Tell me are you the next champ? I want to know what makes you the next champ.
Why you? All the excuses and the roadblocks being put in front of you are going to stop you, are you quitter when the road gets bumpy.
Are you going to take a knee and stay down or are you going to get back up?
Or…
Are you the type to overcome the excuses, plow through the roadblocks, work so hard your road work smoothes out that bumpy road you run on every morning?
You don’t give up easily, life knocks you down every day and you return to fight for some more.
A better question might be then why not you?
But how do I become the next champ I don’t know where to begin.
The next step is to start training and a good corner to support you.
Are you going to have someone with you who keeps you moving forward?
Who believes in you when you don’t?
The good news is we know how to get you started, but we also know how to help you finish.
This article is how to get started with the basics, lets begin champ!
Boxing Safety Equipment
This is the fun part, also known as the wardrobe of boxing, you get to color match or mismatch with all the gear you choose to wear.
I’m going to go over some basic gear just to get started, although there is more to list we can start with these essential items for beginning your journey.
Shoes
The reason you need boxing shoes, these leather boxing shoes were to be light, generate traction to prevent slipping, had rubber soles, and provided sufficient ankle support. Without them, boxers would not be able to maneuver as quickly.
Basic types of shoes you will see, high tops, mid-tops, and Ummm low tops?
High tops, are not as common as they were back then but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a shoe to consider. They provide a lot of ankle support, with all the shifts and cuts.
Mid tops, everybody is wearing the mid-tops with the tongue out and the tassels hanging, and they look super cool. Style points for sure! If you have good stability in the ankle and balance you can rock these bad boys.
Low tops, I’m going, to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend this. The reason is they are just too low and on top of that they don’t look as cool. Ok, the real reason is they just don’t look as cool.
But if you want to go ahead and do you, I support you.
So, are boxing shoes worth it? Yes! They make a huge difference in your performance and feel way better on the feet cutting and pivoting.
How should they feel? Like a regular shoe. You want to feel comfortable in them with added support that’s all.
Weird questions like do I wear socks, yes.
Can I run in them? Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Can I wear them outside? Of course, but you wear out the bottom of the grip a lot faster and then have to get a new pair.
Are wrestling shoes okay to wear? They are very similar and I would say that is your next best option with the intentions of the shoe being the same.
So what are the best boxing shoes? In no particular order here are some to name a few.
Rival
Adidas
Everlast
Wraps
Hand wraps help secure the bones in your hands, increase padding across the knuckles, and add additional wrist support. When you're wearing hand wraps make sure you have the proper length to provide support and protection.
How Long
For a traditional cotton hand wrap, a length of 180 in is preferred. It is better to have too much rather than too little.
For kids 120 in is recommended for their still-growing hands.
Slip Ons
Beginners go to, or if you just don’t have the patience to learn, these are specifically for you. They come in different sizes and are infused with padding for the knuckles.
Ringside and Everlast have both traditional and slip-on check them out and that wraps this about up.
Boxing Training Gloves
Starting you don’t need anything fancy, we will start with the training gloves.
Training gloves are a hybrid between bag work gloves and sparring, they can be used for both.
What Size
I would say this is a preference, but here is what available.
10 oz, 12 oz, 14 oz, and 16 oz.
I would use bigger gloves to tone up my arms, when I switched to lighter gloves I felt lightning fast with great-looking arms. I would also get a lot of protection and support while hitting the heavy bag.
The general rule, heavyweights bigger gloves, lighter weight lighter gloves.
Everlast, you can get these from your local big 5 or spend a little more on higher-quality at a boxing store.
Rival, right in between with alot of comfort and padding, solid grab if you ask me and you are, so that’s my take.
Winning, spend the extra money on these bad boys they last long and are the best investment if you plan on being in the game long term. Comfortable, light, and simple.
Mouthguard
AVOID boil and bites! They are no good unless you have no mouthpiece at all.
My best mouthguard came from the mouthpiece guy, look him up it’s worth it!
Do you have braces? I recommend going to your dentist to get fitted for something a little more personal.
Headgear
This is another preference for what you like during training.
You have 3 types of headgear
Open face, usually used for competition but I have seen and used it myself for sparring. The upside is you can see more, the downside is you can get cut up and bruised easier.
Cheek protectors, my favorite kind of headgear, and probably will be yours too. You see just enough of what’s going on and you have just enough protection.
Nose guard, you get the most protection but it comes at a cost of obscuring your vision. You trade off not being able to see as well for max protection of being bruised or cut.
Everlast, the cheaper side of headgears not usually worth it.
Title, decent, and some are regulated for competition.
