When I first started kickboxing, I was very intimidated. My first class had a lot of people in it and although everyone seemed nice enough, the unfamiliarity of it all scared me. I was afraid my awkward and unskilled moves would stick out like a sore thumb.
The hardest part for me wasn’t learning the moves or getting into shape; it was putting myself out there and getting started. This is one of the few drawbacks of kickboxing; it’s not one of those sports that comes naturally like walking, running, or cycling. It takes a while to learn the moves and feel confident and natural doing them.
But every sport has it’s pros and cons. And kickboxing is a sport that’s advantages far outweigh it’s disadvantages. Check out how they compare:
The cons of kickboxing:
- A Higher Risk of Injury
- A Steeper Learning Curve
- Kickboxing Can Be Intimidating
- False Sense of Security
The pros of kickboxing:
- Maintain Muscle While Burning Calories
- Belly Fat Loss
- Enhanced Coordination
- Improved Balance
- Increased Strength
- Increased Endurance
- Builds Confidence
- Total Body Workout
- Improved Self Discipline
- Learn Quick Decision Making
- Stress Relief
- Improved Mental Toughness
- Do It Anywhere
- No Equipment Required
- Learn Combat and Defensive Skills
- Highly Motivating and Fun
Now lets take a deeper dive into the positives of kickboxing, then we’ll go over the negatives.
Maintain Muscle While Torching Calories
The more muscular you are, the higher your resting metabolic rate is. This means that if you gain muscle weight, it will make it easier to lose fat and maintain a healthy body-weight.
Also, remember that when muscles consume calories they also demand energy to sustain themselves and perform their necessary functions within the body. So the more muscular you are, the less likely it is for fat tissue to accumulate!
Kickboxing is a super effective weight loss option because it strengthens the major muscle groups in your body, which will increase your metabolism and calorie burn. Check out this article to learn what kickboxing does for your body and how long it will take to see results.
Lose Your Gut
One of the benefits of kickboxing is that it helps you shed fat faster because this HIIT type of workout stimulates your metabolism for up to 48 hours after each session.
This high-intensity workout also increases lean muscle mass which helps in reducing body fat. The added calorie consumption from an increased metabolism results in weight loss over time and belly fat reduction.
Also, because kickboxing engages the core during the majority of the exercises, you’ll tone and strengthen all of your abdominal muscles, helping you achieve that flat toned stomach!
Enhance Coordination
It takes quite a bit of coordination to execute punches, kicks and combinations. When you first start, the movements feel awkward. You’ll throw a jab when you are supposed to throw a cross, or try for a roundhouse kick only to miss the bag.
But continual practice will improve your coordination and all of those kicks and punches will sync up. The coordination you will gain in your workouts will also translate into your daily life and to other sports, making you a better athlete overall.
Improve Balance
Balance and coordination are two peas in a pod. You can’t have one without the other! In order to defend yourself, you’ve got to know how to stand your ground – and that starts with balancing on your feet!
Kickboxing always forces you to be on balance. Whenever you strike an object, the force of your body coming back from that object throws you off balance and you have a split second to regain control so that you don’t fall flat on your face!
Every time you kick, you have to balance on one leg while at the same time focusing on landing that kick correctly. The need to maintain your footing in kickboxing will develop your balance better than many other sports.
Increase Strength
Because we utilize every major muscle group when kickboxing, it also increases strength in nearly every part of your body. Punching engages the triceps, delts, biceps, and core muscles. Kicking activates the hamstrings, quads, glutes and abs. Even your calf muscles get worked by having to stay light on your toes during your workout.
In one PubMed study, the subjects’ strength was measured before and after the study. There was a substantial gain in muscle strength in the kickboxing group after 5 weeks of training. There are some specific things you can do to increase your strength and power more quickly when kickboxing, such as punching a heavier bag and wearing heavier gloves.
Increase Endurance
Kickboxing is often practiced in rounds or intervals. These intervals are typically done with high intensity. In this way, kickboxing is a form or high intensity interval training, or HIIT.
There have been many studies around HIIT. These studies have indicated that HIIT is a superior training for increasing endurance. In this study, performance and aerobic conditioning were compared between a Long Slow Distance Training group and a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) group.
The study concluded that eight weeks of HIIT is more effective than ten weeks of long slow distance training in improving performance and aerobic characteristics.
Build Your Confidence
Kickboxing is a great way to beat low self esteem and build your self-reliance. The increased self discipline, improved coordination, balance, and clarity you will acquire from kickboxing can add up to a big upgrade in your self confidence.
