Muay Thai fighters have some of the most powerful kicks you’ll ever see in martial arts. One of the reasons why their kicks are so powerful is how they’re thrown.
Martial artists from backgrounds like kickboxing, Savate, and Karate tend to flick their kicks at their opponents, using the area where their feet meet their shins to make contact with their targets. Muay Thai fighters throw their kicks like how a baseball player swings a bat. They kick through their opponents, using their entire bodies to generate power for their kicks. Muay Thai kicks are thrown with so much force fighters often spin 360 degrees when one of their kicks misses.
If you’re looking to double the power of your kicks, you’ll need to master the correct form to maximize the power behind them and strengthen the muscles engaged when you throw. This article will explore some of the many ways you can double the power behind your kicks.
Double The Power Of Your Kicks With These Exercises
Ready to level up your Muay Thai game and throw more brutal kicks? Here are some exercises you should add to your workout routine:
1) Shadowboxing
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to master the correct form for all the kicking techniques you use if you want to double your power. These techniques have been refined for centuries, and they allow you to fully utilize your physical attributes when you throw.
Technical flaws like your weight not being thrown into the kick or not swinging your hands down afterward considerably reduce the power of your kicks. Ask for one of your instructors or advanced training partners’ opinion of your technique, even if you think you already have good form. They might be able to notice some things you’ve missed.
Shadowboxing is a tool that fighters use to work on their technique. You don’t need a training partner or instructor to shadowbox. You don’t even need all your gym gear. Just find a space and start fighting imaginary opponents.
Some of the most common technical errors Muay Thai fighters make when throwing kicks include:
- Keeping Both Hands Up: This leaves you unbalanced as you throw kicks, reducing the power behind them. Instead, allow the hand on the side you’re throwing the kick from to extend away from your face as you throw. Swing the arm downward to increase power and stability as you kick.
- Failing To Step And Pivot: You should always look to take a small step out and across your opponent’s body as you throw powerful kicks. This creates a better angle, so your kick lands with more power.
- Not Using Your Body To Generate Power: Your legs shouldn’t be the only power source when you throw kicks. Pivot your anchor leg, hips, core, and torso to generate more power for your kicks.
Simply improving your technique will lead to more powerful kicks in the gym. Shadowbox a few times a week to keep your technique sharp.
Heavy bag drills are another effective way to increase your kicking power. It’s what these training tools are designed for. A heavy bag allows you to throw techniques with full power without hurting yourself. The bag provides resistance against your kicks, strengthening the muscles involved in the movement.
Some of the heavy bag drills you should add to your training routine include:
Power Training Drills
This drill should be performed slowly and methodically to get the most out of it. The goal is to throw every kick as hard as you can. Don’t try to rush through the drill. Take your time while going through the circuit to get the most out of it. Here’s what a power drill looks like:
- Throw ten low kicks as hard as you can with each leg
- Throw ten roundhouse kicks to the body with each leg
- Throw ten roundhouse kicks with each leg
- Throw ten push kicks with each leg
- Throw ten front kicks with each leg
Feel free to add any other kick in your arsenal when performing this drill, like spinning heel kicks, question mark kicks, and switch kicks.
Interval Training Drills
These help to increase your power, speed, and endurance. Your power output is closely linked with your endurance since your strikes become less powerful as fatigue kicks in. This drill improves your ability to throw powerful kicks as you get tired.
Here’s an example of an interval training drill:
- Alternate throwing low kicks with both legs as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
- Alternate throwing low kicks with both legs focusing on keeping your technique as clean as possible for 30 seconds.
- Alternate throwing low kick with both legs focusing on connecting with maximum power.
Add any kicks you often use to the drill and repeat the process.
3) Resistance Training
Strengthening the muscles that are activated when you throw a kick also helps to increase your power output. Some of the muscles engaged when you kick include your glutes, quads, calves, core, and shoulders.
Target these muscles during your workouts, and your kicks will land with more power. The key to getting the most out of your workouts is working out explosively, so your work in the gym translates to the dojo.
4) Squats
Squats are one of the most effective exercises for improving lower body strength. Variations like jump squats are perfect for fighters since these are done explosively. Add squats to your workout routine, and it’s only a matter of time before your legs become stronger, making your kicks more powerful.
5) Deadlifts
Deadlifts are excellent for building up your posterior chain. This exercise also engages most of the muscles in your body, giving you a full-body exercise. There are countless variations of the deadlift, so find one that works for you and add it to your training routine.
6) Lunges
Unilateral exercises like lunges help to address muscle imbalances in your legs while strengthening your quads, glutes, and core. Lunges also improve your balance, posture, and stability, allowing you to throw more powerful kicks.
7) Hip Thrusts
Strong hips make your kicking techniques more powerful, so add them to your training routine. Find a barbell, load it with some weights, and place it on your hips as you bridge them up and down.
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