If you are looking for a weight loss exercise that build cardio, tones your muscles, burns a ton of calories, works your entire body and teaches you self defense, then look no further than kickboxing.
In this post you will learn:
- why kickboxing is so effective for weight loss
- the best type of kickboxing workout to lose weight
- how fast you can lose weight with kickboxing
- how many sessions per week is ideal for getting in shape
- how to get all the benefits of a kickboxing class from home (simple routine for home training at the end of this post)
Why is kickboxing good for weight loss?
Kickboxing is excellent for weight loss because it is a full body workout that burns a lot of calories while also helping to tone and shape your body and building core strength for a strong firm mid-section.
Let’s look into the specific reasons why kickboxing is such a great way to lose weight and get in shape.
#1 Kickboxing Burns a Ton of Calories
According to the Harvard Medical School, kickboxing can burn 600 calories in an hour of training for a person weighing 125 pounds and over 800 calories per hour of kickboxing for someone weighing 185 pounds.
In comparison to running at a 12 minute mile pace which burns 480 calories in an hour for a 125 pound persons, kickboxing clearly burns more calories.
#2 Kickboxing makes staying consistent easy!
Consistency is probably the most important factor when it comes to weight loss.
Sticking with exercise over the required weeks and months is absolutely necessary in order to reach your weight loss goals.
And because kickboxing is so fun and challenging, it is far easier to stay consistent with long enough to see real results.
#3 Kickboxing is a full body workout
Kickboxing involves your whole body which has an immense effect of your metabolism as well as your core.
kickboxing also involves unilateral movements, which require working one side of the body at a time while maintaining balance which makes it challenging but fun.
This in turn helps with burning more calories and losing weight over time.
Punching, kicking, knees and elbows all require good balance and coordination and involve a wide range of the muscles in the body to execute.
The Best Type of Kickboxing for Weight Loss
There are two main types of kickboxing training that are open for anybody to learn and train.
Whether you wish to compete or just want to learn self defense techniques and get in shape, the two main options are; i) ‘cardio kickboxing’ or ii) fight training kickboxing.
And while both are excellent forms of exercise, the fight training that competitive kickboxers take part in is probably the best type for weight loss.
This is because ‘cardio’ kickboxing is mainly limited to aerobic type sessions while fight training involves calisthenics, heavy bag work, pads and road work i.e running.
And the best thing is you can train like a fighter without needing to fight at all.
You can get in fight shape more effectively through fight training than ‘cardio kickboxing’.
How fast can you lose weight with kickboxing?
The amount of weight you can lose by kickboxing will depend on several factors, including your starting weight, body composition, diet, and exercise routine.
In general, if you combine regular kickboxing workouts with a healthy diet, you can expect to lose weight and see improvements in your body composition over time.
A safe and sustainable rate of weight loss is generally considered to be 1-2 pounds per week.
This means that if you follow a calorie-controlled diet and engage in regular kickboxing workouts, you could expect to lose between 4-8 pounds in a month, and up to 24 pounds in three months.
It’s important to note that weight loss is not the only indicator of progress.
Kickboxing can also help you build muscle and improve your cardiovascular fitness, which can lead to improvements in your overall health and well-being.
Additionally, focusing on non-scale victories like improvements in your strength, endurance, and energy levels can help you stay motivated and on track with your fitness goals.
How many session per week to get in shape?
Pro fighters such as those in Thailand train twice per day 6 days per week.
And each sessions lasts 2 hours.
But this is not at all necessary is you are just looking to get in incredible shape.
3-5 sessions per week would be the best in order to get the most benefit from kickboxing.
anything less than 3 sessions is probably not enough to see the type of weight loss results you are looking for.
That being said if you are combining kickboxing with other forms of exercise such as weight training or swimming then less than 3 sessions per week is fine.
But if you are training exclusively in kickboxing than 3 sessions per week minimum would be ideal.
How to get all the benefits of a kickboxing class from home
The great thing about kickboxing is that you can train like a fighter from home.
With a jump rope, a pair of gloves and a heavy bag you can get into fight shape from home.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have any equipment as by performing shadow boxing routines in timed rounds you can still get an excellent workout and get in great shape from home.
But with a few pieces of equipment you can take your training to a higher level and see better and faster results.
So how can you train kickboxing and get in great shape from home?
By following a very simple routine outlined below and staying consistent with it you will get in great shape.
- Warm up with mobility drills and light stretching
- Skipping – one to three rounds of 2-3 mins per round
- Shadowboxing – two to three rounds
- Heavy bag – 3-5 rounds
- Calisthenics/bodyweight exercises – pushups, squats, sit ups, pull-ups
Is kickboxing good for weight loss – Wrap up
Kickboxing is a great way to lose weight.
It burns a ton of calories and is a fun and challenging form of exercise which makes it easier to stick with in the long run to see the results you want.
3-5 sessions per week is ideal is you are training exclusively kickboxing and are trying to get in shape and tone your physique.
The best thing is you can get all the benefits of kickboxing and get in awesome shape from home with jsut a few pieces of equipment such as a heavy bag, jump rope and gloves.
This post has also provided a very simple routine anyone can perform at home to get in the best shape of their lives.
