How to Become a Boxercise Instructor

With over 1.2 million people in the UK currently taking classes or practising one-to-one, now is the perfect time to become a Boxercise instructor.

If you want to know how you can pursue this as a career, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on getting qualified, insured, and finding Boxercise instructor jobs. 

This article will include:

• Step 1: Get Qualified to Become a Boxercise Instructor
• Step 2: Secure the Right Insurance for a Boxercise Instructor
• Step 3: Discover Your Role as a Boxercise Instructor
• Step 4: Career Progression Options After You've Become a Boxercise Instructor

Before we start, if you’re not already qualified, check out OriGym’s L3 PT diploma which will give you all of the skills and expertise you’ll need to become a Boxercise instructor!

You can find out more information about all of our courses by downloading our free course prospectus here!

Step 1: Get Qualified to Become a Boxercise Instructor

If you’re wondering how to become a Boxercise instructor, the first thing that you need to do is to get qualified.

There’s a few different stages to getting qualified so we’ll explore each of these in detail now.

You Need to Complete a Level 2 Course Before Undergoing Boxercise Instructor Training

Before you can get a specific qualification to become a Boxercise instructor, you’ll need to complete a Level 2 fitness instructor course. 

As well as being the minimum requirement to complete a Boxercise course, it’s one of the qualifications you need to work in any gym or health club.

For instance, this job advert for a group exercise instructor below states that a Level 2 qualification is required for all applicants:

As well as being a necessity for getting a job, gaining this qualification is also a great way of preparing you for the Boxercise instructor course and the role itself.

This is because an Ofqual regulated course will equip you with all of the fundamental skills and knowledge you’ll need to make a fitness class successful. 

The Ofqual regulation means that the course has met the industry standards of education, teaching, and assessment, so will prepare you for a successful career!

Option One: Undertake a Boxercise Instructor Course

To be qualified to teach a Boxercise class, you must have an official qualification from Boxercise.

As we mentioned earlier, you must have already become a fitness instructor in order to complete this course, as shown below in the Boxercise course specification:

As Boxercise classes are trademarked under their brand name, it's essential that you complete one of their specific courses in order to teach a class and get a job as a Boxercise instructor.

Even if you are applying for a general fitness instructor role rather than a specific Boxercise instructor one, some employers will still require you to hold a relevant qualification for the type of class that you want to teach.

This is illustrated in the group exercise instructor job advert below:

In order to teach a range of patented classes you need to have completed the official courses. 

This is to ensure that everyone teaching Boxercise meets their class standards and is able to uphold their brand.

It will also ensure that everyone who attends a Boxercise class will get the same experience, no matter which class they choose to attend.

To begin your Boxercise instructor course, you’ll need to sign up on the Boxercise website.

Starting on the Boxercise homepage, hover over the ‘Instructor Training’ tab, and click on the ‘Become an Instructor’ link.

Once you’ve reached the ‘Become an Instructor’ page, scroll down until you see ‘Search for Instructor Courses’.

Here, you can choose from local in-person Boxercise instructor courses in the UK, Zoom courses, or online distance courses, which we’ll discuss in further detail later on in this article.

Alternatively, you could click on the ‘Instructor course year planner’ if you’d like to complete a course on a certain date, which shows you all courses available over the next 24 months:

After choosing a location or study option (we’ve chosen Birmingham here as an example), the next thing you’ll need to do is select a Boxercise instructor course on a date that works for you.

Be sure not to confuse the ‘Boxercise Instructor’ course with the other advanced course options available, such as Kick Boxercise and Boxercise Advanced Skills.

Once you’ve pressed the ‘Book now’ link for your chosen course, you’ll be taken to this page, where you can confirm the details of your course and proceed to checkout!

Option Two: Complete a Boxing CPD Course

Your other option if you want to become a Boxercise instructor is to take boxing coaching courses.

These are CPD courses (Continued Professional Development) and cover specific techniques and expertise needed to boost your fitness instructing skills.

They will usually go alongside a Level 2 or 3 personal trainer course and are used to enhance and develop a specific niche in fitness.

