Flexibilty training apparatus

[ink]

What are peoples opinion on leg stretching machines as an aid to higher kick? I am having trouble improving my kicking height. Are the machines effective, or are there certain exercises which would be more beneficial.

 

[terryl965]

What are peoples opinion on leg stretching machines as an aid to higher kick? I am having trouble improving my kicking height. Are the machines effective, or are there certain exercises which would be more beneficial.

I believe they are a good thing myself they help get you more strecthed out and that will always lead to higher kicks

 

[rutherford]

I'm horrified they exist. Healthy flexibility doesn't come without the supporting muscles to use that range of motion. When you have more range of motion than you have the strength to support that movement you end up with hypermobile joints that are unstable and easily injured.

Healthy flexibility is a balance of the two sides: strength and surrender. Range of motion is created by relaxing certain muscles and tensing others. Inhibited range of motion is always a muscle tension issue. Greater relaxation does lead to greater range of motion. However, you can also increase range of motion by increasing the tension on the other side, which is the more healthful solution. When you concentrate on the strength side, you body surrenders naturally because it can not maintain the tension.

 

[zDom]

I'm horrified they exist. Healthy flexibility doesn't come without the supporting muscles to use that range of motion. When you have more range of motion than you have the strength to support that movement you end up with hypermobile joints that are unstable and easily injured.

Healthy flexibility is a balance of the two sides: strength and surrender. Range of motion is created by relaxing certain muscles and tensing others. Inhibited range of motion is always a muscle tension issue. Greater relaxation does lead to greater range of motion. However, you can also increase range of motion by increasing the tension on the other side, which is the more healthful solution. When you concentrate on the strength side, you body surrenders naturally because it can not maintain the tension.

Good answer.

There are some great drills to practicde to improve high kicking, ink.

Kicking a lot, and trying hard to kick at maximum height, should be the core of these exercises as this works both the kicking leg and the supporting leg.

Balance (and the muscles to maintain that balance) is a big part of it.

One drill to work on, for example, is to hold on to some stable object -- a stretching bar, counter top, back of a couch -- and slowly extend your leg into the ending kick position, as high as possible, and then hold it as long as possible.

Count of seconds so you know how long you held it last time, and try to increase both height and duration.

Leg swings can be helpful, but I hestitate to advise their use because it must be a careflly controlled swing or you risk injury.

Another safe exerise is "four-count kicking." Pull leg into chamber position -- hold it for 10 seconds. Extend it to kick position (as high as you can) and hold it for 10 seconds. Return to chamber position, hold for 10 seconds. Set leg down.

Repeat 10 times, each leg.

When that gets too easy, increase the time to 20 seconds at each position.

Also, continue to push yourself during floor stretching (learn to relax while you stretch -- try deep breathing in through nose, out through mouth).

There is no real substitute for hard work and patience. Hope this stuff helps!

 

[Touch Of Death]

I would recomend against it.
Sean

 

[Fluffy]

I use a Century Versaflex and I had a Flexmaster before it, I have never had any issues.

 

[searcher]

I have one and it is good for helping me stretch out, but I had to learn the hard way that you can take it to an unhealthy extreme. They will be of minimal help in developing higher kicks. You need to develop better dynamic(moving) flexibility and not worry about static(non-moving) flexibility as much. Try doing leg raises and isometric stretching. Most people have plenty of flex., but have a lack of strength that is needed to raise the leg. I had the same problem for quite a while and Thomas Kurz' book Stretching Scientifically helped me out a great deal. If you decide to get a leg stretching machine don't take it to far to fast.

 

[Fluffy]

I'll add to my post that machines are only tools, what you get out of it is what you put into it.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I'm horrified they exist. Healthy flexibility doesn't come without the supporting muscles to use that range of motion. When you have more range of motion than you have the strength to support that movement you end up with hypermobile joints that are unstable and easily injured.

Healthy flexibility is a balance of the two sides: strength and surrender. Range of motion is created by relaxing certain muscles and tensing others. Inhibited range of motion is always a muscle tension issue. Greater relaxation does lead to greater range of motion. However, you can also increase range of motion by increasing the tension on the other side, which is the more healthful solution. When you concentrate on the strength side, you body surrenders naturally because it can not maintain the tension.

Thank you.

 

[ink]

Thanks for the replies. I have ortdered one already, but i will take the cautionary advice on board, and I''' give some of those exercises a go.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Can everyone increase there flexibilty? Yes! of course...but remember everyone is build different and the amount one gains will very person to person...some people it comes natually.

Kicking high is a nice tool to have available if you can throw it with proper power. Looks nice in practice.

Kicking someone thighs or side of the knees...might be a better choice!

Since we have started learning JUDO (adult high school education classes). We have found learning to sweep and take downs are great stuffs to learn, so many ways to do it.......NO need to kick high...Aloha

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have one and it collects dust in my closet. I use to use it and I noticed that it did help my flexibility at the time, I also realized it would be INCREDIBLY easy to injure yourself on it.

I have found that I am much better of doing the stretching on my own. I have also realized that I have little use for kicks above waist height.