In close contact sports or martial arts, kick is an important skill to learn. A strong and powerful kick can end the match at the moment or save you from the opponent and potential threat. Thus, you need to have power in your legs. Power is the secret for explosive kicks. To get more power into your legs, we have some workout for you. So, get your workout shirts and shorts on and get started with the workout for powerful legs. Strengthening the legs and core are the ways to increase and get more power into your legs. Provided that you are kicking with proper technique and form.
Let’s start with the legs.
1. Running
Running is one of the traditional ways to condition your legs. Here we are talking about long distance and sprints giving in all you have not a jog. Start with whatever distance you feel comfortable then increase the pace and distance gradually.
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2. Lunges and Squats
Lunges and squats greatly increase the power, making your kicks more brutal. These workouts also target the core and calve muscles that are also important for powerful kicks. Try different variations of these workouts and add the weight. But don’t lift more than you can without ruining the form.
Make sure to maintain proper form and angles while performing. Keep the pace slow and steady and don’t take long breaks between the sets. Lunges and squats are great compound exercises to condition and strengthen the legs, glutes, and core muscles. With a split or one-leggedsquat, you can focus on one leg.
3. Skipping Rope
Skipping rope is another workout many athletes and especially boxers do. It not only strengthens the legs but also conditions your stamina and endurance. Just like other workouts there are many different variations to try. Be sure to wear tank tops and bottoms which won’t get in your way.
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4. Box Jumps
Box jumps help get the explosive power into your legs. At the beginning these workouts can seem easy, but you can increase the pace to make it more intense. Keep on with it and the results will be visible in a few weeks.
5. Core Muscles
Now let’s work to make the core strong. Let’s have a look at the following exercises.
6. Planks
Planks are a great workout to make your core stabilized, strong, and build core muscles. This will help with powerful lower kicks and ability to sustain a kick from the opponent.
7. Heavy Bag Training
Heavy bag training is one of the best ways to improve your kicks. Learning and working out is not enough. You would have to practice with the heavy bag, mitts, pads, spar and get the feedback from your trainer. Know your weak points and ways to improve your technique and then work towards betterment. The heavy bag allows you to kick from different angles and try different techniques. Keep on practicing until this becomes a second nature.
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8. Deadlifts
Deadlift and many variations, it has are great for building core strength and power. The stronger your core is, the more you can rotate and increase the kick power, hence damage. One of the variations is a sumo deadlift. Here you have to stand wide with legs opened like a sumo and perform the deadlift. Remember to sit all the way down. This will focus on your glutes and hip muscles. Make sure to maintain the form either you are performing with kettle bells, dumbbells, or barbell.
9. Ab Rollout Wheel
A roller which you used to roll in and out, balancing the body on your knees and holding the wheel with hands. It seems easy if you have never performed it. Open your knees wide so you can balance the body better. As you start to roll out, hold the position as far as you can.
Don’t go beyond the point where you can fall down. Keep the pace slow and steady. The compound exercises are great at working on the core muscles, but this workout works directly on the core. But it strengthens the back as well.
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10. Follow the Breathing Technique
Apart from the kicking technique and workouts, breathing is an important factor for powerful kicks. Breathe in before executing the kick, hold the breath while kicking, and release when you hit the target. Holding your for long can create muscle tension, causing a hindrance in the way to perform a full and powerful kick. For the kick to have more efficiency your body has to be relaxed. Exhaling on the impact allows the muscles to relax better.
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