So you’ve decided to take the first step as a fighter and want to choose a good boxing gym!
With so many choices out there, we know how confusing it can be. That’s why we’ve created this checklist for you.
Pay attention for these seven signs so you can choose a good boxing gym!
Signs of a Good Boxing Gym
To choose a good boxing gym, look for these seven signs:
- Accepts All Kinds of People
- Variety of Equipment
- Positive, Supportive Culture
- Controlled Sparring
- Available Trainers and Coaches
- A Busy Ring
- Advertises Local Events and Competitions
Of course, you may not find a gym that checks off all of these boxes, but the more criteria that it meets, the better.
We made this list keeping in mind that some of these points may be more important than others to you.
For example, it may not matter to you that the equipment is all beat up, just as long as you find a solid coach who can guide you through sparring.
Accepts All Kinds of People
The first sign of a good boxing gym is that it accepts all kinds of people.
This boxing gym should be welcoming to beginners and experienced boxers alike.
There is no favoritism between a beginner who just stepped in and the pro who has been coming for years; everyone walks in through the same door and pays the same membership fee.
You could be training next to a pro or top amateur and wouldn’t know unless someone told you.
If you live in a huge city, this gym should be filled with people with all different races, colors, and ages.
At peak hours, it should look like a busy train station, bustling with energy and movement.
Variety of Equipment
The next sign of a good boxing gym is that it has a variety of equipment.
Fitness gyms tend only to have heavy bags, since that is the most well-known piece of equipment for beginners.
However, to improve each facet of your skillset, you need to use other equipment too, like the speed bag or the double-end bag.
On this note, another telltale sign of a good boxing gym is that the equipment is well-worn, but clean.
There’s nothing more sad than going to a boxing gym where all the equipment is falling apart and unusable.
Positive, Supportive Culture
The next sign of a good boxing gym is that it has a positive, supportive culture.
You’ll see familiar, friendly faces once you start coming regularly and they’ll be happy to see you as well.
A gym like this actively supports its fighters. The owners let everyone know when someone has a fight coming up or celebrates when someone has just won a fight.
Sparring in a good boxing gym is for skill-development, not ego-boosting and brawling.
If a beginner falls during sparring, he gets helped back up and isn’t mocked or ridiculed.
On the walls, there’s usually a tapestry of newspaper clippings, mementos, photos, and belts won throughout the years.
To sum it up, a good boxing gym is a place you want to come back to.
Controlled Sparring
The next sign of a good boxing gym is that it has controlled sparring.
For a beginner, there is nothing more daunting than their first sparring session.
Coaches in a good boxing gym know this and ease beginners into it, gradually ramping up the sparring’s intensity.
A good boxing gym doesn’t treat its fighters like meat, throwing beginners in the ring for pros to beat up on.
It’s also a good sign if the coaches make you wait before sparring; they don’t just let anyone walk off the street into the ring.
This is more for your safety, as they want to see you handle the basics first.
For example, at one of the gyms we trained at, the head coach immediately stopped sparring if he saw a beginner drop his hands.
Available Trainers and Coaches
The next sign of a good boxing gym is that there are available trainers and coaches.
When you get a bunch of kids together in a gym after school, you can be sure that they’ll get distracted when left to their own devices.
A good boxing gym makes sure that there’s always a coach around to answer questions and to keep an eye out.
Sometimes your coach will be busy preparing a more experienced fighter for an upcoming tournament.
Regardless, there are no favorites; he’ll always have time to guide you and give feedback.
A Busy Ring
The next sign of a good boxing gym is that it has a busy ring.
Usually most local boxing gyms have only one ring, compared to fifteen heavy bags and aqua bags.
Because of this, getting time in the ring should be in high-demand for all boxers at your gym.
There should always be something happening in the ring at your boxing gym, whether it be sparring, a coach doing padwork, or a group of boxers shadowboxing and getting familiar with the ropes.
Advertises Local Events and Competitions
The last sign of a good boxing gym is that it advertises local events and competitions.
This is something that you definitely won’t get at your fitness boxing gym or your local franchise gym.
The coaches and staff are always staying up to date on the local events and their deadlines.
If they’ve seen you training for a while and think that you’re almost ready, they’ll let you know about these events and encourage for you to sign up.
When you’re ready to become an amateur boxer, some gyms will even handle the registration for you so you can focus on training.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to choose a good boxing gym, you can focus on taking that first step and leveling up.
If you’re having trouble deciding what boxing equipment to get, check out these articles: