Abstract

The following article focuses on various types of kickboxing workout along with how these workouts can prove beneficial to your health. It also lists out what are the equipment needed for your kickboxing routine.

Introduction

Wish you got a more intense workout than the normal cardio workouts that you’ve been following for a long time? Then it is time to now adopt a new kickboxing workout routine. Just like most of the other cardio routines, the kickbox workout routine tends to provide a great number of benefits that is almost equal to a high-intensity workout routine. It also helps improve coordination, strength, and mobility. You will also find yourself getting stronger muscles as days go by! The kickboxing workout need not just be done at a gym you can also perform a kickbox workout at home which will ensure better results as well.

The Science behind Kickboxing Workouts

While a cardio kickboxing workout might seem quite intimidating and the image of people jabbing each other can be the first thing that one might think of when talking about kickboxing. However, it is not all that bad. It is seen that once people try, they get excited and they even start talking about the benefits of kickboxing.

Apart from gaining confidence by learning various actions such as jabs, crosses, and uppercuts, you will also find a way to protect yourself from dangerous situations. There are also mental and physical benefits that are attached to boxing. Not to mention that you will also get attached to it and start practicing regularly as you tend to enjoy it once you start doing it! Here are some of the other scientifical reasons and kickboxing workout benefits that indicate why kickboxing workout is one thing you must definitely try out.

A. Cardiovascular Exercise

When you start practicing kickboxing regularly just three times a week for about an hour you tend to take up an increased amount of oxygen. This in turn will also be used during physical activities. It is also an indicator of your cardiovascular endurance. The higher the amount of oxygen you get the more efficient your body gets and the better your cardiovascular health will be. This is exactly why a kickboxing workout is also called cardiovascular exercise since it shows a direct effect on your health.

B. Strength Training

While you do some of the kickboxing workouts for beginners it is easier to lose weight however over a period of time as you transfer to advanced levels of cardio kickboxing workout you will see that there is an improved muscle strength in both your upper and lower body.

C. Flexibility and Balance

With the help of a cardio kickboxing workout, you will find out that your flexibility levels have improved efficiently apart from which your sense of balance has also increased multifold. Kickboxing workouts also improve reactive and anticipatory balance which in turn could reduce any sort of risks of falls as you keep on aging.

Essential Equipment for Kickboxing Workouts

Ensuring that you have the right equipment for kickboxing whether it is for practice or for matches tends to be essential as it provides safety and allows you to develop your skills to be the best of your capacity. Also, some of the equipment such as boxing gloves are essential especially when it comes to your opponent’s safety. Here is a list of equipment that you will need to get on with your kickboxing workout training.

A. Gloves

Kickboxing always needs you to wear gloves. These gloves are thick and will need you to tie them around your wrists. The index, middle ring, and pinky finger parts of the gloves are joined while the thumb part of the gloves tends to be separate. Good boxing gloves keep you away from any sort of injuries especially when you are hitting a heavy bag or your opponent. In a match, it is essential for boxers to wear gloves of the same size to ensure there is an identical condition. Lighter gloves may have a higher impact force due to their lower padding size however thicker and heavier gloves on the other side tend to provide lighter strikes. Not wearing gloves is not just dangerous for your opponent but also for you as the impact tends to seriously injure your arms.

B. Hand Wraps

Hand wraps or bandages tend to be important for your protection of wrists, knuckles, and hands. A hand wrap may seem similar to a medical bandage when you put it on. It acts as an extra layer of protection against a punching bag. You wrap this bandage on your lower arm to ensure there is the safety along with stability when you hit your target. Heavy blows may tend to injure your small bones and stress out your finger muscles. It is hence considered to use hand wraps at all times when you are about to take part in kickboxing. Especially when it comes to kickboxing workouts for beginners you might want to invest in good hand wraps that act as your safety guard.

C. Shoes

When you look out for kickboxing shoes you might want to look for some shoes that do not consist of a lot of cushioning like those seen in running shoes. This is because you need better stability when you are about to throw punches. Flat cross-training shoes tend to be the perfect ones for kickboxing workouts as they provide great stability especially when you are practicing kickboxing workouts at home. Also looking out for shoes that provide very high arch and ankle support is a must since there is stress being applied to your feet and joints.  

Types of Kickboxing Workouts 

To understand more about kickboxing workouts and what are some of the kickboxing workout benefits there are various types of kickboxing workouts for beginners and advanced athletes.

Here is a list of 15 types of kickboxing workouts:

  1. Traditional Kickboxing

Traditional kickboxing is a full-contact combat sport that is based on both kicking and punching. This is a sort of fight that takes place inside a ring and there will be two opponents that fight using various kickboxing equipment such as boxing gloves, mouth guards, and shorts. Kickboxing is also a great way to ensure general fitness apart from also training yourself for self-defense and also for competition. Traditional kickboxing is a very basic type of kickboxing workout that is found. There are also varied versions of traditional kickboxing based on the technique used.  

