There is a high demand for training in martial arts for weight loss, and the reason is obvious.
Studies have shown that martial arts can burn up to 500–700 calories per hour. As a result, this activity has become popular making among people looking to lose weight and improve fitness. Training in all high-intensity martial arts listed below is intense, including a mix of aerobic and anaerobic workouts that apart from burning calories, also improve your overall fitness and strength.
If you want to get into martial arts training to improve fitness and learn how to fight, here is how to find an ideal one.
Best Martial Arts For Losing Weight With Workouts
When it comes to weight loss, choosing the right martial art can make all the difference in achieving your fitness goals. Several styles are known for their fitness program in helping individuals shed pounds and improve overall health.
In this section, we will explore the benefits of kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, and jiu-jitsu in terms of weight loss.
Boxing
Boxing is a classic martial art that focuses mainly on punching techniques. It is renowned for its ability to build upper body strength while providing an intense cardio workout. The repetitive nature of boxing drills helps improve coordination and agility while burning a lot of calories.
Overall, boxing might be the most popular option for people looking to join martial arts for weight loss. This is mainly because the boxing concept is quite simple and easy to learn. The program revolves around 5–6 different punching techniques, blocks and footwork.
Any person, regardless of fitness level, age, or gender, can learn the fundamentals of boxing without many issues. However, techniques might be relatively easy to learn, but going through a workout certainly isn’t. The learning curriculum emphasizes intense heavy bag workouts, rope jumps, and many other aerobic and anaerobic exercises that will push your mind and body over the limits.
Here is one example of a cardio boxing workout:
| Circle 1 | Sets and Reps | Circle 2 | Sets and Reps |
| Jump rope (warm up) | 2 sets; 10-15 | Heavy bag (speed) | 1 round ; 3 minutes |
| Dynamic stretching | 5 minutes | Burpees | 2 sets; 30-45 seconds |
| Shadow boxing | 2 sets ; 3 minutes each | Plan | 2 sets; 30 seconds intervals |
| Heavy bag (light) | 2 rounds ; 3 minutes each | Jump rope (light) | Jump rope (warm-up) |
| Heavy bag (mid-hard) | 2 rounds ; 3 minutes | Static Stretching | 10 minutes |
| Breaks: 1 min between sets and exercises | |||
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a high-intensity martial art that combines elements of boxing and kicking techniques. It is one of the best martial arts for weight loss as it provides a full-body workout that engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
The fast-paced nature of kickboxing helps burn calories at a rapid rate, making it an effective way to shed excess pounds and improve core strength and endurance. In each training session, practitioners need to throw hundreds of kicks and punches at the heavy bag, do live drills and spar, and perform for over an hour with few short breaks.
It burns more calories than regular boxing since it engages more muscle groups due to the heavy kicking emphasis. A study published by he Harvard Health found that a 125-pound person can burn around 300 calories with 30 minutes of kickboxing, while a 185-pound person can burn 444 calories.
However, bear in mind that a regular kickboxing class lasts 60 minutes or more. Here is a quick kickboxing workout you can do at home.
| Circle 1 | Sets and Reps | Circle 2 | Sets and Reps |
| Jumping jacks | 3 sets of 30 reps | Speed bag | 3 sets of 2 minutes |
| Shadow Boxing | 3 sets of 2 minutes | Burpees | 3 sets of 15 reps |
| Roundhouse kicks | 3 sets of 20 reps (each leg) | Side Kicks | 3 sets of 20 reps (each leg) |
| Jab-Cross Combo | 3 sets of 20 reps | Mountain Climbers | 3 sets of 1 minute |
| High Knees | 3 sets of 15 reps (each leg) | Upperctu-Hook Combo | 3 sets of 20 reps |
| Front Kicks | 3 sets of 15 reps (each leg) | Jump Rope | 3 sets of 3 minutes |
| Static stretching | 10 minutes | / | / |
| Breaks: 1 min between sets and exercises | |||
Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
Jiu-jitsu may not be as high-impact as some other martial arts styles. But it remains one of the best martial arts for weight loss. As a concept, BJJ focuses on grappling techniques and ground fighting which requires significant core strength and endurance. Thus, engaging in jiu-jitsu training can help build lean muscle mass while improving overall body composition.
While BJJ may not have the same aerobic intensity as striking arts, a 2015 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicates that regular BJJ practice improves body composition, muscular strength, and flexibility. Each session also burns a lot of calories, around 500 per 30-minute sparring session, or more than 1000 for an intense 90-minute workout.
BJJ is a very popular option among people who are not into striking and are looking for a more methodical approach to learning martial arts. Also, keep in mind that other systems like boxing and kickboxing usually have fitness classes and are conceptually much different. BJJ training prioritizes technique, progression, and hard work while working on your fitness is something that complements your technique.
