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9 Essential Boxing Equipment for Beginners: What to Get and Why.

No warrior heads into battle without weapons and armor.

However, don’t be that knob head that has all the gear and can’t box a dozen eggs.

You know the one – he splashes out on the best of equipment for each new hobby that takes his fancy, quickly realizes he’s not cut out for it or lacks the commitment to get good, and then ends up selling his pre-loved wares on eBay.

“Boxing Gloves for Sale – Hardly Used”

Yeah, don’t be that guy.

Essential Boxing Equipment for Beginners

You’re fortunate that you’ve picked a hobby that doesn’t put you out of pocket to get started.

The following items make up the list of essential boxing equipment. Beginners don’t need anything else – assuming you own comfortable clothes – and you can add to your training arsenal in time.

  • Boxing Gloves
  • Hand Wraps
  • Water Bottle
  • Training Bag
  • Mouth Guard (Sparring only)
  • Groin Guard or Chest Protector (Sparring only)

Don’t get suckered into buying anything else!

Boxing gyms usually provide focus mitts, punch bags, speedballs, headgear, and skipping ropes for communal use.

If you’ve got cash to blast, it would be better spent on your training: Joining a quality boxing gym, private boxing lessons, or a good home boxing course.

That being said, if you’re learning to box at home, you will need some extra equipment or you’ll be limited to shadowboxing, running, and bodyweight exercises.

Home Boxing Gym Equipment

It’s not always practical to travel across town to attend boxing classes.

If you’ve got space for it, a home boxing gym can offer a great workout that has the added benefits of flexibility and convenience.

You can fit your boxing training into your existing schedule which means you’re more likely to keep at it. Squeeze your training in before work in the mornings when you have energy, or do it at your own pace in the evenings – whatever works for you.

To start learning how to box at home, you’ll need:

  • Boxing Gloves – All purpose or bag gloves
  • Hand Wraps
  • Boxing Bag
  • Skipping Rope
  • Round Timer

Unlike weight training where the cost of setting up a home gym can quickly reach thousands of dollars, creating a home boxing gym is comparatively cheap.

Depending on quality, and whether you buy new or used, you would be able to acquire all of the above items for $250-$400.

Boxing equipment for beginners can cost as much or as little as your budget will allow. You could have your very own home boxing gym for the cost of a few months gym membership.

However, if you want to learn boxing by yourself, you should beware of the pitfalls.

The Downsides to Training at Home

  1. Lack of Motivation

Boxing gyms provide external motivation whereas the motivation for training at home is strictly intrinsic. You, and only you, are responsible for pumping yourself up.

Do you have what it takes to push yourself to your physical limits when no one is watching?

Can you push yourself after a long day, when you’re just not feeling it, and you’re exhausted after round two?

Motivation comes easy for some. Running at 5 am on cold and dark mornings doesn’t phase these driven few.

For others, it takes tremendous effort to peel themselves from the couch and summon just enough motivation to smash the bag for 20 minutes.

You’ll know which camp you belong to.

Depending on the day, your motivation will fluctuate between the two extremes.

If your motivation is perpetually running on empty, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a home boxing gym. But perhaps it’s best to split your workouts between the gym and home to get the best results.

  1. Learning Poor Technique

At home, you have no boxing instructor to correct your mistakes. You can easily adapt bad habits that can be tough to break once the movement is imprinted in your brain and muscles.

Subtle movements, such as lifting your back foot when you throw across, result in less power and increase the risk of injuring yourself.

There’s also no guarantee that you’ll be able to replicate the same technique you see someone perform on a video.

As before, the solution would be to split your training and learn the proper technique from experienced professionals at a boxing gym, then practice what you learned on the bag at home.

Let’s Get Kitted Out

Before you go buying anything, you first need to decide if you are going to train on your own or join a boxing gym. This decision will dictate what equipment you’ll need.

Next, kit yourself out with only the essential boxing equipment you need to get started.

Remember, you’ll be able to use the gym’s equipment or possibly borrow gear from a friend. If you’re on a budget, a pair of boxing gloves and hand wraps is all you really need.

If you’ve never bought boxing gloves before, the different types, brands, and weights available can make the whole process confusing. This handy guide will help you find a pair to match your needs.

If you stick to a pair that is on the top ten best boxing gloves list, you can’t go wrong.

If you’re building a gym, you may be able to source cheap second-hand equipment from online auctions sites. You can get good deals on second-hand punch bags that often come with chains and a wall bracket.

If you’re going down the thrifty route, most items can be picked up second-hand, but never buy used gloves! They will contain someone else’s sweat (and possibly blood) and are a breeding zone for nasty bacteria.

Whether you decided to join a boxing gym or not, it’s probably best to know how to find a good boxing gym.

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