Building Leg Strength for Kicking

"People often ask me how they can hold their leg in a high side kick or roundhouse kick, while maintaining balance and control." says Sang H. Kim. While this isn't a particularly useful skill in terms of fighting, it is something that helps build control and structure for kicking. Below, Sang H. Kim shares some of his personal favorite exercises for building the kind of leg strength necessary for holding a high kick in place:

To maintain your leg in the air, there are a few fundamentals that are required: strong abdominal and thigh muscles as well as the strength of your shin/calf and your toes. Do the following exercises 5 to 8 sets (each set of 15 repetitions) with 30 seconds rest between sets, 3 to 4 times a week, for 12 weeks.

*** Equipment you need: a set of 3 to 5 Lb ankle weights and 2 foot long piece of 2 x 4 wood

1) Stomach Muscle Exercises

There are three types of muscles that you need to improve: low/middle stomach, side stomach (oblique muscles) and back muscles. They need to be strong enough to hold your leg in the air which is quite heavy proportionately speaking.

Exercise #1: Straight sit up (Bend your knee, put your hands on your chest and sit up)

Exercise #2: Diagonal sit up (Turn your body to the side when you come up)

Exercise #3: Back sit up (Lie on your stomach and raise your torso off the floor)

2)Thigh Muscle Exercises

There are three major muscles that you need to work out: Quadriceps, Adductor muscles (inner thigh), Abductor muscles (outer thigh), and Hamstrings. Hamstrings and Quadriceps work hand in hand to stabilize your legs. You need to work them for both strength and flexibility if you want to kick high.

Quadriceps (the front thigh muscle)

Exercise #4: Leg extensions

1. Put on the ankle weights
2. Hold a bar (or wall, chair) and slowly raise your leg for the target kick (front, round, side).
3. Do a set of 15 and repeat it with the other leg. (3-5 sets)


Adductor muscles (inner thigh)

Exercise #5: Scissors

1. Lie on your back with the ankle weights on.
2. Raise your legs two feet and your upper body 6 inches above the floor.
3. Keep your arms in front of you with your elbows bent.
4. Cross your legs in and out slowly


Abductor (outer thigh)

Exercise #6: Leg swing

1. Put on the ankle weights and stand holding a bar or a chair.
2. Stand on one leg and slowly swing the other leg between the chair and the other leg like a pendulum. Do it slowly feeling the effect on your muscles. Go upward very slowly and as high as you can.

Hamstrings

Exercise #7: Rear leg lifting

1. Put on the ankle weights and stand in front of a chair holding it with both hands.
2. Bend one knee slightly and raise the other leg backward slowly 15 times.
3. Repeat it with the other leg.


3) Shin/calf/toe exercises

You can work the three muscles groups at one time.

Exercise #8: Heel drop & raise

1. Put the 2 x 4 one foot away from a wall and stand on your toes on the edge of the 2 x 4.
2. Lower your heels back downward toward the floor stretching the Achilles tendons.

Exercise #9: Single heel drop and raise

1. Repeat Exercise #8 with one leg at a time

Exercise #10: Horse riding stance squat

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Keep your arms in fighting position.
3. Squat as low as you can as slowly as possible. Breathe slowly. Hold at the bottom for 5 seconds.
4. Come up slowly. Repeat 15 times.

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