As you probably know, I teach 1-2 cardio kickboxing classes a week and it is by far my favorite form of cardio. I used to have a heart rate monitor (ugh, it died and I haven’t had a chance to replace it yet) and I would burn more calories kickboxing in my kitchen in 30 minutes than I would running, which is crazy! And for me, kickboxing is way more fun than running!
My friend Athena has been requesting a “kickboxing combo” Wednesday Workout post for quite some time. You’d think I would’ve posted it by now, right? I like to please my readers, but posts like this take a lot of time to write and develop, especially when I add in videos, so they tend to get pushed to the back of my “to post” list. I know, it’s sad and I want to start changing that going forward because the harder posts to prepare and write are the ones that usually have more substance and value.
Before I get to the combos, here’s a short description and video for the different basic punches and kicks:
Jab
Start with your “guard up” with your hands in a tight fist. Extend the arm either out straight to the front, or at a bit of an angle (cross jab), to 99%. You never want to fully extend the arm and lock out your elbow. Once it’s extended, you actively retract the arm back in, squeezing your bicep as you do it.
Hook
Your arm stays bent at a 90 degree angle throughout the punch. It comes up and around, almost like your clearing off a cabinet and stops at the midline of your body. Your punching leg pivots as you punch.
Upper Cut
You start with your fists up and you drop your shoulder/crunch your oblique as you bring your elbow down and back. This is the one punch where you hyperextend your shoulder in order to get the full motion. You punch your fist up towards your chin, with your fingers facing your face. Again, you pivot off of your punching leg as you punch.
Front Kick
Bring your knee up and keep your foot flexed. From there, extend the foot towards the front of the room, still keeping your foot flexed (I always say you should be able to see the sole of your shoe in the mirror) and making sure you don’t extend to 100%. Retract the foot back in and then extend the foot to the ground. Most people forget this part and just bring their leg straight down to the ground from the kick and that is really dangerous. You need to make sure you bring the foot in first and then down.
With that said, here are some of my favorite kickboxing combos. I teach a choreographed kickboxing class, which differs from other types of kickboxing classes because I choreograph to the beat (32 count) and we do {usually} 3 “combos” on the right lead and then we repeat those on the left lead. I prefer this style of kickboxing to drills and intervals because I like the way it flows from one move to the next and gives people something to think about while they workout (it’s hard to remember the moves, so when you have to focus on that, the class tends to go by faster!).
Jab, cross, jab, knee
We do this combo facing the side of the room. From there, you jab your left arm towards the front of the room, do a cross jab with your right arm, jab again with your left and then lift your left knee up to your chest while engaging your abs. Make sure you pivot off of your right foot and turn your hips from the side wall to the front wall when you do the cross jab. I usually run through this combo for 3 sets of 8 counts and then add on. Last week, after doing 2 jab-cross-jab-knee combs, we did 4 corner to corner left jabs, 4 shuffles up to the front of the room with fast left jabs and then repeat that back (4 shuffles back). Finally, we did 2 right knees and 2 left knees. Then you start from the top again!
video blooper- Note that I forgot the shuffle up and back one time! Whoops!
3 Hooks & an Upper
Start with 3 right hooks, and then do 1 left upper cut. From there, you break it down to 1 hook and 1 upper and do that twice. From this combo, I like to just do something simple like 2 right knees and 2 left knees and then 2 squat jumps. So it would be: right hook, right hook, right hook, left upper- right hook, left upper, right hook left upper- 2 right knees, 2 left knees- 2 squat jumps.
Kicks forward, jacks back, hi/lo right & left, burpee
My members love to hate when I throw in burpees into the mix, hence why I keep doing it! For this combo, you do 4 front kicks while moving up, 4 jumping jacks back to your original spot, 4 hi/lo punches to the right and left and then 1 burpee. With the hi/lo punches, make sure you get low with the legs and add in the pulsing motion!