Every day, you’re surrounded by people who tell you what to say or do. With kickboxing it’s your turn to take the reins and get “in charge”. Learning combat and defensive skills can make you feel stronger and more physically capable to hold your own in confrontations. And when you push your body and mind to learn and master a new difficult skill, it will lead to an overall sense of empowerment.
Get a Total Body Workout
Many people think of kickboxing as primarily a leg and arm workout. But kickboxing is actually a total body workout that engages all of the major muscle groups.
Kickboxing’s rapid power driven movements tone and strengthen the entire body, while also imparting a cardiovascular workout that can torch an average of 400 calories per hour, improve balance, and increase flexibility, reflexes and coordination.
In a study by pubmed.gov, fifteen people trained in kickboxing 3 times a week for an hour a day, while fifteen people in a control group abstained from training. PubMed states that “The kickboxing group showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) in upper-body muscle power, aerobic power, anaerobic fitness, flexibility, speed, and agility after training.”
This study solidifies that kickboxing is much more than a cardio workout. This is a workout that can dramatically improve your fitness from head to toe.
Improve Your Self Discipline
If your goal is to become a pro or you just want to be able to hold your own in a sparring match, you’re going to have to put in some time and hard work. Consistency is the key to improving your technique. To stay consistent with your training you are going to have to build some major self discipline.
There have been so many times when I wanted to stay in bed rather than go to a training. But pushing myself to work hard even when I didn’t feel like it has helped me to build the self discipline to make huge strides in my fitness, kickboxing skills, and in my productivity.
This is more than just a workout- this is an exercise in willpower. The more you exercise your willpower “muscle”, the more your self discipline will improve in all other aspects of your life.
Learn Quick Decision Making
When sparring, you have to be fast on your feet. You’ll need to think ahead and block the punches coming at you in rapid fire. You will be dodging punches and kicks, making quick decisions in a moment’s notice. You have to stay on your toes if you want to avoid getting knocked out!
The ring is a great place to learn how to have a better mindset and react quickly in the face of adversity. You’ll get used to handling things you aren’t expecting, so when somebody or something comes at you unexpectedly, you will be able to handle it quickly and calmly.
Relieve Your Stress
Kickboxing is both an aerobic and anaerobic workout. This type of exercise causes feel good chemicals called endorphins to be released in the brain during and after your workout. These endorphins will decrease stress and improve your mood.
In addition to this positive chemical reaction that is produced when kickboxing, you can also experience a stress reducing psychological state often referred to as “flow”. “Flow” happens when your mind is so intently fixated on your workout that you think of nothing else.
The sport of kickboxing lends itself to getting into a flow state because it requires so much focus and concentration on your technique. This mix of increased endorphins and exercising in a flow state is the perfect remedy to eliminate your stress.
Get Mentally Tough
Kickboxing helps you to push your boundaries, not only physically but mentally as well. Learning how to kickbox has taught me that I have the strength to fight against anything.
When you’re being challenged by an opponent in front of a crowd or working harder than you thought is possible, it builds up your mental toughness and helps you prepare for other difficult tasks.
I never thought that I was tough, but after meeting the challenge of kickboxing and realizing my potential, I feel tougher than ever. Pushing myself to work harder than ever before has given me the mental toughness and grit necessary to do anything in my life.
Do It Anywhere
Kickboxing can be done at the gym, at home, or even outside. For that reason, you never have an excuse to miss a workout. Having the ability to do some or even all of your workouts at home helps to stay consistent.
If there’s ever a time when you have to workout when the gym is closed or you’re unable to get to a class, no need to fret because there are YouTube videos that will teach you how to do kickboxing from your garage, living room, or at the park. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are because you can always make it happen!
No Equipment Required
It’s important to stay in shape and be physically active- but not everyone has the time or money for a gym membership. If you’re strapped for cash, don’t feel like you can’t exercise! You can do your own kickboxing workout at home with no equipment.
YouTube tutorials are all you need to get going. You don’t need gloves or a punching bag, you just need space to move. With no expensive equipment, this workout is likely one of the most accessible and inclusive workouts around. All you have to do is show up!
Learn Combat and Defensive Skills
Kickboxing is my favorite form of exercise because it’s a great way to get in shape while also learning some fundamental fighting techniques. I love how involved and focused you can be on perfecting your form. Because of this, it doesn’t really feel like working out at all!
