Home Boxing Workouts for Cardio and Workout Variety

Basic Boxing Stance

This is the basic stance for a right-handed (orthodox) boxer when performing your home boxing workouts straight from the Great One.  Left-handed (southpaw) boxers would mirror this stance.

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with your legs slightly bent.
2. Your lead foot points slightly to the right of your target (30 degrees), rear foot points more away to the right of your target (75 degrees).
3. Your upper body should face in the direction of your lead foot, slightly to the right of your target. This minimizes the exposure of the upper body to your opponent, and minimizes your target area.
4. Your left hand should be up in front of your left cheek, and your right hand just off your chin.
5. Keep your elbows close to your body, with your palms facing you. Make a fist with each hand, but do not clench your fists. Keep them relaxed.
6. Stay on the balls of your feet at all times.

Jabs and Combinations

The jab is the most important punch in boxing. Throwing a lot of jabs keeps your opponent off rhythm, and keeps him or her busy on defense versus offense. This goes for whether you are in a boxing ring or defending yourself in a street fight.

Throwing your Jab:

1. From your boxing stance, drive off your back foot but do not step forward.  You just want your momentum moving at the target.
2. Throw jab with your left arm rotating your fist as you punch the target until your palm is facing down at impact.
3. As you punch, you want to lift your left shoulder so it protects the left side of your face against your opponent’s punch.  Keep your right hand “glued” to the right side of your face for protection.
4. Anytime you throw a punch, you open yourself up to a counterstrike.  Your left shoulder and right fist are your protection.
5. Recoil your fist to the start position on the same line that you threw the punch

Combination Punches:

This combo really is super effective, and great for your home boxing workouts or protecting yourself in your local watering hole.

1. Throw your left jab and then recoil the punch to the start position so that your left hand is protecting your face.
2. Then take a step forward with your left foot as you unload your straight right. You can throw them right to your opponent’s face, or to the body. A good combo is to throw to the body (not the head) because the next punch (left hook) goes to the head.
3. Shift all of your weight to your left foot while throwing the straight right.
4. As soon as your straight right lands, pivot on your lead foot to the right and rotate your body to the right to throw a left hook to the head.
5. The key to the hook is the torque rotation of your body.  You don’t want to throw the hook with your arm power only, but instead, use the rotation of your legs and torso to generate the power. (1)
6. Left Jab – Straight Right to the Body – Left Hook to the Head

Home Boxing Workout

Putting it all together to do great 20 to 25 minute home boxing workouts:

• Warm-up – couple minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching
• Boxer’s Jump rope – 5 minutes of jumping rope doing the Boxer’s shuffle
• Shadow Boxing – 5 minutes of shadow boxing using great footwork, always moving.  Be careful snapping your punches without a resistance target (punching bag). It puts strain on your elbows. Practice good form with your stance and punches.
• Bag Work – 10 minutes of heavy punching bag work throwing jabs, combos, and variations. Always keep moving, and focus on dynamic footwork.
• Push-ups – 2 sets of 20 reps of push-ups
• Rocky Crunches – 2 sets of 20 reps of “Rocky” crunches (crunches with twist)

Heavy Punching Bag

If you have an interest in a punching bag but don’t yet have one, they are really not difficult to install. You just need a garage (or room in your home) with 2×4 studs above the ceiling (pretty standard). 

You definitely will want to have a professional construction contractor confirm that your ceiling studs can support the load of the heavy bag if you are not sure, and help you with installation should you have any questions or concerns.

Installing a heavy bag for your home boxing workouts:

1. Find the best location with a 6′ to 10′ radius around the desired bag location.
2. Take a stud finder to the ceiling and mark the edges of the 2×4 stud in the attic where you want to hang the bag.
3. Take a box cutter and cut the drywall (line the stud edges out first with pencil) to the dimensions of the anchor plate in your bag kit.  This will be done directly under the 2×4 stud, which you should see as soon as you cut the drywall.  Your anchor plate is what screws into the stud and your bag will hang from.
4. Screw the anchor plate into the stud, and make sure you do this correctly.  It’s not difficult, you just want to make sure that you are really torquing those screws at the end to make sure the anchor plate screws into the stud as solid as a rock.
5. Adjust the chain to the correct length so your jab connects to the center of the bag (vertically).
6. Get a buddy to help you lift and hang the bag.

This 100 # UFC bag is an excellent bag to train with. You can also order bags and gloves from Everlast…timeless quality.

Everlast gloves are awesome and durable. They will ship these items and have them on your doorstep within a few days, and they will definitely add some flavor to your home boxing workouts.

Here are other home workout routines you can try.