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Kickboxing warm-ups: Push-up training

Push-ups are a great way to tone up and prepare for kickboxing. But even better, they provide a full-body work-out.

They combine a cardio work-out, weight-and-resistance training, build respiratory capacity and mental stamina. Subtle and large muscles are involved to get even the form right in a proper push-up.

Some guidelines while doing push-ups:

• Do not compromise on form. The tilt of the body, the focus of your eyes all mean a lot when it comes to maximising the results.
• Do not do too may reps initially. Start with a low number but focusing on the form and building stamina.
• Engage your lower back and abdominal muscles to tilt forward lightly. This is important, since it shifts the weight to your upper body also. Otherwise you will use leg muscles that are already strong and the rest of the body that you wish to develop or tone will not respond.
• Keep the breath flowing.
• If you're a beginner, keep the start-up position simple, as shown in the first image on the next slide. This involves keeping the knees down on the ground throughout the push-up. This is less strenuous and gets you into the groove before moving into the next stage. You can take the knees off the ground after your practice has improved.

The Thai kick-boxing series with Biki Bora have been co-ordinated and compiled by Shameem Akthar, yoga instructor.

For more on Biki Bora's fitness tips visit his site http://bikiboxing.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: Any fitness regimen has to be tailored to individual needs for which you must work in tandem with your trainer and dietician. This series only provides broad guidelines.

Basic start-up

Go down on your fours, on your palms and knees. Walk your knees backwards. Feet should remain apart. This is your base position. The hand positions keep changing, to help create more variations and different challenges.

With palms facing the front

Here, assume the base position. Keep palms facing ahead, below the shoulder. Tilting the body in front, keeping your eyes looking ahead, move the torso down. Then slowly raise up. This is one rep. Do five initially. Then increase as per stamina after a few days/ weeks to ten.

With palms facing inward

Assume the base position. Keep the palms facing inward, but directly under the shoulders. Move your torso up and down as instructed previously. This is less strenuous, but prepares you for the other variations.

With palms facing backward

This variation sees the palms facing backward, as shown in image. It develops wrist strength and is great conditioning for punching. The upper body challenge is also more acute in this. It develops stamina and mental focus.

With closed fists

Clench your fists. Place them under the shoulder and perform your push-ups. This raises the bar even more, especially the challenge to your wrists, the arms and chest muscles.

With closed hands

Place the palms flat down, touching the tips of the index fingers of each hand. Touch the tips of the thumb of each hand also. This narrows the space between the hands and makes the challenge even tougher for your entire system, especially the upper body and wrists. Do reps as instructed. Attempt this only after your confidence and training in the basic push-ups is developed after sufficient practice.