My ILoveKickboxing Journey
I’m a kickboxer! Can I say that after just three weeks? Yes.
I took up kickboxing a few weeks ago in mid August, 2016. Now, I’m addicted. If you have been thinking about joining ILoveKickboxing, you might find this post useful. Let me know if you do!
Here is what happened during my first three weeks
Class 1: I was nervous walking in. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was worried that I wasn’t strong enough or fit enough to actually do what they were going to instruct. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up.
However, once we got started, it was clear that the instructors really do want you to succeed and stay in the program, and they are willing and able to give each person what they need in order to succeed.
There are always two instructors, one leading the workouts and the other assisting (performing the next move to show the class how it is done, walking around to help anyone who needs it, etc.). The assistant stays with the new people after the warm-up to teach them the proper way to punch and kick. As a new person in my first class, I did not have to worry about keeping up with the class. I just had to work on watching and repeating the basics.
By the end of class one, I was hooked. There was something about this that made it feel like I was learning versus working out. It was intense and I was dripping with sweat, but it felt good.
Class 2: At the end of week one, I went back for class two. I was still a little nervous, but I was also very excited. I messed up a few of the combos, but a quick look around the room made it obvious that I was not the only one, and it okay. As long I kept moving, I was doing fine.
Class 3 & 4: The recommendation is to take three classes a week, but since I was still new and have a very busy schedule, I was able to do two classes in week two. I was starting to get more comfortable and I was even learning how to wrap my hands with those long cloth wraps.
Have you ever picked up a new skill or hobby only to get really obsessed for a short while only to watch it fizzle out fast? Maybe you decided that you wanted to learn how to bowl, so you went out and purchased all the gear (ball, wrist brace, ball bag, cleaner, shoes, etc.), and then gone to the lanes multiple times a week for a month or two, and then something happens and the gear ends up in the back of your closet never to be seen again?
That was exactly what I was afraid was going to happen to me. I now had the gloves and the hand wraps, not to mention the clothes, and I was talking about kickboxing to my friends and coworkers, and I was watching all kinds of YouTube videos on proper form and kickboxing basics. All within the first 4 classes or two weeks.
Class 5, 6, & 7: By the end of the third week, I had completed another three classes and was still really enjoying myself. I started to see changes in my appearance and in the way my pants and tops were fitting. Taking class three times in one week was a big step for me and I celebrated my commitment by purchasing a new workout outfit!
45 Day Transformation Challenge: During the second week of class, I was pleased to learn that there was a challenge that I could participate in. The 45 Day Transformation Challenge cost just $10 to join and would last for the 45 days starting September 1, 2016.
There were three things I needed to do to complete the challenge:
1. Attend a minimum of 15 classes,
2. Take before and after photos with a newspaper to prove the date,
3. Sign up online and pay the $10 fee. I received one of those silicone bracelets with the #45DayTransformationChallenge and ILKB logo on it.
The challenge was just what I needed to really motivate me to attend my first 20 classes and establish a new kickboxing habit.
I will write a new post on this challenge once it is complete.
Update: I have since written a few more articles on this topic:
My question for you is, do you kickbox? Have you kickboxed in the past or have you been thinking about trying it out?
Leave your answers in the comments section below. If you want to read more about how I was able to turn working out into a learning experience and was finally able to stick with a program, click on those underlined words. Or, if you would like to read about that time I didn’t buy coffee for 30 days, click HERE.
