You Don’t Need Any Equipment to Complete This Small-Space-Friendly Boxing Workout

You don’t need a lot of equipment or space — or time, for that matter! — to log an effective and fun workout into your day. As Monica Jones, a Sweat trainer and the creator of the app’s HIIT with Monica program, tells Apartment Therapy, all you need is your body.

“Bodyweight workouts are great because they can help us establish proper mechanics for functional movement — the movements we engage in during everyday life,” she says. “They can also help us save time by not having to gather or cart around equipment. You can save that strength for the workout itself!”

Before you drop to your knees for yet another round of pushups, why not mix up your routine and throw a few punches into the mix? Jones coaches Sweat app users through 20-minute full-body workouts that include crosses, jabs, and plenty of uppercuts.

To encourage people of all strength and fitness levels to “show up” for themselves, Jones created a bodyweight circuit that takes 10 minutes to complete. (Even with a five-minute warmup and cool down, you’ll be done in fewer than 20 minutes.) Repeat each move in this circuit for 40 seconds, then immediately transition to the next move, for a total of three rounds. And go ahead, get some frustration out as you go — you can still punch the air with intention, and feel plenty empowered at the end of your set.

Start with both feet on the floor, keeping them as wide as your hips. Bend your knees slightly, keep your back flat, and don’t let your knees extend past your toes. Inhale, and as you exhale, push your hips forward and reach your arms overhead so that you stretch to the balls of your feet. As you inhale, keep your back flat and lean forward — the primary movement should come from the hips, so it might be helpful to think about pushing your butt back to the wall behind you rather than bending over. Actively draw your arms back down so they are in line with your back as you do so. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Begin in a split stance that corresponds with whichever hand is dominant for you; if you are right-handed, your left foot will be in front, and if you are left-handed, your right foot will be in front. Keep your knees slightly bent and raise your fists so that they rest right under each side of your chin. Exhale and punch by extending your non-dominant hand straight out in front of you, rotating your wrist as you do so your palm faces down on full extension. Inhale as you return your arm back to its starting position. Repeat on the other arm; alternate punches for 40 seconds.

“Always keep your eye on a target and punch with intention,” Jones notes. “I like to encourage my clients to ‘knock out the doubt.'” She also recommends to approach your punches the way you do squats. “Check the boxes: Commit from the feet up, turn the wrist over, and protect that moneymaker!” she says.

Start by sitting on a yoga mat or other slightly padded surface for comfort. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Place your palms on the floor behind you, with your fingertips facing your body. Exhale and press your feet into the floor as you raise your hips up. “Ensure that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and your knees are directly over your ankles,” Jones notes. Inhale and lower your hips back down to the floor. Repeat for 40 seconds.

Return to your split stance position and lift your fists so they are under each side of your chin. As you exhale, pull your non-dominant fist down and away from you, curving it back upward to about eye level; drive the punch through your heel and rotating your torso slightly. Inhale and return your fist to your starting position, then repeat on your dominant side. Alternate each uppercut for 40 seconds.

Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and pull your ribs slightly in toward your back so that your core is engaged (you will likely feel this adjustment more than you will see it). With your hands loosely clasped in front of you, inhale and squat down by pushing your butt back as you bend your knees, making sure to keep your chest up as you do so. Exhale and drive through your hips back to standing, kicking one leg in front of you and using the opposite hand to touch your toes. As you return to standing, try to inhale and sink immediately into your next squat so the movements flow together. Repeat on the other side; alternate for 40 seconds.

Repeat your circuit two more times, then wrap your workout up with three to five minutes of walking or stretching so your heart rate can come back down. “Carving out less than an hour [means] a quick workout stands a far greater chance of getting done than a 60-to-90-minute block,” Jones notes. “With short bursts of work followed by rest, you will be working yourself hard, giving everything you’ve got to your workouts.”