Boxing – How Long Will It Take to See Results?


A shirtless muscular man

Boxing. It’s one of the most dangerous sports out there. However, it’s also one of the most rewarding ones. If you’re really interested in boosting your physical shape while becoming a solid, capable fighter, you might want to start your boxing journey as soon as possible, so you’ll see results sooner.

As a general rule, it takes 28 days to see a significant difference in your boxing skills. You’ll notice your jab, straight punch, hook, and uppercut, are much more powerful. Likewise, your aerobic shape and physical condition will be much better after a month of vigorous training. But, the timeline might be different for you.

I know the feeling of wanting to see results already. Trust me, I’ve been there. Heck, I’m still there in many areas of my life. However, I do know that it’s all a part of a process many have already walked in.

If you train once per week, you’ll notice results sooner than what you might initially think. After the first session, for example, I guarantee you’ll be sore from all the punching.

Being sore is a sign that you’ve worked hard the day before. With time, muscle soreness after the same workout goes away, as your body accustoms itself to the intensity.

Hence, your body will progress, even after a single boxing session. Nevertheless, a month is a solid deadline to set for you to remain consistent and dedicated to your training. After 28 days of intense training, you will have a better punching technique. Likewise, your physical condition will also be better.

Before we dive into the article, if you want to instantly boost your boxing capabilities, I highly recommend pairing yourself with proper shoes. Follow the link to read about the best boxing shoes for sparring and competing.

How long does it take to see results in boxing?

Everyone is different. You never know when the real results will start pouring in until you start your journey. Don’t hesitate to begin your box training because you want to notice fast results. It will take time, so you better start now.

It can take as little as a month to start seeing results in boxing. The primary area you’ll notice you improve in is in your punching technique and your cardio (aerobic shape). However, each person is different and the time until results show up depend on a few factors, such as how consistent and dedicated you are.

Boxing pads
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

While consistency plays a major role, it derives from another thing, your mindset. Your mindset is everything in the world of sports. While some people will stay consistent for years, others will quit after a single boxing session.

That’s not a sign of their ability to remain consistent, not at all. Rather, if your mindset is one that will benefit you in the long-run, you’ll also be more likely to stay more consistent.

However, if you have a mindset that forces you to believe that you want to see results, and you want to see them now, you won’t go anywhere. Your progression is a sign of the work you did thus far. If, for example, you haven’t worked hard enough in training, you’ll also slow down your progression.

Will boxing 3 times a week get me in shape?

The number of times you box per week—is a solid metric to how fast you’ll begin to progress. That is especially true if you’re training with a group in a boxing gym. If you’re training alone, you might not push yourself as hard as you really should.

Boxing 3 times a week will get you in shape. You will see results if you train even just once a week. But, if you train 3 times per week, you’ll notice results sooner than the trainee who only trains once per week. That’s because you have more time to gain more experience, a key factor in your overall progression pace.

I’ve been boxing alone for the majority of my training time. As such, it’s much easier to let go and “take it easy”, when you’re without a group that are also your accountability partners.

But, if you’re training 3 times per week with a group that also serve as your accountability partners, you’ll be much more likely to see more results pour into your life. That’s because you’re working hard on top of showing up to training more often.

How many times a week should I box to see results?

Some boxers, like myself, only train once per week. That said, you can do much more than that. In fact, if you involve yourself in such training 3-4 times per week, you’ll also progress much faster than the boxers who only box once a week. How many times a week should you really train to see results?

You can box anywhere from once to 4 times per week to see results. Those who box more times per week will notice results sooner, especially their cardio shape improving and their punching technique honing. How dedicated and consistent you are to training—is an influential factor regarding how fast you progress.

Nevertheless, once a week is definitely enough both to see your aerobic shape improve and hone your punching technique.

To put it simply, you’ll eventually experience the benefits and results pour in if you only train once a week. Nevertheless, if you can fit more sessions in your schedule, you’ll certainly be more prone to experience results.

If you want to learn how often do professional boxers train, follow the link!

How long does it take to lose body fat from boxing?

Losing body fat is more than just training. It takes an entire mindset and lifestyle change to maintain such a transformation. But, you can undoubtedly fuel your fitness journey with boxing training, as it’ll help you burn more calories.

As a general rule, you can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week from boxing training. If you, for instance, train times per week, your overall physical condition will improve more than the boxer who trainees once per week. But, losing fat is about nutrition; You must consume fewer calories than what you burn.

Boxing match
Photo by Jonathan Tomas on Unsplash

The entire secret to losing weight is to eat fewer calories than what you burn daily. Now, I’m not suggesting you become obsessive with calories and foods. Frankly, the opposite is true.

But, when you understand this basic concept, you’ll also be much more likely to eat less and thus lose more body fat in the long-run. Of course, the entire process become much more manageable when you actually burn more calories. So, you can fuel your transformation by boxing more often!

If you want to read a complete guide I wrote on what professional boxers should eat, follow the link!

How long does it take to improve in boxing?

Noticing results, for some people, will take more time than others. Thus, it’ll be best if you don’t set a deadline to when you want to be a solid fighter, since it might naturally come later or earlier. Instead, focus on staying consistent and matching your lifestyle to training.

Generally speaking, it takes a month to see a significant difference in your boxing skills. You’ll start to notice your punches are getting more powerful while you launch them much faster. However, some trainees will find a month to be a relatively short period to notice results. Thus, you might notice them later.

There’s also another factor: if you match your lifestyle to boxing, you’ll also notice results sooner. Well, what does that even mean, you might ask yourself.

Let me give you an example.

There are two boxers, let’s call the first A, and the second B.

A finishes his training and visits the nearest fast-food joint. There, A buys a burger with a milkshake. Then, he goes home and does nothing until 3am. He’s finally able to fall asleep after his body digested what he ate 6 hours ago. A wakes up sore and tired.

B, on the other hand, finishes training and goes home to cook his own meal, chicken with rice and vegetables. He enjoys his meal and goes to sleep at 9pm. B wakes up at 6am, fresh and ready to take on the world.

Who, in your opinion, is more likely to progress faster?

Final words

Noticing results in boxing—requires hard work and dedication. If you think the results will come easily, you’re mistaken. Regardless of how much effort you put in, you must also match your lifestyle to the process. Only then will the real results start to show up.

As a general rule, however, it’ll take a month for you to gain some momentum in your training and start experiencing real results. If you set that as a timeline, on the other hand, you might be disappointed when you don’t notice any changes. Or, you might not see them.

So, the primary guideline is to focus on your training and not on how fast you progress.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you’ll also enjoy reading about whether boxing is worth the risk. Spoiler alert, it is; follow the link to learn why and what are the dangers you should stay away from.

Levi

I've served in the military as a special forces operator for 4-years. In that period, I've trained in many martial arts, including karate, MMA, BJJ, boxing, and even Krav Maga. I want to share my passion with you, so here it is!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts