The Kung Fu Kickboxing Workout

I've been involved in martial arts for over 10 years, and I've always wanted a good exercise DVD that would burn fat, tone muscle, and sharpen my form all at once. The Kung Fu Kickboxing Workout does all that.

I think no matter what martial arts style you have, you can adapt these exercise to fit your needs -- if you want. But you really don't have to. The punching and kicking they use is pretty universal and you shouldn't need to adjust anything -- but the workout is flexible enough if you feel the need.

The workouts are mostly aerobic and don't do much for building muscle or adding bulk. If muscle and bulk is what you're looking for, this DVD won't do the trick. But if you want a good aerobic exercise, that trains your martial art skills at the same time, check it out.

You'll get some good muscle tone from the pushups, kicking and punching, but don't expect much more than tone (try P90X for some real muscle growth).

Below I've made a list of each level and the exercise that Tiffany and Max Chen demonstrate (Tiffany does all of the instruction while she and Max go through each exercise together. Sometimes they each do a variation of the exercise so you can see alternate options).

You can either watch the instruction section of each level, or you can jump right to the exercises. Tiffany and Max do the full exercises from start to finish, and complete the entire exercise set so you can follow along in real-time.

Tiffany gives plenty of great tips and instruction in the voice over during the exercises. I agree 100% with everything she says. The only thing I would add is the importance of stretching and staying up on the balls of your feet.

The DVD only includes some basic warm-ups and stretching. Not nearly enough, in my opinion. Warming your body up and stretching before you do any exercises is vital to getting the most out of your workout, and also prevents injury.

So, I would recommend finding some other warm up and stretching video on youtube (or just make up your own). Dynamic stretching is best to do before a workout, and static stretching is best to do after a workout.

What's the difference? Dynamic stretching is loose, and movement-based. Like swinging your legs up and down. Twisting your torso, rotating your knees, etc. Static stretching is more like holding a leg stretch and inching your way down a little further.

With dynamic stretching, you're loosening and warming your muscles without overworking them. If you do static stretching before a workout, you can overwork your muscles and actually make your self more tired. You want to pump yourself up while loosening your joints with dynamic stretching for best performance.

Max and Tiffany are always telling you to keep on the balls of your feet, but they don't actually tell you why this is important. If you're not used to a kickboxing type of martial art, then staying on the balls of your feet may feel strange at first. It may feel like you're losing you balance, or that your punches and kicks don't have a strong foundation. It's natural to feel this way, but there are three very good reasons to keep up on the balls of your feet.

1. It helps you stay mobile -- for strategic purposes in the martial arts, you need to stay mobile and ready to move at a moment's notice. When you stay flat on your feet during a kick, for instance, you can't maneuver as fast as when you keep up on the balls of your feet. It may sound like a small, nit-picky thing, but in the martial arts, every half-second counts for a lot.
   
   
2. It helps prevent injury -- this is probably the most important, especially if you're doing this kung fu/kickboxing workout just for the exercise and not necessarily for the martial arts angle. Staying on the balls of your feet during each exercise allows your whole body to get involved and stay "unlocked". What I mean is, imagine you kick but your planted foot is flat on the floor. The joints in your ankle, knee, and hip can't move freely. This puts unnecessary stress on your joints because they are "locked" in place while you're trying to do a dynamic move. If you stay up on the balls of your feet, your body and joints are free to make those minute adjustments while you perform a dynamic move. Even during a punch, you need to keep your joints unlocked so they can move and twist without being stressed in weird angles. Keeping up on the balls of your feet allows this kind of freedom. And you don't need to stand way up on your tippy-toes to achieve this. All it means to "stay up on the balls of your feet" is to slightly lift your heel off the ground. It could be a quarter of an inch, or a full inch. That's plenty. You don't even need to see it lifted up, just as long as you can feel your heel off the ground, that's all you need. Even if this feels very strange at first, just keep trying. It will feel natural and stronger the more you do it.
   
   
3. It builds strength -- and last but not least, by keeping up on the balls of your feet, you build your calf muscles and tone your whole leg. Look at the calf muscles of a pro kickboxer sometime. They're nicely toned and sculpted. That's from constantly staying up on the balls of your feet. Your calves are the hardest place to tone and add muscle. Why not help things out at the same time you're burning fat? Seems like a win-win situation to me.
   