Free BJJ workout:
| Circle 1 | Sets and Reps | Circle 2 | Sets and Reps |
| Jumping Jacks (warm up) | 45s to 1 min | Side Planks | Jumping Jacks (warm-up) |
| Dynamic Stretching | 5 minutes | Pull ups (assisted) | 4 sets; 30 seconds each |
| Technical standups | 3 sets; 10-15 reps | Dumbell Overhead press | 3 sets ; 10 reps |
| Rolling chair sits | 3 sets; 10-15 reps | Barbell hip thrust | 3 sets ; 10 reps |
| Deck Squats | 3 sets; 5-10 | Static stretching | 10-15 min |
| Breaks: 1 min between sets and exercises | |||
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is an intense combat sport that utilizes punches, kicks, knees, and elbows and is one of the most popular martial art styles for fitness. This full-body workout engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, resulting in a high-calorie burn.
With its emphasis on cardio conditioning and explosive movements, Muay Thai can help you lose calories while improving your overall strength and endurance. This was confirmed by a pilot study “Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities”. This study suggests that Muay Thai training results in big improvements in cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and muscle endurance.
Also, techniques practitioners learn are effective in real life combat, and improve your self-defense skills.
If you commit yourself to training and combine hard work with the balanced diet for weight loss, you may expect to get in shape in just a few months. However, this comes at a certain cost as Thai boxing training includes a lot of grueling cardio workouts and hard sparring. This realistic approach contributes to the high rate of injuries.
Free Muay Thai home workout:
| Circle 1 | Sets and Reps | Circle 2 | Sets and Reps |
| Jumping Jacks | 1 set; 20 reps each leg | Jab-cross combo | 2 sets ; 3 min each |
| Shadow Boxing | 1 set ; 3 min | Kicks (different types) | 1 set ; 2 minutes |
| High Knees | 2 sets; 5-10 reps | Shadowboxing | 1 round ; 3 minutes |
| Jump rope | 2 sets ; 30-45s each | Jumping Squats | 2 sets; 10 reps each leg |
| Burpees | 2 sets ; 15 reps | Mountain climbers | 2 sets ; 10 reps each leg |
| Jump rope (light) | 2 sets ; 45s each | Static stretching | 10 minutes |
| Breaks: 1 min between sets and exercises | |||
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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) combines techniques from different martial arts disciplines. It is a mix of multiple martial arts such as wrestling, BJJ, and Thai boxing put into one system. As such, it offers a comprehensive workout that targets both aerobic endurance and muscular strength, as confirmed by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2017).
Each training week is a mix of intense wrestling, grappling on the ground, striking, hybrid sessions where you have to mix it all together, and of course, strength and cardio workouts. Training is intense and certainly not for everyone. Not many people, especially adults who have never been into sports much can sustain such a workload.
But on the other side, MMA training is a high-calorie burner. On average, MMA practitioners may expect to burn between 700 and 900 calories per training session, regardless if it’s grappling or striking.
Here is one MMA comprehensive workout you can do at home:
| Circle 1 | Circle 2 | Circle 3 | Circle 4 |
| Knee strikes 1 set; 60s | Throw Jabs 1 round ; 3 min | Plank 2 sets; 30 seconds each | Backward Roles 2 sets ; 10 reps |
| Dynamic stretching | Throw Cross 1 round ; 3 min | Jump rope (warm-up) | Rolling chair sits 2 sets ; 10 reps |
| Shadow Boxing 2 minutes | Jab-cross combo 1 round ; 3 min | Jab-Cross-Kick combo 1 set ; 2 min | Cross-kick combo 1 set; 2-3 minutes |
| Body weight squats 2 sets ; 20 reps | Jump Rope 1 set: 60s | Push-ups 1 set ; 20 reps | Jump rope (light) |
| Push-ups 2 sets ; 20 reps | Jump Rope 1 set : 60s | Light shadowbox | Static stretching |
| Breaks: 1 min between sets and exercises | |||
Factors to Consider When Choosing Martial Arts For Weight Loss
Choosing a martial art for fitness where you can improve you can burn calories, and improve strength and health is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. This is mainly because combat systems are designed for fighting, not for fitness.
To find one, you must focus on the ones that either offer a fitness program, or where the concept suits your demands.
- Accessibility — look for the well-established styles that are accessible in your local area.
- Technical difficulty — is a factor because some styles are more complex and harder than others. For instance, boxing is simple and relatively easy to grasp while MMA is complex.
- Training groups — the gym you choose should have separate amateur and pro groups. As someone looking to get in shape, you likely fall into the amateur group.
- Martial art style — this is based on your style. Most people looking to lose weight with martial arts get into striking, but there are also the ones who prefer grappling.
- Intensity – is important because you need to choose a high-intensity martial art that mixes aerobic and anaerobic workouts together.
What is The Best Martial Art For Weight Loss?
The most popular martial art for weight loss is boxing. People love it because the workouts are cardio-intense, burn a lot of calories, and the system itself is not as complex or as hard to master as other ones. Which one is the best, however, is based on many individual preferences. This includes the style you prefer, talent for sports, genetics, age, and many others.
But when it comes to weight loss goals, all three styles — Muay Thai, MMA, and Boxing — offer effective workouts that can help you shed unwanted pounds. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your personal preferences and what keeps you motivated to consistently engage in physical activity.
Remember that consistency is key when it comes to losing weight through martial arts training. Whichever style you choose, regular practice combined with a balanced diet will yield optimal results on your journey towards achieving your weight loss goals.
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