Shadowboxing for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide (27+1 Tips)

Shadowboxing is the first exercise you do when starting boxing. You do it before the heavy bag work, the pad work, and before the sparring sessions. You do shadowboxing even before you put your boxing gloves on for the first time.

And that’s because it’s an essential boxing exercise when it comes to boxing. In my opinion, it’s actually the most effective boxing exercise, followed by the sparring. And it’s also the simplest one – you don’t need any equipment or sparring partners. You just need enough private space where you can move and try different techniques.

But if you are a beginner you may feel a little bit weird when shadowbox. And that’s completely normal, everyone feels that way when in the beginning. You go to the gym and the coach tells you to do some freestyle shadowboxing. And you have no idea what actually he wants you to do.

In fact, this is the reason why you feel weird – you simply don’t know what to do. You don’t have a goal. And without a goal, your workout is senseless. But don’t worry, after you read this article you will know what goals you can set when shadowboxing and how to reach them. So you will overcome the feeling of weirdness and your shadowboxing workouts will be much more effective.

So let’s get started:

Why do you need to shadowbox?

The main purpose of this exercise is to help you get used to the boxing movements. It’s mirroring a fight, so when you are in a real one (in the ring or outside of it), you will be much calmer and feel more natural. You won’t panic even if you are not in the best situation. And that’s just because you practiced fighting, many times, even only in your mind, during your shadowboxing workouts.

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Muscle memory

The drill is also very effective when it comes to improving your technique or developing muscle memory. Which are two of the factors that will help you win a fight. With proper technique, you will punch harder and more accurate. And with your muscle memory, you will be able to throw the right shots in the right moment, without even thinking about it. Actually that way Anthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko – only through his muscle memory.

In an interview after the fight, he said that he wasn’t thinking when he threw that right uppercut that wobbled Wladimir. He said that it just happened by itself. And shadowboxing is the exercise that will help you achieve that. It helps you, through repetition, to connect the muscles with the nervous system and the brain better.

At a certain point, after hours of shadowboxing, punching will become very natural for you, similar to breathing (well, not just like breathing, but you got the point). So in a fight, when you see that the opponent is close enough to you and it’s open, that will automatically trigger a punch. That was what happened in the Joshua – Klitschko fight.

Coordination

Shadowboxing will also help you improve your coordination and your awareness when fighting. I mean mainly the coordination between your legs and arms. If it’s on point, you won’t make awkward moves while fighting. And by awareness, I mean awareness of your position in the ring, which we will discuss later in this guide.

Sped and power

As I already mentioned, through shadowboxing, you can improve your technique, which leads to more speed and more power in your punches.

What if you don’t shadowbox?

Every pro boxer and every boxing enthusiast does shadowboxing. The problem is that some people don’t do it enough. And that causes some problems in the ring. Such boxers don’t feel natural when fighting and they are tense all the time during the fight. They aren’t as relaxed as someone who has spent many hours mirroring a real fight through shadowboxing.

The other disadvantage they have is that they gas out more quickly. And that’s not because they are in bad condition. The problem is that such boxers usually spent their time mostly on the heavy bag. They plant their feet and hit the bag with powerful shots from a close distance. Which isn’t really realistic. In a real fight, your opponent will move and may try to keep you at a distance. So the heavy bag punchers aren’t used to that movement and that is the reason why they get tired quickly.

But also, unlike when punching the heavy bag, in a real fight, not every shot will hit the target. Sometimes you will miss. And if you just do heavy bag work, that won’t happen, so you won’t train your recover muscles. And when sparring they will get tired after several punches that don’t hit the target.

So shadowboxing will actually prepare you much better for a real fight, than the heavy bag work.

After we discussed the benefits of shadowboxing is time to dive into the tips that will help you improve your shadowboxing workouts:

1) You need to know what you want to accomplish

I already talk about that, that you need a goal, but I want to make sure it’s clear because it’s really important. Before you begin shadowboxing, think of what you want to accomplish with the shadowboxing session. For example, you may want to work on a certain punch, combination or technique, on your speed, on your footwork or on your defense. Actually, you can even use shadowboxing just as a warm-up before your workout or as a warm down after it is over and you want to relax your muscles.