Though a boxing CPD course isn’t the official registered option from Boxercise themselves, many gyms offer boxing inspired classes and will not specify that you need this specific qualification.

This is because in order to teach a registered course, like Les Mills or Boxercise, the gym also has to pay a registration and licensing fee to teach those classes.

Completing a CPD therefore opens up the amount of places you can work in and also means that you can teach your own independent classes without having to pay this fee yourself.

As you can see, plenty of job advertisements will ask you to have boxing qualifications or skills, rather than specifying Boxercise official courses:

You’ll save money as most providers will offer deals like ourselves where you can complete your Level 2 fitness instructor course and CPD course as a package in order to save you money:

As you can see, whether you choose a package or not, these CPD courses are a cheaper option than going with the Boxercise specific course.

A CPD course in Boxing and Pad work will also cover a lot of the same material as a Boxercise class and will equip you with all of the techniques needed for this style of training.

We’ll look in a little more detail at this in our section ‘What Does a Boxercise Instructor Course Consist of’.

For now though, here’s an example of our own course content to show you what can be expected and the broad range of skills you can learn by completing a CPD:

As you can see, all of the practical skills provided will allow you to teach boxing based classes, as well as inform any one-to-one work you do.

You’ll need a personal trainer course to work on an individual basis, which we’ll cover in more detail now!

Get Qualified as a Personal Trainer to Become a Boxercise Instructor

Though it’s not explicitly a necessity to have a Level 3 personal trainer qualification to be a Boxercise instructor, there’s plenty of benefits for your career prospects and teaching technique!

You’ll build on everything you learn at Level 2 to help you develop your skills and knowledge which will inform your classes.

For example, you’ll cover techniques such as learning business skills to help you market yourself and your classes.

This will help your classes grow and ultimately help you to make more money!

Building on everything you learn at Level 2 you’ll also acquire new and significant skills that will enhance your earning prospects and allow you to apply for more roles. 

It’s a way of setting yourself apart from the competition when you’re applying for jobs. In fact, plenty of gyms will now say they prefer applicants to have a Level 3.

For instance, this role explicitly says that they would prefer applicants be Level 3 qualified:

So, as you can see, completing a Level 3 PT course will boost your career prospects and income, as PT instructor roles are generally higher paid. 

What Does a Boxercise Instructor Course Consist Of?

The official Boxercise instructor course is designed to help you gain the fundamental knowledge and techniques from boxing for fitness and coaching.

You’ll learn all the techniques needed to become a Boxercise instructor teaching classes or working one-to-one with clients.

You’ll cover topics such as:

• The 8 punches, and how to safely teach them to others
• The importance of correct footwork, including drills 1-18 from the Boxercise Footwork Training System
• Different class styles, including aerobics, circuits, coached pads, beasting sessions and bootcamp-style formats
• Putting punches together to create exciting routines, with different class formats and designs
• How to choose and use boxing equipment correctly
• Hand wrapping for the beginner

All options are £149 so you can decide which method is most convenient for you, whether you want to work face-to-face or distance learning.

As we mentioned earlier you can choose from 1 of 3 course formats:

• Face to face which is completed over 8 hours in just one day, at one of their training venues in the locations we showed earlier
• Zoom which is equally completed in a day but over Zoom, lasting 8.5 hours
• Distance learning where you complete the course in your own time, to fit your own schedule, with 6 hours of video tutorials and a minimum of 5.5 hours of practice

Both the Zoom and face to face options have a practical assessment whereas the distance option has a multiple choice theory-based assessment.

You’ll also have to submit a practical video assessment.

You can also think about how you want to work when you’re choosing which option works for you. 

For example, if you want to teach Zoom fitness classes, learning over Zoom may provide you with some of the skills you can use later when presenting a class in this way!

Like our own courses, if you don’t achieve the required standard and pass, you’ll be encouraged to retake the assessment at another time free of charge!

What Happens After You Complete Your Boxercise Instructor Course?