Speed bag, knees, speed bag, cross punch, squat & kick
I do this combo facing the side of the room. Start out with 4 speed bag punches up to the right and then do 2 left knee crunches. Go back to 4 right speed bag punches, but instead of doing 2 left knees, you do 2 right cross jabs/punches. Next, do a squat and right kick, squat and left kick, squat and right kick, squat and left kick. Start from the top: 4 speed bags right, 2 left knees, 4 speed bags right, 2 right cross jabs, squat right kick, squat left kick, squat right kick, squat left kick.
Jab, Cross, Hook, Upper, squat, squat jump, fast jabs, cross punch, front knee, back kick
Phew. How’s that for a mouthful?! Jab, cross, hook, upper is one of the most common kickboxing combination. I always do this facing the side and always start with the left side of the body facing the front mirror first. Start with a left jab, right cross, left hook, right upper. Do this twice before doing 1 squat and 1 squat jump. From there, get low in the legs and do 4 fast left jabs and 2 right cross punches. Your last move is a left knee and right back kick (twice). So it’s: jab, cross, hook, upper, jab, cross, hook, upper, squat, squat jump, 4 fast left jabs, 2 right cross jabs, left knee, right back kick X 2.
And, that about sums it up. Pardon my awkwardness and fumble mouth in some of the videos… and the shirt I decided to wear. Note to self for next time: don’t wear stripped shirts when making videos, haha
Edited to add: If you’re looking for other combos, check out these 2 posts:
My Favorite Kickboxing Combos {Take 2}
My Favorite Kickboxing Combos {Take 3}
Questions for you: Do you like cardio kickboxing classes? What’s your favorite group ex. class? Do you like these posts with videos?
Burpees to Bubbly 
HaHa – funny you commented on your shirt – I was trying to figure out what was going on with it!
Love these combos!
I just did Les Mills Combat this morning – pretty similar stuff – love it!!!
haha I didn’t realize it until after I finished taping, and at that point I wasn’t about to change and re-film! I’m dying to try a Les Mills Combat class!
Love this!! Your kickboxing class is honestly the best that I’ve taken. I like that you start with a basic move and then add on, and we focus on one side before taking a break and moving to the other. I know everyone teaches differently, but even from my gym at home you have my favorite teaching style by far for kickboxing.
Aww, thanks, Dana! I feel like it keeps things interesting and gives you something to think about rather than just dreading 10 more sets of a simple combo 🙂
Just found these and they’re great! Looking for combos to keep class interesting. So thanks! Keep em coming! Where do u teach, btw?
Oh, good! I have to do another post soon- I’ve got loads more! I teach in Cambridge, Brighton and Boston. Where do you teach?
Thanks for posting! I teach as well, (love cycle, intervals, and lifting classes) but creating choreography for step or boxing is not my strong suite. I needed to get my creative juices flowing, and found this post. The video element is very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do this!
Hi Amanda! I’m so glad I could be of some help. I totally understand needing some inspiration- I got through phases where I just can’t come up with anything good. I hope your members love it 🙂
Thank you so much for posting these. I’m want to keep my class interesting and this is just what I was looking for, so thank! KEEP POSTING!!
Hi Rachel! Glad I could help… And you’re in luck as I’m posting 5 more combos tomorrow:)
I’m a new instructor and really appreciate you sharing these combos! I’m struggling trying to find good music that stays at same bpm and will crossfade. Any suggestions? You’re darling btw 🙂
Hi Crystal! Welcome! I’m happy you stopped by 🙂 I use 32mix.com to get my music. I don’t know about fades, but it stays at whatever BPM you order… I usually order 144BPM and teach kickboxing at 150BPM… the songs roll into each other so you never lose the beat- it’s awesome!!
Like your workout! Thanks for posting!
Thanks, Karen! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much! I’m an instructor in PA and hit a serious rut in planning a class for tonight. Thanks for the inspiration! Be well.
Just ran across your combos and they are fantastic. Thank you for sharing. So fun and different. Keep up the great work and give us more please!!!
Hi Sam- I’m so glad you found my site helpful. I’m always happy to hear that people actually use these posts!
