The Informant: A Better Fighting Stance
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After reviewing products in the health space for a few years, my home gym has amenities that would make even The Rock envious. A full power rack, a small collection of barbells and a Peloton bike — these are just a few of the things I gaze at while my morning coffee brews. Up until a few years ago, the gym was missing something: a kickable, punchable outlet for aggression and anger. That is until Fight Camp, an interactive home boxing workout, arrived on my doorstep.
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FightCamp is kickboxing’s Peloton equivalent. It’s a foam punching bag perched atop a sand-filled base that comes with boxing gloves and smart punch trackers that insert into hand wraps and count each punch as it’s delivered. For $39/month, an accompanying app does the punch tracking during instructor-led sessions of hooks, jabs and uppercuts.
Sometimes working out is about motivation and self improvement; other times it’s about having an outlet for pure rage. Punching something is a good coping mechanism, and it feels good. So does quantifying those punches and having an instructor tell you you did a good job after a half hour. This need for catharsis, validation, and sanctioned violence that’s kept my FightCamp in my living room years after my initial test.
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My normal workout routine, pre-FightCamp, consisted of a lot of running and cycling. These workouts are fine, but they happen largely in the sagittal movement plane (front to back) and breaking them up with a kickboxing workout, with quick pivots and kicks, has helped me train more dynamically and work muscle groups I can’t get with regular strength workouts. It’s suitable for beginners, too. FightCamp’s app includes short introductory classes that make it easy to learn proper punching form, and anyone with an annoying mother-in-law will get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Setting up the FightCamp is a pain, though, and anyone considering buying one should know that the process is onerous. You need to fill the base with water or sand (sand is better) before use. I initially tried filling it with water because I live in an apartment and buying bags of sand felt extreme, but the base shifted with every punch and earned me noise complaints from multiple neighbors.
The enormous weighted base also makes it difficult to move. You can tilt it on its side and roll it, but even that takes some brawn to get it where you want it. I haven’t moved it since I positioned it in place a few years ago, and I doubt it’ll move before I do.
Frequently Asked Questions About FightCamp
How much is the FightCamp?
FightCamp is not cheap, but it’s not nearly as expensive as other luxe gym equipment. It costs $499 with gloves and trackers included. This is less than half the cost of a Peloton bike or even the cheapest fitness mirrors.
Can you use FightCamp Without a membership?
You can definitely use FightCamp without the $39/month membership, but if you’re planning to do that I’d consider purchasing a cheaper standing punching bag instead. However, if you purchase FightCamp and end up canceling or not using the membership, it’s a very high-quality punching bag that can be used in exactly the same way as an analog bag.
Is FightCamp worth it?
If you love kickboxing and have the space for it, it’s a worthwhile purchase. It yields the same satisfying physical exhaustion as in-person kickboxing classes and at just $500 and replacing regular $30 sessions, it pays for itself in a few months. The sticker price has gone down substantially since SPY first reviewed this product, so we can now answer this question with a definite “yes.”
Is FightCamp practical?
No, absolutely not. It’s huge and not practical for small apartments with limited space. Not only is it 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 2 feet wide but you need space around it in order to move, kick and bounce. If you can’t take big swings, you can’t get the real benefits.
Is FightCamp fun to use?
Yes, it’s a blast. It’s also especially good at abating symptoms of the ailments like loud neighbor-induced irritability, doom scroll angst, and general malaise.
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