Once you’re qualified and you’ve become a Boxercise instructor, you’ll be required to pay an annual registration fee of £40 if you want to be on the International Register of Boxercise Instructors. 

This enables you to utilise the Boxercise trademark and access resources such as:

• Publicity materials including posters, logos, and loyalty cards
• Online certificate access
• A series of post-course videos to help get your started
• Discounts on Boxercise equipment
• Ongoing telephone or email support from Boxercise head office
• The Boxercise Footwork Training System

On completion of the Boxercise instructor training, registered instructors can also gain access to the course for refresher purposes, free of charge.

If you’d like to expand your Boxercise knowledge even further, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake further Boxercise courses.

However, these are not necessary for securing a job as a Boxercise instructor.

The Boxercise Course Pathway below highlights the courses that qualified Boxercise instructors may choose to take in order to further develop their expertise:

We’ll discuss these further in the career progression section of this article.

Tips on Passing Your Boxercise Training Course

We know that the thought of being assessed can seem daunting. That’s why we’ve got some tips on remaining calm and making sure you pass your Boxercise instructor course!

#1 Attend a Few Boxercise Classes as a Student Before You Become a Boxercise Instructor

One of the most important things to do before you begin your Boxercise instructor training course is to attend regular classes yourself.

Although Boxercise stipulates that you don’t need any previous boxing experience to access the course, the more you know about classes beforehand, the easier you’ll find the training.

This means that you’re much more likely to pass the course the first time around.

You’re also likely to be a better instructor yourself, as you’ll be able to learn through observing other instructors.

You can pick up tips on class structure and delivery for when you’re being assessed yourself.

By seeing how other people deliver a class and the kind of tone and instruction they give to class members, you can see what works well and what you want to emulate in your own delivery!

#2 Focus on Your Abilities as a Boxercise Instructor Rather Than Your Boxing Technique

When it comes to taking your practical assessment on the face to face or Zoom course, you’ll find that it is only based upon what you’ve been taught on the day.

Although on the course you’ll learn about the different Boxercise styles and all 8 punches, the focus won’t be on perfecting your technique. This is impossible to learn in one day!

Instead, the course focuses on how you can safely coach and teach these elements to others.

This means that when it comes to the practical assessment, your assessors will be judging you on your demonstrating, coaching, and instructing quality.

Boxercise emphasises the fact that no marks will be awarded for demonstrating extra speed or power during your assessment, so it’s important not to focus too closely on your own boxing technique.

This will allow you to demonstrate your ability to teach safe, informative, and fun classes for your future clients!

#3 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions During Your Boxercise Instructor Training

Unless you’ve chosen the distance learning option, you’ll be completing your Boxercise course all in one day.

This is quite an intense format, meaning you’ll have taken in a lot of information at once, focusing on remembering as much as you can and applying it practically at the end.

Therefore, if you’re unsure of anything when it comes to taking your practical assessment, be sure to ask your trainer before completing your exam.

The trainers teaching you will have excelled on the same course that you’re taking and are experienced individuals who want you to pass and succeed! 

So, even if nobody else does, don’t be afraid to ask for help, as you’ll be much more prepared for your assessment and for running your own classes in the future!

Step 2: Secure the Right Insurance for a Boxercise Instructor

Once you’re qualified as a Boxercise instructor, the next thing that you need to do is get yourself insured.

This is just as important as gaining a Boxercise qualification, as a good insurance policy will cover you both financially and legally in case things go wrong during a session.

Personal trainer insurance is a legal requirement for anybody working in a fitness facility or working with individuals in independent classes.

You’re protecting yourself legally if anybody should sustain an injury during class and makes a claim against you, a Boxercise insurance policy will cover any legal costs and compensation claims that you may have to pay. 

The four main types of holistic insurance that you’ll need as a Boxercise instructor are:

• Public Liability Insurance – This provides cover if a class member sustains an injury during a session, as well as any third-party damage that may be caused to their property.
• Personal Accident Insurance – This covers you if you’re unable to teach for a period of time due to injury.
• Loss of Earnings - Also known as Income Protection Insurance, this covers you if illness is preventing you from teaching and earning a regular income.
• Equipment Insurance – Any equipment used during your Boxercise classes is covered by this insurance, particularly if it is lost, stolen, or gets damaged.