**The only exception to this rule is when you're doing a "shoot", "bend over balance left/right", "horse stance", or a "lunge" exercise.

When shooting, it's not practical to stay up on the balls of your feet. Instead, push off with your back foot, shoot forward, then let your front heel hit the ground first. If you try to land with the ball of your foot, this is very unstable and hurts your knee. You can easily shift to the balls of your feet once you land properly.

When doing the "bend over balance left/right" exercise, you need to have your full foot planted as widely and evenly as possible. You need maximum stability here.

When doing a lunge, do the same as you would for a "shoot". Step forward letting your heel touch first.**

Here's a list of the exercises you'll find for each workout routine:

Workout 1: The Basics (beginner level)
This workout is best for beginners or those brand new to martial arts exercises. Tiffany and Max spend a good deal of time explaining each exercise before moving on. You'll feel very confident that you can do each exercise properly.

3 rounds each - 30 seconds for each exercise

• ROUND 1
  
• head up
  
• head movement / side to side dip
  
• ROUND 2
  
• hold push up (plank)
  
• straight punches
  
• ROUND 3
  
• alternating front kicks
  
• horse stance
  
• ROUND 4
  
• knee pull twist
  
• push up position lift opposite arm
  
• ROUND 5
  
• fast feet sprawl
  
• STRETCH OUT
  

If you get tired quickly, take a break for the next set of exercises. It's ok. Watch your heart rate, and try to jump back in when you feel up to it. Your endurance will increase in just a few weeks.

Workout 2: The Kicker (intermediate level)
This is best for intermediate people or for those who've mastered The Basics workout routine.

You'll do 3 rounds of this whole set. Each exercise is done for 30 seconds each

• ROUND 1
  
• head up
  
• jab / cross / hook / round kick
  
• alligator push ups
  
• change level side knee
  
• lay on back touch foot
  
• jab / cross / front knee / rear knee
  
• bend over balance left
  
• bend over balance right
  
• side kick / shoot
  
• dog crawls
  
• STRETCH OUT
  

Make sure to stretch your legs out before this workout. Take it easy with your kicks until you get used to them, then add some power (but you don't ever need to "snap" your kicks. This is bad on the joints).

Take a break if you get tired, or skip the next exercise, then push yourself to jump back in. If your heart rate is racing too high, just lightly jog in place to let it drop, then try out the next exercise set.

Workout 3: The Killer (advanced level)
This is best for advanced people, or for those who have mastered The Kicker
You'll do 10 reps of each exercise. After you get through 1 full round, you start over, but each exercise diminishes by 2 until you're down to 2 only. For instance, ROUND 1 you do 10 of each. Then ROUND 2 you do 8 of each. Then ROUND 3 you do 6 of each, etc.

• hook / upper cut / sprawl
  
• the clapping push up
  
• round knee / straight knee / round kick / side kick
  
• side hip dip
  
• upper cut / hook / shoot / rear knee
  
• jump lunge
  
• front kick / change level / knee / shoot
  
• knees up / touch inside ankles
  
• hook / cross / knee / round kick / sprawl
  
• STRETCH OUT
  

Stretch out your arms, legs, and torso really well for this one. You'll be punching, kicking, twisting, and sprawling much faster with these exercises. Watch your heart rate, and adjust as necessary.

If you get to a level where even The Killer workout isn't hard enough for you, you can start doubling up on your workouts. Or you can double the reps. Or you can add more power to each move. It's all very flexible.

For instance, I got to a point where The Kicker and The Killer weren't quite as challenging anymore. So, I started doing both back to back. I would do The Killer, then do The Kicker right after it. Since The Killer was more intense, I was able to use the peak of my energy (the beginning of my workout) to my advantage. Then, as I was feeling a bit weary, it would be time for me to switch to The Kicker -- which was less intense. Overall, I got a solid, 40-minute workout.

Since this kung fu kickboxing workout is a full body workout, any injury can get in the way. But don't worry. You don't have to avoid this workout just because of a pulled muscle. You can adjust any section of the workout to work around your injury (but ALWAYS check with your doctor first).

For instance, I tore my rotator cuff surfing. That meant I couldn't do any type of exercise that was like a push up or even a strong punch. Since there are some push-up exercises, sprawls, and of course lots of punching, I thought I wouldn't be able to do the workout until I healed (which was months!).

