So you want a home boxing set up. Whether it’s because you want to do supplemental training outside of the gym or just want to keep your training at home, you’re going to need equipment. Surprisingly it’s fairly simple and affordable to set yourself up to train at home.
So let’s talk about what boxing equipment you need, what you’ll want, and how much it’s going to cost you.
The Right Boxing Equipment for Home
I’m assuming you’ve made some space in your home for a boxing workout. Whether it’s your backyard or garage, the first thing you’ll need is a decent amount of space. Depending on how much stuff you want, will determine the size. However, if we’re talking bare minimum, you shouldn’t need more than a few square feet. But you’ll definitely want to have more “room for activities.”
Have a Budget in Mind
Depending on what your budget is will determine what you have. So our goal will be to keep the costs reasonable. If budget is not an issue you can buy everything you see in this post. Keep in mind, many greats have become greats with very little. So let’s break this down into two sections:
- What you’ll NEED
- What you’ll WANT
First up, let’s talk about the bare essentials to do boxing at home.
What You’ll Need: The Bare Minimum
Technically the bare minimum would be just you and a floor where you can shadow box. Putting up pillows and newspapers on the wall to punch and using rope you found on the street to skip with, but we aren’t going to go that gritty and instead keep things sensible. Here are the essentials, starting with:
Hand Wraps $10 – $20
This is the first and most important purchase that you will make because it will help protect your biggest asset when training boxing; your hands. You can’t afford to hurt your hands because this will mean less time training, and that is as counterproductive as can be. Technically you can just shadow box, but if you’re looking to work on all aspects of your boxing game, then you will need to hit stuff, and if you’re hitting stuff, then you need to protect your hands from wear, tear, and injuries.
You can get a good pair of hand wraps for a fairly cheap price. I would avoid the slip on hand protectors and go for the traditional style boxing hand wrap. I’m a huge fan of the Mexican style hand wraps. They have a little give to them and stretch nicely around your hand, allowing for a tighter fit and an easier, quicker wrapping session. However, the traditional cotton wraps are good as well if you prefer that type of material. Here are some options below:
Gloves $30 – $100
The ultimate symbol for boxing worldwide: the boxing glove. There is a reason the boxing glove symbolizes the sport, its the most used piece of boxing equipment in the gym. It is used for for hitting the bag, pad work, sparring, and the fight itself. Outside of protecting your hands from impact it is used to help your hands get used to the weight of carrying a glove and let you unload with full power without worrying about cracking bones.
Gloves range in price but there are a few gloves that you can get on the market for way under $100 that are good for home use. You will mostly be using this for the heavy bag so bag gloves or training gloves will do, unless you are planning on sparring with your partner.
The size you get will depend on the size you prefer. Personally I recommend 14 oz to 16 oz gloves. This way you can still work on speed and power without the weight slowing you down too much and yet, enough weight to give you resistance and protection on the bag. You want slightly heavier gloves than 8 oz or 12 oz gloves because you want to train your shoulders to be able to keep your hands up. If you’re over 180 pounds, then I recommend wearing 18 oz for training.
Here are some gloves I recommend for home boxing:
Heavy Bag $70 – $200
This is definitely important if you want to feel like you got a good workout in at home. While shadow boxing is great way to practice form, speed and movement, the heavy bag offers the resistance necessary to practice power and bouncing punches off your opponents head and body. If intense enough, you can burn up to 600 calories in a good heavy bag workout.
When it comes to heavy bags, the heavier the better but you also want to get something that can be installed in your home. Around 100 lbs is usually all you need. If you have somewhere to hang the bag then it is preferable to get the bag stand alone, this way you can dance around it during training. However, if you don’t have a place to secure it, then you will need to buy a heavy bag that comes with a stand. These limit you to 180 degrees of motion but its still beats not having one. Some of them also come with a speed bag station which is convenient.
Here are some good heavy bag options I recommend as well as a stand if you don’t have a place to secure it:
Jump Rope $10 – $20
This is on the list of bare minimum because it a great foot agility and conditioning workout that is very affordable. Jump roping helps your lungs ready and your calves in shape for the grueling amount of round you will spend “on your toes” while boxing. It also gives you good rhythm and puts some finesses in your footwork.
