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25-Minute Core + Cardio Kickboxing Workout (No Equipment)

Punch, jab and kick your way through this 25-Minute, Cardio Kickboxing Workout at home (no equipment needed)! This quick and fun, full body workout burns major calories while sculpting your midsection from every angle.

Jump to Kickboxing Workout Outline

A quick cardio warm up, intense bodyweight cardio kickboxing class, and a cool down stretch — ALL in just 25 minutes!

Is kickboxing a good cardio workout?

Kickboxing is one of the best full body cardio workouts you can do at home.

• It’s a high intensity aerobic workout from start to finish.
• Raises your heart rate and burns calories.
• Low impact cardio that is joint-friendly.
• Keeps you mentally engaged.
• And no equipment needed.

In my personal opinion, cardio is overrated for weight loss, BUT underrated for living a healthy lifestyle. 

There are SO MANY benefits to cardio kickboxing workouts! Kickboxing offers: 

1. Improved balance, flexibility and coordination.
2. Increased blood flow and heart health.
3. Relieves stress while burning calories.

Kickboxing Workout Tips:

During the kickboxing exercises:

1. Stay on the balls of your feet and continuously shift your weight from side to side.
2. Never punch or kick to a full extension. Martial arts techniques say, always keep joints “soft” by pulling your punches and kicks back just before reaching a full extension. This protects your joints from injury and hyperextension, AND increases the amount of calories you burn.
3. Keep your core tight and create force and resistance with your body through the pushing and pulling motions or punches.

Basic Kickboxing Punches:

There are 4 fundamental punches you’ll come across in kickboxing workouts:

• Jab – straight punch with hand on lead side of the body. Throw punch from the backside of the body.
• Cross – straight punch from the rear arm. Throw punch from the backside of the body.
• Hook – a hooking motion is done with either arm making a high swinging motion from the side, with a flexed bicep. Aiming at the side of the head.
• Uppercut – a hooking motion that starts low and comes up, with flexed bicep. Aiming underneath the chin.

Today’s workout mostly focuses on the first two — jab punches and cross punches.

25-Minute Core + Cardio Kickboxing Workout At Home

This express kickboxing class combines bodyweight strength training and balance exercises with heart pumping cardio exercises.

We’ll jab, punch and kick our way through 25-minutes of upper body, lower body and core exercises.

This upbeat kickboxing home workout is a fast-paced and fun way to break a sweat at home! 

Workout Equipment:

None, just your bodyweight.

Workout Instructions:

Click here to follow along with the Kickboxing Class At Home at the top of this post.

I’ll coach you through this cardio and core kickboxing workout, providing form cues and modifications.

Alternatively, work through the kickboxing exercises below at your own pace.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

• 4 circuits.
• 2-3 exercises per circuit (1-2 cardio kickboxing exercises and 1 ab exercise).
• Perform each exercise for 30-40 seconds and repeat x 2 before moving onto the next circuit.

Core + Cardio Kickboxing Class At Home

CIRCUIT ONE

1. Side Kick + Jack with Overhead Punch R/L
2. Lateral Hop + Cross Punch
3. Plank Taps (Shoulders, Hips and Toes Tap)

Repeat x2 Sets

CIRCUIT TWO

1. Squat Front Kick
2. Burpee Rear Kick
3. Push Up + Plank Jack

CIRCUIT THREE

1. Jab, Jab, Cross + 4 Speed-Bags
2. Alternating Knee, Knee, Jab, Jab,
3. Oblique V-Up (Single or Double Leg)

Repeat x2 Sets

CIRCUIT FOUR

1. Reverse Table Top Hip Thrust + Kick
2. Sit Up + 2 Jabs

Repeat x2 Sets

5 Bodyweight Cardio Kickboxing Exercises

1. Side Kick + Jack with Overhead Punch

Targets: Legs, glutes, outer glutes, calves, shoulders, core and obliques.

How to do a Side Kick + Jack with Overhead Punch:

1. Get into your boxing stance – feet hip distance apart, knees bent, on the balls of your feet. Bring hands or knuckles up to “defend” your face in a guard position.
2. Transfer your weight into your right leg (standing leg), as you kick your left leg out to the left side.
3. When your left foot returns to the mat, “jack” both legs out as you press or punch your hands straight overhead.
4. Then “jack” your feet back together to return to the starting position.

Modification: Follow Rachel on the left and tap your right leg out instead of “jacking” both feet out.

2. Lateral Hop + Cross Punch

Targets: Legs, glutes, outer glutes, quads, hips, calves, shoulders, back, biceps, chest, core and obliques.

How to do a Lateral Hop + Cross Punch:

1. Start standing in a boxing stance – feet hip distance apart, knees bent, on the balls of your feet. Bring hands or knuckles up to “defend” your face in a guard position.
2. Laterally hop or shuffle to the right of your mat; landing in a loaded squat position (knees bent).
3. Once you land, punch your left arm across your body. Rotating through your feet, hips and upper body as you punch (hips follow toes).
4. Bring your left arm back to your defensive position, or starting position.
5. Then laterally hop or shuffle to your left, performing a cross-body punch with your right arm.

3. Squat Front Kick

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings, abs and core.

How to do a Squat Front Kick:

1. Start standing, feet hip width apart, knees bent, core engaged. Bring hands or knuckles up to “defend” your face in a guard position.
2. Lower down into the bottom of a squat, aiming to get thighs parallel with the ground.
3. Drive through your heels to stand tall. As you stand, transfer your weight into your left leg as you pull your right knee up towards your chest.
4. Then hinge back, keeping ribcage to hips open as you kick through your right heel, kicking your right leg straight in front of you as you stand.
5. Return your right foot to the mat and lower into a squat.
6. Stand, repeating the front kick on the left leg.

4. Jab, Jab, Cross + 4 Speed Bags

Targets: Arms, shoulders, back, chest, biceps, triceps, abs, core and calves.

How to do a Jab, Jab, Cross + 4 Speed Bags:

1. Start standing, feet hip width apart, knees bent, core engaged. Open your hips to the right so your left foot is forward and right leg is back. Bring hands or knuckles up to “defend” your face in a guard position.
2. With your right arm, “jab” forward towards the front of the room. Pull your right arm back to your defensive position.
3. Repeat the jab with your right arm, then punch across your body with your left hand (crossbody punch). Pull both hands back to defensive position.
4. Then imagine you’re hitting a “speed bag” (think of any kind of boxing movie you’ve seen, this is the classic move!) for a 4-count. Make large circular motions with each arm as you “hit” your imaginary boxing bag.

5. Alternating Knee, Knee, Jab, Jab

Targets: Legs, quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, arms, back, shoulders and core.

How to do Alternating Knee, Knee, Jab, Jab:

1. Start standing, feet hip width apart, knees bent, core engaged.
2. Pivot to your right, shifting hips, knees and toes.
3. Reach your hands overhead, then pull your hands down towards the center of your body as you simultaneously drive your left knee up to meet your hands. Repeat x2 knee drives on the left knee.
4. Then pivot back to center, toes pointing forward. And perform two jabs, punching straight in front of you.
5. Pivot to your left, again reaching your hands overhead and then pulling them down as you drive your right knee up. Repeat x2 knee drives on the right knee.

Pin this Core + Cardio Kickboxing Workout:

More Kickboxing Workouts At Home:

• 10-Minute Cardio Kickboxing Tabata Workout
• 30-Minute Barre Boxing Workout
• 45-Minute Cardio Barre Kickboxing Workout