Here are the Best Cardio Boxing Workouts to Get You in Serious Shape

Cardio boxing seems like a tough task, but everything that requires effort definitely pays off. However, it is taking the wellness industry by storm and rising up what is normally thought of as gritty. Certainly, boxing is a tough sport and it encourages you to work out to reach the maximum fitness levels. ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) did a study on the sixty hardest sports. There were 10 different categories and 8 panelists were in total. Boxing came out as the hardest sport to execute.

The reason behind boxing stayed on the top of the list because the questions were not only based on athletic skill but also based on the ground realities, including agility, nerve or gut required, and hand-eye coordination.

In this article, you’ll find the answers to your relevant questions regarding cardio boxing. Moreover, we have listed down the best cardio boxing workouts to get you in serious shape, as well.  

Why Cardio Boxing is the Most Effective Way to Workout?

Comparatively, regular cardio workouts are kind of boring and long and not that effective, this is what I found. Or, maybe it’s because I’m under the formulation of cardio boxing workouts. What I got to know later on cardio boxing is a full-body workout. You never need to hit the different muscles of a group by performing the different exercises, though it makes you do all the bodywork.

However, cardio boxing has a lot of benefits, but it is also effective in many abstract ways, as well.

It’s Just as Mental as it is Physical

Perhaps, boxing is a good cardio workout and a full-body workout as a whole. Along with that, cardio boxing has another important feature that isn't just physically beneficial, but also for the mental clarity and the stress relief gained. Stress and anxiety build up and become the reason for blood pressure, irritability, depression, and also impact on productivity and so on and so forth.

Cardio boxing helps the brain release endorphins that can elevate your mood, release stress, and act as a natural form of anti-anxiety medicine. 

According to a survey, it is found that over 34% of people continue boxing because it helps with stress relief and aids with mental clarity from your workout. Whereas, only 13.8% was the number of people who came around for body transformation. Hence proved, feeling better psychologically has a direct contribution to better physical outcomes.

HIIT Something

Although, the best way to burn more calories and to fuel your body the right way is to incorporate high-intensity interval training in your boxing workout routine. HIIT combines aerobic and anaerobic exercises that provide you a lasting calorie burn even hours after your workout.

Cardio boxing deals with both states as well. It puts you in an aerobic state for about one-third of the workout, and the other two-thirds in an anaerobic state allowing you to escalate your speed, burn extra calories and strengthen those muscles.

Get Tone and Lean Out

What if I ask you to do me a favour and think of a boxer in your mind? Have you done it? Alright. Let me guess, you might have pictured any of the big names like Muhammad Ali, Michael B. Jordan, or The Rock.

Believe me, pal, you don’t need to have big arms and tall height like Rock, to become a boxer. These are all stereotypes and it’s time to get rid of them. There are many examples in boxing, with short height and lean body. Certainly, they have a big name in the boxing industry.

Boxing is totally dependent on your body mechanism, as every hard-hitting punch attains the power from your lower body and core, not just your arms. Cardio boxing is the best way to train your overall body and build a strong foundation by training your lower body and core.

Furthermore, cardio boxing uses a combination of shadow boxing and punching bag cardio workout with continuous movements such as high knees, push-ups, burpees, etc. These exercises help to increase your strength and teach you to control your heart rate.

Whereas, pushing your muscles to grow in anaerobic state conditions them to build endurance while releasing lactic acid which helps tone the shape of the muscle instead of bulking up.

What are the Benefits of Cardio Boxing Workouts?

Although there are many reasons cardio boxing workout should be a part of your fitness routine and to get you in a serious shape, we have narrowed it down to our top five. 

Eliminate Stress

Exercise helps to release tension and stress as your body increases its endorphins which will inadvertently help boost your mood and also improve your mental health. But sometimes we need more than a walk or regular boxing workout to really feel that stress release.

By adding cardio boxing to your workout routine, you are not only putting yourself through a HIIT workout, but you are engaging your mind too. Many people treat boxing as a moving meditation. However, meditation in any form can help reduce stress, improve your sleep and increase your energy and focus.

Total-Body Workout

As we have already mentioned above, cardio boxing is a complete body workout. It intact every inch of your body while performing an exercise, whereas some workout plans focus on each specific area of the body.

The best way to get it to know is to analyze how cardio boxing is a complete body workout? Let’s start by analyzing the muscles involved in throwing a punch. Boxing engages your lower body as it requires you to stand at a 45-degree angle from where you are aiming your punch. Your boxing stance requires your knees to be slightly bent and in a loaded position thereby engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. 

In the punching mechanism, your core is engaged as you rotate your torso while you throw each punch thereby activating your abs, core, and back. Certainly, your arms and shoulders will of course be engaged throughout the entire boxing workout.

However, a normal 30-45 minutes cardio boxing workout is enough to leave your entire body sweaty and exhausted. In addition, your heart rate will be in its cardio zone helping you increase your endurance levels.

Balance and Coordination

Aging is a harsh reality and every single soul has to cross its path with old clumsy days of life. Isn’t it better if we make that time enjoyable by keeping a healthy routine? All we can do is prepare, that’s it.

So, if you still don’t think that exercise is not beneficial, read the lines above. However, keeping cardio boxing as a workout routine is beneficial as it helps to build up your balance and hand-eye coordination. These things will help you keep your fine motor skills intact as you age. 

You can test your balance and response time by changing positions in your boxing stance on a regular basis. You may be able to avoid injuries if you have a quick reaction time since you can adjust faster. It could be something as simple as stepping up onto a curb or as complex as avoiding a punch. When you add in the hand-eye coordination needed for precise footwork and distance with each punch, your attention and attentiveness will improve. We are all aging, as I already stated. Cardio boxing will not only improve your fitness and mood right away, but it will also help you avoid injuries and movement limits in the future.

Change in Body Composition

Everyone has a different fitness goal. Implying one rule for all. Even though workouts are not necessarily a one size fits all model, cardio boxing gives you a total-body workout. Cardio boxing provides both physical and mental strength that is beneficial to change your mind and body composition.

Cardio boxing is usually the combination of strength and endurance training, using intervals of speed like HIIT boxing training and explosion you can get by maxing out your reps. By doing this you can lose weight or tone your body with each workout. 

It is a Fun Exercise

It’s always to get your paws on new things, same implies with exercises. Trying a new discipline of workout is always difficult at the initiative level, but by keeping intact with it you become comfortable with the acts of it.

Most people find boxing hard therefore cardio boxing is something that they will never ever think to try. But, those who implied it and added it to their workout routine are satisfied more than any other exercise. You never know if it’s good or bad for you until you step into the shoe by yourself. Always give new things a try, then decide later if it’s your cup of tea or not.

Although, cardio boxing is a fun exercise. Except for beating around the bush, you bring your paws in an actual workout which gradually shows prominent results. Boxing cardio is beneficial in toning your body and strengthening your cardiovascular endurance. It provides mental peace as well as helps to get you in a serious shape.

Following are some of the exercises including both aerobic and anaerobic, to provide you with a complete cardio boxing workout plan.

Cardio Exercises for Boxing Workouts to Get You in Shape

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is a great way to get your heart pumping for the cardio warmup for boxing. Most people do not prioritize jump rope as they think of it as non-beneficial. Actually, jumping rope is one of the best exercises that lead you to an active workout routine as well as helps you with hand-eye coordination.

How to Do it:

• Grab the handles and swing the rope over your head by rotating it all the way in front of your body.
• Hop over the rope as it skims the floor and land lightly on the balls of your feet.

If you do not have a jumping rope in your possession, don’t worry. Simply mimic the action as if you are rotating an actual rope and keep hoping in a manner following the action of your hands. 

To increase the difficulty level, you can simply switch it up by alternating legs or try double-under.

High Knees

This exercise is beneficial to boost lower-body endurance and strength, it also helps improve coordination, and strengthens the abdominal muscles. Moreover, high knees exercise improves cardiovascular endurance and also burns calories.

How to Do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring one knee at a time up toward the chest. Keep your thigh parallel to the floor by adjusting the height of your lifted knee in line with your hip.
• Continue to alternate lifting feet as quickly as possible. Swing your arms as if you are doing a sprint. Land lightly on the balls of your feet and toes to propel your knees upward.

Heavy Bag Drills

Heavy bag cardio workout helps to build strength and power, better balance and coordination, and also helps reduce stress. One of the most prominent benefits of a cardio boxing workout with a bag is it helps lose weight and gets you in a lean body shape. 

How to Do it:

• Start throwing boxing basic punches for the initiative. Keep hitting the bag with single punches like jab, cross, hooks, and uppercuts. Level up and start throwing the combinations. Keep your speed moderate yet constant.

Heel Tap

Heel taps or heel touches are a core exercise that activates your abdominal muscles along the sides of your body. This exercise can increase your stability in your lower back and flexibility in your hip flexors.

How to Do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your right knee to bring your foot toward your butt.
• Switch legs and continue to alternate as quickly as possible to get your heart rate up. Reach Fingertips back to touch each heel.

Sprawl

Sprawl can be taken as a boxer’s version of a burpee. This exercise or move is quite beneficial in a real fight, it could save you from a takedown by your opponent, but when you are just training, consider it a boxer’s burpee.

How to Do it:

• Start in a boxer stance, with your left foot in front and your right foot behind you. Turn out at a 45-degree angle. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
• When in a standing position, bring your hands in front of your face, fist clenched, protect jaws. Get down to the instant push-up position. Place hands on the floor.
• Jump feet back to a wide-leg plank.

