The Ultimate 12 Week Boxing Training Program (with PDF)

Welcome to our 12 Week Boxing Training Program! I’m your cornerman, armed with the experience of a seasoned boxer and the knowledge of a passionate trainer.

Whether you’re a featherweight beginner or a heavyweight hero, this program is the Rocky montage you need. We’ll bob and weave through power-packed workouts, strength and conditioning training, and awesome drills. By the end of this journey, not only will your punches hit harder, but your confidence will pack a punch too.

Grab your gloves, champ. Let’s get ready to rumble in this fitness journey of a lifetime!

Train hard, and stay strong!

Jump to the training program now!

Alternatively, you can download the free 12 Week Boxing Training Program PDF using the link below:

12 Week Boxing Training Program In a Nutshell

Program Overview

This boxing workout program is aimed at beginners. It is designed to improve both your boxing skills and your overall fitness.  It is a balanced blend of cardio exercises, strength & conditioning, and boxing techniques to elevate your boxing performance and endurance in the ring.

The program will focus on the following aspects:

1. Cardiovascular Conditioning:
   Boxing demands an impeccable level of cardiovascular fitness in order to realize your true performance potential and avoid getting outboxed by your opponent.
   
   The use of jump ropes and cardio machines such as treadmills, air bikes, and stationary bikes is essential as well as other open-world activities such as jogging and stair climbs.
   
2. Technique Training:
   What is boxing without technique? This program will allow you to learn, practice and refine your boxing skills. Punching technique  (jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts), footwork, and defensive maneuvers (slips, blocks, rolls) will all be incorporated in this program.
   
3. Strength and Power Training:
   Boxing relies on strength and power to deliver effective punches. Include exercises like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance training to build upper body, core, and lower body strength. Incorporate exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, medicine ball throws, and core exercises like planks and Russian twists.
   
4. Heavy Bag Work:
   Utilize a heavy bag to practice combinations, power punches, and enhance your punching technique. Focus on speed, accuracy, and power while maintaining proper form. Incorporate a variety of combinations and adjust the intensity as needed.
   
5. Speed and Agility Training:
   Quick reflexes and agility are crucial in boxing. Include drills such as ladder drills, cone drills, and agility ladder work to improve your footwork, speed, and reaction time.
   
6. Core and Conditioning Exercises:
   Strengthening your core is vital for stability, balance, and generating power in your punches. Incorporate exercises like sit-ups, Russian twists, planks, and medicine ball rotations to develop a strong core. Additionally, include conditioning drills such as burpees, mountain climbers, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to improve overall endurance and cardio fitness.

Will This Boxing Training Program Help Me Lose Weight?

This boxing training program, if followed correctly, can be highly effective for weight loss due to its combination of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

The intensity and variety of exercises involved in boxing workouts make them excellent calorie-burning activities. Jumping rope, shadowboxing, hitting the heavy bag, and engaging in sparring sessions require significant energy expenditure, creating a calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.

Boxing workouts also help improve cardiovascular fitness.

The fast-paced nature of the sport and the continuous movement involved elevate your heart rate, increase lung capacity, and strengthen your cardiovascular system.

This boxing workout program incorporates many of the HIIT principles found in our dedicated 6 Week HIIT Workout Program. This means you perform short bursts of intense activity followed by brief periods of rest or low-intensity exercise.

HIIT has been proven effective for fat loss and boosting metabolism. The punch combinations, bag work, and agility exercises in this program’s drills are structured in a HIIT format, maximizing calorie burn and promoting fat loss.

A boxing workout provides a full-body workout experience. It engages various muscle groups, including the arms, shoulders, core, back, and legs. The intensity of the movements requires muscle recruitment, resulting in muscle development and toning.

Increased muscle mass contributes to a higher resting metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more calories even at rest.

Strength and resistance training exercises are often included in a well-rounded boxing workout program. Activities like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands help build lean muscle mass.

Strength training not only burns calories during the workout but also increases your overall metabolic rate. Having more muscle means your body will burn more calories to sustain that muscle.

Related: The Ultimate 12 Week Strength Training Program (Free PDF)

Beyond its physical benefits, boxing workouts can also serve as a stress-relieving activity. Engaging in intense physical exercise releases endorphins, which improve mood and reduce stress levels. 

This reduction in stress can positively impact weight loss efforts by preventing emotional eating or overeating due to stress-related factors. This indirect way of improving weight loss makes boxing a well-rounded fat-burning approach.

It’s important to remember that combining a boxing workout program with a balanced and healthy diet is crucial for effective weight loss. Calorie control and proper nutrition are key factors in achieving weight loss goals.

