From Peloton to FightCamp to virtual reality boxing workouts like SuperNatural, there are now lots of home boxing programs to choose from. Over the past six months, I have been testing them all with the goal of finding out which home boxing workout is the best.
Prior to this, I had never taken any boxing workouts before. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was even going to like it. But when Peloton released their new boxing workout category last December, I took my first session with Kendall Toole and have been hooked ever since.
There is a feeling of satisfaction that I found from throwing punches and learning new combos that I haven’t experienced doing anything else. Every session leaves me feeling more confident, stronger, and less stressed in a way that, evidently, only repeatedly punching something can do.
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Home boxing workout: Shadowboxing
I started my home boxing workout journey with shadowboxing, which basically just means throwing punches in the air. This is what Peloton’s Boxing program is built around, and it is a great place to start since it doesn’t require any equipment.
Peloton is far from the only one to offer these types of workouts. They can be found on Tempo, Echelon, FITURE, and many other connected fitness devices.
While I think shadowboxing is a great workout (especially while learning the basics), I rarely take these types of classes anymore. I have found that the next three types of home boxing workouts below provide a more enjoyable experience.
Home boxing workout: virtual reality
Boxing in virtual reality (VR), while also still technically shadowboxing, feels so unique that I consider it a different category. I’m not a huge fan of most workout types in VR with the currently available tech, but boxing is the exception.
There are a lot of boxing options in VR as well, including the increasingly popular Supernatural program on the Meta Quest 2.
The best part about VR boxing workouts is the variety of scenarios you can find. One day you might try entering the boxing ring against an octopus, while the next day you can be throwing uppercuts at targets while floating in the sky. The variety makes boxing in VR both interesting and (most importantly) fun.
The biggest negatives for boxing in VR currently include:
- Having to hold onto controllers during the workout.
- Being potentially harder to learn good form since you can only see your own hand placement.
- Being limited to shadowboxing-type workouts.
Home boxing workout: strength hybrid
My favorite types of home boxing workouts are those that mix shadowboxing with strength work. While shadowboxing is a good workout, I feel like I get a lot more results with the limited time I have when I mix it up with HIIT or strength training. Peloton recently started offering this with new ‘Boxing Bootcamps’, but it is Tempo who really shines the most in this category.
Tempo has the most variety by far when it comes to mixing shadowboxing with strength, including several fully built programs build around this idea. If you have tried shadowboxing in the past and felt like it was missing something, then really I suggest you give this category of boxing workout a try.
Home boxing workout: heavy bag
The final category of home boxing workouts is using actual boxing gloves along with a heavy bag. While this may require the most equipment, it is by far my favorite experience.
The best workout program I have found for this type of boxing workout is FightCamp, which I have been using for over a month now (a review is on the way). Luckily with FightCamp, if you already own a heavy bag, you’ll just need to purchase a set of boxing trackers and wraps so your punches and power outlet can be recorded.
As someone who never tried using a heavy bag before, I have really fallen in love with it and taking these types of classes. Shadowboxing was great, but I love hitting an actual object 10 times more! It just feels a lot more satisfying, and I don’t feel the need to have to always mix in strength training to have a great session.
When it comes to home boxing workouts, what do you prefer the most? Let us know in the comments below!
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