Fitness
Punch it out.
If you’re looking for an extra-sweaty exercise routine that you can do at home, I highly recommend pulling up a cardio boxing workout on YouTube and having at it. The fast-paced, punching-based fitness modality is a great way to get your heart rate up, train a few muscles, and add a little extra spice to your routine.
Cardio boxing mixes high-energy footwork with classic boxing moves like jabs, hooks, and uppercuts. Strength-wise, boxing does amazing things for your triceps, biceps, and shoulders as you throw punches. It also works your core as you twist, and it gets your lower body in on the action as you squat and shuffle.
When you add boxing moves to fast-paced HIIT circuits or incorporate other heart-pounding exercises like burpees and jump squats into the mix, you’ll have yourself quite the cardio workout. And besides its heart-strengthening, muscle-sculpting benefits, cardio boxing is guaranteed to get rid of stress. After a tough day, nothing quite beats throwing a few jabs and uppercuts.
If you have your own pair of boxing gloves or a bag, great. If not, you can do all of these workouts by shadow boxing without any equipment. All you need is yourself, some water, and a few spare minutes. Ready to jab? Keep scrolling for nine cardio boxing workouts from YouTube that you can do right at home.
1
15-Minute Beginner Sesh
New to throwing jabs and uppercuts? Learn the basics here with CultFit. This class walks you through the right way to do a boxing stance, boxer’s shuffle, and jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Once you get the basics down, you’ll dive into 40-second intervals to get your heart rate up.
2
20-Minute Beginner Boxing
FightCamp trainer Shanie Smash will spike your heart rate in just 20 minutes of fiery punching combos. She guides you through four rounds for a full-body workout that you can do with or without gloves and a bag.
3
15-Minute Low-Impact Cardio
YouTube fave Pamela Reif has a great 15-minute aerobic boxing video. It’s low-intensity — so no jumping or burpees — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Follow along as Reif guides you through sky punches, quick-feet punches, butt kicks, four-point punches, and more. You keep moving for the entire 15 minutes, so get ready to sweat.
4
4-Round Boxing Workout
In this FightCamp video, coach PJ incorporates all six boxing punches in 20 minutes of an exhilarating, punch-heavy workout that’ll leave you feeling like a bad B.
5
20-Minute HIIT
Kick and punch your way through this HIIT-style cardio boxing workout from @Nobadaddiction that lights up every muscle in your body. It incorporates kickboxing moves and bodyweight exercises like planks and squats — and you don’t need any equipment.
6
30-Minute Intense Cardio
This 30-minute HIIT routine from @fitness_kaykay is designed to work all your muscles while you sweat. You’ll do 45 seconds of foot switches, scissor boxing, mountain climbers, hook ducks, and other high-energy moves, followed by 15-second breaks. By the end you’ll want to chill for a while in savasana — trust.
7
30-Minute High-Intensity
Move through 30-second rounds of cardio-based punches as well as combos that include hooks, jump ropes, burpees, high knees, and jump squats, as well as strength-building push-ups, crunches, and crab toe taps. Phew.
8
30-Minute Super Sweaty Workout
Get a quick warm-up in then brace yourself for 30 minutes of all-out cardio. Each move lasts for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of active rest to keep your heart rate up. The boxing-style moves include quick punches, uppercuts, plank shoulder taps, squats with cross jabs, and more. The goal is to work as hard as you can during the 40-second bursts.
9
25-Minute Cardio Boxing
This apartment-friendly, no-jump HIIT workout will take you through rounds of uppercuts, lunges, kneeling wood choppers, side kicks, and ball slams — just to name a few — for a full-body workout.
Studies referenced:
Cheema, BS. (2015). The feasibility and effectiveness of high-intensity boxing training versus moderate-intensity brisk walking in adults with abdominal obesity: a pilot study. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. doi: 10.1186/2052-1847-7-3.
Ouergui, I. (2014). The effects of five weeks of kickboxing training on physical fitness. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. MID: 25332919; PMCID: PMC4187584.
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