FightCamp Review: Boxing Combos to Knock Out Your Workouts
"When you need the realism of hitting a bag of boxing gloves, FightCamp replicates it at home."
advantages
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Robust, professional equipment
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Lots of boxing classes to choose from
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Precise punch tracker
disadvantage
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Not chasing for proper form
The home fitness experience is more diverse than ever. While workouts like high-intensity exercise and cycling have been popularized by the pelotons and mirrors of the world, there are others that are little to no exposure. Boxing is one of them.
If you are tired of these other exercises, FightCamp may have something that piques your interest with its boxing and kickboxing workouts. Of course, you can expect some level of tracking and guidance to get you into boxing shape, but can it really replace that personal coaching experience? Well, at least you run into a real punching bag.
Setup and installation
FightCamp is made up of three different packages that you can customize to suit your preferences: Connect ($ 439), Personal ($ 1,219), and Tribe ($ 1,349). I tested the staff, which includes punch trackers, quick wraps, a freestanding bag, exercise mat, and quality boxing gloves. Shipping is free for all packages.
It has everything you need for boxing workouts at home, but if you don't need the bag and just want to track your punches, stick with the Connect package to save a considerable amount. The tribe package has everything in the staff, but comes with additional boxing gloves.
Well, the hardest part of setting up FightCamp is finding a place for it – just because once it's set up you really can't move it. That's because the bottom is filled with either water or sand, so the freestanding bag can stay in place while hitting.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
It ended up tipping the scales over 300 pounds, which later made it nearly impossible to move unless the sand was emptied. I ended up putting it all up in my makeshift gym in my garage, but I can see how this can be a problem around the house if you want to keep it somewhere when it's not in use.
The final step in the setup process was to pair the punch trackers with my iPhone SE via Bluetooth. After that was done I was ready to use FightCamp.
Boxing equipment
Although immobile, the freestanding bag looks and feels like something you would actually use in a boxing gym. Since the sand inside the base prevents it from moving, I can kick and hit it with full force. It feels well made and gives me confidence that it will last over the long term. I hit and kicked with a lot of force, so I'm glad it can take everything I give him.
The boxing gloves supplied also seem to be professionals. They will help protect your ankles, especially if they start feeling too sore from hitting the sack. The punch trackers are placed in a pocket on the quick wraps that you place on your hands so that FightCamp can monitor how many punches are made during each workout.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
And finally, there's the heavy exercise mat, which again looks like something you might find in a gym. It's big enough to put the punching bag and me on it, but the dirt builds up pretty quickly. There have been workouts where I sat on the mat or my palms touched it, so you should clean them up frequently to prevent footprints from forming and being difficult to clean.
Overall, I am impressed with the equipment here as it is not toned down compared to what you would find in a traditional gym.
Trainings
If you've never boxed before, you'll appreciate how FightCamp's courses box you in with the basics. The instructors are informative and offer instructions on the different strokes, with the lessons also including some high intensity interval workouts where I did burpees (my poor knees). Unsurprisingly, by the end of the training session, I was sweating, which is always expected when you try something new.
If you've never tried boxing or kickboxing, cardio workout can definitely give you a try.
FightCamp is currently compatible with iOS devices, so you'll need an iPhone or iPad to attend classes. There's an Android app on the way, but there's no timeframe for when it's going to be released. While the lessons can be filtered between boxing, kickboxing and core via the app, the only distraction I had with FightCamp was trying to look at my iPhone during the exercises. I just wish there was a spot on the bag to snuggle up my iPhone to follow the directions just because it's hard to look at my phone in a nearby spot while focusing on where I should hit the bag.
During the workout, the punch trackers closely monitored how often I threw punches. Goals are set at the start of each class, but what is missing here is the ability to monitor proper form as you hit the bag. Yes, there is a difference between throwing a hook, jab, or uppercut, but I'd love to see FightCamp tell me if I'm hitting the right areas of the punching bag. It doesn't and can't distinguish the force behind my punches.
However, if you've never tried boxing or kickboxing, cardio workout can definitely give you a try. I would just love to see iterative improvements that could keep track of proper form and ability to determine the force behind my strokes.
Subscription service
FightCamp's subscription service is $ 39 per month, which is in line with other related fitness services like Peloton, Mirror, and Temp, to name a few. This subscription service gives users access to over 200 workouts, but because it focuses on boxing, you won't find the same diverse and robust courses found on Mirror or Tempo.
FightCamp's courses cover the entire spectrum, from beginners to advanced.
At the same time, FightCamp's courses cover the entire spectrum, from beginner to advanced, so you get more informative instructions on boxing than on the other platforms where you just have shadow boxing.
Our opinion
Cycling and high-intensity interval training (HITT) exercises have become the predominant home fitness experiences, which is what makes FightCamp so appealing. It's certainly different and focuses solely on boxing, but I really love the hardware. I just wish it were smarter, especially given the cost of the gym quality punching bag and gloves. On the other hand, FightCamp's realism and ability to automatically track punches is still better than just shadowing someone you see on video.
Is there a better alternative?
Liteboxer is the only other similar check out alternative. It costs more at $ 1,695, but it gamifies the experience in ways that make it engaging.
There are other fitness services that offer boxing classes like Apple Fitness +, but while the subscription cost is extremely cheap compared to FightCamp, it doesn't match FightCamp's tracking or advanced classes.
How long it will take?
I've mentioned several times that FightCamp gear looks and feels like gear you find in boxing gyms. So far, there doesn't seem to have been any build quality issues in the two months I've been using it, but it's hard to say how long it will last in the long run. At least there is a one-year limited warranty against defects in workmanship and materials.
Should you buy it?
Yes, but only if you've had enough of all of those bike and HITT training services and equipment. Boxing isn't for everyone, but there's no harm in learning a few moves and combinations.
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