Free Cardio Kickboxing Routines

Equipment

• Cardio kickboxing requires little more than a pair of cross-training shoes and your own body weight to achieve results. If you plan to use a punching bag, you’ll also need a pair of kickboxing gloves and a set of wraps, which will provide extra stability for your hands and wrists as well as keep perspiration out of your gloves.

  You can perform the following kickboxing routines with or without a bag. Consider investing in a bag if your workout becomes too easy--that way, you’ll have the added benefit of resistance training. Your body will adapt to the workout, so you’ll need to keep it challenging to continue seeing results.

Warm-Up

• A short two- to five-minute warm-up is enough to loosen your body and avoid the risk of injury in cardio kickboxing:

  Spread your arms wide and cross them back and forth in front of your body, touching your fingertips to the opposite shoulder. Repeat for 16 counts.

  Squat up and down with legs together, keeping your knees behind your toes. Repeat for eight counts.

  Staying in a squatting position, roll your knees around in a circular motion for eight counts. Reverse direction and repeat. Return to a standing position and repeat this motion with your hips for eight counts in each direction.

  Position your legs in a plie stance. Squat up and down for eight counts. As you come up, reach your arms toward the ceiling.

  Perform 20 jumping jacks and run in place for 20 seconds.

  You're ready to begin. If possible, position yourself in front of a mirror so you can check your form and use your own body as a focal point throughout the workout.

Strikes

• When performing strikes, or punches, keep your fist tight and your thumb wrapped around the outside of your fingers.

  Position your body with left foot forward and hands guarding the face. Choose a focal point in front of you for your punches, such as your own head in the mirror or an object on the wall. This is where you will aim with each strike.

  Jab forward with your left hand for eight counts. Next, perform an eight-count cross punch with your right hand--keeping your left foot forward and moving the arm straight across your body. Now combine the jab and cross for another eight counts, alternating left and right hands.

  Add in a hook and an upper cut. The hook comes out and around the side of the body, as though you're aiming for the side of someone's head. Aim for underneath the chin with the upper cut. Perform the following sequence at a faster pace (double time) for one minute:

  Jab with left
  Cross with right
  Hook with left
  Upper cut with right

  Change sides and repeat the entire sequence on the right.

Kicks

• Facing forward, lift your left knee straight up and snap out your leg into a front kick, striking out with the ball of your foot. Snap the leg back immediately, then repeat this kick for 20 counts. Repeat on the right.

  Next, you’ll do roundhouse kicks with the left leg for 20 counts. Lift your left knee at an angle, so your leg is parallel to the floor. Snap your leg out and kick with the top of your foot. With each kick, pivot slightly on your right (planted) foot. Repeat for 20 counts, then repeat the sequence on the right.

  Now pair your front kicks and roundhouses at a faster pace (double time) for one minute, alternating your left and right leg as follows:

  Front snap kick with left, then right
  Roundhouse kick with left, then right

Intervals

• For an added challenge, perform any of the following exercises in between sets of strikes and kicks:

  Jump rope for one minute.
  Hold plank pose for one minute.
  Perform 10 pushups.
  Perform 20 tricep dips--face your back to a bench or chair, put your palms on the edge and lower yourself up and down.
  Add strength training movements with five-pound weights, such as bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and squats with an overhead press.
  Lay on your back and perform bicycle crunches for 30 seconds, bringing your opposite elbow to your knee and alternating back and forth.

Cool Down

• The cool down brings your heart rate down and lets you stretch your muscles while they're warm. This is the time for static stretching, as opposed to the dynamic stretching of the warm-up.

  Starting from a seated position, spread your legs to the sides. Reach for your right foot and hold the position for 10 counts. Repeat this stretch in the center and on the left. Bring the soles of your feet together and press down gently on your inner thigh for a butterfly stretch, avoiding the knee.

  Come to a kneeling position and lace your fingers behind your back. Stretch your arms back and hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Cross your right arm across your body, with your left hand holding the arm above the elbow. Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat on the left arm. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth, bringing your palms together above your head on the inhale and back to your sides on the exhale. Repeat for eight counts.

Variations

• Mix up your cardio kickboxing routine so your body can’t predict what’s coming next. Implement the variations below anytime you feel your body has plateaued and you're no longer seeing results:

  Combine punches and kicks. For instance, perform the jab-cross sequence, then perform the front snap-kick sequence.
  Squat down in a plie stance as you punch, allowing you to work arms and legs at the same time.
  Add in squats between sets of punches or kicks.
  Add five minutes of yoga to the end of your workout.