Even if you don’t know how to jump rope, get one. The only way to get better is by doing it.
Here are a few simple ropes I recommend:
I love boxing timers because you don’t have to look at them to know when it’s work or rest. If you’re going to be training at home then you definitely need one. Not timing your workouts is a good way to cut yourself short. Boxing timers are good because they push you beyond your limits. If you’re two minutes into the 3rd round and you’re exhausted, guess what? You can’t stop until the round is up, keep pushing. It also allows you to track your progress. If you did 3 rounds at 3 minutes for a while, it’s time to either increase the rounds or the minutes per round. Timers allow you to know where you’re at in your conditioning.
The problem with boxing timers is that they are unnecessarily expensive. If you got the money go ahead and buy one but what I use and recommend is downloading an app on your smartphone. I use boxing ITimer and love it. You can find many more in the app store, feel free to find one that you like and use it.
Here some recommended timer apps:
- Boxing I Timer
- Boxing Timer Pro
Or you can simply search for “boxing timer” in your app store.
Floor Space – Free
The good news about this piece of equipment is it can be found anywhere on planet earth so you definitely have it in stock already. All jokes aside though, you will need some dedicated floor space for strength training workouts. Pushups, squats, and sit ups will all need to be done as part of your boxing workout at a minimum, so make sure you have space set aside.
As you can see the bare minimum boxing equipment for the home is a really affordable one time cost. These items don’t wear fast and will last you years before its time to replace them. This definitely beats the costs you would incur at a gym and you can get a helluva workout done.
Now let’s talk about the things that you don’t absolutely need, but will be nice to have.
What You’ll Want – the Extra Perks
The essentials are plenty of what you’ll need to get you in shape. But there is some boxing equipment that you will definitely want to have, they aren’t always necessary, but are good to have. Especially if you want to take things to the next level. What I recommend is adding these as needed.
Shoes $50 to $100
One of the first things everyone is excited to get when starting boxing is the shoes. If you don’t already have a pair, then you most likely really want one. The reason they didn’t make the bare essentials list is because they aren’t absolutely necessary for you to start training. You can use regular sneakers or even go barefoot. However, boxing shoes DO make a difference. So if you’re excited about getting a pair, know they aren’t just for aesthetics. They definitely provide the comfort necessary to stay on your toes and move around to your full potential. It will also help with footwork and make you less likely to injure your foot while training. If you can afford it, I definitely recommend getting yourself a pair. Personally, my favorite pair that I owned for many years was the $50 Aesics wrestling shoes. Its not overpriced, but excellent quality and very durable.
Here are some options:
Speed Bag $30
This is the most fun exercise on the planet, which is part of the reason guys who have no idea how to box are still good at it. This is the bag every passerby wants to try and everyone wants to excel at to impress the girls. Outside of entertainment the speed bag is good for rhythm, coordination, shoulder conditioning and building up your fast twitch muscles. While it won’t make your punches faster on its own, it can definitely aide in doing it. It’s also an excellent workout as cool down period at the end of your training. You can usually get heavy bag stands that come with the speed bag attached. That I included above.
With speed bags I wouldn’t over think it, just go with the classic Everlast:
Double End Bag $30 – $50
The sway bag aka double end bag is a great tool to work on reflexes and target practice. Every time you hit it starts moving in every which way. Most of the time, directly at you, which creates bob and weave opportunities. It’s a great tool to have but not a must for a home gym. The installation of this bag can be tough depending on your set up at home. But if you really want it, you can find a way.
Here are some examples of double end bags:
Pull Up Bar / Body Tower – $20/$120
Now we’re getting more into strength training but there are definitely additions you can make to your push up, squat, sit up regimen.
The first of which is a pull up bar. This is a staple of most boxing workouts and probably the best workout out there that involves training of your lats and your core. Nothing is harder than lifting yourself off the ground in a controlled fashion. This will definitely aide in developing strength in your lats which can translate to stiffer punches. It also works overall core stability which will help your center of gravity. From an aesthetic point, it will also give you the V-shape look and nice biceps. But you’re a fighter, who cares about aesthetics am I right?
