Kickboxing Calorie Burner Workout

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Do you really want a workout that delivers on the hype? Well look no further than a real kickboxing calorie burner workout. What do I mean by a “Real Kickboxing Workout”? Well have a good look around the fitness and workout world. You will see loads of stuff people call “Cardio Kickboxing” or “Aerobic Kickboxing”. I have to tell you straight, this is not a real kickboxing workout and I also truly believe it can damage your health if you are not careful.

I have been involved in practicing, teaching and competing in kickboxing for over 26 years. I teach real kickboxing techniques using safety kick shields, focus pads for punching and professional punch and kick bags. This is all to do with safety and with truly burning calories during a real kickboxing workout.

To get a great calorie burning workout you need to be working with a professional in their field. This has to do with being able to teach safe and correct technique that you can perform ad not injure yourself. Using professional hand protection, such as boxing gloves and professional strike targets is vital for safety but also for a great calorie burning workout.

I have watched many a cardio kickboxing or aerobic kickboxing workout and cringed when I see people paying good money to not be shown how to perform correct techniques in a safe way. I see regularly people kicking and punching thin air with speed and power, this is hazardous to the health of your joints.

People should not be punching or kicking into thin air with speed and power, especially if they have never been taught how to deliver the correct hand or foot technique. I am not having a go at aerobic teachers by the way. I would never walk into an aerobics class and try to tell the instructor how to run their class. However I believe the system must be totally flawed if an aerobics teacher can suddenly open up a new class and call it some kind of kickboxing workout, even if they have been on a 2 hour induction course!

To get a real kickboxing calorie burning workout, get yourself along to a professional kickboxing school. Now remember I said “Professional Kickboxing School:” not some hidden down a back alley, kick your butt psycho Rambo wannabe kickboxing class. When you walk into my kickboxing school you will be greeted in a polite and friendly manner. Someone will introduce themselves to you and ask you how they can help you.

Once you have been assessed to be fit and able to take part in a physical training programme, and you have consulted your doctor to ensure you are also okay to do so, we will allow you to take part in an introduction session. In this short session you will be taught some easy stretching routines to warm yourself up for a kickboxing session. You will also be taught some basic techniques that you will be using in future kickboxing sessions. An introductory session will not be a full forty five minute session, but just a short insight into what you are going to become involved in.

You will then progress into your beginner group where you will have an instructor monitoring you to ensure you are performing all the techniques in a safe manner so as not to injure yourself.

You will now be striking the professional kick and punch targets that our school provides for your convenience. You will start to feel just how much effort it takes to deliver the correct technique onto a professional kicking or punching  strike shield, say compared to kicking out into thin air. You will also feel that your joints are not being extended too far, which is what happens when you punch and kick thin air with speed and power.

Once you start to improve your techniques and are performing them all safely, you will be moved into a slightly more experienced group where you can push yourself a bit harder to burn even more calories and get your cardio strength even better. The point here is that when you are striking targets correctly and safely, you burn far more calories and work far harder than you do when you dance around an aerobic studio throwing out your legs and arms to hyperextend your knee, elbow, wrist and ankle joints.

Now remember that we are talking about a kickboxing workout here, there is no physical contact taking place with another person. No one is hitting you and you are not hitting anyone else. The strikes are done onto professionally designed punch and kick strike targets as well as professionally designed punch and kick bags. The great thing with a real kickboxing workout is that when you get better at the techniques, with your instructors professional guidance, you will be able to punch and kick the targets even harder and therefore burn even more calories.

The really exciting thing is that every workout will be different. When we run the kickboxing workouts at our school we always ensure that one session is never the same as the next. Now I know obviously that when it comes to getting better at a certain technique then repetition is the mother of success. However if you have a good quality, qualified and motivated instructor, they can disguise this technique repetition with fun and exciting drills.
If you want to lose weight, get fit or fitter, tone up or just get into a healthier lifestyle for a new years resolution call 07971460089 to book a FREE trial session in the safety, privacy and comfort of your own home. Or visit our website www.costakickboxing.com

A Kickboxing History

A Kickboxing History

I have been practicing, teaching and competing in kickboxing for over 26 years. I believe that the physical efforts of practicing kickboxing are probably one of the best forms of physical fitness training that someone can do.

