Q & A with Coach John

Question: Coach John, I’m trying to develop my kicks for my kickboxing. I want them to be faster and have more power. You’ve said that if I do the technique correctly and with speed, then I’ll have power, but I still don’t feel it! I want my kicks like yours, so…what do I do? David S.

Answer: Great question David and I have to say that if you’re doing the technique correctly and with speed, then you’re on the right track at least to developing powerful kicks. With that said, I tell you what I do, as well as why I do it, to develop the power and speed that I have.

First, here’s my leg workout I did last week:
200 Jumping Jacks
100 Squats
50 Squat Jumps
3 Rounds Shadow Sparring
Stretch
Run ½ Mile
10 Sprints
3 Rotations of: (all done with 100% speed and power on each kick.)
30 Shuffle Step Round (10 leg, 10 rib cage, 10 head)
30 Back Leg Round (Same)
10 Shuffle Round –drop-round
10 Back Leg round-drop-round
10 Shuffle Step Triple Drop Round
10 Back Leg Triple Drop Round
20 Front leg Round-drop-round
20 Back Leg Round-drop-round
2 Rotations of:
20 Slide Front Kick, jab, cross
20 Back Front Kick, cross, hook
20 Slide Side Kicks, jab cross
20 Jump Reverse Side Kick

Then I do Plyometrics:
100 Jump Switch Lunges
100 Squat Jumps
30 Single Leg High Step Jumps (each leg)
50 Jump Tucks



Of course my legs are fried by this time, so I just stretch out and call it a day…then vomit. In order to have better kicks, I have to kick… a lot. I have to make sure that they are explosive as well as technically correct, but what really get my kicks faster, stronger and more explosive is doing all of the plyometrics afterwards. They hit every fast-twitch muscle fiber used for kicking. Of course I do squat with heavy, moderate and light weight as well from time to time, but I will always mix in plyometrics to my training because I’m training to develop fighter’s muscle: fast, powerful and, well…simply harmful to others.