If you want more than just pull-ups you can buy the entire body tower which, on top of the pull-ups bar, will include a dip bar and core training capability. If your boxing strength training revolves around calisthenics, then you definitely have to get the body tower. You can follow the Mike Tyson routine with the body tower.
Here is a good pull up bar or body tower based on your preference:
Power Rack (Squat & Bench) $150 – $230
If you prefer weights to calisthenics for your weight training, one of the best tools for a home gym is an all in one strength training station. I’m a huge fan of the power rack because you can do every exercise imaginable without getting a million different items. This will help build your overall body strength and your explosiveness.
The power rack also comes with a pull up bar so it will eliminate the need to get that separately. The only issue is you would need to add a bench to it and a barbell if you don’t buy them all in one package. This is probably the most expensive of the items on the list but it’s well worth it if you’re into weights.
With the power rack you can do squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, sit ups, pull ups and any other weight workout you can think of. It’s an all in one gym and perfect weight station for your boxing gym.
Here are some good deals on these:
Shadow Boxing Weights $5 – $20
These are pretty good for shadow boxing and they can be used multi purpose, like running with .Rocky Marciano was often seen running with rocks in hand and Mayweather is often seen using this while shadow boxing. I used these for a six months stretch and I saw my hand speed increase. I would do a few rounds with it and a few without it. These are perfect for for keeping you in your form as well, they force you to snap your punches right back into place and build good habits to keep your hands. They also help work on conditioning your shoulders while shadow boxing or running.
Here they are:
Weighted Vest
Usually called the closest thing to “gravity training”, the weighted vest allows you to train under harder conditions then just throwing your own weight around. Whether you’re doing calisthenics and need extra resistance or working on your footwork and head movement, these can be a good idea to make things interesting. The best one is the compression version that doesn’t get thrown around as you move and moves with you. They sell them for upper and lower body. This is far from a must but a want on many people’s list.
You can check it out here or go directly to their website:
Reflex Ball $15
Here comes the most affordable want on this list, the reflex ball. This is one made famous by Lomachenko in his training videos. It’s a small apparatus that you put around your head and attach a rubber string and a tennis ball on a practice with it.
This helps with reflexes and coordination. Your opponent will always be moving his head and this will help you catch them.
Here is an affordable one I purchased for myself:
The Benefits of Training Boxing at Home
Training boxing at home has many upsides to it.
- The first and the obvious is there is no travel time. You don’t have to worry about taking trips to the gym and back, but instead use that time to train.
- You can train when you feel like it. There is no set schedule so whether its 5 am, or 12 am, you don’t have to worry about gym hours to get a boxing session in.
- Workout at your own pace. If you’re training solely at home, you can focus on progressing the way you feel. There is no rushing through rounds or trying to get ready for this weeks sparring. You get to focus on what you want to improve first and spend the most time on. Whether its form, defense, or just getting ripped abs.
- Experiment with new ideas. A lot of boxing coaches and fighters have conitionerd themselves into a certain style or fundamentals. Sometimes this can be counterproductive to growth as a fighter/athlete. Working out at home allows you to experiment with new ideas and unconventional ways of fighting. This is definitely the Burce Lee approach to training and it works. It can help your mind be free and help break you out of the shell that most fighters are molded under.
- Second place to progress. Having a home boxing equipment set up is definitely a good way to get better out of the spotlight. It allows you to have a another place where you can go work on what you feel needs work on or double down what you are working on in the gym. On top of all the above benefits.
Buy my guess is you already know the benefits of boxing at home, which is why you are looking for boxing equipment in the first place.
Get to Work
Once your training area is set up its time to work. Feel free to treat this post as a buffet and get what appeals to you. There is no one way to train boxing so find your own sweet spot with the sweet science. If you have any questions drop me a comment below or send a message. Just remember many boxers have become great training in sheds with next to nothing in equipment. But also remember that athletes are evolving and if you have access to it, why not use it. At the end of the day, its up to you! But if you’re not convinced that training at home is sufficient, here is a picture of a young Manny Pacquiao doing sit ups with a wooden board and bike tires.
Let me know if there are items you guys recommend for a home gym that have worked for you.
Brawl all day!
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