Posts Tagged ‘Workout’

Kickboxing – A Whole Body Workout That Packs a Punch!

August 19th, 2010

What is Cardio Kickboxing? Cardio Kickboxing as it is commonly called in today’s fitness world is a blend of western boxing, martial arts, and aerobics. Some instructors present their programs similar to an aerobics class as the lead their students through the movements to the beat of high energy music some will incorporate body weight exercises, while others will have their clients striking heavy bags or focus mitts. All are provide a great work out what is important is that you find the style of class that is write for you.

Why Kickboxing? Kickboxing is not only fun as heck and energizing, but it truly provides many physical as well as mental benefits.

What are some of the benefits? Kickboxing has been proven to not only relieve stress but can completely get rid of it.

This kind of workout releases endorphins in the brain which creates a positive mood as well as improves self confidence.

Because this is a total body workout that engages your hand eye coordination you will find that it improves your reflexes and coordination. You can notice these results in as little as a few weeks.

Kickboxing burns a lot of calories. While the amount of calories these sessions burn is greatly determined by the methods used to teach the class as we discussed above. The calorie expenditure can range from 400-800 calories an hour.

Expect to tone your entire body while performing these routines. Punching with power, which I only recommend against a bag or mitts, will develop your shoulders, traps, triceps, forearms, chest and abs. Similarly properly performed kicks develop your legs, gluts, and abs. Knee strikes focus almost entirely on your abs.

The high pace of a cardio kickboxing class will work out your heart and lungs making them strong and fit, event to the point of controlling blood pressure. In a short time you will find that your energy level has dramatically increased, making your day to day activities and duties considerably easier.

Due to the nature of the workouts your flexibility will improve as well as your posture. The muscles required to throw strong punches, kicks and knees all tie in to your core, which in turn strengthens your back improving your posture.

Can I learn to defend myself in a cardio kickboxing class? You will not learn how to defend yourself in a cardio kickboxing class. however if you are already training in a self defense class engaging in a cardio kickboxing class a few times a week will greatly sharpen your self defense skills.

How to find an instructor. When searching out an instructor, its important to find someone that has attained a high level ranking in martial arts, as well as has certification in some form of fitness training. As with anything, you get what you pay for. Your health and fitness is not an area to search for a bargain. You wouldn’t look for the cheapest doctor in town, you shouldn’t search out the cheapest fitness provider either.

Always try out a class before you enroll if possible to make sure it is write for you. Most instructors will give you a free class to make sure that its a good fit for all who are involved.

Enjoy your training and reach your goals.

Gary Huddleston
KC Fighting Fitness
816 885 3149
http://www.kcfightingfitness.com

Where you don’t have to be a fighter to look like one.

Kansas City Fighting Fitness offers boot camp workouts and self defense classes in Lee’s Summit, MO. Classes are led by Coach Gary Huddleston, a certified Fighting Fit (TM) Boot Camp Fitness Instructor with 22 years experience in fitness and martial arts. Gary Huddleston has been training in the martial arts for over two decades and holds instructor certifications in unarmed, knife, and Filipino combatives. He is also a Phase 3 instructor in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, and is a Certified Basic Level Instructor in the Self Defense Black Belt Program.

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Benefits of a Keeping a Workout Schedule

August 15th, 2010

One of the most important factors to losing weight is physical activity, particularly building muscle or mass. For most folks (myself included) this reads as a chore; cut the grass, take garbage out, strength training workout routine. Ugh.

Several years back, however, I dropped roughly 25 pounds and shaved some serious body fat. The process didn’t happen overnight (it took me a little more than 12 weeks, to be exact), but I see now just how important the strength training workout routine really was in terms of dropping the weight and in keeping it off. For me, the longer-term success of my weight loss involved several factors. The one that helped the most with my work out was keeping a training schedule. Or a diary, if you prefer that term.

