Day 3 brings out the punches. The circuit opens with 20 side jacks and then hands the work to your arms and shoulders: 20 punches, 20 overhead punches and another 20 punches, all four exercises back to back for one set, 2 minutes rest between sets. Level I is 3 sets, Level II 5, Level III 7. This is the first day where the upper body carries most of the effort, and the legs mostly stand their ground.
Side jacks warm up the trunk from the wide stance you met on Day 1 - one arm reaching up and over, hand on the opposite hip, alternating - and they get you breathing before the punching starts. Punches are thrown from a boxing stance, one hand guarding the chin while the other extends straight ahead, then the roles switch: 20 punches means 10 from each side. Overhead punches use the same stance and the same guard, but the fist drives straight up toward the ceiling instead of forward, so the shoulders work through a completely different line. Sandwiching the overhead version between two rounds of straight punches means the deltoids never quite get to switch off, which is what makes a set of light punches count as cardio.
Throw every punch with intent - full extension, hand back to the guard immediately, and a slight turn of the hips into each one so the whole body drives it. Overhead punches should reach for the ceiling, arm straight, without the shoulders creeping up to your ears. Keep your feet staggered and knees soft throughout so there is a little bounce in your stance, even though nothing leaves the floor.
Sixty punches without a target - your shoulders will let you know they still felt every one.
Make it Harder: Turn every punch into a full-body movement - pivot the back foot and rotate the hips through, then snap the hand back to the guard.
Make it Easier: Do the punches from a square stance with your feet under your hips and slow the rhythm so each punch is placed rather than thrown.