Winning, the best headgear feels the best but isn’t regulated for competition.
Cups
Men wear your cups, ladies, too! I would try different cups as they all fit a little differently. The biggest factor here, are you comfortable moving around. It will take some time to get used to if you never wear one but it should be good enough that you don’t play with it every couple of seconds, readjusting.
Breast protectors
Some like wearing these and some don’t, it is optional and you will be the judge of that. I recommend giving it a try at least a couple of times.
Boxing Training Equipment
Must-haves to start your training.
Jump rope, improve footwork by staying light on your feet, and prepares you to be fast on your feet when moving around the ring.
Heavy bag, practice all your combos and footwork while building strength and power. Grab a sturdy bag that swings back and forth.
Double-end bag, perfect for practicing timing, rhythm, and speed. You need this bag because it imitates head movement and teaches you how to throw more than one punch at a time.
Slip ball, learn to move your head with negative reinforcement, this tool is small but mighty. Usually filled with sand and compact, trust me you don’t want to get hit with this. Slip sided to side, duck under, or move your feet as the ball swings.
Mirror, a must-have in my opinion. You need to be able to see yourself work once in a while to correct your own mistakes. Visually seeing yourself is a big help.
Video, if a mirror is not in your budget or you just don’t have room for a big enough one, record yourself on a phone, study tape on yourself. Easy, affordable, and doesn’t take up much space.
Go to your local boxing store, if you don’t have one online boxing stores are the best supply for your equipment.
Workouts
Is there no gym near you, or schedule that matches yours? Or you simply just like to work out at home? This is your at-home workout.
Conditioning, jogging, and jump roping
Footwork, lateral movement, and ladder drills
Shadowboxing, head movement, footwork, and punching
Heavy bag, work on basic combinations while moving around the bag
Strength, push-ups, sit-ups, squats
Quick routine: in this order
Jump rope, 3 minutes on 1 min off, 2-4 rounds
Lateral movement, 3 minutes on 1 min off, 2-4 rounds
Shadowboxing, 3 minutes on 1 min off, 2-4 rounds
Heavy bag, 3 minutes on 1 min off, 4-6 rounds
Strength, 3 minutes 1 min off, 1 round of ea. (push-ups, sit-ups, squats)
*track how many you do and hit the same goal or better for next time.
Train every other day to get started and on your days off 1-mile jog to start.
The gains the cuts the power!
You get shredded as a boxer, get ready to take alot of selfies!
Do I Need A Coach
No, you can go out there and do it all on your own… of course you need one!
They can see what you cant see, they have tips, tricks, and cues to help you better understand what you might be doing wrong or how a move or punch works in a fight if you lack experience.
Listen if you can’t find a coach or afford to train with one that’s okay. Start with strength and conditioning. Watch videotape on old fights and listen to what good commentators pick up on like the jab or head movement.
Coaches always are needed, coaches need coaches. We are all students of the game and we should always be learning from someone.
Stay humble and open, you are never too good for a coach.
The Secret
There is one last thing I didn’t mention and it is probably the most important one.
No one likes to be forgotten, and everyone likes to feel good. How do you do both? Style baby!
If your personality is like Mike Tyson and you are a killer, simple is respected you are here for business and everyone knows it.
Or…
You can be a Floydmayweather Jr. drawing up all attention to yourself good or bad and dress with the expression of yourself and style.
Yes, there is an in-between and that is the style you will come up with for yourself and how far you will take it in either direction.
Have fun don’t be scared you are a badass, where what you want and if anyone has anything to say about it, well, they can meet you in the ring.
Conclusion
Safety equipment is non-negotiable, you need to protect yourself at all times. You wouldn’t ride a bike without a helmet!
Or would you…
Either way, I promote safety to all ages and levels of experience, this is the hurt game for a reason. There is no need to get hurt before you go compete or explain to your boss why you look like you just joined “fight club” with Brad Pitt.
Now that we got that out of the way, don’t forget about style points with the judges but most importantly your fans. You don’t want to be a forgettable fighter. At the very least it is fun to have a wardrobe that makes you feel good.
Boxing equipment will help you if you have no gym but are not necessary if you have a boxing gym to go to.
And yesssss you need a coach! Find one asap, no one does anything on their own and this sport is no different. Take yourself seriously if you decide to compete and if you are just looking for a workout you are still going to need one to teach you the basic techniques at the very least.
Don’t skip your workouts, take days off from injury, overuse muscles like strains and fatigue, and just don’t lie to yourself.
If you arent truthful the truth will find you. I warn you because you don’t play boxing, this has serious consequences, be serious take yourself seriously and your opponent when you step into the squared circle.