Also, shadowboxing is a great way to improve your movements, your rhythm, and coordination or to create a strategy for fighting with a certain opponent. And of course, you can do some freestyle shadowboxing just for fun or to burn some calories.

You can see that there are plenty of goals you can set before you start shadowboxing. Pick one and you will never feel stupid again when doing this drill.

2) Start with one punch drill

If you are a beginner and you feel that you can’t throw the basic punches (jab, cross, hooks, and uppercuts) correctly yet, I recommend doing shadowboxing, throwing just one type of punch.

Start with only the jab. Aim at a given number of jabs and don’t stop before you reach it. For instance, 50-60 is a great start. After that, rest one minute and then throw 50-60 crosses. Then left hooks, right hooks, and uppercuts.

Also, try to move around while doing it. Don’t stay still. Remember that we need to mimic a real fight, so keep it realistic. There is no opponent who will just stay in front of you without trying to move and dodge your shots.

3) Learn 3-4 combinations

OK, after you know how to throw the basic punches is time to get to the next level of shadowboxing. To get there you need to make it a little bit more complex. You need to move more and to throw different punches and start mixing them up in different combinations. But to do it, you first need to learn some combinations.

Start with the basic punching combinations:

Jab-cross (1-2)

Double jab-cross (1-1-2)

Jab-cross-lead hook (1-2-3)

Do the same thing – throw the first combination 50 times, then rest for a minute and then start with the next one and so on. Move while doing them and also try to go to the body sometimes.

4) Imagine that you are in a real fight

Try to imagine what will happen if there was an opponent in front of you. Visualize his moves, his counter punches when you punch him and his defensive moves. Think of what he is going to do after you throw a given combination and how you will respond to it. Then imagine that he is attacking you. How are you going to protect yourself and counter him?

It’s really effective if you can imagine someone from the gym with whom you sparred (or someone who you really want to punch in the face).

5) Visualize an object in front of you

If you don’t want or can’t visualize an opponent, try with an object. For example, visualize a haystack, around 6’4 high in front of you. When shadowboxing, you need to circle around it and try to land punches on it.

And if you aren’t so good at visualization, then you can even draw a circle on the floor, which you will use when shadowboxing (its diameter shouldn’t be more than 15 inches). If you are at the gym you can use the heavy bag. Just circle around it while shadowboxing and make sure you are at a distance so you won’t hit the bag.

6) Stay outside the range

When fighting, you probably don’t just stay in front of your opponent and just hit him. As I already mentioned, chances are he is moving around, keeping you at a distance. So if you want to catch him, first you need to close the distance between both of you.

Try to do the same thing when shadowboxing. Don’t just throw combinations from your position. Try to close the distance by making a step forward and then throw the combo.

Before you do that, stay just outside the range of your opponent. That’s around 40 inches away from the haystack or the imaginary opponent. Then say “go” in your head, close the gap and land the combination.

7) Do 3 minutes rounds

When doing one punch or combo drills, you can aim at a certain number (for example 50-60 jabs/hooks), but when doing more complex shadowboxing exercises you need to set a timer.

And if you are a beginner, what I recommend is to do 5-8 rounds 3-minute rounds of shadowboxing. Rest around 1 minute between them. I think that is the best way to train because the boxing rounds are 3 minutes each with 1-minute rest between them. So if you mimic a boxing match when working out, that will prepare you a real match better.

8) Warm up with shadowboxing in a slow motion

Stay in your proper boxing stance and start throwing punches with 40% speed for 1-2 rounds. That will help you to warm up, so you won’t injure your joints when working out.

9) Start with the jab

The fastest punch – the jab is really effective when it comes to closing the distance or setting up more powerful shots. So make sure, that when shadowboxing, you start all of your combinations with a quick jab.

That will be really helpful later when you are in a real fight. And remember, most of the times the purpose of the jab isn’t to hurt but just to distract the attention and to help you land heavier shots.

10) Exit properly

After you hit someone, he will probably want to hit your back. And to be a good boxer means to be able to hit without getting hit. So after you closed the distance and landed your combos, you need to know how to exit quickly and get back in a safe position. There are 3 main ways you can exit:

Backward – You simply need to hop back after you throw the combination, keeping your hands up while doing so.

To your left – Step to your left with your back foot and pivot the front foot after you land the last punch of your combination. Remember to keep your eyes on the opponent and never give him your back. You can also duck your head while doing so. That way you will dodge his counters.

