Want to get in shape and kick some butt? If you find yourself getting bored of your same-old 30-minute treadmill or bike grind, now is your chance to break free! Boxing is one of the hottest fitness trends to sweep the nation.
Boxing helps condition the body and provides a complete workout for one’s cardiovascular and endurance fitness. So add punches and kicks to your regular exercise routine for a better total-body workout.
The new Mia St. John's Million Dollar Workout, which includes a variety of boxing workouts, will cause you to sweat and burn calories. Mia is the IFBA Lightweight Champion of the World and has two black belts in Tae Kwon Do. Mia describes why these workouts are effective, “They are done in rounds, just like boxing, with a speed round at the end. In every fight, the last few seconds of the round should always be the most intense. The higher intensity the more calories you will burn. In boxing, we do it to leave a lasting impression on the judges.”
Also, by adding some kicks and punches to your workout, you can increase total body fitness. When you are walking on the treadmill, try to use punching moves to work your upper body. By adding these moves, you will increase the amount of calories you burn as well as tone muscle.
Raphael Calzadilla, a chief fitness pro, says, “The moves add to the workout because they help the body to burn additional calories and improve coordination. In addition, the moves help make the workout a little more interesting and diverse, which can help increase motivation.
"My only recommendation is to be cautious of extreme locking out of the joints (punching and kicking), because it can accelerate wear and tear on the joints over time.
Cardio kick boxing can help to create a slimmer body. It won’t ‘bulk up’ women, because it does not require overloading muscles the way standard weight training does. In most cases however, bulk is simply having excessive body fat as opposed to overly developed muscles. And slimming the body, no matter what the exercise, requires being in a caloric deficit, so nutrition is vital.”
“The workouts will benefit women since they will not only help women to lose weight, but will also tone their muscles," Mia says. "The workouts in the DVD are high impact, low intensity and are great for women, even those with bad knees.”
Some exercises Mia St. John recommends from her video are:
Lunge and Punch:
This exercise primarily works the thighs and glutes as you lunge, and secondarily the arms and delts as you punch. Begin with your feet together and your hands tucked in under your chin.
