Cardio Kickboxing is a combination of martial arts such as karate, Muay Thai, boxing and aerobics performed rhythmically with music. It is also referred to as aerobic kickboxing. The aerobic routine utilizes cross training and an overall body workout that is used by boxers and kick boxers for conditioning. As an alternative to the classic aerobics, its aim is not to create a warrior’s physique but to develop a well-balanced total body program that combines cardio workouts with basic self-defense techniques and principles.
Most athletes today invest their sweat and blood for the most essential aspects which are truly golden in the sports world and in daily living. These essential elements are strength, speed and accuracy. Whether you play basketball, football, mixed martial arts, or cardio kickboxing, these essential physical and mental elements work hand in hand with building optimum performance during the game or fight. However, without the endurance and the will to last long, your foundations will likely crumble.
The same goes when you are an ordinary career person a family oriented person or both who works eight to twelve hours a day. A cardio workout is essential like when you run to catch the 8 AM bus, climb the stairs to the fifth floor during rush hour, or when pushing supply carts through the hallway. Whether you are an athlete or not, it’s time to pay attention to the importance of cardio health in your daily life. There are several activities that you can do when you perform cardio exercises. You can run up the hills to build up your endurance or enroll in a sport that promotes the buildup of cardiovascular endurance such as cardio kickboxing.
The Art of Kickboxing
First and foremost, kickboxing refers to the group of martial arts that utilize a stand up combat system developed from Muay Thai, Karate and western boxing with the use of punching and kicking techniques. Most people enroll in this martial art in order to attain physical fitness and cardiovascular endurance, as a hobby or for competition. Kickboxing competitions usually last for three minutes per round with five rounds total, which means cardiovascular endurance is necessary with every passing round to survive.
The Techniques
As the name implies, cardio kickboxing utilizes techniques that involve boxing and Muay Thai techniques. These include hand techniques and strikes such as the jab, hook, straight; upper cuts, flying punches, bolo punches and back fists. Kicking techniques are also allowed, like the front kicks, side-kicks, hook kicks, crescent kicks and many others.
Due to the Muay Thai influence on the martial art, there are also techniques that involve the use of the elbows and knees for striking. There’s the rising knee strike, hooking knee strike, straight knee strike and several devastating elbow blows.
Defense is also necessary and is being taught. This includes the classic bob and weave from boxing, blocking and parrying, covering up, clinching and evading attacks.
Strength and Conditioning with Kickboxing
Whether you are an athlete training for kickboxing alone or an athlete with a different sport or martial art discipline, using cardio kickboxing for your conditioning can be beneficial. There are very many essential benefits that you can reap with kickboxing.
- The sport is a great cardiovascular exercise due to the continuous movement of the body without rest for a period of time while maintaining quick and critical thinking for your fighting strategy.
- It tones and strengthens the muscles which are brought about by drills that enhance punching, kicking and other forms of striking abilities.
- It is a great self-defense lesson for everyone.
The conditioning utilized in kickboxing revolves around different drills that promote blood flow to the muscles by performing warm up sets of exercises and strengthening the kicks and punches, to speed up your performance and accuracy. Of course, the basics and proper execution are also tackled.
The Warm Up
Warm up routines for kickboxing include running around the area for 15 to 20 minutes. Running a horse around the track is contraindicated as it may force your body to use up its storage of glucose, causing fatigue against the main purpose of the session. It is advisable for a beginner or anyone to start slow and eventually maintain a pace for the first few minutes to avoid fatigue and stress to the knees.
Another essential warm up cardiovascular exercise for kickboxing is jumping rope. Using the jumping rope with the traditional stroke of jumping with both feet as the rope passes down is fine. Just remember that the key point is to rotate only with your wrists and not with the whole arm. Jump just a few inches from the floor. Perform the jump rope exercise for five to ten minutes.
Kicking and Punching Drills
Kicks
Start by assuming your fighting position with your feet shoulder width apart and with one foot forward. Your position depends on where you are comfortable or whether you are a left handed or a right handed fighter. Keep your hands up near your chin to defend yourself against attacks at all times. Now, kick up, move forward to the heavy bag and make contact with the bottom of your foot. Perform short and fast kicks while maintaining your balance and defense. Perform the drill for a total of ten minute rounds with a single foot, and then switch to the other for another ten minutes. The fast and short kicks make up for the speed and accuracy of your kicks.
Punches
Punches are practiced with the same position as your kicking drills. The punches must have the snap or the ability to return to the starting or defense position quickly. It is essential to know how to use and perform the jab properly, by utilizing the force from the shoulders and using the elbows only as extensions. When doing straight punches, torso rotation is also necessary, as with hooks and uppercuts. Perform this drill at the heavy bag for twenty minutes, focusing on proper execution.
Elbows, Knees and Combinations
Combinations provide the devastating attacks that will score points and cause discomfort to your opponent. Try mixing punches with elbows and ending with kicks, or punches, straights, then kicks. There are several combinations that you can do. You can talk to and ask for assistance from your trainer for combinations.
Circuit Training
The newest innovative exercise that you can do for your cardio kickboxing is circuit training. Circuit training involves the execution of four to five different exercises in succession without resting. You can rest for thirty seconds to ninety seconds after the circuit and then proceed for another round. One example is by performing thirty pushups, fifteen chin ups, squats for two minutes then twelve dumbbell swings in succession. Rest for two minutes then do another round.
Cardio training is essential with every sport such as kickboxing. The above are suggestions that you can do to perform better in your daily life with the help of kickboxing conditioning. Still, performing the right execution with the supervision of the trainer is essential. Strength and conditioning with the use of weights, machines and body weight are also vital for strength and for full body control.
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