To your right – Do the same thing as when exiting to your left but in the opposite direction.

Here’s a video explaining how to exit more in depth:

11) Aim at the opponent’s chin

When fighting, there is no point in aiming at someone’s chest or above his head. So when shadowboxing try to land your shots at the right height.

If you are short and usually fighting against taller guys, throw your punches upwards. And the opposite, if you are taller throw them a little bit downwards. But also don’t forget to imagine fighting against someone who is as tall as you. Because when training boxing, that will certainly happen at some point.

If it’s hard for you to measure the right height when punching the air, try to pick and an object on the wall or on the heavy bag and aim at it. Of course don’t hit it for real, stay at a distance where you can’t reach it and just aim it with your punches.

You can do the same thing when shadowboxing in front of a mirror by using your reflection to measure the right height of your shots.

12) Watch a video of your favorite fighter before shadowboxing

That will give you inspiration and ideas for your shadowboxing workout. You just need to watch a video of a fight or a highlight video of your favorite boxer, kickboxer or MMA fighter and pretend you are him/her when shadowboxing.

You can also mimic fighters with different styles. For example, start with pretending that you are Muhammad Ali – circle around your imaginary opponent -(to your left most of the time) and throw jabs and crosses. Stay on your toes and also try fighting while moving backward.

Next round, imagine you are Mike Tyson who is fighting against Ali. Try to close the distance, move your head a lot, dodging the long jabs. Keep your hands up all the time and throw short distance punching combinations after you close the distance. Throw mainly hooks and uppercuts. Be explosive and go to the body a lot.

13) Don’t forget about the defense

It’s true that there is no one who can hit you back when shadowboxing but still think of your defense. Keep your chin down and your shoulders up, protecting it.

Always keep your hands up, even during the combinations. That means to instantly get your hand back to your cheek after you land a punch.

14) Move your head

A lot of beginners forget about the head movement while shadowboxing. And that’s a big mistake. You need to train your head movement because it can save your from big shots but also can help you create openings for counterpunches.

As we already mentioned, you need to imagine you are in a real fight. So try to slip punches or duck under them while you throw your own shots.

15) Always look forward

Another common mistake is to look down while shadowboxing. Looking at your feet won’t help you in a real fight. So try to keep your eyes on your imaginary opponent all the time. Keep your eyes on his chest. That way you can see the punches he throws and you will be able to block them.

16) Aim at 150 punches for 3 minutes

When doing shadowboxing for increasing their speed, the pro boxers try to throw around 300 punches in 3 minutes. But if you are a beginner 100-150 punches is more than a great start.

If it’s still too much for you yet, you can start with 50-70 and increase the number with every workout. When doing it, it’s important to not fully extend your arms. Otherwise, you can injure your joints.

Also, remember that you need to set such a goal only when doing shadowboxing for increasing your punching speed. If you want to just improve given combination, technique or your footwork, this isn’t necessary.

Manny Pacquiao is a great example of a boxer who likes to do shadowboxing with speed punches:

17) If you get tired quickly, slow it down

If your cardio isn’t so great yet and you get tired quickly, while shadowboxing, just slow it down. Stop throwing punches for a moment and just move around. Work on your footwork and defense. Try to keep your hands up even if you are tired. That may look hard but is really important and it will pay itself later when fighting.

Also, remember that it isn’t necessary to throw punches with full power all the time. Throw them with roughly 70% of your power. That way you won’t gas out so quickly.

18) Do shadowboxing with weights

That way you will improve your technique and speed. It also strengthens your shoulder muscles which can help you to keep your hands up all the time and even to punch harder. After a round with weights, you will feel your hands much lighter and faster.

I recommend using really light weights (under 5 lbs) and throwing punches in a slow motion.

You can alternate between rounds with weights and round without weights. Or half round (90 seconds) punching, holding weights, and then for the rest 90 seconds, drop them.

19) Use bags

You can use the heavy bag to shadow box more effectively. Push it back and move around it as it swings. That will help you improve your footwork and defensive movements. Move forward as it goes back, and then move backward as it comes against you.

You can also use the speed bag when shadowboxing. It will help you to improve your head movement. You just need to hit it and then dodge it with your head as it swings back and forth.

