This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Knee Thrusts are often found in martial arts and kickboxing routines. They are a great low-impact exercise that strengthens your lower body and core while getting your heart rate up. The idea is that you’re visually crushing something against your knee, like in martial arts, so it’s important to put your full strength into each move to get the full benefits.
The more power you engage, the more your muscles you will ignite.
Learning how to do Knee Thrusts will help you increase lower body and core strength, boost your metabolism, and support your cardiovascular health. It’s a fun exercise to add to an athletic workout for something new and interesting.
Because it’s low impact, this is also a great non-plyometric, non-running cardio exercise that is gentle on the joints and safe to do at any fitness level.
Knee Thrusts are considered cardio in nature due to the fast, hard repetitive move. If you want to take it to a high impact option and increase your heart rate even more, you can slightly hop off the floor as you pull that knee in.
Add more cardio exercises like this one to your routine to keep your metabolism burning all day long in order to lose or maintain weight.
Knee Thrusts Exercise Instructions
- Start standing with feet wider than shoulder distance apart and turn both feet in one direction allowing the hips to follow like you’re in a shallow lunge. The front knee is a 90-degree angle and the back heel lifted. Arms are in guard position in front of the chest.
- Drive the back knee up to hip height towards the hands, and hands in towards the thigh. Return the foot to floor and repeat.
Targets: hamstrings, core
