Stronger Kicks

[luigi_m_]

This is for Karate and Kickboxing. I have been doing three sessions of weight training and three session of cardio/spinting a week for a while, but was just wondering which exercises I could add to my Gym workout to get stronger kicks, which wont reduce flexibility?

 

[Sapper6]

kick through the target in all your kicks.

when firing a roundhouse/wheel kick, turn your hips "over" at the moment of impact.

 

[rutherford]

Relax. Greater strength can often be gained by reducing your antagonistic muscle drag.


How do you like Pistol Squats?

 

[Eldritch Knight]

Proper technique is probably the best route to more power, followed by speed, and then muscle. If you follow through on your kicks, keep your spine in line, use your hips, and root yourself, you'll be on the right path. Practice your kicks slowly and in front of a mirror so that you can see the exact motions your leg takes, and try to clean them up. This will actually also help you to build your kicking speed since it builds better muscle memory. As rutherford suggested, one-legged squats help to build that raw explosive power, but I prefer Hindu squats myself since they put emphasis on muscle endurance as well, which can impact your kicking speed.

 

[Andrew Green]

You could probably see a huge increase in power without doing any strength training, just by correcting your mechanics. Many people have a very hard time with this for a good while, proper mechanics on a kick is not an easy thing to suddenly get.

They tend to kick with only their leg, which is wrong. It is actually a small part of the kick. You need to power it with the other leg, and by putting your body behind it.

As a general rule, if your supporting foot hasn't moved, and is pointed forward, and you aren't lieing on the floor with a busted up knee, you're not getting anywhere near the kicking power you could be.

 

[arnisador]

I agree that mechanics will make the biggest difference, followed by speed. But as to strength training, you can simulate the (rough) path of motion of a front kick on a standard press; for other kicks, leg weights or bands might allow you to exercise the relevant muscles. As indicated, don't overlook the value of the supporting leg.

My advice would be to forget about weights for this purpose (they may be good for other purposes) and focus on technique and reps. in your kicking practice.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

You could probably see a huge increase in power without doing any strength training, just by correcting your mechanics. Many people have a very hard time with this for a good while, proper mechanics on (any movement) is not an easy thing to suddenly get.

Holds true to so many sporting like activities. Clean it up. Video tape it, have your teacher, use a mirror...whatever you've got to do to get an idea of where your at, where you want to be, and what you've got to do to get there.

I don't know how keen I am on the idea of ankle weights and other forms of resistance in this type of movement as I believe (and it of course depends on your level of mastery) there to be too much room for interferance in the work discussed above.

 

[arnisador]

I agree, and tried to indicate that...but if one insists on weight training for this purpose, it's an option.

 

[searcher]

Technique and plyometrics. Any exercise that is done properly will assist in increasing flexibility and won't harm it.

 

[Slihn]

This is for Karate and Kickboxing. I have been doing three sessions of weight training and three session of cardio/spinting a week for a while, but was just wondering which exercises I could add to my Gym workout to get stronger kicks, which wont reduce flexibility?

What kind of kicks are you trying to perform?It may no be quite nesscary to change up your excerises to add more power to your kicks.If you are intrested in the famed Thai Round Kick, you must make sure that you are "snapping" the kick as they do in some Karate;to make the kick vastly more powerful,there must be a complete transfer of body mass into the kick ,it is very important power is drawn from the hip(and not from the snap of the knee) while executing the kick. To do this,you must swing your hips and your shoulders together and let your kicking leg "follow" the body around.(It is diffcult to explain with words.)Also will executing the kick,you want to throw your arm back from the same side you are kicking from for extra leverage.The kick should "swing"(like a baseball bat) and not snap.In this way there will be much more power without the lost of speed.

I hope that this is in some way helpful.

 

[TigerWoman]

It depends on what kicks you are trying to get stronger In TKD, we do hundreds, sometimes thousands of front kicks. To get a high side kick, I do a hundred doubles-low, high and hold..slow. Technique has to be good, doing hundreds of kicks and hitting your big toe in round kick just gets you a sore toe. Doing a side kick wrong can hurt your hips. Working on front kick, axe kick, and flexibility at the same time will get it higher and stronger. So my advice is to tighten up your technique, then do alot of kicks. I train newbies that way and slowly I push the numbers up and they get stronger and more focused. TW

 

[Brandon Fisher]

Proper technique making sure everything is in line. Weight training on kicks get some ankle weights and throw your kicks slowly and perfectly and it will help you kick a lot harder. But any strength training is going affect your flexibility so you must stretch correctly and consistanly also.

 

[Tony]

OK this is not my style but i surely can help you out here! Try sitting in deep stances, use your hips more! You coudl also get bungee cord or somethign elastic and have one person put it on you and try kicking with it! It will feel very hard and afterward your kicks will get stronger and faster! Don't overdo it on the weight training though otherwise your legs will jsut get too heavy!

 

[Ross]

I agree with what most other people have said. True power come from developing the correct body mechanics of a kick. Muscle strength will only have a limited affect. You will find that through weight training you will only increase in weight of the leg which may give the impression of more power ween you are actually doing the same movements.

Regardless of which kick you are doing the key to power in any of them in the alignment of the hips. If you are doing a front kick for example the strongest kicks will be from kicking to a height of no higher than your groin level. Above this plane you are relying on the speed of the kick rather than power - there is a difference.

Little things must be practised. For example the alignment of the feet. We are designed to motor forward and ergo kick in the same direction that both feet are facing. For a front kick ensure that both feet are pointing towards the target (should always be at twelve o'clock) the legs comes up, chambers and executes the kick.

Hope this helps.....

 

[Robert Lee]

putting mass right behind speed gives power. This means as you kick you develop speed Relaxed non tenced movement. Right after the forward motion of the kicking leg to it intende target. You start the forward progression of the hip. which Brings the body mass into play. At impact with the speed from the leg movement and the forwrd mass you have dig of power penatration of the kick. Then release the snap as it may. Mass being equal or ahead of the kicking motion you have less power. And then you look at delivery motion of your kick doing it slow seeing when and how mass projects Behind the movement. Now high kicks mass comes more equal to say a head kick because of rotaion for height But for the most part it still follows speed. And remember the idea is to kick threough the target the person not to just impact the surface. So so called alighnment is at the full extision of the kick Not at impact as hip should still be come into play at impact. Full extension kick has reached it peak level of power No follow through left.

 

[thescottishdude]

like has been said before you need to kick throuch your target and have some "snap back" don't just leave your fott out there afetr the kick bring it back in quickly.