FightCamp turns your living room into a professional boxing gym — its full-body workouts are fun and get you real results

• FightCamp is an at-home workout system that simulates a sweat-inducing boxing session.
• The individual setup packages offer a free-standing punching bag, set of boxing gloves, punch trackers, and hand wraps — and a $39 monthly subscription fee grants access to live-streamed and pre-recorded workouts.
• The workouts are a great source for full-body, high-intensity workouts, especially for those looking to change up their at-home routine.

Updated on 6/12/2020 by Rick Stella: Revised the review copy to include more on working out at home and what else is available, updated the pricing of each FightCamp package, and checked all links and formatting.

Working out at home isn't just an aspiration of busy 9-to-5ers; it's a growing lifestyle choice for almost anyone concerned with their fitness. But with gyms like Equinox or 24-Hour Fitness now closed, there's been a massive uptick in at-home fitness. This is why brands like Peloton or NordicTrack enjoyed an increase in popularity of late because what's easier than hopping on a bike for 30 minutes that's sitting in your apartment?

As more people adapt to at-home fitness programs, the variety of what's offered expands — and that doesn't just mean there's a wider selection of bikes or treadmills. Rather, more companies have begun popping up offering a wholly different approach to working out at home.

One such company is FightCamp, a boxing-focused brand that offers an at-home workout system of the same name. Its purpose is simple, too — to bring high-quality boxing fitness classes directly to your living room. Instead of biking through digital Tuscany, you'll throw a few hundred jabs and hooks on a punching bag, while being guided by an elite trainer.

The FightCamp setup isn't unlike what other streaming services offer, but instead of at-home bikes and treadmills, it's boxing gear. A complete setup consists of a free-standing punching bag, a pair of punch trackers, a set of boxing gloves, and a heavy workout mat. Along with a companion app that streams instructor-led classes, FightCamp delivers intense, full-body workouts.

To see if FightCamp is capable of going toe-to-toe with the growing field of at-home workout gear, I gave the system a go for myself. After several exhausting (and sweaty) sessions, one thing was clear: FightCamp is incredibly fun to use. It's also a hell of a workout.

Pick your FightCamp

FightCamp offers its boxing device in three different packages: FightCamp Connect, FightCamp Personal, and FightCamp Tribe. Each option comes with free shipping and a one-year warranty, and the company also offers 12- and 18-month financing options. Choosing which version of FightCamp to use comes down to budget and how much gear you need to get started.

FightCamp Connect is the least expensive and most basic package, costing just $499. This option works best for anyone who already owns a punching bag and gloves as it comes with just one pair of punch trackers and one set of quick wraps.

FightCamp Personal takes the FightCamp experience even further by coming with a free-standing punching bag, a pair of punch trackers, one set of boxing gloves and quick wraps, and a workout mat. It's much more expensive at $1,995 but the included extras make it worth the investment.

If you won't be the only person using FightCamp in your household, consider the FightCamp Tribe package. For $2,145, this option also includes the free-standing punching bag, pair of punch trackers, and heavy workout mat but instead features two sets of boxing gloves and quick wraps, as well as a pair of kid-sized gloves.

FightCamp Packages At a Glance:

• FightCamp Connect ($439): FightCamp's ultra basic option. Best for those who already have a punching bag and pair of boxing gloves to use at home. Contains: One set of punch trackers and quick wraps.
• FightCamp Personal ($1,219): The most popular FightCamp package. FightCamp Personal is for anyone who needs the entire at-home setup. Contains: The free-standing punching bag, one set of punch trackers, one pair of boxing gloves and quick wraps, and a heavy workout mat.
• FightCamp Tribe ($1,349): The family option. FightCamp Tribe is best for those who intend for multiple people to use the setup. Contains: The free-standing punching bag, one set of punch trackers, two pairs of boxing gloves and quick wraps, a pair of kid-sized boxing gloves, and a heavy workout mat.

A monthly subscription

After the initial cost for one of those three packages, each option also requires a $39 monthly subscription fee. This grants you access to FightCamp's in-depth subscription service, which provides access to an ever-growing library of fitness classes and training sessions with professional trainers.

The classes require the FightCamp app (and an iOS device, for now) to use and operate — not unlike high-intensity Peloton sessions. There's an instructor who leads you through a variety of exercises and workouts designed to utilize FightCamp's peripherals, all while you rack up a fitness score and listen to some energetic music along the way.

When you're done, you're able to compare your stats and see where you're able to improve. Live classes run daily and the subscription service even lets you access any class that's already occurred. This means you're able to jump into the (digital) ring at any time throughout the day.

Gear up, champ

The quality of what's included in each FightCamp package makes the entry fee well worth the initial investment. Everything from the gloves and wraps to the free-standing bag feel like premium products, and nothing you'd have to replace anytime soon. Both the bag and gloves come in FightCamp's white with black lettering colorway which looks clean, though it does seem like an easy candidate for getting dirty over time.

