Not only do a bunch of my neighbors run, they also seem to be addicted to a Kickboxing class at Knuckle Up, a local gym that offers a variety of exercise classes (including spinning "RPM" and Muy Thai). It's a bit of a hike for me, but it's definitely a feasible option for me now that my husband is home and I have sitter - mostly because I need something more challenging for my cross-training days, and well, it sounds like fun to be able to kick and punch the crap out of a punching bag.
Plus, since a few of my neighbors take it, the class turns into a way to get out of my house and socialize.
And well, the instructor was hot.
Ahem.
Before class started, I had my hands wrapped. It seemed like regular students brought their own wraps and gloves, which makes sense since I'm still disinfecting my hands after having to wear the class ones.
Once the "bell" rang, we were instructed to head to the open mat to jump rope.
If you haven't jumped rope since you were like 8, then you're in for a rude awakening. I've actually taken boxing classes before, so it hasn't been that long, but it's one thing that can make you look like a complete dufus, especially if you have to use a crappy jump rope. But even with jumping through the rope only about half the time, I still got a great cardio workout.
He then instructed (well, that's putting it nicely - YELLED is more like it) us to do 20 pushups and 20 squats. We then alternated running around the room with side stepping.
And then the actual boxing started. We endured various punch and kick combinations for a solid 20 minutes, and then completely a variety of partner combos. One person would hold the bag, the other would punch or kick.
Let's just say the first time I did it, my friend kicked so hard that it knocked me right on my butt.
We then did a series of group combinations that involved punching the hand bags with the instructor and then running, punching, and squatting. And then finally we did a 5 pushup, sit-up and squat series for three minutes, followed by an intense ab workout.
Overall, it was definitely a great workout. I didn't ever feel like I was going to die, but I certainly felt my heart rate up, my breathing was hard, and I loved feeling like my whole body was getting attention.
It's also great for someone who's not super coordinated and doesn't feel comfortable taking a dance or a step class. You really don't need any specific skills to take a class like this.
And apparently you can burn up to around 1000 calories in an hour.
The day after I felt it in my back and upper body (arms and shoulders), which is a nice change from my usual runs and even the 30 Day Shred, which usually only affects my shoulders and my thighs. And there's something really therapeutic about kicking and punching a bag.
I definitely say give kickboxing a try if you're looking to challenge yourself and maximize your time exercising.
I train Muay Thai and I LOVE it.
Posted by: Carmen | 11/23/2009 at 09:16 PM