Instead, I just did a different exercise when a push-up or sprawl came up.

During a push-up exercise, I would run in place to keep my heart rate up, or I would do air-jump ropes, or knee jumps. I was able to keep my heart rate up (and thus burn fat) without aggravating my shoulder in any way.

When a sprawl came up, I would just do a squat jump instead. Same thing: I could keep my heart rate up, without aggravating my rotator cuff injury.

And for punches, I would just throw a light punch with only 5% power. I focused on my form and twisting my body for maximum power without relying on my shoulder to deliver it. This actually made my punches much stronger as my shoulder healed because I was focusing on form and body movement to deliver the punch -- not brute strength.

Basically, you want to work on a body area that's opposite to your injury. If your arms are injured, work on your lower body. If you knees hurt, focus on your upper body. The point is to keep moving while keeping your hear rate up. That's really what it's all about. The movements help tone certain muscle groups, but ultimately, you just need to keep moving.

So, don't be discouraged if you have an injury. Just get creative, and you can work around the exercises that hurt.

This same advice goes for any of the exercises that you may not be able to do. Find an alternate version, or just trying something else that focuses on the same muscle group Max and Tiffany are working on.

I highly encourage you to just keep trying an exercise, even if it seems too hard. That's part of working out -- pushing yourself beyond your limits.

Of course, always listen to your body (and check with your doctor first). If you're experiencing pain -- stop. If it's just uncomfortable, slow down, focus on your form, and just do it at a pace that's comfortable for you. You don't need to do any of the exercises as fast or as strongly as Tiffany and Max do. Do what works for you, then build up your strength and endurance a little more each week. Pretty soon, you'll be able to keep pace with Max and Tiffany with no problem.

Even though I love this DVD, there are few things that could make it more complete. Some of the flaws of The Kung Fu Kickboxing Workout are: not enough focus on abs, not enough warm up and stretching, and not enough time for the workouts. Some people say you need only 20 minutes for a good aerobic workout, some say you need 30. I say you need at least 30 min. The Kung Fu Kickboxing Workouts are only 20 minutes each. Still pretty good, but I always felt I needed to supplement each workout with either another workout, or another 10 minutes of some more aerobic exercise (like jogging, or some other martial arts exercises).

As for abs, there are only a few exercises that target this area. Most of the exercises will tone your core in general, but for direct ab work, this DVD doesn't really have it. So, you'll need to supplement your workout with an ab program that suites your needs.

Here's one that I think is great. It's short, intense, and I really feel it every time I do it.

In the beginning, I was only able to do The Basic, and sometimes The Kicker workouts. But over time, I was able to move on to The Killer with no problem.

As of now, I do The Killer, then The Kicker back to back, followed directly by the ab workout below, then stretch out and cool down. This combination has been perfect for me, and I actually look forward to it every day. Since there are lots of different exercises, I never feel bored. Plus, I feel like my whole body has been thoroughly worked. And best of all, I know that I've burned fat because I did my 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise without fail.

You really don't need any equipment or special clothing to do these exercises. You don't even need that much space. I do my workout in my living room with no problem. I just move the coffee table out of the way, and that's usually plenty of space. Tiffany and Max do the workout in a boxing ring (for both of them). So, that should give you an idea of how much room is needed -- not much.

You can wear shoes or no shoes at all. It all depends on what you're comfortable with. Here are some things to keep in mind: shoes will add weight to your legs, which means your kicks will be much more difficult. If you're new to kicking, try going barefoot, or use some very light shoes. But on the other hand, if you want some extra umph, put some shoes on. The extra weight will really take your workout to a new level.

Another thing to keep in mind is the surface you'll be working out on. Some carpet or hardwood floors will respond differently to different types of shoes (or bare feet). I have hardwood floors, and prefer bare feet. Shoes grip the floor too much, and don't allow me to twist enough during kicks and punches. But that's just my preference. Try out some different shoes vs bare feet. See which one offers the best support with the least amount of restriction.

Another piece of gear that I like to use is a heart rate monitor. You can get them really cheap, and you don't need anything fancy (Polar Heart Rate Monitors are really good, and some are really cheap). For the best workout, it's important to know your heart rate at all times during your workout. If you're under your target heart rate, you're not burning enough (or any) fat. If you're over your target heart rate, you're not burning any fat either (due to anaerobic exercising -- a condition where your body stops burning fat because it's not getting proper oxygen -- You can read more about aerobic vs anaerobic here). A heart rate monitor lets you keep track of exactly where your heart rate is at. If you're under, simply increase the intensity of each exercise. If you're over, you know it's time to slow down a little. It's all fully adjustable.