Don’t misunderstand. My strength training routine never became enjoyable (it still isn’t) nor did I go to bed at night excitedly anticipating the dumbbells and benches I would face the following morning (I work out first thing in the morning and urge others to get into the same routine, but more on this later). By diarizing my strength training workout routine, I was able to trend my progress in black and white. This was especially true with my weight work out routines. I probably started day 1 with a chest work out on the incline bench with a max of 50 lbs dumbbells. Over time, I graduated to 55 lbs, 60 lbs, 65 lbs, and so on. Watching your strength level increase over a period of two to three months becomes intoxicating.

Even though I find this most helpful for my strength training workouts, the principle applies to a cardio workout routine. When I first started, I tracked my calories burned, my difficulty level, and total miles. Of course, my overall cardio workout routine remains the same, but those calorie numbers have increased, my difficulty levels have increased, and the total miles have edge upward too. (This applies even as my weight has dropped). And in both cases, I can go back to my diary entries today, and pinpoint where and when I have “fallen off the wagon” — those cardio workouts show less burned calories and fewer miles, and for the strength training workout routines, I show less repetitions and, in some cases, lighter weights.

Overall, keeping a schedule has helped to keep me involved with the work out, particularly with strength training. At first, it not only helped me to keep tabs on my progress, but after a bit of time, I actually started to look forward to adding to my trendlines. Even with a 6-day work out routine (three days spent on strength training, three on my cardio routine), missing one day impacts that trendline and, especially now, it drives me nuts to miss a day.

Another nice benefit to having a work out schedule is it helps to keep me on track. Working out in the morning has a couple of great benefits. One is getting those long, 45-minute strength training workouts out of the way. The other is that I am barely awake to complain about it. Being barely awake also means that my mental alertness isn’t always 100%, so the last thing I want is to have to “think” about my work out and how I will structure it. The schedule helps with just that. Knowing what I did the last time, or two times prior, or whatever, allows me to step it up a notch or at least maintain the same difficulty levels.

But most of all, the diary pages add up. This shows progress, especially with respect to my strength training workout routine, where the gradual results aren’t easily visible.

–> Looking for a Memory Foam Mattress?

Chris has more than 16 years of experience in the financial services industry, having helped thousands of clients fix their personal finances. He maintains a debt-free blog that aims to help people Repay Debt at How to Repay Debt dot com.

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Boxing Bootcamp Workout

July 30th, 2010


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Boxing bootcamps are one of the many ways to add variety and change to your bootcamps. I like boxing with my clients for several reasons; a few of which are:

You only need a small amount of space.
It’s great for those who are obese and struggle with high intensity lower body exercise.
It gets clients working together and training each other.

To get you started, here is a great boxing bootcamp workout to add to your current bootcamp. This workout is geared towards beginner boxers.

Warm Up

Start off with some mobility work and then a small jog (300m-500m). Pick 3 exercises to warm up the core. A twist, a crunch and a posterior chain exercise.

Conditioning

Start off by warming up with some basic punches and technique work. Watch for feet, hands defending face and pads being stabalised.

Line up the clients in two rows facing each other, boxers on one side and pad holders on the other side. Pad holders start by holding pads high for high jab/cross. Have boxers perform 20 punches and then move to their right. When they reach the end, boxers should run around to the far left person. Once the pairs line up again, pad holders should change pad position to middle jab/cross, then on the next round hooks, then upper cuts and then low jab/cross. Swap gloves and repeat
This one is similar to the above drill except each pad holder is in a different position. Boxers move along the line and perform 20 punches which each pad holder. Have clients go through this 3-4 times. Swap gloves and repeat.
Spread out pad holders in a big circle facing outwards. Boxer must perform 20 punches and then do a lap around the circle back to their partner. Then the boxer does 40 punches, next time 60 and then 80 and 100. Swap gloves and repeat.

Add in pushups and squats in between drills if your group is small or is moving through the drills quickly.