Now I am talking about western kickboxing here with the use of modern kick and punch bags and strike shields for kicking and punching techniques. The thing I am getting at here is that I am not talking about an aerobic dance session that has some kind of kicking and punching routine built into it. I am only talking about real kickboxing training here.

So what is kickboxing and where does it come from. We can look back over many years to see the development of what you could call modern western kickboxing as it is today. There are many different ancient styles of kickboxing and martial arts from all over the world. These styles vary greatly with some even having throwing, take down and wrestling techniques within the style. A lot of styles you may never even have heard of before. I will go over a select few ancient styles from different parts of the world.

Bando Kickboxing is a style that derives from Burma. The ancient style was called Lethwei and included strikes with hand, feet, elbows and even headbutts. There are now Bando Kickboxing associations all over the world and they hold major competitions.

 Muay Boran is a kickboxing art that comes from Thailand and is quite similar to Lethwei as in it permits the use of strikes with hand, feet, elbows and headbutts. Muay Boran is believed to be the predecessor of the modern day Muay Thai Boxing.

Muay Thai Boxing is the modern art of Thailand and is in fact their national sport. It still allows the use of full contact knee and elbow strikes but head butting is no longer allowed.

Indian Muki Boxing is also known as Southern Kalaripayattu. This Indian system is probably the oldest fighting system known to man. There were other similar styles for Norther and Central Kalaripayattu. But the southern style was practiced by the Nairs who were a Indian martial cast people of Kerala in India. This style included strikes with feet, hands, knees, elbows and forehead. The system was also devised into dance routines.

Savate Is a style of kickboxing normally associated with France. However there are links with the same style developing in North West Italy and North East Spain all around the same time. This style (in modern days) only allows strikes with the hands and the feet. In modern Savate practitioners still wear their shoes, in fact the word Savate is taken from the French word for “Old Shoe” or “Old Boot”.

Full Contact Karate is more likened to a set of rules than a fighting style, but basically hand and foot strikes are allowed and a win by knockout is allowed.

Sanshou or Sanda is a Chinese style (Kung Fu/Wushu) of kickboxing which allows striking with hands, feet, elbows and knees. Throws and takedowns are also allowed but not wrestling or ground fighting.

Shoot Boxing is a fighting sport from Japan founded in 1985 by Caesar Takeshi. The sport has weight categories and an established set of rules. This is extremely popular in Japan. Rules allow strikes with feet, hands, elbows and knees. Combatants are also allowed to use throws and takedowns. They are also allowed submission techniques while standing but not on the ground as in wrestling.

Freestyle Kickboxing (sometimes known as Oriental rules Kickboxing) is a modern style of kickboxing that allows strikes with the hands and feet. You are not allowed to use elbows or knees but you are allowed to strike with kicks below the waist. The combatants strike to their opponents thighs and calves with their shin bone. This is purely a standing fighting style.

Full Contact Kickboxing is another modern style of kickboxing. This style also allows strikes with the hands and feet but not with the elbows or the knees. Combatants are also only allowed to kick above the waist, similar to western boxing where punches are only allowed above the waist. Competitions in this style of kickboxing usually have a minimum kick rule per round. This is most commonly between six to eight kicks per round with points deducted for not reaching that target.

