For those of you who have seen me kick you know I have learned to generate a lot of power in a fairly short distance and the one question I get asked all of the time is “how?”
If you have done a fair amount of kicking this should make some sense to you; if not, maybe not so much.
Power is generated at four different points during a kick. As the power moves up the kinetic chain to your foot, it builds through each step.
The first phase is generated by straightening the stability leg. This is can be completed because your legs should be slightly bent all of the time while fighting. You can utilize the power and strength of your legs if you simply straighten your stability leg when you launch the kick.
The second place to produce power is by pivoting the hips in the direction you are trying to generate power. So if you are doing a right leg round house kick, you pivot your hips to the left (you’re generating power from right to left). This is easily accomplished by turning your right heel toward your target as you execute the kick.
The third place is to tilt your hip toward your target. If I am completing a right leg roundhouse kick, I should basically be facing to the left. I tilt the right side of my hips toward by opponent as the leg is extending. (This is the hardest one to picture unless you have seen it properly executed).
The last place to build power is by using your quad muscles and completing a leg extension to extend your leg toward your opponent for the final phase of the strike.
Keep in mind each part or phase only takes about a millisecond, as the kick itself only takes a fraction of a second to execute.
I know some of this can be hard to comprehend if you are not familiar with any of the reference points…so go out and find a good instructor and ask!!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Work in Workouts
It has come to my attention lately that some folks just don’t want to put in the effort required for a great workout. They just want to go through the motions; spend some time at the gym, and say they worked out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
A workout consists of two parts; physical and mental. I am not going to delve into the physical side, but I want to write a few lines about the mental aspect.
Folks, your head has got to be in the game. It takes focus and concentration during each step of an exercise to complete it properly. If you’re thinking about work, or the fight you had with your spouse, or your kid getting a C in Algebra, than you can not possibly be putting in the mental power it takes to complete a great workout.
Exercise is a process. Each phase of each individual exercise needs to be performed correctly to avoid injury and ensure maximum results. A good trainer will help with this but during a group class or while you are doing this on your own the trainer will not be around so you need to police yourself. At each phase, stop and ask yourself if you are in the right position, is your speed good, are you stabilized, are you using the appropriate weight. The bottom line is that you MUST pay attention to what you are doing.
A workout consists of two parts; physical and mental. I am not going to delve into the physical side, but I want to write a few lines about the mental aspect.
Folks, your head has got to be in the game. It takes focus and concentration during each step of an exercise to complete it properly. If you’re thinking about work, or the fight you had with your spouse, or your kid getting a C in Algebra, than you can not possibly be putting in the mental power it takes to complete a great workout.
Exercise is a process. Each phase of each individual exercise needs to be performed correctly to avoid injury and ensure maximum results. A good trainer will help with this but during a group class or while you are doing this on your own the trainer will not be around so you need to police yourself. At each phase, stop and ask yourself if you are in the right position, is your speed good, are you stabilized, are you using the appropriate weight. The bottom line is that you MUST pay attention to what you are doing.
What is an exercise progression?
The difference between a good trainer and a great trainer is knowledge of exercise progression and where with in that progression is the client’s level. Every exercise can be progressed or regressed within the stages of a complete fitness program.
Let’s look at a push up. We will start with building core and stabilizers and work our way to building power. I am also assuming that any imbalances have been addressed with Corrective Exercise
Stability - Hold a high plank. This will build stability in the shoulders, spine, and hip complex
Strength Endurance - Add slight movements such as lift a leg or bring a knee to chest. Complete a lot of repetitions
Strength (Hypertrophy) - Complete a push up
Power - Push up and lift your hands off the ground
After this progression is completed, step it up a notch by:
Stability - push up with feet on stability ball
Strength Endurance – lots of regular push ups
Strength – push ups with a band around back or shoulders to add resistance
Power – Push up by moving hands from floor to medicine ball or rolling the medicine ball from on the floor from one hand to the other as you are completing the push up
An exercise progression can and should be done with all muscle groups
Let’s look at a push up. We will start with building core and stabilizers and work our way to building power. I am also assuming that any imbalances have been addressed with Corrective Exercise
Stability - Hold a high plank. This will build stability in the shoulders, spine, and hip complex
Strength Endurance - Add slight movements such as lift a leg or bring a knee to chest. Complete a lot of repetitions
Strength (Hypertrophy) - Complete a push up
Power - Push up and lift your hands off the ground
After this progression is completed, step it up a notch by:
Stability - push up with feet on stability ball
Strength Endurance – lots of regular push ups
Strength – push ups with a band around back or shoulders to add resistance
Power – Push up by moving hands from floor to medicine ball or rolling the medicine ball from on the floor from one hand to the other as you are completing the push up
An exercise progression can and should be done with all muscle groups
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