20 Minute At Home Boxing Workout Without Equipment

Forget the punching bag and gloves: You can get a heart-pounding boxing workout at home.

Image Credit: Getty Images/g-stockstudio There’s no doubt this novel coronavirus pandemic has presented us with a lot of unprecedented situations (like all gyms being closed) — along with sky-high stress, anxiety and frustration. One thing that can help? Staying active. Boxing in particular can be a great stress-reliever.

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 "The punching aspect of boxing helps relieve muscle tension and requires you to fully concentrate on your workout (enabling you to forget your stress and turn off from the outside world)," says Tommy Duquette, former U.S. National Boxing Champion and co-founder and trainer at FightCamp. He points to the fact that 94 percent of FightCamp users report feeling less stressed after starting a boxing routine.

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  But what are you supposed to do if your go-to boxing studio is closed for the foreseeable future? Duquette has you covered. He designed the below at-home boxing workout to rev your heart rate, sculpt your arms and shred your core. It only takes 20 minutes, and you don't need a heavy bag or boxing gloves (so no excuses!).

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  Get tips on how to stay healthy, safe and sane during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Try This At-Home Boxing Workout — No Equipment Required

There are three parts to this workout: jump rope cardio, ab exercises and boxing combos. “A boxer or fighter’s workout is a combination of cardiovascular and strength training,” Duquette says. “Fighters have to be up on their feet moving around the ring for long durations of time, and jump rope is one of the best ways to build cardio endurance.”

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 As for the ab exercises: "A strong core protects you from body punches but also ensures that you can maximize the power of your punches, because proper punching is a total-body motion that heavily engages rotational power from your core," he says.

Check out more of our 20-minute workouts here — we’ve got something for everyone. Do: 30 seconds of each of the following moves, completing the full circuit four times

Jump rope coast (light pace) Jump rope high knees (moderate pace) Crunches Leg lifts Boxing combo 1: jab, cross, jab, cross, sprawl jump Boxing combo 2: jab, cross, lead hook, rear hook, roll, roll Russian twists Shoulder taps Boxing combo 1: jab, cross, jab, cross, sprawl jump Boxing combo 2: jab, cross, lead hook, rear hook, roll, roll

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 Move 1: Jump Rope Coast

Lightly skip in place over an imaginary jump rope.

Move 2: Jump Rope High Knees

Skip over your imaginary rope at a faster pace, lifting one knee at a time up toward your chest as you hop.

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 Move 3: Crunches

Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor close to your butt. Place both hands behind your head, elbows out. Using just your abdominal muscles, lift your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor without compressing your neck too far into your chest. Lower back down slowly and with control.

Move 4: Leg Lifts

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Lie on your back with your hands under your tailbone for support and legs extended straight out. Keeping your knees locked, lift your legs up until they’re perpendicular to the floor. Using your abs, lower your legs back down again. Focus on not letting them hit the ground, instead hovering just above it.

Move 5: Boxing Combo 1

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 Tip "Keep your hands up, elbows in and throw the punches at head level," Duquette says. "It’s important to throw the punches in a straight line from the point of origin, and it’s important to bring them back in a straight line."

Move 6: Boxing Combo 2

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your non-dominant foot a few feet in front of the other. If you’re a righty, your left foot should be in front and your right foot should be behind the left and slightly to the side. Your lead hand (if you’re a righty, your lead is your left) should sit at about eye level with your back arm tucked close to your body, nearly touching your ribs. Keep your rear arm along your cheekbone to protect your face. Jab: Punch straight out with your lead hand (same side as your front leg), then pull the arm back in. Cross: Punch straight out with your rear hand (same side as your rear leg), then pull the arm back in. Lead hook: Throw your lead arm out slightly to the side of your body, then bend your elbow to a 90-degree angle as you swipe across your body. Shift your weight slightly to your lead leg. Rear hook: Throw your rear arm out slightly to the side of your body, then bend your elbow to a 90-degree angle as you swipe across your body. Shift slightly to the rear side, but keep your weight in your front leg. Roll: With your arms in a fighting stance (see step 2), bend both knees as you duck and lean to your rear leg side as if you were avoiding a punch. You’ll also be leaning slightly back toward your rear leg. Roll: Bend your knees again to duck and lean toward your lead leg and slightly forward.

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 Tip Don't throw "arm punches," Duquette says. "Powerful, effective punches come from engaging the entire body and generating rotational force through your core." That also means shifting your weight from right to left as you throw each punch to maximize your power, he says.

Move 7: Russian Twists

Sit on the floor with your legs bent and feet off the floor. Hold your hands together at the center of your chest. Twist to the left and let your hands come with you, touching (or nearly touching) the ground on your left side. Come back through center, then rotate to your right side, bringing your hands along with you. Continue alternating side to side.

Tip “Pretend you are holding a medicine ball and touching it to the floor on each side,” Duquette says. Move 8: Shoulder Taps

Start in a high plank (the top of a push-up) with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Lift your right hand off the floor and tap your left shoulder. Lower your hand back down and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating right hand to left shoulder and left hand to right shoulder, making sure your hips stay square to the ground.

Concerned About COVID-19? Read more stories to help you navigate the novel coronavirus pandemic:

A 20-Minute At-Home Workout Using Only Your Stairs 10 Free Video Workouts to Help You Get Fit and Strong at Home 4 Ways Your Workout Routine Is Linked to Your Immune System

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Forget the punching bag and gloves: You can get a heart-pounding boxing workout at home.

Image Credit: Getty Images/g-stockstudio

Get tips on how to stay healthy, safe and sane during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Check out more of our 20-minute workouts here — we’ve got something for everyone.

“Keep your hands up, elbows in and throw the punches at head level,” Duquette says. “It’s important to throw the punches in a straight line from the point of origin, and it’s important to bring them back in a straight line.”

Don’t throw “arm punches,” Duquette says. “Powerful, effective punches come from engaging the entire body and generating rotational force through your core.” That also means shifting your weight from right to left as you throw each punch to maximize your power, he says.

“Pretend you are holding a medicine ball and touching it to the floor on each side,” Duquette says.

Read more stories to help you navigate the novel coronavirus pandemic:

A 20-Minute At-Home Workout Using Only Your Stairs 10 Free Video Workouts to Help You Get Fit and Strong at Home 4 Ways Your Workout Routine Is Linked to Your Immune System

A 20-Minute At-Home Workout Using Only Your Stairs
10 Free Video Workouts to Help You Get Fit and Strong at Home
4 Ways Your Workout Routine Is Linked to Your Immune System