  1. Aerobic Kickboxing

Aerobic kickboxing is also quite commonly called cardio kickboxing and is a workout that consists of various elements such as boxing, aerobics, and martial arts which leads to a high-impact and high-intensity workout program. This is also quite popular in gyms. It is said that aerobic kickboxing can also lead to about 500 to 800 calories per hour which will also contribute to increasing overall stamina, strength, and flexibility.

  1. Martial Arts-based Kickboxing

Martial arts-based kickboxing tends to consist of techniques involved in both kickboxing and martial arts which makes it quite a unique form of workout. This workout will also ensure that you get high strength endurance due to the varied techniques involved.

  1. Muay Thai

Muay Thai is a type of Thailand boxing technique that is also called Thai boxing at times. This combat sport consists of various clinching techniques that use stand-up striking positions. This sport is also called the art of eight limbs as it consists of the combined use of fists, shins, knees, and elbows. Most Muay Thai boxing consists of a rotation of hips with each block, punch, elbow, or kick.

  1. Krav Maga

Krav Maga is a type of Israeli combat form that consists of techniques such as karate, judo, aikido, wrestling, and boxing. This sport is known for its extreme efficiency and real-world situation-based pieces of training. This sport also emphasizes aggressive and offensive maneuvers along with simultaneous defensive actions as it was used by Israeli defense units and regular infantry units.

  1. Taekwondo

Taekwondo is one of the most scientific and systematic Koran martial arts which is the traditional martial art of Korea. It is a sport that enhances discipline and ways of enhancing spirits through both training of mind and body rather than just focusing on physical skills. It is now also a recognized Olympic sport. Taekwondo is quite different than other martial arts as they tend to consist of active dynamic movements that include a lot of foot skills.

  1. Kyokushin Karate

Kyokushin karate is one of the first full contact bare knuckles-based karate that was originated by Masutatsu Oyama in the era of 1960s in Japan. This sport mostly focuses on close-range fighting skills based on kicks blown on the head, body, and legs apart from also blowing punches towards the upper body area and below the neck area. There is no protective gear being worn during Kyokushin karate form which is more realistic and effective in nature.

  1. Sanda

Sanda is commonly called Chinese boxing or can also be called the Chinese kickboxing workout type where there is full contact between two opponents. Sanda is a type of technique that was first developed by the Chinese military and is based on the basics of kung fu along with combat fighting techniques. It consists of close-range successive and rapid kicking, punching, and sweeps.

  1. Kickboxing Cross-Training

Kickboxing cross-training involves various types of techniques involved in a single workout routine. Such a routine ensures that you gain better strength and also decreases various health problems. Some of the common kickboxing cross-training exercises consist of flexibility exercises, cardiovascular exercises along with strength training.

  1. Cardio Kickboxing

Cardio kickboxing is a type of noncontact workout. It is also considered to be a high-energy workout. This class of fitness program consists of martial arts combined with fast-paced cardio workouts. With the help of cardio kickboxing workouts, it is possible to build your flexibility, and coordination and increase your stamina while also burning a great number of calories which may range from 500 to 800 per hour.

  1. Power Kickboxing

Power kickboxing is a type of combination training that utilizes both hands and feet during the fight. This is utilized based on a progressional and structured format. This sort of kickboxing will engage your body better than traditional kickboxing and is not a type of kickboxing workout for beginners.

  1. Fitness Kickboxing

Fitness kickboxing mainly looks out at the combination of martial arts along with various kickboxing techniques. This ensures that your fitness is your top priority. This is also commonly found at various gyms. It is also one of those kickboxing workouts at home that you can definitely try without having to join any gym classes.

  1. Fight Fit Kickboxing

This is the most commonly seen type of kickboxing especially when it comes to street fighters. This fight-fit kickboxing type consists of traditional kickboxing being utilized along with a main focus on taking the opponent down.

  1. Kickbox Fitness

Kickbox fitness is a type of traditional kickbox format which will involve both martial arts such as Muay Thai along with traditional kickboxing workouts to focus on the fitness of the athlete. This sort of kickboxing is also one of the most commonly seen kickboxing when it comes to fitness training and increasing strength and endurance.

  1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Kickboxing

When you combine HIIT with kickboxing you get a workout that focuses on challenging your strength, endurance, and coordination. This is also one of the exercises that might challenge your muscles to ensure better than any other exercises. It is also a routine that mainly focuses on abs, lower back, and obliques such that you tend to reach your muscle potential.

Conclusion

With so many types of kickboxing workouts, it is now possible to choose the one that you think will be beneficial for your body. You can now also include kickboxing in your normal cardio workout routines to enhance the overall effect on your body. You will also gain the additional benefit of strength and overall fitness being ensured with better mental and physical health!

 

Related tags :