Fitness: Tech Packs a Punch

tech packs a punch

A CARDIO WORKOUT AND A STRESS-BEATING OUTLET PAR EXCELLENCE, TODAY’S “SMART” BOXING IS PUGILISM WITH INSTANT DATA By Haley Longman

They used to call boxing a manly “science,” but they smiled when they said it. These days a version of it has gone scientific for real, with technology tracking every uppercut or left jab. That makes this “gentleman’s sport” (which hip females have also taken up in growing numbers since the ’90s) not only the fitness boost it has always been, but a fitness tracker too. And to reap its benefits you don’t even have to have an opponent—or risk a black eye.

Fact is, boxing is a cardio and strength workout, its mighty swings and dancing footwork good exercise for staying trim. Whether or not he or she is actually in the ring, a boxer can work to build muscles, heighten hand-eye coordination and beat the blues. A number of celebrities have embraced the sport as a big-time stress reliever. And now a popular pugilistic practice is “smart” boxing, in which technology is put to work tracking movements and measuring every punch. You can do it in a gym, but if you have the equipment you can also do it at home.

Fightcamp is one of the new smart home boxing workouts; subscribers get a freestanding punching bag, gloves and hand wraps—and small sensors placed inside the wraps that track punch count and measure speed. Classes can be viewed via the app on a TV screen, an iPhone or an iPad, and each is divided into rounds, the goal being to try beating your punch count with each session. A onetime fee of $1,200 buys all the equipment, and it’s $40 a month for access to more than 200 classes.

Liteboxer is a fitness startup that came on the market in July 2020 as a personal, in-home boxing instructor. Its objective is to create for you in your living room a full-body boxing workout that you’d otherwise get only with a trainer in a gym. It’s a compact, 55-inch piece of tech that doesn’t require a bag suspended from the ceiling and grounded with water or sand. Instead, the device provides a guided workout with a lighting system and a voiceover and pump-up music via its accompanying app, which can be connected via phone or tablet. Choose a beginner’s “training camp” workout, take a class taught by well-known trainers, or throw your jabs to the beat of a song using a patented “rhythm technology.” Much as in a cycling class, Liteboxer also offers an option to compare with other subscribers, with your results shown side-byside, in case modern enlightenment hasn’t fully quieted your competitive urge. The $1,495 price covers the Liteboxer, gloves and doorstep delivery; the subscription costs an additional $29 per month.

Move It Swift is a pair of smart boxing gloves marketed out of Hong Kong that turns a workout into a video game. These gloves have detachable tracking algorithms, so that as you uppercut, hook and straight jab (with the bag or without), you can see your force, speed and the approximate number of calories burned in real time. Interactive lighting effects respond to the intensity of your workout, there are optional classes for all levels and you also get a post-training summary on the app after each session so you can improve over time with feedback tailored to your performance. Starting at around $90, it’s a nice alternative for all ages and levels.

Not quite so committed yet? With a smaller investment you can choose Britain-based Corner—punch trackers that slide into your hand wraps or the provided wristbands. This way you’ll need to provide your own punching bag. But once you do, roughly $140 will get you two trackers, two wristbands, a charger and the free app, which displays your stats.

Of course, smart boxing isn’t magic. It requires dedication and regular activity just like any other new workout routine. True, the technology enables users to get instant feedback on the speed and power of their punches, but unlike a real trainer, it won’t correct their form. It’s recommended that you commit to a three-times-a-week regimen for best results. But if you decide such a system is for you and use it faithfully, it can be a TKO—a technical “knockout.” What wouldn’t each of the great boxers of history have given to know this much about the power of his punch?