This quick Kickboxing Workout takes a fun and intense cardio routine and breaks it up with a little extra core work. When pushing all out during the kickboxing sections you easily ramp up your heart rate, coming close to your anaerobic threshold. Just before you get there we give you a break from the cardio to catch your breath while doing a core exercise. We do this twice through this short workout to target the core muscles just a little bit more on top of the extensive twisting and flexing the core has to do while throwing your punches and kicks.

Though this workout does burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time, roughly 8-14 calories/minute, it is best not to rely on just this workout for your full daily routine, but rather do it twice throughout a day or couple it with another high intensity workout (or two) to get a full workout for the day.

For those of you who are trying to lose weight, try doing this and/or our other short high intensity workouts 3-4 times a day, 5 days per week as multiple small workouts throughout a day burns more calories overall as compared to doing just one long workout.

For this routine we are using just a few basic kickboxing exercises. Here’s a brief description of each.

• Jab: Punch straight forward with leading arm.
• Cross: Punch straight forward with trailing arm.
• Upper Cut: Start low and punch up in a hook motion using either hand.
• Hook: Start high and punch from the side to the center in a hook motion using either hand.
• Shin Block: Pull knee up slightly off to side and bring elbow down to knee so that you form a straight line from ankle to wrist.
• Knee: Reach forward at head level and pull an imaginary object down at the same time as driving the knee of your trailing leg up in between your hands.
• Front Kick: With either leg (generally the trailing leg) kick forward anywhere from shin to stomach height (higher is harder).

This is how each move is put together in this routine along with the core exercises.

Printable Kickboxing Cardio Workout
Note: For each of the exercises, we do two slow motion demonstrations before we move onto the full speed repetitions.

Kickboxing workout: 2 Slow-mo demo reps + 10 full speed cycles on each side of the body.
Core component: 10 Reps

1. Jab + Cross + Upper Cut + Upper Cut (Switch and repeat repetitions on the opposite side)

2. Shin Block (Front) + Shin Block (R) + Jab + Hook (repeat on both sides of the body)

Abdominal Exercise: 10 Side Hip Raises (repeat on both sides of the body)

3. Jab + Cross + Knee + Knee + Jab + Cross (switch and repeat)

4. Front Kick (R) + Jab + Cross + Upper Cut + Upper Cut + Knee (switch and repeat)

Abdominal Exercise: 10 Single Arm Jack Knife Crunches (on each arm)

This routine is great way to boost your metabolism, calorie burn, and energy levels when you are short on time, space, and equipment.

Aside from being a routine that you can easily double up on and do 2-3 times more in a single day, this workout also pairs well with strength training workouts.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water and do at least a brief stretch for your midsection when you finish this workout. If you do not frequently do kickboxing workouts, you should expect to feel sore the following day in your core – especially around your ribcage, as well as your shoulders, and arms.