K1 Kickboxing is not actually a style of kickboxing or martial art, but many people think it is, so that is why I have mentioned it here. K1 is actually a Promotion Company. It was founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii in 1980 in Japan. The rules have changed many times over the years to suit a changing audience and now K1 is famous around the globe. Right now strikes are allowed with hands, feet and knees. No elbow strikes are allowed. Originally K1 stayed in Japan and you could only compete by invitation. Today (July 2011) K1 faces an uncertain future as a promotion company due to financial difficulties.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the most modern version of kickboxing as a sport. This combines western boxing and  Muay Thai boxing stand up fighting techniques with the ground fighting techniques of Brazilian Ju Jitsu. MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world right now.

When most people talk about kickboxing though, they are talking about either Muay Thai Boxing, Freestyle Kickboxing or Full Contact Kickboxing. When I train my students I use a combination of all three styles. This gives my students a fantastic workout. I will talk about the workout side of kickboxing in further articles.

ps. You will probably find more fighting styles from around the world if you look hard enough, however it was not my intention here to list EVERY single style known to man that has a link to kickboxing. It is only an overview to give you an idea as to where the modern term and style of kickboxing came from. (so sorry if you practice a style I left off the list).  

If you want to lose weight, get fit or fitter burn fat, tone up or just get into a fitness routine for your new year resolution then we can help you. We offer ONE 2 ONE training in the Northumberland and Newcastle Upon Tyne areas. We offer a FREE session which we will carry out in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Call 07971460089 and book a FREE trial session today. We will carry out a full assessment and work with you towards your own personal goals. Visit www.costakickboxing.com for more info

Kickboxing Fitness Routines

I want to share with you some Kickboxing Fitness Routines that you can easily do at home either with a partner or by yourself. Now we are going to put some video up on the blog of these drills and we will post them here and on youtube. However in the meantime let me give you some ideas for training drills. The first drill I am going to explain to you is a punching drill. If you are working out with a partner you will need the following equipment ; Boxing gloves (recommended) or bag gloves and Focus Pads. You can get excellent quality boxing gloves and focus pads by clicking the banner above.

If you are working with a partner one of you will wear the focus pads and the other will wear the boxing gloves. (I like to wear heavy boxing gloves say 14oz or even 16oz, this gives you a harder workout) Start off with your left legs forward (both of you) the one holding the focus pads will hold the pads target side down on their stomach. the preson with the golves on have your hands up to your chin and elbows tucked in to protect your ribs.

The person with the focus pads is in charge of the drill all the time. So they start to move around with the pads still on their stomach, when they want their partner to work they lift the pads to their partners head height, with the target area facing their partner. Remember to hold the pads away from your face and hold them strong because your partner will be striking them. The person working out will deliver four straight punches to the focus pads, trying to hit the centre spots in the centre of the focus pads. The left hand strikes first and your left hand punches to the focus pad on your partners left hand and vice versa with your right hand. After delivering the four straight punches, the person holding the focus pads starts to move around in circles followed by their partner.

When you first start the drill try not to punch full strength until you get your range correct and get your eye in as they say. ie hitting the target correctly each time you strike. The more comfortable you get the more accurate you will become. Then when you are accurate enough you can strike the pads with full power hits, this will obviously give you a better workout and burn more calories.

If you are doing this exercise drill on your own then you will need the following equipment ; Boxing gloves as above and either a punch/kick bag or a Firepower XXX Freestanding punch/kick bag. The Firepower XXX is a fantastic piece of kit if you want to work out without a partner, but you have nowhere to actually hang a punch/kick bag from. You can use these anywhere, even in your back yard or garden.

The drill is exactly the same as it would be on the focus pads, however instead of someone else telling you when to punch, you just decide for yourself. I know this drill sounds, and is, pretty basic. But I love doing it now even after 26 years of doing it and it is a great calorie burner and cardio workout when done correctly. Give it a go and see what you think. However always make sure you look to safety first, make sure you have the correct equipment to work out safely in your Kickboxing Fitness Routines.

Have a look at the images below, they are all links and provide great information about the equipment that you will need to practice the Kickboxing Fitness Routines mentioned above.