Since the advent of Tae Bo in the early 1990s, kickboxing has received a lot of media attention as a way to lose weight through burning extra calories. Although those who make money selling kickboxing lessons and videos might want you to think different, the individual motions of kickboxing aren't very complex. You wouldn't want to try them for self-defense without live instruction from a qualified instructor -- but you can easily incorporate them into your workout routines.
Horizontal Elbow Strike
To perform a horizontal elbow strike, bend your arm in half by bringing your hand to your chest, leaving your arm parallel to the ground. Rotate your body inward until the point of your elbow is to the front. This exercise engages the muscles in your rear, abdomen and obliques -- burning calories while toning some of the areas that require the most weight-loss attention.
Thai Knee Strike
A Thai knee strike engages your abdomen and upper legs. To perform, arch your hips forward and up at a 45-degree angle. From there, rocket your knee upward in the same direction, exhaling sharply as you move your leg with explosive force. This is an upgrade on the "high-knee" leg lift exercises of traditional aerobics. Try just half a dozen, and you'll see why.
Wheel Kick
A wheel kick engages most muscles of the body, and is one of the key moves of brand-name Tae Bo. To perform a wheel kick, rotate your support leg until it's at 90 degrees in relation to the direction you're facing. Swing your hips around until the kicking side of your body points to the front. Extend your leg and swing it to a real or imaginary target in front of you, then reverse direction to return to your normal stance. Kicks at different heights will build flexibility, as well as burning the calories you want to lose weight.
Bag Work
This practice isn't a single move, but rather a drill used by kickboxers worldwide. If you have access to a heavy punching bag, you can increase the force payload and calorie burn of your workout simply by performing your moves on the bag. According to health resource website Nutristratgy, a 155-lb. person can burn up to 450 calories in an hour just from bag work.
Road Work
Kickboxers don't develop their lean, tone bodies by kickboxing alone. Most perform hours of jogging or cycling each week to build their cardiovascular endurance and keep their weight at a competitive level. If you really want to work out like a kickboxer, you should incorporate three or four sessions of committed cardiovascular exercise each week.
References
- Bill Packer; Kickboxing Coach (dec); Bad Company Fight Team; Albuquerque, NM
- "Bushido Martial Arts Yellow Belt Manual"; Bushido Martial Arts; Hillsboro, Ore
- Nutristrategy: Calories Burned by Activities
Member Comments