I teach in AZ, thanks for the combos! Do you have more?
Hi Nicole- glad you found the site! I have another post with combos here: https://burpeestobubbly.com/2014/09/10/wednesday-workout-my-favorite-kickboxing-combos-take-2/
I need to do another combo post, so thanks for the reminder!
I’ve been looking for some good combos to use for my classes; these are great! Thanks so much for the work you put into creating these 🙂
Thanks Maura! Appreciate your kind words- it’s always nice to know people actually read my posts and just my suggestions 🙂
Great job! As a new instructor these videos really inspire me and help me to create my own combos when I am in a slump. Thank you. Keep them coming.
New instructor here. Although this post is old, I’m GRATEFUL to have found it!!! You’ve got a new follower!! 🙂
Hi Stephanie! Welcome! So happy the post could be of help 🙂 There are 2 others so I hope you found those, too.
Just stumbled upon your website and loved reading how you came up with combos, as well as your site overall! I’m interviewing today for a part-time group fitness instructor position (in the area of kickboxing), but I have no professional experience; just years upon years of kicking my own butt with kickboxing, HIIT, Tabata, circuit training, yoga, and so much more! I’m beyond nervous about the interview, as I don’t know if I’ll be expected to demonstrate moves, combos, etc. Any tips or advice? Thanks!
Hi Amy- so sorry I wasn’t able to respond to this earlier. I hope your interview went well!! My tips/advice are to practice, practice, practice. I’d pick 3 of the combos in my post and use those. I start by introducing the first couple of punches (8-16 counts) and then once they get the hang of that, add on a little more until you are doing the full 32 counts. I also suggest getting a good playlist- i get mind from 32mix.com and i love them because you can pick the BPM and it’s all continuous. Let me know how it went!
No problem! I appreciate your responding at all! I had the interview, which went well, but the guy informed me that I will need to try out in front of a seasoned group, meaning I would have to choreograph, set the music, memorize the whole thing, etc. for 45 minutes apiece. If I didn’t have a full-time day job, maybe, but it’s too daunting now! I think I’ll focus in the interim on obtaining my certification in group exercise instruction and see what happens! I might dabble in a YouTube video or two if I’m really bold. 🙂
Have you ever tried any of Millionaire Hoy’s or Christine Salus’s YouTube workouts? They are kicking my butt!
Love your website, by the way. I have an Instagram account devoted to working out at home to DVDs or YouTube channels, but I would love to parlay it into a website like you did!
Ahhh, yes that is a lot to ask of you for sure!! But I do appreciate that they hold their instructors to that type of standard. I definitely think it’s smart to get your certifications and then start teaching when and where you can. That type of audition would’ve scared the crap out of me when i first started teaching!!
I haven’t tried their workouts, but I will need to check them out. I’ve been doing a challenge from Jill Coleman (JillFit on social media) and really loving the short, intense workouts.
And thank you for your sweet words! I have a lot of fun with the blog and being able to share my passion is pretty awesome. I’ll have to look up your insta account!
Thank you for your combos. I’m new at teaching Kickboxing and need to see other combos and get used to teaching them. This really helped a lot!!! Thank you!
Hi Donna! So happy you’re finding the combos helpful! It takes a while to get used to teaching kickboxing combos so anything I can do to help is a good feeling. Make sure to check out the other 2 posts dedicated to more combos 🙂
These are so helpful. If you have more please let me know!!! I just started teaching Kickbox Cardio so these are very helpful until I get my head around this format :D.
Hi Chrys! So happy you found these helpful- I have 2 other similar posts, but I owe everyone another one for sure 🙂
This is great, thank you so much! I just started teaching Cardio Kickbox & these are very helpful until I get my head around this new format. Please keep posting & let me know when you do! 😀
So I have been teaching for years and googled to find some ideas and I have to thank you for sharing! I am planning to use several combos this morning in Wake Forest NC!
aww thanks Lori! So happy I could help. There are a few other posts, too, that you should check out!