Kickboxing Workouts For Weight Loss

When you think of cardio, you probably aren’t thinking about something that you enjoy doing. Getting in shape can be tough, especially when you are starting out. The more you dislike what you are doing, the less likely you are to stick with it. That’s where these kickboxing workouts for weight loss come in.

Cardio kickboxing workouts are short, fun and constantly changing.  You can mix and match these workouts with almost any type of routine to create a unique and enjoyable cardio session. The best part is, you can achieve in 20 minutes what it would take you 45 minutes to an hour to do on a treadmill. 

The benefits don’t end there either. Some additional benefits include:

• Greatly improved cardiovascular endurance.
• Improved coordination and balance.
• Increase in self confidence.
• Learning the basics of self defense.
• You can do them anywhere with no equipment.
• Increase muscle definition.
• Continue burning calories for up to 24 hours after the workout.

As you can see, this form of exercise offers a wide range of benefits. The last point is important to focus on though. Kickboxing and combat sports in general are considered high intensity interval training (HIIT). This means that you perform very intense levels of work for a short time and then rest and repeat.

HIIT training has been proven to accelerate weight loss by increasing the calories you burn not only during the workout, but after you are done as well.

Before we get into the workouts, I highly recommend that you check out my other article, Cardio Kickboxing: A Beginners Guide. This goes a little more in depth into the benefits as well as demonstrates all the kickboxing moves you will be using in these circuits.

Kickboxing Equipment Needed

These workouts can be done at home or on the road if you are traveling. You can do them with absolutely no equipment at all except a timer. Here is some optional equipment if you so choose:

• Punching bag. You can get a free standing bag or, if you have space, I would recommend a full length Muay Thai bag.  This will allow you to mix up the levels of your strikes.
• A good set of boxing gloves. Buy a set of gloves in the 10 to 16 oz range.  The heavier the glove the more padding it offers.
• Wrist Wraps. If you are going to be punching a bag, get a set of wrist wraps. They are cheap and will protect your wrist from injury. You can also buy these in glove form if you are unfamiliar with how to wrap your wrists. 

As I state before, this equipment is optional. It is perfectly OK to shadow box, which is essentially just hitting an imaginary target in front of you. The one benefit that a bag does offer is that it will tax your muscles a little more as it offers some resistance when you strike it.  It is a good way to combine cardio and resistance training. 

Beginners Kickboxing Cardio Workouts

Before you start these circuits be sure to warm up. Stretch your arms and legs using both static and dynamic movements. After you stretch, warm your body up by performing jumping jacks and high knee run in place exercises. Do two rounds of each movement for 30 seconds each.

These circuits will be kickboxing only moves. The next section will contain some high intensity mixed circuits, containing kickboxing and other moves. Again, if you are unsure of how to do these please check out my Cardio Kickboxing For Beginners Article.

Circuit #1: Beginners Striking Workout

Perform each of these movements in order with no rest between each exercise. Rest one minute at the end of each whole circuit and repeat until you have done five total circuits.

Round 1

• jab-duck-jab 10 reps
• jab-cross-hook 10 reps
• roundhouse kick-lead hand uppercut-cross 10 reps
• push kick-back leg knee-lead hand elbow 10 reps
• rest 1 minute

Round 2

• lead hand hook-back hand hook-lead hand uppercut-cross 10 reps
• jab-cross 10 reps
• jab-roundhouse kick-back leg knee 10 reps
• jab-cross 10 reps
• rest 1 minute

Round 3

• lead leg front kick-roundhouse kick-jab-cross 10 reps
• jab-cross-hook-back hand elbow 10 reps
• back leg knee-lead hand uppercut-back hand hook 10 reps
• jab-cross-duck 20 reps
• rest 1 minute

Round 4

• roundhouse kick-jab-roundhouse kick 10 reps
• back leg front kick-front leg knee-back hand elbow 10 reps
• roundhouse kick-jab-roundhouse kick 10 reps
• jab-cross-duck 30 reps
• rest 1 minute

Round 5

• jab-cross 50 reps
• roundhouse kick-front leg knee 20 reps
• jab-cross 20 reps
• roundhouse kick 10 reps

After completing all 5 rounds rest for 3 minutes and repeat the whole circuit one additional time. If you are just getting started and are exhausted that is fine. Once through is more than enough at the beginning. As you get more comfortable, complete the whole circuit and then add in round 1 for a second time, then the first 2 rounds and so on until you can get through the circuit two full times.

Circuit #2: Timed Kickboxing Workout

For this circuit you will need to have a timer handy. I would recommend downloading a boxing timer app on your phone. Most are free and you can set round and rest lengths as well as the number of rounds.

