The next exercise that I am going to explain to you is deceptively simple to perform, however, the benefits that you can achieve in a relatively short period of time, if you are consistent in your workouts, are nothing short of astonishing. NO, this is not some silly miracle technique or secret training technique known only to a few who learned it from a Tibetan monk. It’s just a solid basic exercise paired with whatever kick or kicks you want to pair with it. So, without further delay, let’s get started!
BASIC SQUAT:
The starting position for the basic squat is executed facing straight ahead (squat position facing forward) while standing with feet approximately slightly wider than shoulder width and upper body and back straight . In this particular case, I want you to keep your hands up in a fighting stance, exactly like a boxer would.
From this position, slowly bend your knees, keeping your upper body and back straight and your hands up, as you lower yourself until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your head is raised with your eyes focused in front of you, not on the ground. Once you get to this position, slowly rise to your original starting position. Once you are familiar with this exercise and your body’s reaction to it, you can adjust the speed to alternate between doing slow reps and faster reps.
BASIC SQUAT VARIATION:
The only difference in this particular variation is that instead of standing facing straight ahead, I want you to stand more sideways (squat facing sideways) as you would if you were in a real fighting stance. However, one thing to remember is to keep your feet parallel to each other. Don’t actually put your feet in the position that you would normally have them in during an actual fighting stance.
From this position, slowly bend your knees, keeping your upper body and back straight and your hands up, as you lower yourself until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your head is raised and turned over your forward shoulder with your eyes focused in that direction, not on the ground. Once you get to this position, slowly rise to your original starting position. After doing a predetermined set of repetitions, switch your feet so that you are facing the opposite direction with the opposite side of your body now facing forward.
Once you are familiar with this exercise and your body’s reaction to it, you can adjust the speed to alternate between doing slow reps and faster reps.
Kicks:
The kick or kicks you decide to do is entirely up to you. My only recommendation is not to do any kind of jump kicks for several weeks until your legs have gotten used to the new training routine. You can execute your kicks at the height you prefer. The only thing you need to make sure of and do is alternate your legs after each squat, but we’ll talk about that later.
Squat Kicks (Exercise):
Begin standing in the front-facing squat or side-facing squat. Whichever position is most comfortable for you. Eventually, you will want to do this set of exercises from both positions.
Keeping your hands up and your upper body and back straight, slowly lower yourself until your upper thighs are parallel to the floor. At this point, slowly rise to your original starting position. However, when you begin to reach your original position, execute whatever kick you prefer with your right leg. Immediately after returning your kicked leg to the ground, slowly lower yourself back to the squat position. Repeat this again and then execute your favorite kick with your left leg. This constitutes one (1) repeat.
Execute this 10 times by executing the same kick ten times with each leg before moving on to the next kick.
Now I know what you are thinking. This is really simple! Well, you’re right, it’s simple, but extremely effective in building strength and endurance in your legs. Not to mention improving speed and power in your kicks.
RECOMMENDED ROUTINE:
I highly recommend doing the following routine 3-4 times a week. You will need to adjust the number of repetitions to suit your own fitness level.
Day one:
Knee Raise: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps (2 squats and 1 kick with each leg is one rep)
Up Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Front kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Side kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Back kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Day two:
Knee Raise: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps (2 squats and 1 kick with each leg is one rep)
Up Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Crescent Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Reverse Half Moon Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Round kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Day Three:
Knee Raise: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps (2 squats and 1 kick with each leg is one rep)
Up Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Ax Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Wheel Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Hook Kicks: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
Make sure you stretch correctly before attempting these exercises. They are simple by nature, but they are a very brutal workout for your legs. This can even be done while watching your favorite TV show. However, if you decide to do them at that time, I recommend that you perform the exercise during the show itself and take a break during the commercials. Try to work as far as you can to do this for the entire time your favorite show is playing.
Final note:
Feel free to leave me a comment on this routine and tell me how it works for you.