Related: Try our 7-Day Keto Diet Plan

Boxing Training Program Structure

This program is structured as a 12 week progressive program.

Workouts will be performed every second day which means you will train 4 times per week. 

The workouts are built around three aspects, two of the aspects will be trained once a week while one of them, the technique, will be trained twice a week.  There will be progressions through subsequent weeks. 

The first workout focuses on technique, the second on strength & conditioning, the third is an agility exercise focus, and the fourth and final workout of the week returns to technique.

The technique drills will be performed as a HIIT protocol.

You will notice that many exercises, especially in the technique drill workouts are repeated. Repetition is a key ingredient to mastering a skill so we’ve taken an approach that instills this principle while mixing things up where relevant.

Progress comes in the form of gradually increased duration and training volume. Follow the workout table guidelines carefully.

Overall, this program is structured to provide a challenging and effective workout that improves physical boxing skills and includes a mix of cardio and strength exercises. 

In order to improve your true boxing skills and boxing IQ, you will need sparring sessions, but that’s another topic for another time.

The program is designed to be flexible and adjustable to your fitness level, with rest days in between to allow your body to recover and prepare for the next workout.

Daily Breakdown

Each daily session will consist of the following elements in chronological order:

1. The warm up. Gets the blood pumping and stimulates the muscles in anticipation for the grilling it’s about to receive! We provide specific warm up exercises below.
2. The actual Boxing workout.
3. The cool down. Helps take your heart rate back down to normal and usually involves stretching.

1. The Warm Up

The warm-up is a 5-minute session that includes a series of dynamic stretches and exercises to get your body ready for the main workout.

It is designed to increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles, and prepare your body for the exercises.

Dynamic Stretch (45 seconds)	How to Do It
Leg swings	Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and swing one leg forward and back, then side to side, and finally in a circular motion. Repeat with the other leg.
Arm circles	Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out to your sides. Make small circles with your arms, gradually increasing the size of the circles.
High knees	Stand with your feet hip-width apart and lift one knee up towards your chest, then lower it back down. Repeat with the other leg at a medium pace.
Butt kicks	Stand with your feet hip-width apart and kick one heel up towards your glutes, then lower it back down. Repeat with the other leg at a medium pace.
Walking lunges	Take a big step forward with one leg and lower your body down into a lunge position. Push off with your back foot and bring it forward to take another big step. Repeat for several reps.
Spiderman stretch	Start in a high plank position and bring one foot up to the outside of your hand. Hold for a few seconds, then switch sides.
Inch-worms	Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend forward, placing your hands on the ground. Walk your hands forward until you’re in a high plank position, then walk your feet forward to meet your hands.

2. The Actual Boxing Workout

The technique workouts are 40-50 minute sessions that include 8 different strike and evasion techniques that you will perform in a circuit format.

They will follow your standard HIIT protocol which means each exercise is done for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest.

After completing all exercises in the circuit, you will rest for 1 minute before starting the next round. You will repeat the circuit 4 times to complete the workout.

The workouts are designed to be intense, but you can adjust the intensity to your fitness level by modifying the exercises or taking breaks as needed. 

The agility workouts will follow the same principles as the HIIT Technique workouts but instead will focus on footwork and balance.

Finally, your strength workouts will be a standard strength & conditioning resistance-based training protocol incorporating the use of free weights and machines. These will NOT be run in circuit format but in the traditional sets x reps format.

3. The Cool Down

The cool-down is a 5-minute session that includes a series of static stretches and exercises to help your body recover and prevent injury. 

The cool-down is designed to lower your heart rate, stretch your muscles, and help your body recover from the main workout. Do not force the stretches if you feel any unusual discomfort or pain.

Stretch (hold for 30 seconds)	Target Muscles	How to Do It
Standing Hamstring Stretch	Hamstrings	Stand with feet hip-width apart and extend one leg forward, keeping it straight. Hinge forward at the hips and reach toward your toes. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.
Quad Stretch	Quadriceps	Stand with feet hip-width apart and bend one knee, bringing your heel toward your buttocks. Hold onto your ankle or foot with one hand and keep your knees close together. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.
Seated Forward Fold	Hamstrings and Lower Back	Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you. Reach forward and try to touch your toes. Hold for 30 seconds.
Figure Four Stretch	Hips and Glutes	Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your left ankle over your right knee and gently pull your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.
Shoulder Stretch	Shoulders and Upper Back	Stand with feet hip-width apart and reach one arm across your chest, using the other arm to gently pull it closer to your body. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

Equipment Used in the Program

Boxing does require a degree of equipment investment in order to be performed effectively and safely.

