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Kickboxing Will Kick Your Butt, Not Necessarily Someone Else’s
By Christina | August 12, 2009
I have taught group exercise for 25 years. Not that I am one to be shy, but I am an awesome instructor of all types of classes including spinning, AthleKinetix total body conditioning, power yoga, and kickboxing. I love teaching all of them, but I really enjoy kickboxing the way that I teach it.
Kickboxing is one of those classes that there is no consistency in terms of content or quality in gyms across the country. Consequently, when people take my kickboxing class for the first time it is difficult to know what they expect to find.
My kickboxing is unique, creative, and challenging. Kickboxing in a gym setting, in my opinion, has a different set of goals than in a karate school. I always announce right from the beginning that if anyone is actually looking to fight for real, then my kickboxing class will ensure you will lose any fight you partake in. I am not a fighter.
Kickboxing is an excellent way to challenge the entire body using muscle groups that are often overlooked. Shoulders, back, core, and legs are engaged the whole class period. My kickboxing focuses on incorporating muscular and cardiovascular endurance, balance, and flexibility. These provide the foundation for a complete total body workout.
I do things in kickboxing that I can guarantee no one else in fitness does. Today, I pulled out the gliders and we worked our core until we were seeing stars. My new favorite glider exercise is when you are in plank position with one elbow on the mat and the other arm straight in plank position. Slide the glider forward, making sure to keep your hips aligned, with the opposite arm than the one on the elbow. If you do 15 of those, on each side, your abs will be on fire. Kickboxing requires a strong core and upper body.
Sometimes I do the whole hour using small weights and sometimes I do intervals with heavy weights. The important thing about my kickboxing is I never have two workouts the same. I keep the body guessing and your muscles engaged the entire time.
Kickboxing in group exercise doesn’t mean sparring. What I do know for sure is that kickboxing might not prepare you for battle, but it will make you leaner and stronger as a result and your back will never look hotter.
Topics: Kickboxing |