Once set up, the bag stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall with a 2-foot-wide base. Though it doesn't have a significant footprint, do keep in mind that wherever you set it up, you'll also be moving around and boxing, so the more space the better. Its companion heavy mat also measures 8 feet in length by 4 feet in width and sits beneath the bag as a cushion. As long as you have room for both of these together, you'll have enough space to workout.

The bag does also require the user to set it up themselves, as it ships unassembled. Assembly requires filling the base with either sand or water (or both). Once filled, the entire setup should weigh anywhere from 270 pounds when filled with water to 350 pounds when filled with sand. This assures that when you start throwing punches, the bag won't fly across the room.

Don't worry about removing the water or sand after a workout either — the bag easily tilts to its side and has wheels built into the base that let you easily roll it out of the way or into storage. This can be done by one person, though it never hurts to have an extra set of hands if possible.

The included punch trackers do exactly as their name suggests, and come with a companion USB-compatible charge dock. Inserting them into the dock wakes up each tracker and allows them to be used. They do require a bit of setup when you first use them but once this finishes, you simply slide them into each wrap before putting on the boxing gloves.

The gloves and wraps are meant to fit snugly around your hands but not so much so that they feel uncomfortable. After a few minutes of use, it's easy to forget you have your hands tightly wrapped at all, even as punch after punch lands on the bag.

The full FightCamp experience

The gear and accessories that come with the FightCamp package are great but the real draw is how it actually performs during a workout. Though you're able to just whale away at the bag on your own, the true experience is with the companion FightCamp app. When you first load it up, an introductory class called The Prospect Path appears, giving you a rundown of the basics. It may not seem like there's much to a punching bag, but it's much more in-depth than it lets on.

This beginner's course covers everything from your stance and form to understanding the punch number system it uses in each of its workouts. It also teaches the proper way to throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts. Even someone who's familiar with boxing could stand to learn from the course as it's incredibly beneficial to familiarize yourself with the system before jumping into a class.

Outside of The Prospect Path, the FightCamp app offers a wide variety of workouts and classes, sorted by those that were most recently completed. The app also displays the number of rounds a certain class consists of so you'll know exactly what you're in for before selecting one. Each class carries its own total punch goal and difficulty level, too. It's smart to start small and work your way up as the entire library of classes can seem daunting to sift through at first.

Classes vary in length, though the majority are between 15 and 45 minutes long, depending on the number of rounds. At the start of each class, the instructor leads the group through a series of stretches and warm-ups before explaining what to expect in the class. A short stretching period concludes each session, as well.

These classes are very similar in presentation style to that of Peloton's. An instructor leads the way, calling out the next phase of the workout while upbeat music plays (and motivates you) in the background. Everything from the session's time to the number of punches you've thrown populate on your screen, giving you a real-time view of your progress. You're even able to view the stats of other people, which helps boost the competitiveness of the class.

The bottom line

There's no denying how fun (and tiring) it is to use FightCamp and take a class. Boxing may seem like a unique workout but a high-intensity session can be exhausting. What FightCamp does best is to create an environment that makes you want to push through that exhaustion. The classes are extremely motivating, as is the production value of each session, and you won't want to just drop your gloves and quit mid-class.

It's the kind of at-home workout system that gets results, too. Routinely taking classes helps with everything from cardio and strength training to full-body workouts. Ultimately, it helps you feel fitter. Even for the time-constrained, there are few other options capable of these same benefits.

The initial investment may seem steep but if you're only able to spend less than an hour exercising each day, why waste time going to the gym? Pocket those monthly dues and put it into FightCamp. Even with the $39 monthly subscription cost, it's still a worthwhile investment.

• Should you buy it? Yes. If you want a more comprehensive full-body workout instead of pedaling away on a Peloton, then FightCamp is what you seek. After the initial investment for one of the three setups, the recurring $39 monthly subscription fee is well worth the expenditure for what you get — an ever-growing library of live classes and recorded sessions across a variety of skill levels. Whether you only have enough time for a quick 4-round class or want to jump into a longer 8- or 10-round session, FightCamp easily adapts to your schedule and pace.
• What are your alternatives? Other than tangential alternatives like stationary bikes or at-home treadmills, FightCamp is in a class of its own. You could consider a very basic alternative to be traditional boxing equipment such as a normal free-standing bag, a hanging punching bag, or a speed bag. Though going that route would be much cheaper, you won't get anywhere near the level of instruction offered with FightCamp.

Pros: A massive library of fight classes taught by elite trainers, offers an effective full-body workout, you don't have to understand boxing to be able to use it

Cons: Expensive initial investment on top of a $39 recurring monthly charge for content