Need to break out of an exercise rut? Cardio Kickboxing and boxing are both exciting, full body workouts that incorporate every muscle group. They are great workouts for burning many calories while improving both your physical and mental fitness. The benefits are endless! Read below for 11 benefits of cardio kickboxing and boxing that will make you want to start with me today!
Cardiovascular Health
The science, let’s look at the science of it all first! Cardio is short for cardiovascular, which describes the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular health is vital for preventing heart disease and multiple other health conditions. A cardio workout is any kind of exercise that gets your heart pumping and the blood moving oxygen through your blood vessels to your heart. Regular cardio exercise improves heart function and reduces risk of heart related health conditions.
A large percentage of people, every single one of my clients AT FIRST, when they think of cardio instantly think running, repetitive basic workout movements(Squats, pushups, burpees, etc.), non stop jumpy movements(high knees, jumping jacks, etc.), basically boot camp style workouts but no one thinks about cardio boxing/kickboxing. One of the best parts about using boxing/kickboxing cardio in my personal training programming is the re-actions I receive from clients when I introduce them to it. They feel powerful and strong and most times don’t even realize they are doing cardio because of how much they are enjoying themselves! Boxing/kickboxing cardio is for everyone, I was a coach for 5 different gyms and I got to witness people of all ages(age 10-70+) participate in this type of training. I would say it has minimal risk for injury. I have witnessed people with major medical concerns participate and love it(MS, handicap, etc.). I had a friend who participated 9 months pregnant. When I say this is for everyone I mean it!
You can Build Muscle
We build muscle hitting a heavy bag with both the upper and lower body. The resistance from the heavy bag is what allows the muscle to build! The muscles that are worked while performing this workout are endless, the lats, traps, shoulders, triceps, biceps, hamstrings, quads, calves, and core! Why? Well when we box or kickbox we are using the momentum of our entire body to throw punches, kicks, elbows, and knees.
For example, I will go over how to throw a proper cross
- Positioning- If you are right handed you will be positioned with your left foot forward and your right foot back/slightly off to the side and your cross will be thrown with your right hand. If you are left handed your position will be right foot forward and left foot back/slightly off to the side and your cross will be throw with your left hand.
- Throwing the punch- You will throw the cross from your chin directly straight as if you are aiming for a persons nose
- Hip and shoulder rotation- I always like to tell my clients that to get the most power out of a punch they want to pretend as if the elbow is attached to the hip so when throwing the punch they are also using the power from the hips, almost like the hip is a sling shot shooting your punch forward. When you hit the full extension of the punch your shoulder and hip should be in front of you.
- The pivot- Pivoting the back foot while throwing the cross is most important for using the momentum of your body to throw the punch. The easiest way to explain this is pretending that there is a bug under the ball of your foot and you are trying to squish it.
- Now that I have explained the punch I can now explain what muscles are being worked. Using the hip rotation allows for the oblique(Side ab) to be activated as well as the shoulder blade and back of the arm and Pivoting the back foot activates the calf and hamstring muscles of the leg. This is just one punch and one example of how boxing/kickboxing works almost all muscles in the body.
Above is a progress pick from an experiment challenge I put together and conducted on myself. I wanted to prove that even though cardio boxing/kickboxing was mainly cardio that you could still build muscle. I participated in a kickboxing cardio class 3-5 times a week, these workouts also involved small strength movements, ya know the standard stuff you do on the side of kickboxing. As you can see in the before and after photos their is a large amount of muscle build in my entire back! This is why my most popular programming involves cardio boxing/kickboxing.
The Calorie Burn is Unreal
Boxing and cardio kickboxing are full body workouts that require the use of every body part. It combines both cardio and anaerobic exercise which together burn a crazy amount of calories. The average calorie burn for an hour of boxing can burn upwards of 800 calories with cardio kickboxing averaging about the same depending on your bodyweight. This may be biased but as a 5+ year cardio kickboxing instructor I have seen a difference in calorie burn based off of how motivated a person is during the class. I noticed that the higher energy the instructor has while teaching the class the higher the calorie burn for the ones taking the class.(So choose your coach/personal trainer wisely) I have had multiple people burn over 1,000 calories in one of my 1 hour sessions. Why? Because I act as their hype man, the goal for a good boxing trainer should be proving to each of their clients that they have so much more in them than they think!
Incorporates HIIT Training
High intensity interval training consists of doing short intervals of intense cardio exercise followed by a short rest period. In doing bursts of exercise this way, you can push harder during the short intervals of work because you have time to recover in between sets. This allows you to potentially burn more calories during the same amount of time doing a steady cardio workout, because you can exert more energy in those short intervals of work. Boxing and cardio kickboxing workouts are usually centered around 2–3-minute rounds of punching and kicking combinations followed by short rests. HIIT is a great way to train if you grow easily bored of steady cardio.