Cool down

Pick 3 core exercises: one ‘lower’ ab exercise (like reverse crunch), one sideline exercise (like side plank), one prone isometric (like plank).

Stretch

So if you’re not qualified to run boxing sessions, book in for a course at your local training today. Your clients will really like the change of pace and variety boxing can bring.

Kyle is an Australian Certified Personal Trainer. He runs a free site helping trainers come up with new bootcamp ideas and workouts for their clients. Check him out for boxing bootcamp workouts and more.

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boxing workout with sara hatfield

July 12th, 2010

07.17.08 ElasticWaist.com Get your boxing gloves on! Sara Hatfield from BKNY Fit Club gives us a lesson on staying in shape with some badass boxing.

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Muay Thai Shin Insep Denier

July 11th, 2010


Muay Thai Shin Insep Denier

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Available at Amazon

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Perform This Heavy Bag Workout Routine to Become a Better Striker

April 12th, 2010

The heavy bag can be a great training tool or a lousy tool to use in your boxing training workouts. The heavy bag doesn’t hit back so many fighters tend to drop their hands and get lazy with it while working it. Obviously the habits we display on the heavy bag will show up in the ring. So in this article I’m going to give you a great drill to use to stay sharp and alert.

The drill.

You will need a training partner for this drill as they will be behind the heavy bag and they will lunge at you with the heavy bag after you rip off a combination. Typically fighters will drop their hands after throwing a combo or they will just stand right in front of the heavy bag with their hands down. These bad habits are harder and harder to correct the more fighters perform them. This heavy bag drill is a great solution to this ever common problem you see in gyms everyday today.

Having your training partner move quickly at you with the heavy bag will train you to stay alert while working on defense at the same time. When your partner quickly moves at you with the bag you move laterally to the side. Just as in a fight after you fire off a combo the fighter will come right at you and you’ll need to move quickly to the side to avoid the counter attack, so you’ll need to do this with this drill as you’ll get hit with the heavy bag if you don’t. This really allows you to tighten up your game and train in a way you never have with the heavy bag.

This is a awesome drill to clean up your defense while working offense. Lateral movement will only improve your fighting from boxing to mma. That’s how many fighters get knocked out, they make themselves easy targets while being too stationary. Use this drill so you don’t become a sitting duck of the return combination’s of another fighter. Master how to get your punches off while at the same time moving out of harms way. This is the key to solid striking!

How to perform it.

To use this heavy bag drill, as I stated earlier you must have a training partner stand behind the heavy bag. Tell your training partner to lunge at you in different spurts through out the round. Have your training partner change it up to keep you sharp and alert. Your partner can lunge at you with the bag after the combo and even in mid combo at times to sharpen your timing and reflexes. Three minute rounds will work great with this drill using one minute rests. Try performing 1-3 rounds.

Add this heavy bag drill to your boxing training routine and watch how it improves your defense instantly. I’m telling you, you won’t be going through the motions and creating bad habits with this heavy bag drill. You’ll be striking sharp and alert. You will also never have any more boring heavy bag workouts again!

For more world class boxing training advice visit Your #1 Site for boxing training programs tips!

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The Tornado Workout

March 13th, 2010

Do you ever wonder how it feels to be knocked down/ stunned or knocked out? I can tell you from first hand experience that you see “butterflies” and your head just “spins”. When they catch you on the chin, there is always the chance that you’ll get hurt. No matter how good your defensive skills are, you have to cover your bases, you can never be sure. You also have to “train to be dizzy”. This workout will will help you withstand dizziness in a fight and not to mention, in everyday life situations. Remember, when the training is tough, all the rest becomes easier. Here’s the Tornado Workout, a set of exercises focusing on circuits, intervals, aerobic/ anaerobic and full body activity.

Note: Work your way up. When you feel badly light- headed, stand up straight and breath deeply.

