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In this article, we will try to figure out how many calories we can burn from boxing and martial arts. Hitting the punch bag or taking part in other martial arts is good cardio that helps us lose weight faster and more effectively.
I started boxing when I was 17. Then I stopped it for years. I picked it up when I was 35 to add cardio and endurance training to my at-home workout. I got a heavy bag, and I have a 3-day boxing workout routine. The result? I have lost over 25 pounds. But, what’s even better, my vitality is excellent as well.
That’s why I suggest everyone who wants to build a healthy physique and lose weight start boxing training.
Ok, let’s get to the details.
Calories Boxing – How to calculate?
What should we take into account when calculating burned calories?
- The weight.
- The duration of the training.
- The boxing activity (punching a bag, shadow boxing, sparring with a partner, real boxing with an opponent, drills with or without weights)
- The intensity (number of rounds, breaks, etc.)
- Sex
For the calorie calculation, we use the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). The metabolic equivalent of task (MET) is a physiological definition of the energy cost of physical activity. These units represent the amount of oxygen a person consumes while undertaking an activity.
Activity | METs/hr |
Walking slowly | 2 |
Climbing stairs | 4 |
Swimming | 8 |
Running, 8 mph | 13.5 |
Real boxing in the ring | 12 |
Boxing with punching bag (moderate) | 6 |
Boxing with a heavy bag (intensive) | 10 |
Sparring session | 8 |
Shadow boxing | 7 |
Jumping rope | 12 |
So, we can state that boxing is among the most effective energy-burning activities. For example, it burns twice as many calories as stair climbing or four times more than walking slowly.
For example, punching bag calories burned for a 200-pound person with 45 minutes of moderate training results in 428 calories minus.
With 30-minute shadow boxing, a 180-pound person can burn about 300 calories.
Calories burned boxing calculator
For quick results, I created this calorie calculator. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Note: Of course, the calculations above aren’t 100% accurate since there are so many other factors that we should consider (gender, age, fitness level, etc.). But, the results help you to understand why boxing is such a beneficial combat sport for everyone.
You will find two types of training in any boxing gym. Boxers sometimes punch the bag lazily and don’t move much. If you’re really into training, you’ll throw hard punches and move a lot. Using the latter approach is the best way to maximize calorie burn. There is a general rule that the fat-burning heart rate is about 70 percent of the maximum heart rate.
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What are the other benefits of a boxing workout for weight loss?
- It’s an all-over body intense activity.
- It gives you confidence and self-discipline.
- This exercise improves your stamina and concentration.
- It helps to release stress.
- Since it’s a full body workout it boosts cardiovascular health.
- Improves reflexes.
- Betters all-over strength and body composition.
- The risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers is higher in people with belly fat. This type of workout can help you a lot have a normal weight. Plus since, many core exercises are included in a typical training it also helps to stomach fat loss.
- Boost metabolism.
- Develop your mental focus.
- Cardio boxing workouts are safe and effective for all ages for burning calories.
- Aerobic exercises that you can do at home.
- This fitness activity works well with weight lifting exercises or calisthenics workouts.
- Boxing is fun no matter if you are a man or a woman.
Like any workout that requires full muscle participation, boxing workouts are a great way to burn off calories and shed extra body fat. But boxing also offers benefits above and beyond physical benefits such as stress reduction, confidence-building, and providing a sense of accomplishment. Look around on our website or join a boxing class to learn more about this fantastic sport!
Note for beginners: Cardio shadow boxing session burns up to 400 calories per hour, plus it improves various boxing moves such as foot speed, and coordination. But compared to typical cardiovascular exercises like running it’s more enjoyable, I think. You can also get started with the speed bag which is a mild way to exercise but teaches many skills.
Related: Does boxing burn belly fat?