Finally, some loose fitting, breathable clothes will be fine. Sweats, shorts, t-shirt -- all will work fine.

Maintaining the right heart rate during a workout means burning fat. Plain and simple. Don't overlook or brush this off, because without the right target heart rate, you're not getting the most out of your workout. Or worse, you could be wasting your time.

In a nutshell, your "target" heart rate is the number of beats per minute (BPM) that your heart should be doing in order to efficiently burn fat (aerobic). If you're under this target, you're body doesn't know it's supposed to burn fat, so it doesn't. If you're over this target, your body stops burning fat as well (anaerobic).

How do you calculate your target heart rate?

There are lots of scientific ways and fancy formulas you can use to calculate your target heart rate. And to make things a little more complicated, most health and fitness professionals will disagree on the best way to calculate this.

So, what are we supposed to do?

There are several online heart rate calculators that can easily do the math for you. However, most of these are very generic, and don't take into consideration some important factors about you personally (like weight, resting heart rate, exercise level, etc).

Most of these online calculators just have you enter your age, then calculate a very broad, generic target heart rate. I don't think these are very helpful because they don't really address your personal needs.

My solution for myself is two-fold:

1. Check your heart rate during an aerobic workout (you can judge if you're working out aerobically if you can still have a conversation while doing it -- if you can't talk clearly, or at all because you're breathing so heavily, your working out ANaerobically).
   
2. Try a more personalized target heart rate calculator.
   

If you have your heart rate monitor strapped on, take note of where your aerobic heart rate generally hangs around.

Then, compare that to some online personalized target heart rate calculators. If your own heart rate reading is close to their calculations, you can be sure your working out at the correct target heart rate. If their calculations are way off compared to your assessment, then maybe those online calculators aren't as accurate for your personal needs as they should be.

Here are a few target heart rate calculators that you might find useful:

1. Target Zone Calculator
   
2. Interactive Target Heart Rate Calculator
   
3. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can calculate it yourself

And here's a bunch more detailed information on heart rate if you're interested

Tiffany Chen

• Praying Mantis
  
• Double-Knife Form Kung Fu
  
• Tai Chi Chuan (trained under her grandfather - Grandmaster William C.C. Chen)
  
• She has over 40 gold medals for Yang Style Tai Chi, Tui Shou, and Women's Lei Tai San Shou (Chinese kickboxing).
  
• 2004 Hall of Fame Competitor of the Year for Inside Kung-Fu magazine.
  
• She now teaches her own classes and has been certified as an international judge/referee by the International Tai Chi Chuan Federation.
  

Max Chen

• 20 gold medals and 5 silver medals in full-contact Lei Tai San Shou (Chinese kickboxing).
  
• Member of the U.S.A. Wushu-Kungfu Federation San Shou team for three terms.
  
• Praying Mantis
  
• Double-Knife Form Kung Fu
  
• Tai Chi Chuan (trained under his grandfather - Grandmaster William C.C. Chen)
  
• 12 gold medals and 4 silver medals in Tui Shou (Push Hands).
  
• He now teaches his own classes in Tai Chi Chuan and San Shou.
  

The Kung Fu Kickboxing Workout is a great DVD despite a few minor flaws. I've tried several other workout DVDs, and this is the only one I keep coming back to.

I've lost over 30 lbs in the last year, and that's only from doing this workout part time. I KNOW if I would have done it 3-5 times a week, I would have lost a lot more. But I only did it every few weeks with some other, inconsistent exercises thrown in. But I finally realized that the best combination for me was to do this workout 3-5 times a week, plus eating much lighter meals. I won't get into diet details, but the basics of weight loss are always the same: burn more calories than you consume. That never changes and never will.

I've witnessed it first hand.

30 lbs is pretty good over a year, but now I'm losing 1-1.5 lbs a week. That's pretty good for any cardio exercise program.

For great cardio, great variety, and great production value, this martial arts workout video is easily the best.

Give it a shot. What have you got to lose (fat, I guess)?