Although Boxercise doesn’t offer insurance themselves, there are a number of external companies who can provide cover for Boxercise instructors.

A great example of such a provider is Protectivity, who provide a full Boxercise Instructor Insurance package starting at just £4.29 per month.

The standard package comes with Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance, and you can add on the other policies at an extra cost.

Starting at just £4.20 per month, you can get your own personal quote from Protectivity to suit your needs as a Boxercise instructor by filling out a simple form on their website.

The exact cost of a Boxercise instructor insurance policy will vary, depending on the level of coverage that you select.

However, here’s an example of the price that you’re likely to be quoted if you take out a policy from Protectivity, which includes all of the main types of insurance we’ve discussed above:

If you’re finding this article helpful, why not check some of our others for business and career tips?

• Becoming A Bodypump Instructor
• How To Become a Group Fitness Instructor
• How To Become A Gymbox Instructor

Step 3: How You Can Find Boxercise Instructor Jobs

After gaining your qualification and choosing the right insurance, you should then be ready to find a role as a Boxercise instructor.

One of the most popular ways of finding Boxercise instructor jobs is by applying to teach within a gym or fitness centre.

As we mentioned earlier, Boxercise is a trademarked brand and so there’s a licensing fee to teach under their name. 

This can be an unwanted expense if you’re just starting up as a Boxercise instructor, so by choosing to work at a large-scale commercial gym, they will cover the cost for you.

There are a few gym chains within the UK that run Boxercise classes, and as a result may be looking for a Boxercise instructor. These include Village Gym and Fitness First.

Alongside commercial gyms, you may find that smaller, independent gyms also run Boxercise classes, such as this independent fitness centre in Sutton Coldfield:

You can also use the search tool on the Boxercise website to find gyms, fitness centres, and health clubs that offer classes near you.

The best way of finding Boxercise instructor jobs is by looking on general job boards such as 

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Total Jobs

You could also use Leisure Jobs, which is a fitness-specific job site.

You may be able to find an employer looking for a specific Boxercise instructor, such as the role below:

More often than not these positions are advertised on job boards as holistic fitness class instructor positions.

This is because they’ll want to hire a fitness instructor who can teach multiple group exercise classes, or are at least qualified to cover several different classes.

For example, this job from JD Gyms one of the qualifications they’re asking for from prospective employees is Boxercise, but amongst others and falling under a generalised fitness instructor role:

The Average Salary When You Become a Boxercise Instructor

If you’re wanting to become a Boxercise instructor, we’re sure that you’d like to know what the average salary is for this role.

It can be difficult to establish an average because these are often based on salaries people have explicitly declared.

Since there’s technically no limit to what you could earn if you were independent, running classes online or out of your own studio or gym, it’s difficult to calculate an average.

When you’re starting out it can be hard to find a specific Boxercise instructor role, so you can get a better idea by looking at the average fitness instructor salary in the UK.

According to Indeed, Glassdoor, and Totaljobs, the average salary for a fitness instructor is between £18,000-£26,000 per year:

However, this figure can vary, based upon:

• Location
• Whether your gym is commercial or independent
• Level of experience

Step 4: Career Progression Options After You've Become a Boxercise Instructor

Once you’ve become a Boxercise instructor you may be looking for progression routes that you can take to further develop your career.

Here are three potential career progression options that you might consider as a qualified Boxercise instructor.

#1 Train Clients in 1-on-1 Personal Training Sessions as a Boxercise Instructor

Once you’ve established yourself as a Boxercise instructor, you may want to work with clients one-to-one as a personal trainer.

As previously mentioned in step 1, you’ll need a Level 3 Personal Training qualification to do this.

You can then use this qualification to progress your career into tailored training for individual clients, which can often be more lucrative.

