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Cardio kickboxing is a form of exercise that uses traditional kickboxing movements and training methods from a variety of martial arts to get a full-body, aerobic workout.
You may have noticed the growing trend of kickboxing these days in the fitness world. Cardio kickboxing has become so popular because it is a great way to take your fitness to the next level by improving athletic ability while you have fun and blow off steam.
This style of exercise helps you feel empowered, strong, in control, and less stressed. Feel your confidence grow, your conditioning improve, and your mind at ease when you incorporate cardio kickboxing into your regular fitness routine.
What is the difference between kickboxing and cardio kickboxing?
Kickboxing is a form of martial arts that is used for combat training or sport, whereas cardio kickboxing is a form of exercise.
Cardio kickboxing uses many of the same movements and training methods, but lacks the in-depth technical training for facing opponents and takes a more fitness approach.
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What does cardio kickboxing look like?
Cardio kickboxing involves “striking” movements such as punches, kicks, knees, elbows and defensive moves like blocking, footwork, and head movement.
A heavy bag and gloves can be used, or a participant can “shadow box” (striking into the air) for a no equipment approach. You can even hold a very lightweight set of dumbbells (1-3 lbs) for more resistance.
Cardio kickboxing has a lot of variety as there is an endless amount of combinations you can put together or just focus on a single movement at once. It can look like training for speed, power, and stamina.
Kickboxing has so much variability that it is the perfect workout for someone that gets bored with traditional cardio methods.
As a coach, I often like to incorporate other exercises to mix up even more. Such as calisthenics or strength exercises too. For example, you can add calisthenics INTO the combination or do intervals of kickboxing and intervals of traditional exercises.
Is cardio kickboxing a good workout?
Kickboxing is very effective at improving aerobic conditioning, stamina, speed, agility, balance, power, and reaction time. And because it involves full body movements in all 3 planes of motion, it is a great way to maintain functional fitness.
Functional exercise is beneficial at reducing risk of injury and keeping you fit for everyday life.
Another killer feature of cardio kickboxing is that it allows so much variation to your training like duration, intensity, and volume. Varying your training stress will help you avoid progress plateaus and reduce burnout to keep you on track for a consistent routine and sustainable results.
Is kickboxing good for females?
Kickboxing is an ideal form of exercise for women because of its physical and mental impacts such as enhanced mood, conditioning, and body composition.
It’s a great way to get out aggression or stress, improve self-confidence and body image, and help the women feel empowered by their ability. It’s also incredibly effective at improving total body fitness and body composition.
Does kickboxing help with belly fat?
Absolutely, kickboxing is a high calorie burning workout that will improve metabolism for all day fat burning results.
When trying to lose weight, be sure to maintain a sustainable calorie deficit (eating less calories than burning) and keep in mind that you cannot choose or dictate where you will lose fat from. It is a gradual process and requires consistent effort.
Learn more in my post How Cardio Kickboxing Gets You Killer Weight Loss Results.
What should you know before starting cardio kickboxing?
Learning the basic technique for the common punches and kicks is a great way to establish a foundation of quality movement and reduce risk of injury. Follow along with my Kickboxing Basics Tutorial Video for a beginner friendly breakdown of the kickboxing elements you will use in a workout.
Kickboxing requires a lot of pivoting, rotation, and fast change in direction. There is high repetition of shoulder and hip movement in all directions and is a high intensity form of training.
If you have medical concerns or physical contraindications to these factors, (such as pregnancy or injuries) this may not be the workout for you.
Cardio Kickboxing Workout Videos
Whether you are experienced or a beginner, following along cardio kickboxing workout videos created by a trainer is a great way to ensure an effective workout that will keep you motivated.
Opt for workouts that include pointers on technique the entire time to avoid poor form and ensure you are maximizing your results.
Head over to my Kickboxing Workout Playlist for a wide range of fun and effective kickboxing workouts written by me, a certified trainer and former competitive MMA fighter.
My kickboxing workouts are all level friendly but bring out the fun of kickboxing by making you feel like you are training for fight day!
After you’ve fallen in love with kickboxing, download my FREE 4-Week Kickboxing Workout Plan PDF! Filled with full-length kickboxing workout videos that you can do at home.
Fight for your fitness and feel like an athlete with 4 weeks of killer training that empower you, mind and body.
