3 Exercises to Develop Explosive Muay Thai Kicking Power
The roundhouse kick is a devastating weapon in the Muay Thai arsenal. Muay Thai fighters drill the roundhouse kicks over and over for shin conditioning and developing power. Kicks are also highly scored in Muay Thai fights as they can inflict considerably more damage.
Fighters spend years of daily training, kicking hard, heavy bags and pads in order to develop explosive kicking power. Fighters like Singdam and Superlek Kiatmoo9 are renowned athletes who excel in using roundhouse kicks. They have been known to finish fights with their kicks, breaking a few arms and ribs along the way.
Besides training hard at the gym with bagwork and padwork, there are other ways to develop explosive kicking power. These exercises require no special equipment and can be performed anytime and anywhere. For Muay Thai practitioners who are unable to train at the gym everyday, we recommend incorporating these exercises into your workout.
Here are three simple exercises that can help take your kicking power to the next level:
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Squats
Squat is one of the most recommended exercises for improving lower body and core strength. There are many variations of squats such as jump squats. For even more added difficulty to this exercise, try using a weighted vest or a pair of dumbbells for faster results.
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Lunges
Like squats, lunges help to build lower body strength in the quads and glutes. Lunges also help to train core/abdominal muscles which are engaged for stability, improving posture and balance. For added difficulty, perform this exercise with dumbbells.
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Burpees
Burpee is a full-body exercise and a complete workout on its own. Burpees help to build leg and core strength, boost cardiovascular endurance and accelerate metabolism for fat loss. You can easily get a high-intensity workout with burpees alone. Doing 100 burpees in a single session is a guaranteed way to get a good heart-pump and all the muscles burning.
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