This is because alongside working as a group fitness Boxercise instructor, you’ll be able to increase your client base by delivering bespoke exercise plans.

Because these plans are individualised too, you’re able to charge slightly more and have several different revenue streams!

Your services will therefore appeal to those clients who may be looking for more specific help to allow them to meet their fitness goals.

As we’ve discussed, employers are also much more likely to take on those with a Level 3 qualification over a Level 2, as you’ll have more skills, knowledge, and experience to offer to their members.

Due to the fact that you’re able to provide more services, a personal trainer salary also tends to be a lot higher than a fitness instructor.

For example, according to Totaljobs, the average salary for a personal trainer can range from £23,000 to £42,000, with the average being £27,000:

Once you’ve completed your Level 3 qualification, you’re also able to take advanced Level 4 courses to develop a niche and become an elite fitness professional. 

Some examples of advanced Level 4 courses you can take are:

• Lower back management 
• Weight management course
• Diabetes management
• Diet and nutrition courses

This will increase your earning potential even further, as you’ll be able to develop a niche and work with clients who have more specific needs than the average gym goer.

You’ll also have more services to offer, so your CV will be more attractive to potential employers!

#2 Expand Your Skills to Teach Further Classes Alongside Being a Boxercise Instructor

As well as working as a Boxercise instructor, you may want to expand your skills and learn how to teach other classes.

Although as a qualified fitness instructor you’ll know how to lead group classes, taking a Continuing Professional Development Course (CPD) will allow you to gain more in-depth knowledge of a specific area of fitness.

Some of the most popular CPD courses include:

• Kettlebells
• Circuit training
• Suspension training
• Boxing coaching courses
• Strength and conditioning qualification

Similar to Boxercise, these courses take place over just one day, so they’re an easy and efficient way of expanding your skillset.

For example, after completing a circuit CPD course, you’ll understand the central elements of a balanced circuit training session.

You’ll also be aware of how to effectively plan and deliver circuit training for groups and clients. 

You can then use this skill to branch out from your Boxercise classes and begin leading circuit classes too.

Having a CPD qualification such as this also looks great on your CV, as you’ll have more skills and knowledge that will attract employers and help you to stand out from the crowd.

This is because, as we mentioned earlier, employers are often looking for fitness instructors who have further qualifications and knowledge to lead multiple classes, as illustrated below:

#3 Take an Advanced Boxercise Instructor Course to Improve Your Knowledge

As previously mentioned, if you’d like to develop your knowledge and experience as a Boxercise instructor, you can choose to take 1 of 4 developmental courses, which are:

• Boxercise Advanced Skills
• Kick Boxercise
• Speed Pads and Combinations
• Boxercise for Kids

Offered by Boxercise themselves, each course allows instructors to learn a new skill, meaning that they’re able to offer more to clients within their Boxercise sessions. 

If you’re looking for a role as a Boxercise instructor, these further developmental courses can make your CV more attractive to potential employers and increase your earning prospects.

These are mostly for informing classes and allowing you to teach a wider variety of Boxercise classes. However, you’ll learn plenty of new skills you can use in a different context.

For instance, on the Boxercise Advanced Skills course, you’ll be taught 32 new defensive moves, including Duck, Slip, and Swayback.

Kick Boxercise adds value to classes by teaching Boxercise instructors how to use elbows, knees, and kicks to include different skills and variations in their sessions.

This means you can potentially branch out and offer classes based around mixed martial arts, combining techniques from:

• Muay Thai
• Kung Fu
• Karate
• Kickboxing

All developmental courses cost £99 and are available with both face-to-face and online distance learning options.

To find and enrol on a course near you, simply select the further developmental course page of your chosen course, and you should see a list of upcoming courses across the UK.

Before You Go!

If you want to know how to become a Boxercise instructor, you should now have all of the information that you need to go and pursue your chosen career path!

Don’t forget, if you want to boost your career prospects and salary you should look into OriGym’s Level 3 personal trainer diploma.

You can find out more about this and all of our other courses if you download our complete course prospectus for free!