BOXING has become the latest fitness craze for women.

The sport has grown in popularity with more women adding boxing classes to their fitness regimes.

More and more women are using boxing training as a way to keep in shape, even if they never step into the ring.

Using punching bags, sparring and traditional training such as skipping, press-ups and sit-ups are brilliant for fitness.

Boxing blasts up to 600 calories an hour while sculpting your arms, shoulders, core and legs. And since nailing the punch sequences requires extreme focus, boxing is an excellent way to train your mind and body at once.

Try this routine at home and knock yourself out!

How it works: After the brief warmup, do each round back to back with little or no rest in between. Repeat the full circuit (all eight sets) one-three times in total.

Warmup: jump rope; 3 minutes

Get your blood pumping with this traditional boxer’s warmup. Use a real jump rope if you have one handy, but if not, just imagine you’re holding one.

Set 1: jab, cross, jab, bob and weave; reps: 10 per side

Stand with your right foot forward, arms in “guard” position (elbows bent, hands in fists on either side of your chin). Throw a right jab (quickly punch your right arm forward, rotating your fist down, without locking out your elbow), a left cross (punch your left arm forward, rotating your left hip into the punch and lifting your left heel off the floor), and then repeat a right jab. Bring arms back to guard, and quickly bob and weave from left to right by lowering into a squat as you circle your body from the back (lower left) to the front (lower right) (as if tracing a letter “U” with your upper body). Return to start. That’s one rep.

Do 10 reps in a row as quickly as you can, and then switch your stance and do 10 reps on the other side.

Set 2: boxer push-ups; reps: 10

Start in full plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders, abs in tight. Lower your body until your chest is just a few inches above the floor. Press halfway up, then lower back to hover above from the floor. Press all the way back up to full plank. That’s one rep.

Do 10 reps in a row with proper form, being careful not to let your hips sag or your back arch during the movement. Drop to your knees if it’s too challenging.

Set 3: double jab, cross, jab, cover; reps: 10 per side

Stand with your right foot forward, arms on guard. Throw a double jab with your left arm by quickly doing two jabs in a row. Next, throw a right cross punch, then repeat a single jab on the left. Quickly “cover” (imagine you are trying to protect your torso from your opponent’s punches) by twisting your upper body (hips stay still) and bringing your right elbow to your belly button. Immediately reverse to the left, and then repeat one more time to the right (the pace of this move is very quick, try counting “1, 2, 3” as you do it to keep your tempo up). Return to start. That’s one rep.

Repeat 10 times in a row as quickly as you can, and then switch your stance and do 10 reps on the other side.

Set 4: boxer push-ups; reps: 10

Repeat the same movement you did during set two. If your form starts to fall apart, drop to your knees to complete the set.

Set 5: jab, cross, hook, bob and weave; reps: 10 per side

This combo is very similar to set one, except you’ll add a new knockout punch: the hook. Start standing with your right foot forward, arms on guard. Throw a right jab, left cross, and then a right hook by keeping your elbow bent at 90 degrees and pivoting your right heel up as you rotate your right hip forward to power the punch (think of your fist swinging around the side of your opponent’s face). Bring arms back to guard and quickly bob and weave from left to right, lowering into a squat as you circle your body from the back to the front. Return to start. That’s one rep.

Repeat 10 times in a row as quickly as you can, and then switch your stance and do 10 reps on the other side.

Set 6: boxer bicycle crunches; reps: 20

Lie faceup with your knees bent into your chest, arms on guard. Lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the ground and then perform a bicycle crunch by twisting your left shoulder toward your right knee, left leg extends out straight and parallel to (but not touching) the ground. Repeat to the other side. That’s one rep.

Do 20 reps in a row (head stays lifted the entire time) as quickly as you can. Keep your belly button pulled in tight to your spine and your chin in towards your chest to maximize your belly burn and avoid neck strain.

Set 7: jab, cross, upper, and cover; reps: 10 per side

This combo introduces the fourth and final punch: the uppercut. Stand with your right foot forward, arms on guard. Throw a right jab, a left cross punch, then a right uppercut (bend your elbow into your body, rotate your right hip and heel, and imagine punching up and under your opponent’s chin). Next, quickly repeat the cover move from set five by twisting your upper body and elbows to your left, right, and left (quickly counting “1, 2, 3” as you do it). Return to start. That’s one rep.

Repeat 10 times in a row as quickly as you can, and then switch your stance and do 10 reps on the other side.

Set 8: boxer bicycle crunches; reps: 20

Do another set of boxer bicycle crunches, moving as quickly as you can with perfect form.

Cardio finisher: criss-cross jump rope; to 5 minutes

To burn off any remaining energy (and calories!), grab your jump rope — real or imaginary — and do up to five minutes of criss-cross style jumping.

Finally, wind down with a few of these dynamic stretches.

(SD-Agencies)