Having easy access to a boxing gym whenever you want sounds amazing, right? You can train anytime and you don’t even have to leave your home to reap the benefits of the sweet science.
So many people are looking for cool home boxing gym ideas and want to set up a perfect training facility to practice it. When I first started this project four years ago, I had no idea where to begin however now I know everything about building a proper one.
So I am writing this in-depth guide to help you build a complete home boxing gym and avoid every mistake I did.
Below, I will explain how to choose a boxing training area and the pros, cons of each location. After that, I included all equipment that you need in your home gym. There are also explanations of how these can help with your boxing skill development in this section.
After these, there are cool ideas to decorate your place for creating a sports environment. However, let’s discuss the benefits of having home boxing workouts first.
Advantages of Having a Home Boxing Gym
It is Convenient
You can train in the comfort of your home and this is a big advantage as many people feel more comfortable while training in a familiar place and perform better.
Also, I work with people around the world and I need to work remotely in a different time zone. This tends to be in unusual times. So I simply can’t go to a boxing class at regular hours. Obviously, you won’t have this issue if you have a mini-training facility right near your living room.
Save Energy and Time
Just a couple of years ago, I needed to walk during the harsh winter months to go to a gym and it is not easy to walk on snow for miles. However, after setting up a good boxing gym at home, you will not have to face different types of weather conditions and waste your energy, and time while going to a gym.
You can use the extra energy for punching faster and focussing on your technique. Thanks to these you can achieve a high level of physical fitness faster.
Train with Well-Maintained Equipment
Have you ever complained about a leaky speed bag that needs to be pumped up in the middle of a session? Or you might have to train with mitts that lost the shock-absorbing ability. These happened to me several times and I couldn’t find a soul to help me out in the commercial boxing gym.
The chances are you may have experienced these or a similar issue at a boxing gym. However, as long as you choose the right gears and maintain them regularly, you won’t run into these issues in your gym.
In addition to this, I feel amazing while training with the old-school boxing brands that offer excellent quality instead of the low-quality gears with flashy colors that many popular boxing gyms nowadays tend to go for.
It is Cost-effective
Sure, you need to shell out a small fortune to set up a home gym. However, training at your own place is actually cost-effective in the long term. Because boxing gym membership is not so affordable and it adds up over time. Also, many people drive to their gyms. The gas money is not free either.
Considering these, a home gym can help you keep more money in your pocket if you are willing to practice the sweet science for long years.
How Much Space Do You Need for a Home Boxing Gym?
15 sq. meters, which is approximately 12’ x 12’, is sufficient to do boxing workouts. So you don’t really need a big fancy studio room or a large area to set up a gym.
Also, if you have a limited workout area there are tips in this article to utilize the small spaces so be sure to read and implement them.
Where to Build a Boxing Gym?
Selecting a room or place for practicing boxing always has been a daunting task for me. A long time ago, I was living with my parents. Then I started living in a small home with thin walls. After that, I moved in with my partner so I needed to follow some rules while living together. Shortly, I faced different circumstances. Thus I know ins and outs of setting up a gym in different areas of a home.
You have four logical choices to build your mini-training facility at home. These are a spare room, garage, patio, and basement. Let’s explore these options and have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Spare Room
If you have a spare room, you are incredibly lucky. Because, no one will bother you and on top of this, you will not have the issues like heating, or maintenance of equipment which you would probably experience in a garage or a patio.
However, if you don’t have an unused room and really want to hit a heavy bag inside of your house, depending on your living situation you can move some stuff to other rooms. So that room can be at your disposal anytime you want to box.
If you have a live-in partner convincing your significant other about this may not be easy but considering the upsides, it is worth a shot.
Advantages
- It is just a few steps away from any room in the house, very convenient.
- Heating, the weather conditions are not a problem. After all, there is a roof over your head, and more often than not you already have been adjusting that room’s temperature for some time.
- Maintaining and cleaning equipment require less effort.
Disadvantages
- If you live with your family or friends, having a gym in one of the rooms can create multiple issues. For example, if it is not the farthest room in the house or is not soundproofed, people probably will hate hearing you beating a speed bag while watching television.
- If you don’t have a stand, the floor and ceiling may need to be drilled for the installation of boxing equipment. However, you probably wouldn’t want to do that as this room may be used for other purposes in the future.
Garage
I prefer turning garages into private home gyms. Because the space is generally available for personal use and it might have some extra space even if there is a parked car in it.
