The best boxing workout for weight loss: introduce calories to our friend PAIN

An interesting development in recent times is that peaceful folk are taking up boxing. Not for self-defence, but because the best boxing workout is a supreme way to lose weight and get in shape. IT IS THE GREATEST! It's so mean, it makes medicine sick.

• 12-minute full body boxing workout

Admittedly, for the uninitiated, boxing often just looks like two people punching each other in the head until one of them gives up, but it's actually more complicated than that. Professional boxers are some of the fittest folk on the planet, thanks to the sport requiring elite levels of cardiovascular fitness, speed, power, strength, balance, accuracy and endurance, to name just a few facets.

All you need to get a bit of that action is a little space in your home, a positive mental attitude and the eye of the tiger. This could be THE best home workout if you are feeling a little aggressive. Which we all are at times, recently, let's face it.

Want to upgrade your boxing workout? Get a punching bag and a pair of boxing gloves. 

• Go full Rocky and pound the streets with the best running shoes
• And also the best pull-up bars

The Boxing Workout Warm-Up

Despite a lack of heavy weights, kettlebells or resistance bands, this workout will still test all of the major muscle groups, particularly the shoulders, so it pays to get everything warm before steaming into it.

Shoulder Pulls x 10 each side

Swing your right arm up and out with palms facing away from you, grab your right wrist with your left hand and gently pull the right arm behind your head, giving the shoulder muscle a good stretch.

Squats x 10

With feet hip-width apart, fists in front fo your face for balance, stick your butt out and lower it to the ground, keeping the back nice and flat. Slowly lower to a comfortable point, without letting your knees wander over the toes, and drive back up through your heels.

Windmills x 20 in each direction

Stand with arms outstretched (as if you were pretending to be an aeroplane) and start making small forward circles with the hands. Aim to make the circles larger with every rep. Now rotate in the opposite direction, getting smaller with the circles.

Mountain climbers x 10 each leg

Adopt a press-up position but rest your bodyweight on the knuckles to work the shoulders more. Now pull the right leg up to your chest, aiming to keep a straight line running along the spine to your neck. Now lower the right leg and repeat the move with the left.

Press-ups x 10

From this position, go straight into press-ups. Try to keep the tempo slow and controlled to work the muscles

• Best free online fitness apps
• Where to buy kettlebells online: Here are the stores that still stock them
• Best trail running shoes

• Best workout shoes
• How to get a six pack
• Best 15-minute six pack workout

The Boxing Workout

Bounce steps x 40 reps

With feet hip-width apart, begin the workout by bouncing from one foot to another. You should be on the balls of your feet here, using al little explosive power to hop from one foot to another. Keep you arms loose by your sides.

High-knee punches x 20 each side

From the bounce steps, head straight into these high-knee punches, drawing the knee to around hip-height while punching out straight ahead of you. The punching arm should the the opposing limb to the leg that is being drawn upwards. 

- Don’t aim for maximum punching power here, as that’s a surefire way to pull a shoulder muscle.

Jump lunges x 10 each leg

Adopt a split-squat stance, where one leg is planted out front and the rear leg is extended, weight on the balls of your feet for balance. From this position, explode by driving through the heel of the leading foot and swap legs mid-air. Repeat this ten times each side.

1/2 Jab Step x 10 each direction

With feet hip-width apart, balancing on the balls of your feet, aim for a one/two combo of punches, hitting an invisible target at around eye level with a right jab, followed by a left. Once the second punch is thrown, quickly step to the right and throw another right jab. Repeat this ten times before switching to a left step and left jab.

1/2 Jab Step + duck x 10 in each direction

Exactly the same as before, but just after you slide to the right, duck low as if you were dodging a punch and then throw the jab. After ten reps, repeat the exact same thing but stepping to the left.

• Don't fancy venturing outside for a run? Have a look at the best treadmills instead
• Burn belly fat and reveal rock hard abs by doing this...

High knees x 30 seconds

Take a short break from throwing punches with some high knees. Think of this as sprinting on the spot but drawing the knees up above hip level. Shake the arms loose while doing so to get rid of the lactic acid build up.

1/2 Jab and Hook x 10 

Let’s get back to it. Bouncing on the balls of the feet, throw a right jab, followed by a quick left and returning to the right with a powerful hook. Attempt to bring the arm up and elbow out to the side. The aim is to push an invisible bag on its right flank with the hook. Repeat this ten times and then swap to the other side.

Jump squats x 10

Get in to the squat position mentioned earlier but rather than merely raising to an upright position, attempt to drive through the heels and explode into a jump at the top of the move. Make sure you have sufficient ceiling height before attempting this.

Scissor kicks x 20

Try this on a carpeted area or place a rug or mat down to protect the back. Lay flat on the floor with arms resting to your sides. Raise the heels off the ground until your toes are at eye level and now perform little scissor kicks up and down. Don’t let your backside or shoulders raise raise off the ground and brace the core throughout. 

The Boxing Workout Warm-Down

Plank x 30 seconds

From the scissor kicks position, roll onto your front, using the forearms to take your body weight. Keep lower body weight on the balls of your feet, brace your core, tighten your butt muscles and keep the back nice and flat. Stay in this position for 30 seconds.

Side lunges x 10 on each side

Stretch out the legs with a little side lunge action. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and shift your body weight onto the right thigh by lunging to the side. Like a squat, the knee shouldn’t wander over your toes. Hold the stretch for three seconds, return to start position and repeat on the other side.

Shoulder shrugs x 20

Quite simply, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, holding the stretch at the top of the move for two or three seconds and lower slowly. Remember to breathe in on the upward portion and out when lowering.