THE TORNADO WORKOUT

1. 1 round: shadow boxing

2 15 push ups, 15 leap ups, 15 jumping jacks

3. 1 round: shadow boxing

4. 15 jumping jacks, 15 leap ups, 15 push ups

5. 1 round: shadow boxing

6. 1 round: jumping rope

7. 15 knee in push ups, 15 jumping lunges, 15 burpees

8. 1 round: jumping rope

9. 15 burpees, 15 jumping lunges, 15 knee in push ups

10. 1 round: jumping rope

11. 1 round: Power shadow boxing

12. AB work 30 EACH: crunches, side crunches, other side, hip raises, leg raises, flutters, scissors, bicycle, push and pull.

Keep your rest times less. That is how you develop to eliminate the dizziness. This workout will increase your stamina tremendously and will keep you in shape for boxing and other activities! It is quick and intense. And just a reminder, there is no substitute to hard work!

Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!!!

Lawrence Ragos is the founding director of Motivation Sports LLC (http://www.trainlikeaboxer.com). A Michigan based training company providing cutting edge boxing, fitness and self- defense programs. For more information, you may check his blogspot at http://boxingwithlawrence.blogspot.com

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Angela’s Workout Secrets Revealed

February 14th, 2010

Summer usually means going to the beach or simply hanging out somewhere where there’s a pool. I believe that this season needs preparation, lots of it actually.

I would like to introduce you to my friend Angela who is a model and an actress. She is also one of my good and supportive clients and I’m here to tell you about her workout regimen.

Here’s a sample one- week program I designed for Angela:

Monday: 45 MINUTES

30 minutes on the treadmill: constant change up every 2-3 minutes—lunges, running, jogging, walking, side lunges (Talking about interval training at its best)

15 minutes: constant timed intervals focusing on the whole body using resistance bands, body bar and swiss ball (Angela does not like using machines)

Tuesday: BOXING DAY 1 HOUR

Interval Shadow boxing with hand weights

6- 8 rounds of mitt work

5 minutes full body plyometrics

2 rounds interval jump ropes

Intense full abdominal work: 50- 100 repetitions per exercise (10 exercises)

Wednesday: 20 MINUTES

Swimming day: 10 laps freestyle, 10 laps side stroke, 10 laps back stroke, 10 laps breast stroke (she doesn’t know how to do butterflies)

Thursday: BOXING DAY 1 HOUR

5 rounds: heavy bag drills (speed and power every 30 seconds)

5 rounds: mitt work (focusing on speed and power)

3 rounds burpees: 30secs burpees, 30secs shadow boxing then switch)

Intense full abdominal workout: slow and controlled movements (75reps each exercise)

Friday: 45 MINUTES

She does one of my recommended non- boxing routines from my Train Like a Boxer e-book: How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment. (Lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com to request your copy TODAY).

Saturday: REST

Sunday: Angela plays in a recreational softball league (she says she kicks butt); tennis during the winter.

As you can see, no workout is the same in a week. This is one sample workout and the routines after each week change per Angela’s request to KEEP IT FRESH! The result? A leaner and stronger body!

To view Angela’s photos, visit http://www.myspace.com/angiemarie029

Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!

Lawrence Ragos is the founding director of Motivation Sports LLC (http://www.trainlikeaboxer.com). A Michigan based training company providing cutting edge boxing, fitness and self- defense programs. For more information, you may check his Blogspot at http://boxingwithlawrence.blogspot.com

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Boxing Training – Using Music to Boost Your Workout Potential

December 26th, 2009

Boxing is about agility, strength, and endurance. It is about perseverance and strength of character, but most of all it is about will, the will to win and the will to live. It brings out the strongest in the human spirit. Perhaps, that’s why the world fell in love with Rocky Balboa, because he stood for something and he refused to give in. And in that time of his darkest hour, and ultimate adversity he refused to quit, he took a beating and kept coming back.

