6 Best Martial Arts For A Full Body Workout
Wanna get shredded while learning self-defense and fighting techniques? Try any of these six best martial arts for a total body workout.
Today, we have so many different options when it comes to exercising, and sometimes it is hard to make a decision on which sport or activity you’re going to take up.
However, for a full-body workout, you can always try something new and a bit more exciting, like martial arts. Yes, taking up martial arts may seem like an intimidating endeavor, especially if you don’t really know what to expect.
You may have questions like “How much different is it than going to the gym?”, “Do I need any special equipment?” or “Am I going to get punched in the face?!”.
These are all valid questions (nobody has all that equipment just lying around), but you can find martial arts interesting when it comes to exercising.
Best Martial Arts To Keep You Fit
Some hand-to-hand combat can really spice things up, you just need to find your perfect art for this. Here is a list of the best martial arts for you to choose from:
1. Boxing
Even though you only fight with your hands in boxing, your entire body is involved when punching and building your strength.
Boxing is extremely methodological and it involves punching, footwork, and several different movements.
It can definitely test your stamina and cardiovascular forte since it can burn many calories per training.
Not only will you work on your upper body, but boxing will help you develop and tone your lower body muscles. It strengthens your core and legs, especially thighs and calves.
2. Krav Maga
Krav Maga is certainly a fierce martial art, and if you want to mix your full-body workout with some fierceness you should try it out.
This martial art is a combination of several arts, including moves from judo, Wing Chun, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, and boxing.
While really impacting your fitness, Krav Maga will teach you how to disarm, shock, and hit the opponent in a matter of seconds, leaving you enough room to protect yourself or flea.
What is more, Krav Maga is all about speed, power, and finding the weak spots on your opponent to attack. Plus, there are a lot of core and strength exercises that will engage your full body.
3. Capoeira
Even though it is a martial art, capoeira is certainly something different. This is one of the most active martial arts, and it might be one of the hardest to learn and practice.
Capoeira is a combination of dance and fighting and it can really teach you some amazing moves, while you’re having fun dancing.
From head to toe, it engages your whole body and it teaches you punches, kicks, elbow and knee strikes, takedowns, and other various acrobatics.
Just practicing and trying to learn this art will get your whole body moving and burn calories, which will certainly result in losing tremendous amounts of weight.
4. Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu
Jiu-jitsu includes plenty of cardio, stretching, and resistance workouts because it is a grappling and throwing fighting style.
Since you are throwing and wrestling your opponents, your muscles will build fast and it is a great core exercise.
Also, this martial art includes doing plenty of squats, and push-ups and you might even sometimes carry other students on your back to build strength and stamina, which can all burn about 1,000 calories per hour.
So, if wrestling and throwing someone on the ground sounds like your perfect workout, you can check out the beginner’s guide from Frighting Report and know what to expect in your first training.
5. MMA
For those of you who would like something more extreme for your body workout, you should try Mixed Martial Arts.
You’ve probably seen fighters fight in the cage as part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and you probably already know how brutal it can get.
However, if you are a beginner and don’t want to get all bloody and injured, you don’t have to. You can simply practice MMA and enjoy the combination of judo, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
This mix of martial arts will certainly make a great workout that is bloodless and safe, and it will burn you plenty of calories. Plus, you will learn how to defend yourself and always be safe and more confident.
6. Karate
On the other hand, if you would like to work out while learning an ancient martial art, then karate is your way to go. This art involves power and strength and it will certainly keep you fit.
However, karate is focused on your upper body strength, but it can also do wonders for your whole body.
Practicing karate can give you a full-body workout since it focuses on all of your main muscles and tenses them, which can engage your core, legs, back, and arms.
Plus, since it’s focused on strength and power, it will burn you plenty of calories, but it is not as effective for cardio.
If you’ve had enough of gym, pilates, and yoga classes and you simply want to try something new, you should try martial arts.
There are plenty of them out there and they all guarantee a full-body workout and burning plenty of calories. Not to mention other benefits, such as learning self-defense and boosted confidence, so take your pick and learn how to kick butts!
