Finding joy: Cardio kickboxing

I really love staying fit in a variety of ways, but my favorite these days, hands down, is the cardio kickboxing class at work on Mondays.  It's a fantastic hour of kicking, punching, dodging, weights, abs, and too many damn pushups (my least favorite activity EVER).

Billy Blanks, my frenemy.

But cardio kickboxing isn't a new thing for me.  I fell in love with tae bo and bought all of the tapes when they came out -- I think I was in high school at the time.  He's a bit nuts with the spandex and those really weird tank tops but, hey, the guy is ripped.  I started with the really basic videos and I liked it because as an instructor he's a nice mix of hard-ass and encourager.  I guess I want someone to push me to the point where I'm going to puke and then volunteer to hold my hair while I do so (Side note: my last trainer was an ex-Marine named Wes who would tell me, "I know you can do better, Sarah" and then cheer me on for those last few reps.  He also told me I did the best walking lunges he'd ever seen.  That might have been true.  He also wanted me to keep signing up for sessions, so I have to take it with a grain of salt).

Anyway, tae bo fell out of fashion a bit for things I find far stupider, like Zumba (sorry, it's just NOT a good workout in comparison), but then in Target last year I was on the fitness aisle looking for a yoga block and I found Ultimate Tae Bo, 80 freakin' minutes of tae bo.  I think I collapsed about halfway through the first time, but I was hooked and it was a nice compliment to the cardio kickboxing classes at work.

I love cardio kickboxing because it has a bit of rhythm, a bit of strength, and a ton of cardio.  I've always had really strong legs, so the kicking bits are always my favorite.  The instructor, Katie, is incredibly fun and motivating and she does a great job of including everyone in the class.  Sergio is a great sparring partner for me -- he has a lot of martial arts experience and he's a great teacher when it comes to form.  Basically, I need to learn to harness my power.  I loved it so much that I went out and bought some fantastic pink hand wraps for the partner sparring part of the course, as I was ripping my knuckles to shreds.

I love mastering something new, and I prefer those new somethings are things where I have some natural talent.  So the cardio kickboxing love is pretty natural.  I still have a lot to learn -- I'm still getting better at some of the speedwork, and my back kick needs some work.  There is a nice balance between power and finesse that I'm still learning.  It's a fun, intense workout, and now I need to decide if I want to get into regular kickboxing (the kind in a ring).  There's a kickboxing gym right down the street from work, and it's something I've considered, but it's really expensive ($100+ a month) for someone who likes to try all sorts of things.

For now, it's sad that I won't be able to make a lot of classes this summer when I'm gone, but when I'm in town and free, I will drag myself back to work -- that's how AMAZING the class is.  And I've been eyeing some cute new workout tanks as a reward if I stick with it.

The pushups?  I could do without those, though :)

xo
Sarah