Boxing vs Personal Training
Personal training in London costs £50-£120 per hour. A boxing session at a community club costs £5-£10. That is a 10x price difference. The question is whether paying ten times more actually buys you better results. For most people, it does not.
What You Actually Get
Boxing Coach
Expert technique instruction from ABA-qualified coaches, structured group sessions, social accountability, and a genuine transferable skill.
- • Nationally certified coaching (England Boxing)
- • Group energy and social motivation
- • Progressive skill development
- • Structured round-based intensity
- • £5-£10 per session
Personal Trainer
Individual attention, customised programming, one-on-one accountability, and exercise guidance. Quality varies enormously.
- • Variable qualifications (Level 2 to MSc)
- • One-on-one attention
- • Customised programme design
- • Flexible scheduling
- • £50-£120 per hour in London
The quality gap in personal training is enormous. Some PTs are outstanding: degree-educated, experienced, and genuinely invested in your progress. Others hold a Level 2 qualification (achievable in 6-8 weeks), scroll their phones between your sets, and are essentially counting reps for you at £70 per hour. According to a 2026 London PT pricing guide, the average session in London now costs £50-£150 per hour, with hidden costs including gym access fees and programme design charges on top.
Boxing coaches at affiliated clubs meet a consistent, externally verified standard. At Honour and Glory, all coaches hold England Boxing qualifications and several are licensed by the BBBofC. The standard is regulated, not self-declared. And you benefit from their expertise at a fraction of the price.
Calorie Burn and Intensity
Calories per hour (70 kg / 11 stone person)
Boxing burns more calories per hour than the typical PT session. A PT session includes rest between sets, exercise explanations, programme adjustments, and conversation. A boxing session maintains high intensity with minimal downtime. The round structure keeps you working when you would otherwise be resting.
There is also the group effect. In a boxing class, everyone around you is working hard. The social accountability is real. When the person next to you is still throwing combinations despite being exhausted, you keep going too. A PT session lacks this environmental pressure. It is just you and the trainer, and the intensity often dips when it should not.
The Cost: A Year of Training
Training 3x per week for 12 months
Sources: Simply Link UK PT Pricing Guide 2026, boxingtrainer.london
The annual difference is staggering. Boxing three times a week for a year at Honour and Glory costs roughly £1,170. The same frequency with a personal trainer in London costs £7,000-£9,400. That is £6,000-£8,000 in savings. Per year.
Equipment costs reinforce the gap. Boxing requires hand wraps (£5) and gloves (£25-£50). Personal training often comes with additional gym membership fees (£30-£80/month in London), plus the trainer may recommend supplements, equipment, or clothing. The boxing gym provides bags, pads, and a ring as part of your session fee.
Why People Stick With Boxing
The best workout programme in the world does nothing if you stop going after eight weeks. Personal training has notoriously poor long-term adherence. Most people hire a PT for 3-6 months, see some results, find the cost unsustainable, and revert to their previous habits. The PT model creates dependency on external motivation rather than intrinsic engagement.
Boxing has better long-term adherence for three reasons:
- Skill progression: You are learning something. Each session adds to your ability. The jab that felt awkward in week one becomes instinctive by month three. This sense of mastery keeps you coming back.
- Community: You train with the same people regularly. They notice when you are not there. This social accountability is stronger than any PT relationship because it comes from multiple people, not one paid professional.
- Affordability: At £5-£10 per session, boxing is financially sustainable indefinitely. You do not hit a point where you need to stop because it costs too much. This removes the single biggest reason people quit personal training.
When Personal Training Is Worth It
Personal training has genuine, significant value in specific situations. If you are rehabilitating from an injury and need individually supervised exercise, a qualified PT (ideally with a sports rehabilitation background) is the right choice. If you are training for a specific competition (powerlifting meet, triathlon) where customised periodisation matters, a specialist coach adds real value.
If you have medical conditions requiring supervised exercise (cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes management, hypermobility), the individual attention of a qualified PT is clinically important and worth the investment.
For general fitness, weight loss, body composition improvement, stress relief, and confidence building, a boxing club provides better value, better adherence, and comparable or superior results. That is not opinion. That is what the cost-per-outcome data consistently shows.
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Which Should You Choose?
Choose boxing if:
- • You want the best return on investment
- • You enjoy group training energy
- • You want to learn a real, transferable skill
- • Long-term affordability matters
- • You are motivated by community and accountability
- • You want something you will still be doing in five years
Choose a PT if:
- • You are rehabilitating from a specific injury
- • You have medical conditions requiring supervision
- • You are training for a specific sport or competition
- • You strongly prefer one-on-one attention
- • Budget is genuinely not a concern
Our honest take: Most people who hire a personal trainer in London would achieve equal or better results at a boxing club for a fraction of the cost. The group format, the skill element, and the community produce better long-term adherence than the most expensive PT available.
We are biased, obviously. But we see former PT clients walk through our door at Honour and Glory regularly. They stay because the training is harder, the community is stronger, and their bank account is significantly happier. Want to see for yourself? Book a free session and find out.
See also: Boxing vs the Gym | Boxing vs HIIT | How Many Calories Does Boxing Burn?
The best way to decide? Come and try it.
Your first session is free. No contract, no commitment.
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