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Front Kicks are a standing cardio exercise that increase your heart rate and stretches your hamstrings and glutes. Taken from cardio kickboxing this move provides a low-impact option with cardiovascular benefits. If you are looking for another way to increase your heart rate without all the jumping around, you should learn how to do Front Kicks. How does it work? Your legs are heavy. Lifting them over and over at a fast pace gets your heart rate up. It’s as simple as that!
There are a few things to consider before doing Front Kicks. You should be sure to keep your kicks low until you feel sufficiently warmed up. If you kick too high, too soon, you may pull a hamstring. Once you feel warm, you can begin to move them higher and faster for a higher heart rate. Front Kicks are also a great way to strengthen your core muscles. In order to get your legs to lift you naturally engage your core, but by focusing more intently on pulling the core in you will be able to move your legs more quickly and higher for a better result.
Don’t worry too much about having perfectly straight legs on this move. Most people have tight hamstrings and need a little bit of a bend in the knee. Even if you bend your knee more than a little, this is still a worthwhile move for you to try. Use it as part of any cardio workout for a change of pace to the usual jumping jacks, or insert some front kicks into your weight lifting routine to keep your heart rate up in between sets.
Use these links below to quickly navigate this guide:
- How To Do Front Kicks
- What Muscles Do Front Kicks Work?
- Benefits of Front Kicks
- How Many Calories Does a Front Kick Burn?
- Other Exercises Similar to a Front Kick
- Incorporating Front Kicks Into Your Workouts
How To Do Front Kicks
Here are the steps to performing Front Kicks:
1) Stand with feet hip width apart and arms bent and held in front of you.
2) Lift right leg up, bending knee slightly, and kick right foot forward. Keep ankle flexed and push through your heel.
3) Place the right foot down and switch to the left.
4) Continue to repeat for desired amount of time or number or repetitions.
What Muscles Do Front Kicks Work
Front Kicks are an awesome low-impact cardio exercise that work your legs and core while giving you a great cardiovascular move that gets your heart rate up anytime, anywhere.
Benefits of Front Kicks
There are many reasons you should incorporate Front Kicks into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Cardio Boost
You can choose your effort level in front kicks, but no matter how you do them you are going to get a great cardio workout. The best part is that this is low impact. No stress on your joints or connective tissue. Just kick and the harder and faster you move, the more results you will feel (just make sure you don’t kick higher than your body is capable and injure your hamstring).
Work Your Lower Body and Core
Your legs are working and they will feel this move! Same goes for your glutes. But the surprise might be that your core has to tighten up to hold your posture tall while you are kicking.
Hamstring Stretch
While you should be careful not to kick higher than you are able, it is pretty remarkable how great this move is for stretching your hamstrings. While many leg exercises cause tightness, this one actually stretches you out.
How Many Calories Do Front Kicks Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most workouts will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working. Just keep your intensity up and make sure you are breathing through your mouth. Bottom line – the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
Other Exercises Similar to Front Kicks
If you like the idea of getting a great cardio move right in the comfort of your own home, try these too!
Incorporating Front Kicks Into Your Workouts
Front Kicks are an amazing full body exercise all on their own! However, you could also incorporate Front Kicks into other workouts to mix them up. Here are some ideas to make that happen.
Use Front Kicks In A Bodyweight-Only Cardio Workout
You don’t need to go running or ride a bike to get your cardio in. You don’t even need to be in a gym or outside. Using basic bodyweight moves you can get a complete cardio workout that is simple, easy to do anywhere, and more super effective. Try this: 10-Minute Bodyweight-Only Cardio Challenge: 1 min. jog in place to warm up. Do each of the following for 45 seconds, with 15 seconds rest in between: Lateral Jumps– Jumping Jacks – High Knees – Front Kicks – Power Skips: Repeat all 5.
Use Front Kicks In Your Circuit Training
Circuits are a fun way to exercise and get your strength and cardio in all at the same time. The idea behind circuits is to go from one move, or one “station”, to the next with little or no rest in between. Check this out:
FAT BLASTING CIRCUIT TRAINING WORKOUT: Move directly from one exercise to the next with little to no break in between. Rest for 1 minute at the end, then repeat the sequence.
30 seconds side lunges
30 seconds front kicks
30 seconds push ups
30 seconds burpees
30 seconds plié squats
30 seconds bear crawl
30 seconds modified army crawl plank
30 seconds crab walk
Rest 1 minute. Repeat. Stretch.
Use Front Kicks In Your HIIT Training
High Intensity Intervals are all the rage because they get the job done in record time. Go as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and then go hard again. Here’s a super easy way to kick butt!
Hot HIIT Workout
Burpees 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Plank Jacks 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Front Kicks 20 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Squat Jumps – 20 seconds
Rest 10 Seconds
*Go through this sequence 4 times
Here are 3 more workouts that incorporate Front Kicks into your workout!
12 Minute Hiit Workout For Bad Knees
A Low Impact, High Results Workout To Do At Home
20 Minute No Running Cardio Workout
Targets: Core, Hamstrings, Glutes
