I am happy to see more people getting into boxing on some level, I truly am. Best exercise you can do, in my humble opinion, and something we all can (and should) be doing. But I can tell you from enough experience with others who have tried to learn boxing at home with these programs (or just on their own) that this does not work for our particular sport/exercise routine. Not only can you not learn the proper technique, but even worse, you can even develop bad habits that become more and more challenging to fix if you ever want to improve.
With all due respect to the physical challenge and health benefits of something like cycling, running on a treadmill, HIIT or other forms of exercise, these are things that may be hard to get really proficient at but still easy to do on a base level. Most of us can pedal a bike. Can we pedal as fast or for as long as someone who trains in this arena? Probably not but we can perform the movement necessary to develop those abilities. Boxing is different. It is not just movement or even a series of movements. It is a sport and a science and an art and very technically focused in a way that traditional exercise is not. Someone on a video screen can tell you how to throw a lead hook, demonstrate themselves from multiple angles, go slow and fast, and do everything to most perfectly explain every aspect of the punch so that you can try to emulate this yourself but there is one thing missing. And it's the most important thing of all - feedback!!!
This is where some form of in-person learning is required. A trainer needs to show you, then have you do it, then cue technique, then have you do it, then cue some more, than iterate and iterate and iterate until you get it down but even then, there is ALWAYS stuff to learn. No one is perfect at boxing nor even perfect at any aspect of boxing. You just get better and better. Every time I think I've got it all, I suddenly realize that there is so much more. And that is a wonderful thing! Not only from a skill development standpoint but also from a physical exercise standpoint. Enhancing those skills enhances the workout. I promise you that I am not just saying that because I am a boxing coach and want everybody to be better boxers. I have seen many new members train at our club, having never boxed before, and after about a month, ask me why they are finding themselves more tired afterwards. Why the workout got more challenging. My answer is almost always the same: because you are doing things more properly. Recruiting more muscles, moving more, using different energy systems, etc. It's not just about pushing yourself to throw more punches, it's understanding how to throw those punches in a way that pushes you even further.
Conversely, if you don't learn the proper technique at first and build habits, they get harder to fix. And the more time you spend reinforcing them and committing them to muscle memory, the harder that fixing gets! I have seen this a fair amount recently from home boxers. If you want to learn boxing and continue to get better - as well as increase the value of your workouts - it is so much better (and easier) to build good habits early, while you are still in that beginning stage.
But also remember, feedback doesn't just mean critique. You need positive feedback too! It's helpful on many levels to know when you are doing something right/well. Not only to reinforce the proper form but also just to make you feel good! Which matters a lot!
Another factor that needs to be considered is that every person really is unique. This is something I have seen time and time again. Everyone moves in different ways, thinks about things differently, has a different athletic background, has natural tendencies, etc. Another very fun thing about my job. Just like with boxing itself, every time I think I've seen it all, I realize that it's just the tip of the iceberg. There is always stuff to learn when it comes to coaching, and not just in terms of instruction but reacting to the many different types of students too.
With that said, there are some things we all have in common and I can tell you that one of them is that we don't always perceive ourselves accurately. What we think we're doing may not be what we are actually doing. There was a certain point in my training where I would have bet a million dollars that I NEVER dropped by cross hand before I threw the punch. Never. Not even one millimeter. And then one day I recorded myself. I was shocked to see that not only did I do it but that I did it consistently. Because I had done it for so long too, it was harder to fix than had I never developed the habit in the first place. Probably still happens from time to time, too.
Then finally, another important aspect of getting actual coaching feedback on what you specially are doing is that it will keep the workout itself more interesting and compelling because you are actually getting better, opening up whole new levels of nuances. Whereas if you do the at-home workouts, you can certainly improve your skills from repetitions and trainer cues, you will almost definitely plateau pretty quickly without the personalization that allows for that next step. When people tend to plateau from any workout is when they also tend to stop doing the workout as consistently. Then less. Then they eventually stop entirely and the big, expensive piece of equipment joins the fitness graveyard many of us have in our basements.
While feedback is certainly the most important component here, there are other big reasons why you can't learn boxing at home vs in person. Here is a quick run-through:
1.) Equipment - To get the best workout for both strength and cardio, a hanging heavy bag is significantly better than a freestanding bag offered by most of the at home boxing programs. Then the heavier the bag, the better. You can certainly buy a heavy bag with a bag stand but it will move around when you hit it and these things usually break after a few months of heavy use. There are the freestanding bags as well but if you've ever used one, you know they are soft and have no weight to them in the bag so the workout is not nearly as intense as a hanging, actually heavy bag. Plus, those break too. And move around (even if you put concrete in the base). A big rig with a large heavy bag will make a HUGE difference. I have purchased (and broken) every type of home bag and can tell you from a workout, as well as consistent training perspective, you need something commercial strength. Even if you're not a heavy hitter.
2.) Energy Level - There is no doubt that people work harder in groups than they do alone. Besides a trainer pushing and motivating, the energy of a group working out is contagious. While our club was shut down during the COVID mandate, I would do my own class plans with the music up and try to push myself as hard as possible as if I were in a regular class. It didn't even compare. I couldn't push myself like I do in a group environment.
3.) Distractions - While we're all hopefully comfortable in our homes, they are full of distractions and a place we have set aside for relaxation and maximum comfort. These are great things for a home but not necessarily for a workout. You need to be distraction-free, focused entirely on the task of learning this challenging skill and with the mindset of concentration and hard work that is difficult to get at home.
4) Time - So much of the allure with at-home workouts of any kind is the notion that you can exercise any time you want. Sounds great! Makes it easy to find time when you don't have to adhere to a particular schedule. Except it actually doesn't for the vast majority of us. I have worked with literally thousands of people, talked to them about their exercise habits, and seen firsthand what has been successful for them and what hasn't. I can tell you most who are successful don't find time to work out, they make the time to work out. No matter how much you love your exercise program, it really is work (if you're doing it right) and we're not always super motivated to do work of any kind. Whether people are training at home or at the gym, I would always recommend setting a hard, relatively immovable time for themselves for their exercise program. I also believe that keeping it consistent (ie 5:30pm Monday-Wednesday-Friday) will help stay on track but some people can still make it work with a changing schedule.
5.) Freestyling - While there are options for video-directed, at-home boxing workouts where a virtual trainer gives you specific combinations and exercises to do, there are also plenty of people who pick up a heavy bag and just kind of freestyle punch it on their own. You will also see this at plenty of boxing gyms as well. It is my strong opinion that this is not a way to learn boxing nor get a real significant workout. You need a plan. What to do and when to do it, with timing parameters. So once again, at a gym OR at home, have a pre-designed structure to your workout. Don't just freestyle!
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