So, you've gone through the exercises several times. You're comfortable with kicking and punching, and now you're ready to fine-tune your Kung Fu Kickboxing Workout.

Here are a few tips to help you push a little further:

1. Tighten your abs
   
   
   
   • If you want to get more out of your workout, engage your abs. It's easy to just let your abs go loose, or even push them out. But if you want to really tone those abs, engage them during each workout.
   
   
   • Think about pulling your belly-button back towards your spine. Feel like you're "kissing" your spine with your belly button. Think about having a flat stomach, not a rounded one. You don't need to hold in your gut to a maximum contraction, just pull it in a little bit to where you can still breath and move. Don't suck in so hard that you can't move or breath. Keep it "taught" not "tight" during normal movements.
   
   
   • When you do a knee or any sit-ups, squeeze your abs back to full contraction, then release a little to a normal "flatness" or "taught-ness."
   
   
   • When you punch, you should be getting a good torso twist in the process. Pay attention when you're engaging your abs, and you'll feel a big difference by having your abs and obliques get a nice toning workout.
   
   
   • You should still do a separate ab workout, but engaging your abs is a good way to get the most out of your workout. Plus, it's just good form. Think about it: when a fighter goes into the ring, he/she has to expect to take a few blows the ribs and stomach. By getting used to engaging your abs, your abs will be ready and toned to take a few hits (plus you'll just look better!).
   
   
   
   
2. Do more reps
   
   
   
   • If Tiffany and Max are going too slow for your taste (if you're not reaching your target heart rate), simply do more reps. If they do ten, but you can do 15 during the same time-frame, go for it! Nobody says you can't do more (or less if you need to) reps if you need to ramp-up your workout.
   
   
   • Don't worry about counting that you only do 10 reps like they do, just do as many reps as you can until you hear the bell ring for the next exercise.
   
   
   
   
3. Breath properly
   
   
   
   • Breathing is very important during any workout, and this Kung Fu Kickboxing workout is no different. At the most basic level, you should breath out during a punch or kick or any time you're exerting yourself in a "bursting" movement.
   
   
   • Experiment with different types of exhalation. Most fighters make a "shh!" bursting sound when they punch or kick. Or try a "sss!" burst, or maybe a tight "haa!" Either way, this type of fast, bursting exhalation does two things:
   
   
   
   
   1. It gives your punches and kicks and extra burst of power.
   
   
   2. It contracts your abs thus "pushing" more power through your punch or kick.
   
   
   
   
   • It's very effective, and a good way to tone your abs while adding power to your strikes.
   
   
   
   
4. Work on your form
   
   
   
   • Try to focus on doing each move as correctly as possible. Maybe you've noticed that your punches and kicks are sloppy and you're just throwing them out there. Take some time to concentrate during each move. Are you punching straight? Is your fist closed properly? Are you kicking wildly, or are you lifting, then extending your leg properly?
   
   
   • Slow down your workout if you need to shape up your form. Every time you execute an improper or sloppy strike, you're imprinting that sloppy technique into your brain. Don't you want to have good form and do things well? Imprint the correct way instead.
   
   
   • Not sure if you're punching or kicking correctly? Here are a few videos that might help (every martial arts style is going to punch and kick differently, so pick one that makes you comfortable for this workout -- it doesn't have to be a kickboxing or kung fu punch necessarily).
   
   
   
   
5. Warm up more
   
   
   
   • You'll get a lot more out of your workout if you spend a few more minutes warming up. I'm often in a hurry, and only do a 10 min warm-up, but I don't get as much out of my workout that I should. You'll spend the first 10 minutes of your workout letting your body catch up. These 10 minutes could be used to burn fat instead.
   
   
   • Plus, warming up prevents injury. If you've been sitting or sleeping right before your workout, your muscles and joints have relaxed and gone cold. That's when injuries happen. Get an injury, and you'll be unable to workout for months (or more if it's serious). Take a few extra minutes to warm up. Save yourself some pain.
   
   
   • And "warm ups" don't just mean stretches. Warm up means getting your body warm and the blood flowing. Jump rope, lightly jog in place, do jumping jacks to get your body warm and used to moving. Then add some dynamic stretches to loosen up your joints and muscles further. Your body will thank you for it.
   
   
   
   

Need any other tips? Let me know in the comments section below. I'll try my best to answer them :)