Also, some people, who own garages, don’t even have vehicles! So it becomes a great choice to use it for boxing-style training.
Advantages
- Generally available
- It is separated from home and has enough space.
- You will bother fewer people with noise.
- It provides a cool environment during summer days.
- You can open the garage door for improving air circulation. So you can take better breaths and it improves performance.
Disadvantages
- Garages are likely to garner more dust because of the concrete floors.
- Because of training tools, you will have a smaller area to store your stuff and park your car.
- Many garages can be hard to warm up during the winter season.
Basement
This came to my mind when I was just a teenager. Putting my boxing equipment in the basement was a great idea to make use of this space.
The basement floors tend to be suitable for the mats. Also, other people, who live at home, usually don’t care what the basement is used for. So you can have home boxing workouts there and decorate it however you like.
Advantages
- Generally available
- Offers a very large training area
- No one will bother you during your sessions.
- Quiet
Disadvantages
- You can face common basement problems. For example, it can be humid, cold, or have low airflow.
- There can be echoes, noise issues.
Patio
This one is simply not an option for me. Because I currently live in a country that has four seasons. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows. And I am sure my family will not allow me to put my dusty heavy bag near their precious plants. Also, this area might be too small for you to use as a boxing training area.
However, depending on weather conditions and space, the patio can be a great choice for some people.
Advantages
- You get more fresh air and training outside has a wide range of benefits including stress relief.
- It is a different environment and can be more fun.
Disadvantages
- The area may not be large enough.
- The weather can possibly ruin your boxing workouts and equipment.
Solutions for Noise
Some of you live alone. Some of you can set up a gym at the farthest room in the house and no one comes near it. So if you are one of these people, you won’t bother people with the sound of a heavy bag. That is great. However, some of us aren’t fortunate and need to solve this noise issue beforehand if we don’t want to be kicked out of the house.
Soundproofing a room is one of the most common solutions to this problem.
This reduces the loud noise while punching and moving on mats. Some suggestions are choosing a place that has thick walls, using double glazed windows, acoustic flooring, and panels. However, this can cost several hundreds of dollars.
Here is a quick guide to doing this efficiently
Note: If the place is a rental, you might not be allowed to harm the floors and walls. I wanted to mention this as it was a mistake that I paid dearly five years ago.
Equipment for Home Boxing Gym
There are three different types of equipment that you need to build a complete gym for practicing boxing.
- Flooring
- Training Equipment
- Decoration
Flooring (Mats)
Why Do You Need Flooring?
Most floors are made of materials that are not suitable for contact sports and these have various disadvantages. These floors may be too hard and hurt joints. Or you may not move, drag your foot properly on them which is essential for footwork and optimal power transfer.
However, the right types of mats provide it and prevent injuries. When I train on them I feel safer which also helps with the training performance.
Interlocking Mat
BEAUTYOVO Puzzle Exercise Mat is used and reviewed by many martial artists. This puzzle mat is not extra hard or soft and provides boxers to move naturally. It has thick padding and provides a smooth surface for boxing. Also, it offers a large area to put all of your boxing equipment.
Exercise Mat
You may prefer your mat to be only one piece. Then you can choose a large exercise mat to perform boxing moves.
Gxmmat Large Yoga Mat has a high-density foam to improve shock absorption and protect the floor from high-level impacts. It has a circular shape pattern that increases the resistance between the floor and mats. This prevents slipping while you are performing explosive exercises. Also, you only need a sponge and a gentle cleanser like a mild soap for cleaning it.
Training Equipment
Cardio, Warm-Up Equipment
Warming up prepares your muscles for boxing workouts. It increases the body temperature and ensures that enough oxygen is delivered to your muscles. This helps optimize performance in boxing.
Cooling down is also quite important as heart rate decreases rapidly after finishing a session and stopping instantly can make you feel dizzy. So I make sure to cool down with exercises because cooling down provides heart rate to decrease at a slower rate and prevents it from happening.
So definitely pay attention to these as these can help you train safely and boost workout performance.
Jump Rope
This is the boxer’s favorite equipment for cardiovascular workouts. Boxers usually use this tool to warm up and cool down as it develops footwork and also mimics how they move during a fight.
Arms, legs, shoulders work in coordination while skipping rope and these muscles get used to working together. This helps with the boxing moves as these muscles are employed while punching. On top of that, these muscles also warm up in this process. So you should definitely incorporate jump rope into your boxing routines.
Epitomie Fitness Sonic Boom Jump Rope is adjustable and has non-slip handles so it is a great rope whether you are good at jumping rope or not. The premium materials can stand the test of time and this will give you a solid return on investment.
Vertical Climber
If you are looking to intensify your conditioning and prefer your muscles to work against resistance then a vertical climber is a great equipment to have.
However, why not train with a rowing machine or elliptical instead of a vertical climber? The problem with the other cardio equipment is that they tend to target a particular muscle group way more than the others, causing you to reach your metabolic limit quickly and this is not ideal for boxing at all.
However, a vertical climber effectively works both upper, lower body muscles, warms up these muscles, and steadily increases blood flow. So this fitness tool is perfect for a full-body workout like boxing.
Maxi Climber has a solid and big pipe to provide more stability while exercising. The pedal’s design is suitable for the feet and it provides your feet to stay there with the anti-skid qualities.
Foam Roller
Whether you are only a boxing enthusiast or a great pound-for-pound professional boxer foam roller is a must-have for boxing style workouts.
Before a workout: Stretching helps joints move through the full range of motion, increases flexibility, and loosens muscles which increases the punching power.
After a workout: Bood flow improves with foam roller exercises and this relieves achy muscles so you will be readier for the next boxing workout.
TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller has a hollow core and the design, materials are perfect for rolling on large muscle groups. Also, the construction will not be deformed after a long time of usage.
It has different densities to improve effectiveness while massaging. I actually had good experiences with this foam roller type. I feel more relaxed and the soreness of my muscles goes away faster when I use it. After purchasing it, you can view instructional videos online which were made by professionals.
However, if you don’t prefer foam rollers and want to use as little equipment as possible to cut costs, you can prefer various stretches. These target muscles like glutes, triceps that are employed during boxing training.
Equipment for Drills
Mirror
Yes, you need a mirror. Whenever I used to train at the gym without a boxing coach, I was not really careful with my form and consequently, I was not satisfied with my progression. Probably, this was the main reason I hadn’t developed slick footwork for a long time as I did not realize what I was doing wrong.
But, you don’t have to experience this and can correct your form if you just can see yourself fighting. So use a large portable mirror or a wall mirror while practicing. Also, adding a mirror to a mini boxing facility is a great way to decorate there and expand the view.
This mirror is big enough to see yourself and has good ratings.
Bag Gloves
Home boxing workouts include a lot of bag work and obviously, heavy bag gloves are perfect for them. So you don’t need any other glove type as you won’t be sparring. So I am including my favorite bag gloves below.
Title Gel World Bag Gloves don’t only have dense padding to protect the bones but also have solid cushioning to soften the blows and solid construction to give your money’s worth.
Hand Wraps
To improve the protection and wick more sweat you need hand wraps to wear underneath the gloves.
This one is semi-elastic, fits well.
Double End Bag
This unique tool has a round shape and is connected to a ceiling and floor with elastic cords which are attached to d-rings. A small space is enough and It is easy to install so it is ideal for small boxing studios.
This tool develops boxing skills that you need to have in your arsenal. It does not only improve accuracy, timing but also head movements and various defensive skills. Shortly, this equipment helps you become an all-around boxer. So, in my opinion, it is the most essential equipment for a home boxing gym.
Brace Master Double End Bag is a single ball type. Thus, it can be used for punching drills and practicing defensive maneuvers. Also, it has adjustable cords and depending on your skill level, you can adjust the tightness of the cords and control how fast it rebounds which will be beneficial for both boxing and physical skills.
This bag is made of PU leather which is a common material to produce a double end bag and can take a beating for years to come.
Body Opponent Bag
Body opponent bag can stand on its own and doesn’t need a stand or any mounting. This has all the body parts and offers realistic training so you can throw punches to different areas. If you are training alone at home, this bag will be the best training partner that you can get.
Century Bob is made of quality materials and you can adjust the height for more variation to continue improving your skillset over the years in the comfort of your home.
Heavy Bag
When I think about boxing, a heavy bag is one of the first things that comes to mind. This perfect boxing equipment has been used for ages as boxers get stronger while throwing basic punches repetitively. Also, it swings and forces you to develop basic footwork.
Ringside Heavy Bag has a large surface and you can go hard as you would like as the leather construction is solid. On top of these, it has a big capacity. These are amazing qualities for a home gym. Because you can fill the bag with more sand when you get stronger and continue having challenging workouts and up your boxing game!
Thanks to the large capacity, you also won’t need to replace this bag anytime soon. This helps you save some cash in the long run and all you need is a basic hanger and installation tools.
Reflex Bag
This has a very fast rebound rate and a wide range of benefits including improving reflexes while preventing the bag to hit you and striking. Also practicing head movements, and sharpening eye-hand coordination are other important factors to include a reflex bag in your home gym.
In addition to these, it is not heavy and not big equipment at all. So the reflex bag is also suitable for small training areas.
Lately, there has been a trend towards using Ringside Cobra Reflex Bag. Even though I haven’t trained with it yet I constantly see people showing off defensive maneuvers with this bag on Youtube.
I watched these videos recently and observed the rebound is smooth. It swings just enough to allow you to develop your slipping ability. Also, It has a high-quality steel rod and I could not find any complaints about breakage.
Speed Bag Platform
Speed bag offers a good upper body workout and is essential for improving punching skills. Also, it is not that difficult to get started and learn how to punch one. The platforms can be mounted to home walls as well.
MaxxMMA Heavy Duty Platform has a really solid construction and the quality drum reduces the shock significantly which makes it quieter. This alone is a reason to get this platform for a home. Because I still remember my parents were irritated with the noise a decade ago when I didn’t own a silent platform like MaxxMMA.
Pro-tip for Home: Put a sandbag on top of the platform to reduce the shock and shaking. This contributes to having quieter sessions.
Speed Bag
You need a speed bag to hang to a swivel so you can actually have a speed bag session. Larger speed bags are easier to hit and after focussing on learning, it does not take too long to develop a simple rhythm.
This bag is made by my favorite speed bag company. Title Speed Bag Gyro Balanced provides smooth, fast rebounds and the seams can hold up well for years. Also, if you combine Title Speed Bag with the platform above you can minimize the noise.
What About Equipment for Footwork Drills? Jumping rope is the only tool you need. Footwork is meant to be smooth and not fancy to help you have maximum balance while moving in the ring. So you don’t need any other equipment to develop boxing footwork and you can also perform basic step-and-drag, pivot drills without any equipment.
Decoration
Training in a beautiful gym motivates me and I honestly feel like I can push myself more. Also, decorating a home boxing gym with your favorite items can draw you into there more and you will be tempted to workout even after a tiring day at work.
Wall Arts of Important Moments in Boxing History
Adding trophies, championship pictures to a training area can develop a sports environment. Also connecting yourself to great boxers in this way can inspire you and help you become more motivated.
In my opinion, decorating a wall with one of the greatest moments in boxing history is a really cool idea. And when I think about the history of boxing I remember the fight between Muhammed Ali and Sony Liston.
You can hang your national flag or a flag, that represents your favorite boxer’s nation, on a wall. I saw that Mexican flags were hung on a boxing gym’s walls just because the owner’s favorite boxer was Julio Cesar Chavez.
Non-Essential Equipment for Home
Timer: I probably have seen these a dozen times in old boxing gyms and realized that a timer can be a good addition to any gym as you can set up several minutes of boxing workouts effortlessly with them.
Hand Wrap Roller: Hand wraps will no longer stay tangled up with these rollers. These also help wraps dry faster. Most importantly you can roll your hand wraps way faster!
Slip Bag: Slipping is an invaluable skill for fighters. It is basically moving your body, head a little to dodge punches, and while doing that, you can stay near the opponent to deliver counter punches. You can practice it with a slip bag however, a double end bag can also be used for this purpose. Thus slip bag is optional.
How Much Does Setting up a Proper Home Boxing Gym Cost?
On average you can expect to pay around 1200 USD. However, the cost entirely depends on the brands and models. If you prefer expensive brands’ newest boxing equipment with gimmicky features you can expect to pay up to 6000 dollars. However, you can buy all the equipment above and set up a decent mini boxing studio at home for as little as 700 bucks.
Conclusive Thoughts
A home boxing gym can be quite rewarding both physically and mentally. On top of that, it is really cool and convenient to have a training facility just a few steps away from your bedroom. Also, I feel motivated and excited to train whenever I walk past the room where I built it.
Although building a home boxing gym is not an easy task now you have all the information that you need. If you have any further questions just drop them below so I can help this process go smoothly.
