What do you look for in a boxing gym?

Sweaty men.:hey

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Well the one I went to was the one closest to my school. It is run by a well known local trainer though so you can expect it to have some good guys in there who are serious about boxing.

It has about 5-8 bags, 3 speed bags, 2 maize bags, 2 rings, some medicine balls, jump ropes, 1 bench and set of dumbells, not sure what it is called but you do chin/pull ups on it and dips.

 

See if they have any successful fighters, if I walk in and show them what I have are they going to change my style or work with what I got, do they take care of their fighters or throw them into spar with dogs

 

Do they have any successful fighters? Do they have any fighers?

 

I'm not a fan of boxing classes in "Fitness Centers". If it has stair steppers, eliptical machines, swimming pools, it's not for me.

I haven't belonged to a gym in years and prefer to work out at home, but the last 2 gyms I went to were real boxing gyms. There were 2 rings set up for sparring, at least a dozen heavy bags, several speed bags, 2 huge bags for working uppercuts, 4 double ended bags, an assortment of jump ropes and lots of bag gloves for both the heavy bag and speed bag. Lets not forget about the medicine balls, slant boards for working abs and many pairs of small free weights to work on shadow boxing with some weight in you hands.

For instructors, they had the owner, his son and two others that would help with pad work and watch fighters sparring besides leading besides teaching the basics of footwork, stance, punching etc.

Real boxing gyms have an aroma all their own with all the leather, sweat, and canvas in the place and the last two weren't air conditioned so the yuppies wanted no part of it.

 

make sure its a boxing gym not a fitness gym, meet the coach/trainers see how they are, do they have succesfull fighters what they got in the gym ect.

 

Good points here.

Number 1: If you want to fight, see if they have any fighters there. No sense learning to box for competition at a non-competitive gym

Number 2: Talk to the coaches, see if they're willing to work with you to make you a better boxer or if they just going to go through the motions when your in a session. I've seen heaps of guys with terrible technique on the pads or bags and the coaches just spout of things they think they're supposed to say. The guy will have no balance, he feet will be all over the place, his chins in the air, and the coach will say "keep your hands up". Make sure the coaches care about their guys and how they're performing.

Number 3: Talk to the other guys there. See if you'd get along with them and if they have a good attitude.


I'd say the biggest is make sure the coaches show an interest in their guys. I've seen too many coaches chatting away or scratching their arse or texting or some **** while their guys are sparring, I've seen coaches not show to fights, so the guy had to grab another bloke who fought earlier on the card to corner for him. I've even seen a coach duck outside for a smoke after a fight.

 

The nearest thing to my house was a fitness center, but the coach had a fight team and had taken a girl to the regional Golden Gloves at 140 so I checked it out. The coach improved my technique a lot and had studied nutrition so I was getting great conditioning as well. Sparring amidst 40 year old moms on ellipticals was a bit odd but week after week,I went in, did my work, and am much more improved for it, so it doesn't bother me at all that it's not some photogenic tough-guy dungeon. I bled the same as I would anywhere.

 

Very much agreed because I personally started out with a gym that would not really teach much technique and would have me spar with there top fighters. I would pretty much get the **** beat out of me.
Until I changed gym and found coaches that would spend the time to help me build a good foundation.

 

reputation is generally a good indicator. and good facilities doesnt necessarily mean a good gym, i used to be at a gym with probably the best facilities in australia, that rubber **** on the whole floor, 20 odd heavy bags, you name it they had it. all they were interested in was their 8 bucks a session. compared to my local gym with 5 bags, 1 trainer and a ring where i could go for free and have 30 mins 1 on 1 a night

 

Smell. If it doesn't have a funk, it is probably not worth it. A good boxing gym can't afford and doesn't have time for tons of staff, new stuff, etc... They will be there training, sweating, funking up the place, and breakin' stuff. The funk is the first requirement.

 

Google the gym, the trainer(s), fighters, etc. Facebook creep them if you have to. Find out about the place, visit for some training, decide if you like it, go there.

For me the gym has to have fighters and be registered, and they have to compete regularly. Coaches have to be well-established or former fighters.

 

1. Experienced coaches. Ask if they've ever been in the ring themselves or have coached any competitive fighters.

2. Coaches who are willing to spend time with you.

3. Equipment that is in serviceable condition.