4-Week Boxing Challenge, Beginner-Friendly | Well+Good

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Just like Rocky Balboa, you can also go from zero to hero with our 4-week boxing problem—put together to coach, sweat, and succeed because of a program designed to get newbies able to rumble.

Our host Bobbie Jo Davis, CPT, coach for Rumble Boxing, will information you thru the whole lot it’s essential know to jab, cross, and hook like a professional.

“I designed this system with everyone in thoughts,” Davis says. “From somebody who has by no means thrown a punch earlier than of their life, possibly model new to health, to somebody who’s a bit extra superior and might come to this and hone in on boxing whereas getting a fantastic sweat.”


Consultants In This Article

  • Bobbie Jo Davis, CPT, NASM-certified private coach, coach at Rumble Boxing in NYC, and Nike coach

And the whole lot might be completed both with or with out a bag (although you will have a set of dumbbells for a couple of of the exercises).

Under, Davis has outlined a monthlong boxing program as a part of our Motion of the Month Membership for August 2024. It is designed to introduce you to the basics of boxing, after which progressively construct your abilities and confidence. We begin on Monday, August 5.

By the top of the month, you’ll have the instruments and strategies of a seasoned boxer. Whether or not you are shadow boxing or punching a bag, get able to really feel the fun of the battle and see actual outcomes.

“I’m hoping everybody will come by way of of this sense extra assured in themselves and their skill to maneuver,” Davis says.

Be part of us for the advantages of boxing

The advantages of boxing transcend the cathartic feeling of throwing punches; it is a cardio and energy exercise that advantages each physique and thoughts.

“Boxing is among the finest exercises dynamically within the sense that you’re transferring in so many various methods,” Davis says. “From throwing fast jabs, to energy uppercuts, ducking and weaving with protection, it is a surefire solution to hike up your coronary heart fee and depart you feeling sweaty and highly effective.”

A July 2013 research1 within the Journal of Sports activities Science and Medication discovered that common boxing coaching considerably improves coronary heart fee variability, a key marker of cardiovascular effectivity. Different analysis has discovered2 that high-intensity boxing might enhance some well being markers, like blood stress, greater than brisk strolling.

Boxing calls for psychological acuity and strategizing abilities, serving to to sharpen cognitive operate, enhance focus, reduces stress, and enhances psychological well-being. it is also a boon to your mind: Boxing promotes higher hand-eye coordination and will increase agility, as athletes should always react to altering eventualities, enhancing neural adaptability and response instances.

“[Boxing] advantages not solely hand-eye coordination but in addition your mentality,” Davis says. “Studying persistence, diligence, and utilizing breath to assist management stress.”

How the boxing problem works

Beginning Monday, August 5, 2024, you’ll have 3 rounds of boxing combos or energy workouts to do every day, Monday by way of Saturday. Then, on Sunday, you’ll end the week with a 20-minute boxing exercise that comes with all of the strikes from the earlier 6 days.

Every week, you will sort out totally different combos of punches and workouts that good your method, enhance your stamina, and encourage psychological toughness. Right here’s what you may count on:

Week 1

  1. Jab + footwork
  2. Jab + cross
  3. Hook combo
  4. Uppercut combo
  5. 3-punch combo
  6. Endurance + protection
  7. Shadow Field Shuffle Exercise

Week 2

  1. Boxing warmup
  2. Punch, bounce, duck
  3. HIIT punches
  4. Squat to alternating press
  5. Row to hammer curl
  6. Reverse lunge + punches
  7. Boxing Blitz and Construct Exercise

Week 3

  1. Boxing warmup
  2. Jack + jab
  3. Hook + duck
  4. Uppercut + duck combo
  5. Plank walkout with knee drive
  6. Jab, cross, plank jack
  7. Hook and Hustle Exercise

Week 4

  1. Plank walkout with shoulder faucets
  2. Hooks + knee drive
  3. Jab, cross, squat
  4. Supported facet plank leg increase
  5. Break up squat shuffle
  6. Reverse lunge + energy jacks
  7. Really feel Good Battle Exercise
TIP

“Don’t have a look at boxing as one huge problem. Take it brick by brick,” Davis says. “Study the fundamentals, and be okay with making errors, plenty of errors. Use that to develop!”