Round 1

• jab-cross-duck 30 seconds
• rest 20 seconds
• jab-roundhouse kick-jab 30 seconds
• rest 20 seconds
• jab-cross-hook-back leg knee 30 seconds
• rest 1 minute

Round 2

• jab-cross-lead hand hook-cross 20 seconds
• rest 10 seconds
• lead leg front kick-jab-cross-lead hand elbow 20 seconds
• rest 10 seconds
• rear leg knee-lead hand uppercut-back hand hook 20 seconds
• rest 10 seconds
• roundhouse kick-jab-cross-roundhouse kick 20 seconds
• rest 10 seconds
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-back arm elbow 20 seconds
• rest 10 seconds
• jab-cross as fast as you can for 20 seconds
• rest 1 minute

Round 3

• Set timer for 1 minute and free style shadow box using any combination of moves that you want.
• rest 1 minute
• freestyle box 1 minute
• rest 1 minute
• freestyle box 1 minute
• rest 3 minutes and repeat from round 1 all the way through a 2nd time

Circuit #3: Kickboxing And Abs Circuit

This circuit will alternate between kickboxing cardio moves and abdominal exercises. It will alternate between rep based rounds and time based rounds so have your timer handy again. If you are wearing gloves just keep them on for the ab exercises. Do not rest in between the rep based exercises until a rest period is called out.

Round 1

• 50 jab-cross as fast as you can
• 15 sit ups with a jab-cross at the top of the sit up
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-back hand hook 20 reps
• 20 Russian twists touching your hands to the ground on each side
• lead leg front kick-roundhouse kick-back leg knee 20 reps
• 15 sit ups with jab-cross at the top of the sit up
• 50 jab-cross as fast as you can
• rest 1 minute

Round 2

• hold a plank for 30 seconds
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-duck 30 seconds
• plank for 30 seconds
• rear leg knee-front leg knee-lead hand hook-back hand hook 30 seconds
• plank for 30 seconds
• jab-duck-jab-cross-duck-jab 30 seconds
• plank for 30 seconds
• rest 1 minute

Round 3

• jab-duck 50 reps
• 50 crunches
• jab-cross-duck 40 reps
• 40 reverse crunches
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-duck 30 reps
• 30 crunches
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-back leg knee 20 reps
• 20 reverse crunches
• jab-cross-lead hand hook-back leg knee-lead leg front kick 10 reps
• 10 crunches
• 30 seconds jab cross as fast as you can
• Rest 3 minutes repeat circuit 2 to 3 times

Circuit #4: Kickboxing HIIT Circuit

This will be the most difficult of the four circuits. It combines high intensity interval movements with kickboxing. I would start with the other circuits before jumping into this one if you are a beginner but once you feel ready give this a try. You will continue your calorie burn for hours after you are done. These HIIT movements are demonstrated in my At Home HIIT Workouts. This is still no equipment needed and able to be done at home.

Round 1

• Run in place high knees 30 seconds
• 30 seconds jab-cross duck
• jab-cross-burpee-jab-cross 30 seconds
• 30 seconds roundhouse kick-jab-roundhouse kick
• mountain climbers 30 seconds
• 30 seconds lead hook-back hook-back knee-front knee
• run in place high knees as fast as possible 30 seconds
• rest 1 minute

Round 2

• 10 roundhouse kicks-10 burpees-10 jab cross
• 9 roundhouse kicks-9 burpees-9 jab cross
• 8 roundhouse kicks-8 burpees-8 jab cross
• 7 roundhouse kicks-7 burpees-7 jab cross
• 6 roundhouse kicks-6 burpees-6 jab cross
• 5 roundhouse kicks-5 burpees-5 jab cross
• 4 roundhouse kicks-4 burpees-4 jab cross
• 3 roundhouse kicks-3 burpees-3 jab cross
• 2 roundhouse kicks-2 burpees-2 jab cross
• 1 roundhouse kicks-1 burpees-1 jab cross
• rest 1 minute and start over with round 1. Complete the total circuit 2-3 times

Wrap Up

Kickboxing is hard, and a little intimidating. You will never improve yourself though if you let fear hold you back from trying new things. If you are like me and almost everyone else, you have probably tried to get in shape before. Like everyone else, you failed somewhere along the line.

Do not let past failures derail you. One of the biggest reasons we fail is because we keep trying to do the same things over and over. You do not need to spend hours running, going to classes or in the gym.

If you have tried all the traditional methods and they just aren’t working try something new. Kickboxing is an under utilized tool that has helped me and many other people break through there weight loss plateaus.

It is fun and can be almost infinitely changed to keep things fresh and challenging. You can adapt it to any level of fitness so as you improve, your workouts can continue to challenge you.

Give this a try and I promise you will not be disappointed. Be on the look out as I continue to post new and more challenging cardio kickboxing workouts. Thanks for reading and be sure to leave any feedback or experience with this in the comments below!

Thank you!