Kickboxing can give you the skills to be able to better protect yourself. These are life skills that you will be able carry with you into many different situations. Knowing how to correctly throw a punch instills a confidence that you can’t get from many other sports.
Highly Motivating and Fun
Kickboxing can be the cure for your lack of motivation to workout. It not only provides a great workout, it also encourages you to improve your overall health and build confidence in yourself physically. The intensity of the workouts pushes you harder than other workouts might and helps you to keep focused on your goals.
The high-energy atmosphere in a kickboxing class with people around that are going just as hard as you are, can give you more motivation to push yourself even further. Feeling like someone is right behind you pushing themselves along with all their might will make it much easier for you to go that extra mile–and then some!
The variety and variance each workout offers will keep your fitness routine fresh and interesting, so you never get bored. The physical benefits kickboxing offers are numerous, which is also very motivating. You’ll find yourself getting stronger, gaining stamina, flexibility, and coordination at a much quicker pace than many other workouts. This will also give you the motivation to keep up the pace to achieve your goals.
There are so many options in terms of what kind of strikes you can use- there are countless combinations and workouts where you can really let loose on the punching bag or your opponent. It’s not just punching and kicking though; there are also different combos that involve body conditioning moves or grappling techniques.
Feeling your blood pump as you fight against someone else who is trying their best to get one over on you is exhilarating, fun, and addicting.
The Cons of Kickboxing
As you can see, the benefits of kickboxing are plentiful. But just like any sport, kickboxing does have a few disadvantages. Take a look at these downsides to decide if kickboxing is for you.
A Higher Risk of Injury
Sparring or competing in kickboxing can be dangerous. Head injuries and concussions are fairly common. In fact competitive contact kickboxing has a rate of 2.5 per injuries per hour of kickboxing. But keep in mind, not all of these injuries are serious.
Cardio kickboxing without a partner, reports far less severe injuries than those who compete, but still it’s not highly uncommon to get hurt. Injuries from cardio kickboxing most commonly come from practicing with improper form or bad equipment.
To avoid casualties. always begin with a coach that will give you good feedback about your form and will take their time to teach you the correct way to perform each skill.
Poor equipment can also be a major source of injury. It’s perfectly safe to practice kicking and punching the air without any gear. But if you are punching a bag or a person, you should ALWAYS wrap your hands and wear good quality 14-16 oz. training gloves.
Without these two essentials, you are putting your own hands, wrists, and joints at risk, as well as risking the safety of your training partner. Hand wraps provide support to your hands and wrists, and the right gloves give you the cushion to punch things as safely as possible.
A Steeper Learning Curve
Kickboxing does take more time than some other sports to learn and master. There are many different punches, kicks, and strikes to grasp, and it’s really important to make sure you are doing them correctly to avoid injuries.
If you’re a beginner you will want to take some classes or get some coaching to get the moves down correctly. If you don’t like having to be coached to learn a sport, this could be a disadvantage for you.
But if you’re just doing cardio kickboxing from your living room, and you’re not punching or kicking anyTHING, coaching isn’t necessary and the learning curve is a little less steep.
Kickboxing Can Be Intimidating
There are many misconceptions about kickboxing which prevent people from learning it. Kickboxing is often thought to be a “tough guy” sport and that those who learn it must have an aggressive personality. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth, but this misconception can be intimidating.
As mentioned earlier, the variety of techniques you have to attain can make kickboxing scary as well. Despite the benefits, kickboxing has a reputation as being difficult to learn. Many people give up before they begin to see results or think that they do not have the right body type for this particular sport.
False Sense of Security
Depending on the type of kickboxing you’re doing, you can sometimes feel a little TOO empowered. Taking a few cardio kickboxing classes does not teach you to fight or truly defend yourself from an attacker. But these classes can make you feel like you could take anyone down.
If you have too much confidence you could end up putting yourself in unsafe situations with the belief that you are a kickboxing rockstar able to defend yourself from anyone or anything.
Of course it’s great to have confidence, but you have to remember that fighting an actual person is completely different and much more difficult than fighting a punching bag or the air. If you want to learn to actually fight and protect yourself, you will need to train in full contact kickboxing with a sparring partner and protective gear.
Conclusion
It’s true there are a few negatives to kickboxing, but it’s very evident that the pros exceed the cons. And those disadvantages can be easily overcome if you train sensibly. Overall, Kickboxing has been proven to be an exceptional workout for the body and mind, and I highly recommend giving it a try!