Looking to score brownie points with your students? Teaching a fun aqua kickboxing routine is always a winning ploy. Help is here! Aqua Kick & Burn with Danita Watkins just posted. Take away loads of ideas for blending kickboxing- inspired choreography with high intensity drills.
Aqua kickboxing has been around for the last 20 years. It all began with the cardio kickboxing fitness craze of the 1990’s. Remember Tae Bo and Billy Blanks? Whatever is popular in the fitness studio ultimately ends up in the pool. Yours truly actually began his aquatic fitness career with aquatic kickboxing 18 years ago. Kickboxing Waves was my first workshop in 2002 and IAFC debut in 2003. Kickboxing-inspired choreography has always been a favorite of my students and myself.
Kickboxing is ideal in the pool because the kicks and punches are resisted by the viscous properties of water. Simply put, it is harder to punch and kick against resistance. Kicks move a great deal of water with a lengthened leg and punches are thrown with an open hand to maximize drag resistance. Webbed swim gloves can be worn to increase the resistance of the punches. These gloves can be purchased for less than $10.00 a pair on Amazon or Swimoutlet.com.
Kickboxing-inspired choreography pairs nicely with the current fitness craze of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The athletic nature of this blend of programming is appealing to less traditional aquafit populations, such as men and younger participants. However, my experience has been that everyone, including my eldest participants has a blast whenever I teach a kickboxing routine.
AQUA KICK & BURN: VIDEO-AT-A-GLANCE
Kickboxing Combos
There are five combinations of kickboxing-inspired choreography in this workout. Each combination includes several different variations of kicks, punches and athletic movements. Teach as is, mix & match or cherry pick your favorite moves to add into your own routine.
HIIT Drills
There are five high-intensity segments that follow each of the kickboxing combinations. These segments include different types of interval training, including Tabata. Kicks and punches are great movement choices for Tabata rounds.
Equipment
No equipment is used in this video, however as mentioned above, webbed swim gloves would be ideal. The use of hand-held equipment should be discouraged.
Follow-Along Workout?
An audio download was not produced for this workout, however if you have WIFI access at your personal pool, this workout can be followed along with.
Fitmotivation extends BIG thanks to Danita for sharing her Kick & Burn workout with subscribers. Check out Danita’s other Fitmotivation videos. Interested in hosting CEC approved workshops with Danita? Visit her at her website, Watkins Aquatic Fitness. And look for her at SCW MANIA in Atlanta in July 2018. And get ready for an entire class template of athletic drills month next month with her workout – Boot Camp Trifecta.