Americans identify with this, because we are a proud culture of fighters, we are the strong and the proud. Our ancestors came here from other places to build a better life and so they did. We are the offspring of that great group of people, and we will never forget that. Thus, we watch boxing with awe, and we realize how much these fighters go through, as they train every day until they can’t stand up anymore.

They do it day after day, year after year all in the quest to be the best. But each fight is different and each fight could be their last. It’s a high-stakes game with big rewards and big risks. A fighter must be committed and he must get through those grueling workouts. One way that the fighters are able to get through all that conditioning is the use of music during their workouts.

Each day they will run to music, each day they will spar to music, each day they will hit the weights and workout music. It helps them get through the day, it helps them to find out who they are, and the music they choose to play is very much a part of their essence, their spirit, their drive, and their ambition to win because that’s what boxing is about. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow – Lance Winslow’s Bio. Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company; http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html/.

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Boxing Training – What Is The Best Workout For You?

December 10th, 2009


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Early conditioning for boxers ideally consists of road work at least three times weekly for one month prior to the first squad drills.There are many theories on how to do road work for the young boxer. Some advocate the long tedious grinds of three to five miles. I have always contended, and followed the theory, that the long grinds possibly are necessary preparation only for the 1 to 15 rounds of professional fighting.

For the high school or college boy, or any other amateur who will box three one-minute or two-minute rounds, running short distances, with wind sprints, will better prepare him for his type of contest. During the month previous to the regular practice sessions he may increase his stamina and physical condition by jogging, preferably outdoors, for approximately one minute and 45 seconds, and then sprinting at top speed for 15 seconds.

He should walk the next minute, thereby catching his wind, and repeat the performance. He should go through this routine about six times the first day of road work; then increase to 10 or 12 times when his condition warrants it. At the end of the first month of such road work, if he is a high school boxer and boxing only one-minute rounds, he should change to jogging 45 seconds, next sprinting at top speed for 15 seconds, then walking a minute, and repeat.

My theory and reasoning are that a boy should do his road work in accordance with the length of the rounds he boxes, and in the manner in which he boxes. In an average round, a boy is sparring around for an opening (this corresponds to the jogging); the opening is found and the gloves are thrown fast and furious for 10 or 15 seconds (this corresponds to the sprints).

Some boys find it more to their liking to measure their distances in blocks rather than by time. They will jog a third of a block, sprint a third of a block, then walk the last third, repeating this each block. I have found both methods successful and can promise that boys following either of them will be fit to go three fast rounds.

Just what constitutes “proper workouts” is one of boxing’s most controversial topics. I refer now to workouts just before the regular season and during the actual season, after the boys have become physically conditioned by plenty of early road work, and have drilled upon and thoroughly mastered the fundamentals.

It has always been my contention that a boy in training should box rounds the exact length of those he will box competitively-workouts of two-minute rounds for college boys, and one minute for high school boys.

My theory is that if a boy trains via longer rounds he develops a different pacing; he slows down the action; and during a regular bout he does not know how to time himself properly. He will not go “all out” as is necessary in one- and two-minute rounds. We have found it best for conditioning purposes if the boy moves fast and is on the go during the entire shorter round.

A typical preparation before a bout would be as follows: Light breakfast, extent of which depends on the weight problem. Weighing in (time designated under the rules is usually at least six hours before the match begins). Immediately after the weigh-in period the boxer eats his full meal. It is important that the meal be eaten approximately six hours before the bouts in order to allow sufficient time for the food to digest properly.

All athletes are normally excited on the day of a contest, hence their food requires longer to digest. A typical pre-bout meal would be as follows: fruit juice, head lettuce salad (French dressing optional), a good-sized tenderloin or T-bone steak, broiled or grilled medium rare or medium, according to individual taste (it should never be well done), buttered toast including honey if desired, and a fresh fruit cup dessert.

Once these preparations have been made, it is up to the boy to do his best. It is the coach’s duty to advise him properly as his second during the one-minute rest period between rounds.

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