20) Shadowbox with a partner

Stay at a distance from your partner so you won’t hit each other. I like this exercise because it’s more realistic than the classic shadowboxing. That’s because now you need to adjust to a real opponent. When doing it try to react to his punches. Move your head – slip the straights and duck under his hooks.

21) Shadowbox in the empty ring

That way you will get a better awareness of your positioning in the ring while fighting and you will be able to use the ring more efficiently. You will have a better understanding of the distances between you and the ropes and the corners, which can help you avoid getting stuck there.

22) Make a video of your shadowboxing

This is a great way to find mistakes in your punching technique, movement or defense and you will know on what you need to work next. For example, that way I found out that I was dropping my right hand every time I threw a cross. Before that, I wasn’t even realizing it.

Everyone (including the pro boxers) are doing such small, but dangerous mistakes. And making a video of your shadowboxing workout is the best way to spot them. Watch the video and notice – are you telegraphing your punches or overextending yourself when punching? Is your technique crisp? Are you dropping your hands? Are you moving quick enough after you throw a combination so you can dodge your opponent’s shots?

Of course, it’s not necessary to make a video of yourself to answer these questions. You can always ask your coach or your sparring partners for some feedback on your shadowboxing or on your overall fighting.

And if you don’t train in a gym, you can use the mirror by watching yourself shadowboxing (although that’s not the best way to find mistakes).

23) Do defensive shadowboxing workouts

Your defense is as important as your offense. So not every time you shadowbox you need to actually throw punches. Sometimes you can just try to move around, pretend you get attacked and try to protect yourself.

You can do that by moving at an angle or by keeping a distance from your imaginary opponent. You can also try to block, bob and weave or slip punches.

24) Break the rhythm

Most of the beginners follow certain rhythm all the time during their shadowboxing workout. For example, they throw a jab, then they make two steps and they throw a combination and after another two steps, they throw another combo. The combinations are different but the rhythm is the same – 2 steps – punch.

And that can make them quite predictable especially when fighting against a more experienced opponent. Because such a boxer can time them and catch them before they throw their shots.

So if you want to be unpredictable, you need to practice breaking the rhythm when shadowboxing. Let’s take the example above (2 steps – punch). If you want to break that rhythm you can make 2 steps and then punch but next time make one step and then throw a shot. After that make three steps. Or two steps, a feint and then a real punch.

You can implement the same idea not only in your moving but also in your combinations. For instance, start the fight with a jab-cross. Next time, use the same combination but now, after you throw the jab wait for a second and then release the cross.

Both combinations have a different rhythm so it will be harder for your opponent to predict you.  And to master breaking the rhythm, you need to train it during your shadowboxing workouts.

25) Include more exercises to the workout

To make your workout more diversified, you can include more exercises different than shadowboxing. For example, you can shadowbox for 3 minutes but then jump rope, do some burpees or even go sprint. Don’t do the same exercise, over and over again. Otherwise, you can get bored and eventually quit.

If you want to include more exercises to your shadowboxing workout, I recommend adding only cardio drills (similar to shadowboxing).

26) Focus on one thing at a time

If you try to do everything at once you will end up with nothing done correctly. So when shadowboxing, try to focus on one thing – certain technique, movement, your speed etc. For instance, if you try to throw 300 punches for 3 minutes with 100% of your power while also working on your footwork, I guarantee that you will gas out long before the 3 minutes are over. So try to keep it simple.

27) Do shadowboxing whenever you can

You can do it while watching a boxing match on the tv or while watching a sparring at the gym. You can also shadowbox when going down or up the stairs. Just make sure that no one is watching you when you do it in public places…

Actually, my favorite time to shadowbox is before going to the bed. Try it. You will be surprised how much several rounds a day can improve your boxing skills only for a few weeks.

Bonus tip:

28) Always try something new

Everyone loves the unorthodox fighters. So don’t be afraid to try something new and weird. If you want to do that, during a shadowboxing workout is the best time you can possibly choose. That’s because this exercise is harmless – there isn’t a chance to get hurt even if you make a mistake.

Try a new combination, feint, or weird movement. See how it feels. If you like it and think it can be effective, then try it in your next sparring session.

So, these were all the tips you need shadowbox much better. But if you still feel uncomfortable when doing that drill and need more guidance, I recommend watching this video and following the steps: