adding some dip bars or parallettes are budget friendly choices, they don’t take up any room and can be easily put away when not in use. Alternatively adding a dumbbell rack or bench presses are other options if your budget and space allow.
Cardio.
Heart pumping workouts are needed for any type of exercise. Boxing is no different, in fact cardio is a key part in any well rounded boxing routine. Getting outside for some fresh air and a long run can easily satisfy that part, and probably a more recommended way of getting cardio.
However, investing in a treadmill or elliptical could be a better solution for those who want a cardio workout nearby or if they just want to do a complete workout in the comfort of their own home.
Power Tower.
This might be the solution you’re looking for if you have limited space and want to get multiple workouts with one station. A power tower is closer to an all-in-one type workout equipment where you can perform pull ups, dips and if you add a bench, you can get some strength training in as well.
Power towers would typically work better if your room had higher ceilings to give enough head room for pull ups. There are also some heavier duty power towers that have a hanging area for heavy bags or gymnast rings.
Accessories.
If a complete home boxing gym is what you want. Opt-in for some boxing shoes and skipping ropes. Although these accessories will give you more of a boxer feel then what it is needed for a boxing workout. Getting the whole experience may be what you are looking for.
Conclusion
Boxing for fitness is not typically what people consider when starting their fitness journey. Joining a gym, purchasing weights and treadmills for their home, is more of the norm when looking to reach their health goals.
Building a home boxing gym is not only simple and easy. The workouts available are fun, challenging and one of a kind. You won’t have to worry about getting bored of any repetitive exercises. It’s also a great full body workout that hits many areas of what a well rounded workout should be.