To increase the difficulty level, let hips dip to the floor and back arch. Hop back to the starting position and repeat.

Sprinter Hops

This exercise may seem a bit different but it is an important element of a cardio boxing workout plan. It helps improve strength, cardiovascular health, improves blood pressure, correct body imbalance, and lean mass gains.

How to Do it:

• Begin in a sprinter’s position with your right knee bent. Left leg straight out behind you, and left fingertips on the ground. Get in the position of a low runner’s lunge. Bring left knee forwarding up.
• Meantime, drive through the right foot to explode off the floor and hop. Reserve the motion to get back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite

Jump Squat

Jump squat is an aerobic exercise that offers loads of strength as well as, builds muscle, boosts cardiovascular fitness, burns calories and fats, improves mobility and balance, and also tones your abs, core, butt, and legs.

How to Do it:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Get into a squat position by bending your knees lower and sending your hips back.
• Drive through balls of feet to jump off the floor. Land lightly by rolling from toes to heels, then send hips back and bend knees to get back to a squat position. Repeat.

Lateral Hop

This exercise is a full-body workout that requires balance and coordination to perform properly. However, lateral jumps activate your hamstrings, quads, calves, and glutes. This exercise can increase your coordination and balance.

How to Do it:

• Stand with your knees slightly bent. Pushing off the left foot, extend the right leg out to the right side to hop and land on the right foot. Reverse the moment to repeat on the opposite leg.
• Keep alternating your legs like ice skating but without the skates. Keep swinging your arms like a sprinter.

Tuck Jump

Tuck jumps are a type of plyometric exercise, which can increase power output, muscle contraction, enhance muscle performance, and ultimately result in enhanced athletic performance.

How to Do it:

• Begin with the standing position. Jump and utilize your lower abs to draw knees up until nearly in line with hips parallel to the floor.
• Engage core to keep your spine long and chest lifted. Ensure, not to bend over. It helps to place your hands in front of you to tap your knees. Land lightly on the balls of your feet. Repeat.

Shadow Boxing

Shadowboxing is a great stress relief workout that helps improve your balance and enhance muscle memory by all attention to your stance and your movement.

Shadowboxing is the most beneficial way to do boxing cardio without the distraction of a punching bag or opponent. Although, it is a prime way to polish your techniques, form, footwork, and breathing.

How to Do it:

• Commence in a boxing stance. Throw a couple of jabs and crosses. As you do, dance around with fast footwork.
• Keep hopping back and forth, taking lateral steps. Incorporate squats to stimulate ducking under your opponent’s punch. You really can’t mess this one up since you just make it up as you go along.

Mountain Climbers

A compound exercise that engages multiple muscle groups in your whole body. Proposing this exercise is an effective way of strengthening your legs, arms, back, and shoulders. Moreover, it also helps burn maximum calories by increasing your heart rate.

How to Do it:

• Begin in a high plank position. Place your wrists under your shoulders. Bring one knee in toward the chest.
• Alternate legs by the engaging core to support the spine and keep hips level with shoulders.

Kickboxing Drills

Kickboxing is a style of boxing. Along with using hands for punches, kicks are incorporated as well to make the fighter both upper and lower body strength. However, it helps reduce stress, boost confidence level, improve coordination, burn mega calories, boost energy level, and provide better posture.

Kickboxing is a cross-training workout, though highly beneficial to get you in serious shape.

How to Do it:

• Stand close to the punching bag or handbag. Start with the elbow combinations. Hit the bag with your right elbow and then shoot the other elbow consecutively.
• Now, after hitting with both elbows, hold the bag with both of your hands and throw a hit with your right knee. Land the right foot back and throw a hit with the left foot respectively.
• Start with the slow movement, then speed up later on. You can also incorporate the extra power to hit harder.

Add some other combinations as well, like straight punches and straight kicks or straight punches and sidekicks, etc.

Plyo Push-Ups

Plyo push-ups are beneficial to strengthen many of your body muscle groups, particularly upper body muscles like chest, abdominals, triceps, and shoulders.

How to Do it:

• Begin in the high plank position with the core engaged and place your wrists under your shoulders. Bend elbows and lower your chest to the floor to perform a push-up. At the bottom of the move, push off explosively to pop your upper body off the floor.
• Land back on your hands and repeat. For this stance, be sure to keep elbows tucked in at your sides and bend elbows as you land to lessen the impact.

Fast Feet

Fast movements are great in many ways. However, in a cardio boxing workout, this exercise helps with a stronger stride, burns fat, reduces the risk of injury, enhances anaerobic endurance, stronger bones and connective tissues, and better balance.

How to Do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your hands and keep your fists at your jaws in guard.
• With knees slightly bent, shift weight back and forth between feet. Staying on the balls of your feet for agility and speed.

Move quickly/fast because the quicker you move, the harder it will be! Keep your upper body and core engaged as still as possible.

Photo credit: scmp