Day 27 is the fifth and final punch day, and it opens with a lunge. The circuit is 20 reverse lunges followed by 20 punches, 20 overhead punches and 20 punches - four exercises straight through, 2 minutes rest, 3, 5 or 7 sets by level. After openers of side jacks, side leg raises, seal step jacks and back leg raises, the reverse lunge is the heaviest of the five, and it comes last.
Reverse lunges: from standing with the hands on the hips or at your sides, step one foot back and lower until both knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees, the back knee hovering just above the floor, then drive up through the front heel to standing and step back with the other leg. Twenty is 10 per leg, alternating. Stepping back rather than forward keeps the front shin vertical and the movement controlled, and 20 of them warms the quads and glutes deeply enough that the heart rate is up before the arms start. Then the punch trio, for the last time: straight punches from the guard, overhead punches, straight punches, alternating hands.
In reverse lunges, keep the torso upright and the front knee tracking over the ankle; the back knee goes straight down, not forward. Punch with intent - hips turning into every straight punch, hand snapping back to the chin, overhead punches straight up with the shoulders down. Stay bouncy on the balls of the feet through the punches; the legs will want to stand still after the lunges, and they should not.
Twenty lunges to open and sixty punches to close - the last punch day made the legs earn the arm work.
Make it Harder: Add a knee drive at the top of every reverse lunge - as you stand up, bring the back knee forward and up to hip height before stepping it back into the next rep.
Make it Easier: Do 12 reverse lunges instead of 20 with a hand on a wall for balance, and keep the punches as written.
