Kickboxing has become a growing trend for fitness enthusiasts. It is a type of martial arts that involves punching, kicking, footwork, and a bunch of moves.
There are different types of kickboxing all with different rules and set of moves. It is an effective sport for maintaining fitness while adding enjoyment to it.
Kickboxing is mostly practiced under the guidance of experts but, you can easily learn kickboxing on your own, at home.
Is Kickboxing Good for Beginners?
The answer is Yes! Kickboxing is a great choice for anyone who wants to get fit or burn calories for weight loss. In addition, beginners can improve their stamina and cardiovascular health from kickboxing.
● Ideal CrossFit Workout
Most people get into CrossFit training for losing weight or building stamina. There is no doubt that CrossFit is an effective workout for burning calories because it consists of HIIT.
Kickboxing combines the benefits of CrossFit and martial arts training. As CrossFit helps you in achieving a ripped physique, kickboxing will not only make help in physical condition but will also strengthen the body and build endurance.
Beginners might find it difficult to stick with CrossFit because of its intense nature and less fun. However, kickboxing is a sport that has a high element of fun in it. So, it’s easier to stick with it.
● Boosts Energy
Many of the beginners complain about low energy and feeling exhausted after some days of training. Kickboxing is something that you can try to combat this issue.
Kickboxing can revive your metabolism and gives a kick start to your vitality. It gives the burst of energy that is a basic requirement for any kind of workout.
You will naturally have a boost in your energy levels through kickboxing. And when all that extra energy pumps in, you can accomplish anything that you dream of.
● Builds Stamina
Having increased stamina is very important not only for training but also for routine activities. Having good stamina allows you to do daily activities with less fatigue and exhaustion.
Kickboxing is a great workout for increasing your stamina and building muscle endurance. Kickboxing combines the advantages of weight training and cardio.
It is because, when you are kickboxing, you are breaking muscles fibers. The same principle occurs in weight training.
So, kickboxing doesn’t only build your stamina but also helps in developing endurance.
Starting Kickboxing at Home
To learn kickboxing on your own, you need to know the basics and the equipment you will be needing. You can’t just watch some videos of professional boxers on the internet and try to copy them.
It’s very important that you play your cards right if you wish to start kickboxing at home.
● Finding Space
You can’t throw punches and kicks in your small bedroom or kitchen unless you don’t wish to get injured. Having a big space for practicing kickboxing is a basic need.
It’s recommended to have open space such as your terrace or garden. If you don’t have it in your home, then you can move the furniture in your lounge to create some room for practicing kickboxing.
● Getting the Equipment
If you wish to spar with a punching bag then of course you will be needing one. Before sparing on a punching bag, it’s crucial to wrap your hands properly and use gloves.
Here is how you can choose the right pair of punching gloves for yourself. If you are learning kickboxing on your own, then you won’t be needing any protective headgear. But if you wish to spar with others then it is compulsory.
While kickboxing, you need to be able to move freely. So, it’s always a good idea to get yourself performing and comfortable boxing gear.
● Making a Plan
The excitement and thrill when you start kickboxing will push you in trying professional moves every day. But if you don’t want to get yourself injured then make sure to keep calm and progress gradually.
First, learn the basic punches and kicks, and try to practice them as much as possible. Try to practice in front of a mirror so that you can develop a perfect boxing stance over time.
Then, write down a weekly plan consisting of what you will be practicing each day and the hours dedicated for training.
You should never rush for copying the professional moves you see online. You can become a great boxer only if you practice the basics to perfection.
Also, write down your rest days on the plan. If you overtrain your body and don’t take the required rest, it will have no benefit.
Rigorous training without rest leads to muscle exhaustion due to which you won’t be able to train. And, after some time you will lose the motivation for kickboxing.
● Sticking to Healthy Diet
Don’t try to follow a low-carb and low-fat diet if you are beginning to learn kickboxing. You should eat according to your body requirements for optimal performance.
No, you don’t have to cut down carbs from your diet to lose weight fast. If you are following a low-carb diet and kickboxing with the motive of losing weight quickly, then you could damage your overall health.
Kickboxing requires energy, and energy comes from eating healthy. Even if you are trying to lose weight, your carbs intake should be optimal.
About 40 minutes before a kickboxing session, you should fuel yourself by intaking around 200-300 calories light meal.
Some of the pre-workout snacks for eating before a kickboxing session are; bananas, a cup of unsweetened Greek yogurt, and dry fruits.
Proteins should be taken after you finish the training, and in the breakfast. Some of the high-protein sources are; eggs, chicken breast, fish, and dairy products.
● Watching Videos
For developing your posture, and perfecting the basic moves watching videos can be very beneficial. It’s important that you stick to a single coach when you learn the basics.
Different coaches have different techniques. Even if the basic fighting techniques are the same, their method of teaching could be different.
Following the famous boxers on social media and keeping up with trends in sport will increase your interest and will become a hobby for you.
Watch tutorials online to develop perfection in the basics of boxing. It will help you a lot to learn kickboxing on your own.
Things to Avoid When Starting Kickboxing
As a beginner, it’s very common to make mistakes. The first couple of days will be very exciting for any beginner and they will be spending hours while training.
But as you start to feel exhausted, your excitement starts to die. There is nothing to stress about because this is normal for all beginners.
Here are the most common beginner kickboxing mistakes that you should be avoiding.
● Rushing Into the Workout
You should never, we repeat never skip the warmup and start kickboxing. Beginners tend to ditch the warmup because they don’t find it exciting.
Warming up before kickboxing can help you stay safe from injuries. Stretching before kickboxing is also very important as it rushes the flow of blood and oxygen in muscles.
Some of the basic warmup exercises you can try are; shoulder stretch, calf stretch, trunk rotation, push-ups, and pull-ups. Try to do 3-4 sets of each exercise with 20-25 reps for each.
● Not Engaging Core
While kickboxing, beginners make the mistake of focusing only on the upper body movements while neglecting the core and legs.
The upper body and lower body movements should be synchronized while kickboxing. You should focus on your footwork, rotation of the torso while hitting punches, and rotating your body while maintaining balance and stability.
Without properly engaging the core, you are putting your body into a position where it is less stable. Moving your upper and lower body together can help you with keeping the body aligned.
● Holding Your Breath
It’s easier to be carried away with emotions and not focus on breathing while kickboxing. Holding your breath while you are training can cause a concussion.
You should try out some breathing exercises to help you develop lung capacity. And, when you are boxing make sure that you don’t breath.
It might sound silly that why would someone hold their breath. Yes, no one would hold their breath intentionally but while boxing the problem occurs automatically if you are not focusing.
● Wrong Foot Position
Again, this is a common problem related to the wrong box stance. The wrong position of your feet while training or not rotating feet continuously can cause severe injuries.
Your feet should be just a little more open than the width of your shoulder. You should be standing on the front side i.e the balls of feet.
The back of your feet should never be flat, try to think that the back of your feet is at an angle of 45 degrees with the ground.
● Trying to Copy Professional Moves
Beginners always want to ditch the basics of boxing. They try to train and fight above their level.
The reality is that trying to go fast will only result in tiredness and injuries. It’s good to be motivated by professional boxers but not try to copy their moves as a beginner.
You can only become a great boxer if you train with consistency and learn not to rush in
Conclusion
If you are skeptical to attend any class for kickboxing, then learning kickboxing on your own is the best option for you.
It will help you in finding if you are passionate about kickboxing and not. And, you will develop the right skills over time.
But, as a beginner, you should never rush into workouts or train more than you could recover.
It’s important to be consistent and follow a plan. If you are able to perfect your basics then you can become a great kickboxer in the future.
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