The first port of call is getting gloved up. This includes boxing gloves and hand wraps which are designed to cushion and brace your finger and wrist joints for sustained heavy impact.

Contrary to popular belief, boxing gloves are a safety feature primarily designed for your hand protection and not the protection of your opponent.

Find gloves that fit you as getting the right fit is essential to both performance and safety.

Next on the list would be a good pair of boxing shoes. This isn’t entirely essential when it comes to this program, but if you do have any ambitions of sparring or entering about, a good pair of boxing boots is imperative.

Lastly, a mouth guard is an important safety feature if you intend to make contact with other combatants and also like having teeth.

Other than that, your equipment is mainly based on things you will be hitting.

Here’s a quick rundown of all the equipment and apparatus you will be required to use in this program:

Equipment	Description
Heavy Bag	A large, sturdy bag typically filled with sand or fabric that boxers punch to develop power, accuracy, and technique.
Speed Bag	A small, lightweight bag that hangs from a swivel platform. It helps improve hand-eye coordination, rhythm, and speed by practicing rapid punching combinations.
Double-End Bag	A small bag attached to the ceiling and floor with elastic cords. It requires quick reflexes and precision to hit and avoid its unpredictable movements.
Medicine Ball	A weighted ball used for various exercises, including rotational core work, throwing exercises, and partner drills for developing power and explosiveness.
Skipping/Jump Rope	A simple yet effective tool for cardio conditioning, footwork, and agility training. It helps improve rhythm, endurance, and coordination.
Speed Rope	A lighter, faster version of a skipping rope designed for developing quickness, coordination, and foot speed.
Boxing Gloves	Padded gloves designed to protect the hands and wrists during training and sparring sessions. They come in different sizes and weights, depending on the purpose and your skill level.
Hand Wraps	Elastic wraps are worn under the gloves to provide additional support and protection for the wrists and hands.
Mouthguard	A protective device is worn over the teeth to absorb impact and reduce the risk of dental and jaw injuries during sparring or competitive bouts.
Headgear	Protective gear worn during sparring sessions to minimize the risk of head injuries and absorb impacts.
Boxing Ring	A raised platform enclosed by ropes used for sparring, competitive bouts, and practicing ring movement.
Strength Training Equipment	This may include weights, dumbbells, resistance bands, and weightlifting machines for strength and conditioning exercises that complement boxing training.
Conditioning Equipment	Such equipment can include agility ladders, cones, sleds, battle ropes, and plyometric boxes used for various conditioning drills and exercises to improve speed, explosiveness, and overall fitness.

This program will be based on solo training so you won’t need to invest in any partner-based or opponent-based equipment such as pads or protective gear.

And while it is possible to invest in all this equipment for a personal home setup, it will be pricey and space-consuming, so the best approach would be to sign up at a boxing gym. Large chain fitness clubs also cater to the majority of the required equipment needs, so all you really should invest in is the gear you will be wearing.

When purchasing equipment, make sure to consult an expert for the correct fitment and weighting.

Rest Days are Mandatory

It is essential to have an intermittent rest day when considering the sheer physical toll boxing places on multiple systems in your body.

Boxing is a damaging sport if not trained with recovery in mind. even when you’re not sparring or in the ring, your body is susceptible to overtraining or injury. 

By taking days off between sessions, you give your body time to replenish its energy stores (glycogen and ATP)  and repair any damage that may have occurred during the workout.

The 12 Week Boxing Training Program

Conclusion

In summary, this 12 week boxing program is a great way to improve your fitness level, agility, coordination, burn calories, and achieve your weight loss goals while learning a fun and useful skill. 

We don’t condone violence of any nature, but boxing is a great way to challenge yourself mentally and physically, grow stronger and fitter and relieve stress.

In the event that you find yourself in a tricky confrontation, it does serve as a great self-defense too with emphasis on defense. Don’t go picking fights unless it’s a supervised sparring session or a sanctioned bout.

By following the program and progressing it gradually over time, you can continue to challenge your body and improve your overall boxing prowess

Remember to warm up properly before each workout, listen to your body, and adjust the intensity of the workouts and rest days based on how you feel.

By incorporating active rest days and stretching into your routine, you can help to promote recovery and prevent injury.

Overall, this program is a great way to get started with boxing and improve your skill with the discipline. 
However, to truly hone your skill and dedicate yourself to the craft, find a good boxing coach and engage with a fighters community.

You will learn much more by throwing and receiving punches in a supervised environment that prioritizes safety.

If you haven’t already, download the PDF below to print and access next time you’re working on your boxing skills!