It’s no big news that we get first-day jitters. After all, it’s tough to get something right the first time around. It’s also a totally different story when you’re just about to start training in sports or martial arts. In our gym in Logan, it’s not a new experience to welcome students over the age of 30. And if we’re being honest, the older we get, the tougher it is to reconcile with the idea of boxing for beginners.
You might ask yourself a lot of burning questions. What should you wear? What do you bring? Where will you get gloves? We get it. The whole idea of joining a team and training in martial arts can be overwhelming – and it’s absolutely normal!
Here are some of the best tips we’d love to share with you as you start boxing for beginners.
When to start boxing for beginners
Some people interested in boxing assume they need to be in excellent physical shape to get started. You’ll be glad to know that’s far from the truth. We customize private training programs to your specific needs. But if you’re on a budget, even group training is very accommodating for all fitness levels.
We have people of all fitness levels training with us, so we’ll match you with someone at the same level. This will let you get the most out of every training session.
You may jump straight into boxing even when coming from a sedentary background. Boxing will develop your cardiovascular system, which will prove beneficial in many aspects.
You can stagger your workout intensity to a level where you’re comfortably challenged. As your fitness level improves, you may scale to perform at a higher level for longer.
How to get started
should you eat before a class?
Whether to eat or not before a workout would depend on you. You don’t want to go to the gym hungry, but you don’t want to go in right after a meal either. It’s up to you what to eat, as long as it gives you the energy to complete your training at max performance.
You may experiment to see what works best for you. But we generally recommend not eating a full meal right before working out. You should wait about two hours after a meal before doing anything strenuous.
When you work out, your digestive system shuts down so your body can put more blood flow to your skin and muscles. If your stomach is full when this happens, you’ll throw up. And we think we can all agree that throwing up, in general, is nasty.
If you need a quick source of energy, eat something easily digestible—a banana, for example, or a piece of chocolate will do the trick.
what to wear for a boxing class
Keep it simple! Wear comfortable gym wear when coming to train. Something as plain as a t-shirt and shorts/leggings will do just fine.
Just make sure that whatever you wear is fresh. There’s nothing worse than dirty clothes when you start sweating. Most gyms will have shower facilities as we do, so bring a clean set of clothes for after your workout. Do a quick rinse after training–cool water over warm skin is refreshing, and you don’t have to get in your car all sticky.
what to bring
Bring whatever you’d bring to a regular gym: a towel, a clean set of clothes, water, and an emergency energy source (e.g. a banana). Gyms usually have a water dispenser, so you just need to bring a water bottle.
Keeping hydrated is essential for optimal performance. Whether you’re training or not, keep yourself well-hydrated. Plain water works, but drinks such as Powerade and Gatorade are good alternatives.
Even though you’ll be boxing, no one expects you to have complete gear right off the bat. You’ll need hand wraps and gloves–both of which we offer at our in-house fight store. For first time visitors, we will loan you a pair of boxing gloves to use for your first session.
Hand wraps absorb most of the sweat in our hands and forearms during training. That said, you should buy your own on your first session. If you’re training regularly, we recommend buying several pairs, so you don’t have to use the same one days in a row.
Lastly, for our friends with long hair, bring something to tie your hair with. Having hair in your face is distracting, and choking on hair when trying to take a deep breath in is terrible.
how to act in the gym
Being polite to people in your gym community will get you a long way. Be respectful to both experienced students and beginners alike. If you want to get the most out of your gym experience, you want to build good relationships with people. They will push you forward and help you reach your goals.
And the best thing about being on good terms is that you can ask for help. Don’t know how to wrap your hands? Ask people, and they’ll help you out. Find yourself confused about the drills? Ask your partner.
what to expect in a boxing for beginners class
You can expect about ten to fifteen (sometimes up to 30) of you in the boxing for beginners class. We start the class with basic warm-up exercises from light to dynamic routines. This helps minimize post-workout soreness and avoid injury.
Then once you’re all warm and loose, our training instructors will teach you some drills. These will be basic boxing techniques you’d be practising on the heavy bag or with a partner. (Don’t worry, there’ll be newbies there too!)
Afterwards comes fitness training! It’s a mix of boxing and bodyweight training to get your fitness up and help you advance your skills. You can expect a full-body workout at this point.
And then, after all that, a cooldown session to further avoid soreness and loss of flexibility.
Do i have to spar?
Getting punched is never a pleasant situation to find yourself caught in. We understand the anxiety of students who train in our boxing for beginners class.
You can relax since you won’t have to throw the gloves on and stand face to face ready to spar someone in the very beginning!
Logan boxing at times can have a somewhat tough image, but The Fight Centre values safety above all else. We design our training programs to encourage learning at your own pace and not throw you at the deep end. If you don’t feel ready to try your hand at sparring, you don’t have to.
We have a boxing ring in the gym, but it isn’t off-limits to beginners. So if you’re willing to try sparring under supervision, let your coach know, step into the ring, and have fun!
Before you climb between the ropes though, you have to learn to punch properly. Here’s an article detailing all the do’s and don’ts when it comes to throwing your hands.
How to get back into it
It’s been quite a rough couple of years for all of us. Many of us who used to train regularly have fallen out of the groove. Some had to give up their time, energy, and maybe even funds they once allotted for fitness.
Now we’re stepping back into the world we once knew. But it’s not easy to get right back into it.
So if you used to train but had to take a break, now is the best time to get back to it. If you’re feeling a bit out of shape, that’s completely normal! You can start at an intensity that won’t be too hard on your body. Eventually, you’ll get back to the version of yourself you’re most comfortable with.
Even experienced and regular boxing students need to warm up before each session. Remember that what matters in boxing isn’t getting it right the first time. Instead, it’s staying consistent, beginner or otherwise.
Above all, stay focused on your goal. Before you let the doubts cloud your mind, take a moment to remind yourself: Why are you doing this in the first place?
final thoughts
We can’t stress this enough–age doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter to us, and it shouldn’t matter to you.
What matters to us is your safety; we’ want you to look forward to coming back and joining our sessions! That’s why it’s very important to us that during your training in boxing for beginners and beyond, you remain uninjured. If you stay focused, even you would recognize that age is hardly a hurdle to your goal.
Our gyms are open to anybody who wants to learn and grow as individuals. We’re all with different goals, but we share the same humble and unassuming mindset. If you’re still not convinced, here are some more reasons why you’re not too old to join a boxing gym!
What’s our goal at The Fight Centre? It’s simple–to make yours possible.
BONUS CONTENT
Before you get to the gym, learn how to wrap your hands and show up prepared for your first boxing session!