Strengthening Kicks

[JR 137]

I was messing around in the gym a few weeks ago and wanted to change things up a bit. I decided to attach an ankle cuff to a pulley station and try some kicks. I've been addicted to it ever since. I've done front kick, side kick, and back kick. I tried roundhouse kick, but it didn't work out well; I was getting tangled up in the cables somehow. Started with 1 plate, progressed to 1.5 plates, and currently doing 2 plates. It's a Cybex station, so I'm not sure how much it actually weighs, as Cybex is pretty stupid like that. Other Cybex stuff I've used was 12.5 lbs per plate, and that seems about right on this one.

As much as it benefits the kicking leg, I think it benefits the plant leg and deep pelvic muscles such as psoas, illiopsoas, and obturator muscles even more. What does that mean? More strength in the muscles that stabilize the body during kicks. Draw a line around my waist and around about 1/4 of the way down my quads, and everything in between them feels like it's firing.

I'm not throwing the weight around. Everything is under control, and proper technique is paramount. I figure if I can't lift the load the right way, then there's too much of a load. I'll wait until the weight I'm using is a waste of time before adding more.

I'd use bands such as theraband, but they give a different feel and they're never long enough. I'm really digging what this feels like. I especially when I pause in between the steps of the kick - like knee up, pause for a split second, extend the foot forward, pause for a split second, bring it back, pause, step down. I can feel the weight trying to pull me off balance, and my muscles fighting to keep me stable.

Anyone try this before? How did it go long-term? Being a former athletic trainer (sports med, not personal trainer), I can see the risk of hurting myself if I'm not careful or push too hard. But if everything's kept under control and done smoothly, I think it'll be a huge benefit.

I just have to remember how close the tower is when I lean on side kicks and back kicks. Almost hit my head on it several times!

[DWx]

Sounds like a great training idea.

We've messed around with something similar, but specifically focusing on the standing leg strength. We use the longer cables with a harness, sprint out against it to the point you can't pull anymore, then do pad drills. All the time the cable is fighting to pull you backwards so you have to really ground yourself and fight against it all while hitting the pad. So hard trying to kick like that as it forces you to really work hard on staying upright.

[JR 137]

I've used the bungy-cord type rope you're referring to, but not in karate. Resisted running and jumping stuff mainly. One of my favorites was sprinting to a medicine ball, and running out of rope right before you could grab it. The standing and hitting pads that you do sounds like a great idea. That's all about core stability.

People focus so much on arm and leg strength. If your torso can't stay upright while throwing strikes, they're never going to be nearly as effective. Fighting a person with a torso that's so strong it can't be moved is brutal. I learned that one the hard way playing (American) football defensive line and wrestling. Facing a few guys about 20 years who didn't budge no matter how hard I pushed changed the way I look at strength training to this day. Everything I do in the weight room is standing up. What's the point in bench pressing 300 lbs if you can't stand and push that much weight? I do standing single arm "bench" presses on a pulley tower, among other things.

[JR 137]

Funny thing about doing my kicks the way I described above is I noticed I have to lean a lot less when throwing them now. I feel like it's a lot more of just my legs having to kick, which means I'm rooted more. Being more rooted means more powerful kicks. I've only been at it 3 weeks now, but I feel so much better.

[DWx]

I've used the bungy-cord type rope you're referring to, but not in karate. Resisted running and jumping stuff mainly. One of my favorites was sprinting to a medicine ball, and running out of rope right before you could grab it. The standing and hitting pads that you do sounds like a great idea. That's all about core stability.

People focus so much on arm and leg strength. If your torso can't stay upright while throwing strikes, they're never going to be nearly as effective. Fighting a person with a torso that's so strong it can't be moved is brutal. I learned that one the hard way playing (American) football defensive line and wrestling. Facing a few guys about 20 years who didn't budge no matter how hard I pushed changed the way I look at strength training to this day. Everything I do in the weight room is standing up. What's the point in bench pressing 300 lbs if you can't stand and push that much weight? I do standing single arm "bench" presses on a pulley tower, among other things.

Completely agree. I'm all for functional strength, learning to pick things up and carry them or move heavy objects. Can't remember where I read it but I read an article from a personal trainer once who said he can train guys all day on the barbell and get them doing the big lifts, but most struggle when asked to pick up a 100 lb sack and carry it 30ft.

[JR 137]

The guys who can bench press 300 lbs 20x and can't carry a 100 lbs bag 30 ft are the guys who only train the "mirror muscles." Mirror muscles are the ones that look good in the mirror. Bis, tris, chest, and abs.

I'm also a big fan of the Olympic lifts - cleans, snatch, and jerk. Haven't done them in so long that I need a strength coach before I'd attempt them again. There's a ton of technique involved, and it's very easy to get hurt if you don't have the technique. But if you do them the right way, there's not much else you really need to do IMO. The head strength & conditioning coach at the US Air Force Academy has his athletes go through "cleaning school;" they do nothing but cleans, the right way, for a full semester before anything else.

[bushido_man96]

I like to do the power versions of the clean and snatch. I've learned to do them pretty well without a strength coach. I really favor the snatch over the clean, though, but I do both, along with some of the "slow lifts," squat, press, and deadlift.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Therabands or Resistance Bands are really good in relation to working kicks. But I don't like using the more expensive ones for kicking training because they can break fairly easy.

Obviously it is more difficult with Head Kicks (I.e. Jodan Mawashi Geri - Upper Roundhouse Kick) and oh well roundhouse kicks in general.

The Deep muscles are the muscles that are closer to the core. So The ones you mentioned are below the quadriceps. As there are always layers of muscles.

Using support to help train until you get better.

[JR 137]

Therabands or Resistance Bands are really good in relation to working kicks. But I don't like using the more expensive ones for kicking training because they can break fairly easy.

Obviously it is more difficult with Head Kicks (I.e. Jodan Mawashi Geri - Upper Roundhouse Kick) and oh well roundhouse kicks in general.

The Deep muscles are the muscles that are closer to the core. So The ones you mentioned are below the quadriceps. As there are always layers of muscles.

Using support to help train until you get better.

The therabands just feel different. And the resistance seems to dramatically increase when they're nearly fully stretched. I could see some people hating the cable resistance feel and loving the bands. The downside to the pulleys is momentum. Therabands do a better job of minimizing it IMO.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Therabands or Resistance Bands are really good in relation to working kicks. But I don't like using the more expensive ones for kicking training because they can break fairly easy.

Obviously it is more difficult with Head Kicks (I.e. Jodan Mawashi Geri - Upper Roundhouse Kick) and oh well roundhouse kicks in general.

The Deep muscles are the muscles that are closer to the core. So The ones you mentioned are below the quadriceps. As there are always layers of muscles.

Using support to help train until you get better.

The therabands just feel different. And the resistance seems to dramatically increase when they're nearly fully stretched. I could see some people hating the cable resistance feel and loving the bands. The downside to the pulleys is momentum. Therabands do a better job of minimizing it IMO.

That is true the resistance from Cable Machines feel different because obviously there is the weight on it + the fact that there is gravity acting on it.

Therabands and other resitance bands do feel better because of the consistancy that you can have from using them. As it reduces the strain of gravity acting on your joints.

One of my clients currently (Shodan-Ho in Goju-Ryu) is working on his kicks with resistance bands + having weights physically attached to him via the use of weight belts for ankles etc. And loves it because it is forcing him to activate more muscles throughout his legs, but also through his pelvis and core.

Cable Machines I don't mind so much for when I want to train myself or someone in small sections of a kick or even stances for that matter.