Improves Coordination
Cardio boxing/kickboxing requires learning techniques and punch/kick combinations meant to outwit your opponent. Your boxing coach will teach you how to be quick on your feet and memorize multiple combinations throughout your workout.
Though you will unlikely be facing any real-life opponent, you will learn how to transition between moves and protect yourself from any oncoming blows. Learning and improving your coordination through these types of workouts also crosses over and helps improve coordination in other workouts such as weightlifting movements.(Back squat, deadlift, bench press, etc.)
Relieves Stress
All forms of exercise are great for relieving anxiety and stress. Exercise releases endorphins or the “feel good chemicals” that create a sense of euphoria and uplift our mood. Cardio boxing/kickboxing provides the same endorphin release as well as the extra stress relief that comes from hitting and kicking something. As a personal trainer you will come across a high percentage of clients who are starting this journey to improve their mental health and a vast amount of my clients personally have expressed how boxing/kickboxing has changed their life entirely. Sometimes it feels good to take your frustration out on something and because you are beating up a weighted bag, there won’t be stress in any harm done.
I have a story that was life changing to me, what happened allowed me to realize just how important I was and could be to so many people just by helping them start a fitness journey. I had been a kickboxing instructor for 3 years at the time and at the end of one of my classes I had a client walk up to me, she had been coming to kickboxing for about 3 or 4 months, and she just started crying… It broke my soul in a good way to hear what she had to say. She said that she was so thankful for my presence, the kickboxing classes, my energy, and that her life was rough and poor before she started. I won’t go in to much detail but her story was heart wrenching and terrible and to hear. It has been years and I see her growth and how far she has come and that, that one story is what pushes me to get as many people as possible involved in kickboxing!
It’s Fun
It’s super fun! Cardio kickboxing/boxing are different from other cardio workouts because while you are burning calories and building muscle, you are also learning a skill. It’s fun to learn new things, especially when you can incorporate them into other parts of your life (although I hope you don’t have need for defensive training skills!). Plus, it makes the workout fly by. You’ll be so focused on learning the new moves, you won’t even realize how hard you’re working.
Can Be Done Solo or in Group Setting
Though boxing and cardio kickboxing workouts are typically done in a class setting, the workout itself is a solo sport. In a cardio kickboxing or boxing workout, it is just you against the bag. If you prefer to go at it alone, find a boxing coach that will give you private lessons. But if you like the energy of being around other people, there are plenty of group classes you can join.
You’ll Work Your Endurance, Speed, and Strength at the Same Time
Punching and kicking in coordinated combinations builds up your overall speed, strength, and endurance. You’ll need speed to dish out your punches and kicks which will in turn build up your strength due to resistance from the weighted bag. You’ll be giving it all you got during your work intervals with only short periods of rest before you go at it again. In this way you’ll learn to build up your endurance to make it through the entire workout. Boxing and cardio kickboxing are two of the most intensely gratifying workouts to complete.
You Can Do It Anywhere
I do mitt work with my clients at the park, beach front, backyard, etc. Believe it or not my clients actually prefer to do boxing training outside, not just because I live in Maui haha, but because it’s so spacious and open.
Incorporating a weighted bag into your cardio kickboxing/boxing workout would be excellent, but it’s not necessary to get a good workout in. Shadowboxing, or performing boxing and kickboxing movements without a bag, can be done anywhere. They have also created egg weights which is a weight that is specifically designed to add weight to your shadow boxing workout creating a strength training type of session and those can be brought anywhere, or you can use your typical 2lb dumbbells. All in all it’s an activity that can be done almost anywhere!
Can Improve Confidence
Exercise can improve your confidence by improving your physique and mental health. Boxing and cardio kickboxing will lead to incredible changes in your body as well as your attitude. The skills you learn boxing and kickboxing will make you feel capable and strong. There is nothing more motivating and confidence boosting than knowing you can pack a punch. Boxing and cardio kickboxing are hard, meaning not everyone can do it. You can take confidence in knowing that you are able to do hard things and totally rock at it.
How Do You Start?
So, now that you’re pumped to throw some punches, where exactly do you start? While you could watch some reruns of UFC matches, it’s best to contact a professional personal training boxing coach to show you the ropes. A boxing coach will be able to teach you the correct moves and techniques for training like a real boxer. Form is important when it comes to boxing and kickboxing as any personal training coach will tell you. Correct form is necessary for throwing the most effective punches and kicking with the most power. A personal training boxing coach will help you learn how to train like a professional boxer or kickboxer, without ever having to get a black eye (ouch). If you’re ready to break out of your fitness rut and learn a new skill, then put on a pair of boxing gloves and get in the ring with me!