Calendar for the boxing problem

calendar for the 4-week boxing challenge of movement of the month club, showing a new combo to learn each day and full workouts on Sundays

‌Get a printer-friendly model of the calendar right here.‌

How one can be a part of the Motion of the Month Membership

1. Print and/or save your calendar

Print out the calendar above or reserve it to your cellphone and use it every day that can assist you keep on monitor. Do every day’s train (or exercise), then examine off that field while you’re completed.

2. Be part of the membership on Fb

Our group of almost 60,000 members (and rising!) is right here to assist and encourage you thru the month. Inform the group how the day’s routine went, submit pictures or movies of your exercises or share your favourite boxing-related meme or motivational quote.

3. Study to face and throw punches

Listed here are descriptions for every of the punches you’ll be throwing in these exercises. First, it’s essential know stand correctly:

  1. Stand together with your toes shoulder-width aside with the non-dominant foot (for those who’re right-handed, this is able to be your left foot) barely ahead. The again foot ought to be at a 45-degree angle to present stability and permit for motion.
  2. Maintain your knees barely bent to assist generate energy.
  3. Sq. your hips to your opponent (imaginary or actual), aligning them together with your shoulders.
  4. Tuck your elbows near your physique to guard your ribs from physique photographs.
  5. Elevate your lead hand ought to be barely ahead, able to jab, whereas your rear hand guards the facet of your face.
  6. Tuck your chin barely towards your chest.
  7. Stability your weight evenly on each legs or barely extra on the again leg.

Subsequent, study every of the punches. There are names, in addition to numbers (in parentheses), which most boxing coaches use throughout exercise to name out the punch you need to throw.

  • Jab (1): Lengthen your entrance hand rapidly straight ahead out of your chin, rotating your fist to have your palm dealing with down simply earlier than affect, then swiftly pull it again.
  • Cross (2): Throw a straight punch together with your rear hand, pivoting in your again foot and rotating your hip and shoulder ahead, palm dealing with down on affect.
  • Entrance-hand hook (3): Rotate your entrance arm in a horizontal arc, main together with your elbow and turning your entrance foot and hip as you strike, fist parallel to the bottom.
  • Rear-hand hook (4): Pivot in your again foot and swing your arm in a good curve, utilizing your hip rotation so as to add pressure together with your fist parallel to the ground.
  • Entrance-hand uppercut (5): Drop your entrance hand barely and drive it upward in a pointy, vertical line, rotating your entrance hip so as to add momentum.
  • Rear-hand uppercut (6): Bend your knees barely, then thrust upward together with your rear hand, rotating your rear hip as you drive your fist in an upward arc towards the goal.

You may additionally must know these defensive strikes:

  • Duck: Bend your knees and decrease your physique rapidly to evade an incoming punch.
  • Roll: Bend your knees and rotate your higher physique alongside a horizontal line, shifting your weight from one leg to the opposite and transferring your head and shoulders in a round movement to dodge punches.

4. Begin your jabs, crosses, and hooks

On Day 1, you will begin by working in your jabs and foot work. Examine again right here on August 5 to your full Week 1 strikes and the exercise that mixes all of them.

5. Rejoice your success!

You made it to the top! Take a while to understand that accomplishment—and tell us the way it went in our Fb group.


Effectively+Good articles reference scientific, dependable, latest, strong research to again up the data we share. You’ll be able to belief us alongside your wellness journey.


  1. de Lira, Claudio Andre Barbosa et al. “Coronary heart fee response throughout a simulated Olympic boxing match is predominantly above ventilatory threshold 2: a cross sectional research.” Open entry journal of sports activities medication vol. 4 175-82. 10 Jul. 2013, doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S44807

  2. Cheema, Birinder S et al. “The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing coaching versus moderate-intensity brisk strolling in adults with stomach weight problems: a pilot research.” BMC sports activities science, medication & rehabilitation vol. 7 3. 16 Jan. 2015, doi:10.1186/2052-1847-7-3