Improve Your High Kicks: Exercises and Stretches for Martial Artists
Posted: March 11, 2023
If you're a martial artist looking to improve your kicks, you may have tried various methods to increase your kick height with little success. But don't worry - this article has got you covered.
In this post, we'll take a closer look at each type of kick and identify the muscles that need strengthening and stretching. We'll also provide bodyweight workouts for each type of kick. By following our expert advice, you'll develop the ability to kick with more power, speed, and height. So, get ready to take your kicking game to the next level!
First up is the front kick, which is often the first kick that martial arts students learn. It's important to understand the muscle groups used for this kick, as this knowledge will be beneficial in helping you execute it properly.
To do a good front high kick, you need to develop strength, flexibility, and control in several muscle groups. These include:
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Hip flexors: The hip flexors are responsible for lifting your leg up towards your torso. You can do exercises such as leg raises, hanging leg raises, and Russian twists to strengthen these muscles.
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Quadriceps: The quadriceps are the large muscles at the front of your thigh that straighten your leg. To build strength in your quadriceps, you can do exercises such as squats, lunges, and leg presses.
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Hamstrings: The hamstrings are the muscles at the back of your thigh that bend your knee and extend your hip. You can do exercises such as deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and leg curls to strengthen your hamstrings.
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Glutes: The glutes are the muscles in your buttocks that extend your hip. To build strength in your glutes, you can do exercises such as squats, lunges, and hip thrusts.
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Core: Your core muscles provide stability and balance for your body when kicking. You can do exercises such as planks, side planks, and crunches to strengthen your core.
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Hip abductors: The hip abductors are the muscles that move your leg away from your body. You can do exercises such as lateral band walks, clamshells, and side leg raises to strengthen these muscles.
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Flexibility: In addition to building strength, you also need to develop flexibility in your hip flexors, hamstrings, and other leg muscles. Stretching exercises such as lunging hip flexor stretches, standing hamstring stretches, and butterfly stretches can help improve your flexibility.
Remember, it's important to warm up properly before attempting any high kicks, and to gradually increase the intensity and range of your training over time to avoid injury.
Now that you have a better understanding of the muscles needed to develop for high kicks, let's dive into effective ways to strengthen them. Additionally, we'll discuss some stretches that you can focus on to improve your flexibility and ultimately enhance your kicking ability.
Here's a sample bodyweight workout to help you develop high front kicks. This workout includes exercises that target the muscles needed for high front kicks and focuses on both strength and flexibility. This is best done 2 or 3 times a week with enough time between each workout to recover. Gradually add more sets as you get stronger.
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Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio (e.g., jogging, jumping jacks) to increase heart rate and warm up the muscles.
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Squats: 3 sets of 12 reps. Squats work the quadriceps, glutes, and core, which are all important for high front kicks. Make sure to keep your knees behind your toes and your back straight.
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Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. Lunges also work the quadriceps, glutes, and core, and also improve balance and coordination.
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Leg raises: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg. Leg raises target the hip flexors, which are important for lifting the leg in a high front kick.
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Plank: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds. Planks strengthen the core, which provides stability for high front kicks.
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Standing hamstring stretch: Hold for 30 seconds per leg. Stretching the hamstrings can improve flexibility for higher kicks.
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Lunge hip flexor stretch: Hold for 30 seconds per leg. Stretching the hip flexors can also improve flexibility for higher kicks.
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Kicking practice: Spend 10-15 minutes practicing high front kicks, starting with low kicks and gradually increasing height as you feel comfortable.
Remember to rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and to perform each exercise with proper form. You can adjust the sets and reps to fit your fitness level but aim to challenge yourself and gradually increase the difficulty over time.
Here are some stretching that can be done anytime but helps you with high front kicks.
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Seated straddle stretch: Sit on the ground with your legs wide apart in a V shape. Reach forward with both hands and try to touch your toes or shins, keeping your back straight. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then release. This stretch targets the adductors, which are important for bringing the leg across the body during the sidekick.
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Standing quadriceps stretch: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend your left knee, bringing your heel toward your glutes. Reach back with your left hand and grasp your left foot or ankle, then pull your heel toward your glutes until you feel a stretch in your quadriceps. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat. This stretch targets the quadriceps, which are important for lifting the leg during the sidekick.
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Seated hamstring stretch: Sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Reach forward with both hands and try to touch your toes or shins, keeping your back straight. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then release. This stretch targets the hamstrings, which are important for extending the leg during the roundhouse kick.
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Lunge with hip flexor stretch: Step forward with your left foot and bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle, keeping your right leg straight behind you. Place your hands on your left knee and push your hips forward, feeling a stretch in your right hip flexor. Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat. This stretch targets the hip flexors, which are important for lifting the leg during the back kick.
Only have time for one stretch? Try these:
Choosing only one stretch for each kick may not be enough to fully stretch and prepare the muscles needed for the high kicks, but here are some suggestions:
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Front kick: Standing quad stretch. This stretch targets the quadriceps, which are important for lifting the leg during the front kick.
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Side kick: Seated straddle stretch. This stretch targets the adductors, which are important for bringing the leg across the body during the side kick.
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Roundhouse kick: Seated hamstring stretch. This stretch targets the hamstrings, which are important for extending the leg during the roundhouse kick.
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Back kick: Lunge with hip flexor stretch. This stretch targets the hip flexors, which are important for lifting the leg during the back kick.
It's important to note that including a variety of stretches that target the different muscles involved in each kick is ideal for maximizing flexibility and minimizing the risk of injury.
Remember to perform each stretch with proper form and to avoid bouncing, which can lead to injury. Incorporating these stretches into your warm-up routine and regular training can help to improve your flexibility and form for executing high kicks.
In this article, we've covered how to improve your kicks by identifying the muscles that need strengthening and stretching. We've provided a bodyweight workout and stretching routine for the front kick. To summarize, to execute a good front high kick, you need to develop strength, flexibility, and control in several muscle groups, including the hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core, and hip abductors. You can do exercises such as squats, lunges, leg raises, planks, and stretching exercises such as lunging hip flexor stretches, standing hamstring stretches, and butterfly stretches to build strength and flexibility.
Next up is the sidekick.