Any exercises for your shins/lower leg?

Question

Mainly for fighting/combat scenarios. I noticed how muay thai fighters and other related martial artists can strike an opponent with such a devastating force with only their shin and sustain seemingly no damage to themselves, even when striking directly to the other person's leg (like kicking a tree!)

anyone know what steps i could take to reach such a level?

Answer 1

If you mean shin kicks (Thai style kicking) then yes you can condition the bone and kill the nerves in your shin so that you can do that.

(btw, even after years getting your kicked checked still hurts)

You see Thai guys kicking banana trees, because they are soft and have some give.

Best way to do that is to start by kicking a heavy bag or banana bag repeatedly. Start off doing 30 or more per leg. You will find after a while you can kick it harder and harder.

You will be causing microfractures in your bones, they will heal and mend themselves filling in the gaps between muscular cells. Thus hardening the bone.

You will also be killing nerve endings in your shins, thus allowing you to hit harder without it hurting you.

Don't do any of the crazy stuff you see on movies and try kicking anything hard, don't hit yourself with sticks or bats, or roll hard objects over your shins...

If you want the dirty ghetto way cuz you don't have access to a heavy bag, then get some cushions (like boat cushions, or things you sit on at a staduim) and attach them to a tree that is slightly bigger than your leg. Keep adding cushion, you want to be able to kick it as hard as you can without actually feeling the tree. It is only there as support.

The impact on a padded surface with support is enough to do what you need. This in a sense is a make shift ghetto makiwara for kicking.

Don't place it too high up, mainly leg kick level, that will allow you to put as much force as you can into it.

If you go to a good school and have a heavy bag and Thai pads, then work like that. Kicking the Thai pads and doing multiple reps on the heavy bag.

That is a quick rundown on how to bone condition(body harden) your shins Thai style.

Hope that helps...


**EDIT: Do not work up to small fence posts, trees, or anything hard. That will get your hurt no matter how much you have done. Stick with the bags, that is all you need, never go around kicking hard objects.... (in response to the above poster)


**** Double Edit: Wow Guvna.... it is very flattering to see my own words lol. Was it you who I answered this question for before? Guvna's answer is right on, mainly because it is my exact answer copy and pasted from this very same question asked by someone else lol...

Answer 2

I would say a banana bag over a heavy bag. Most heavy bags sand sinks to the bottom and causes you to develop kicking much higher than needed.

A good strong banana bag (very large heavy bag, very long), start by kicking say 20 times each leg with Thai kicks. (Utilizing the blade of your shin). Start moving it up to 40 or 50 times, each time blasting it as hard as you can.

Starting out, do a session once every other day. This will help kill the nerve ending in your shins, as well as begin callouses and cause microfractures in your bones that will heal and cause the bone to become more dense and strong.

Soon you will find that you are able to kick the bag harder and harder.

No kicking solid objects, or doing any of the crazy stuff like hitting your shins with sticks or rolling bats on them.

Just good ol kicking heavy bags, or anything that is has some give but a solid base.

Don't have access to a heavy bag, or banana bag?

Use some seat cushions and tie them/nail them, whatever to a tree. (basically making a makeshit makiwara of sorts. Start kicking there.

Keep in mind not a huge tree, something slightly bigger than your own thigh, and use enough cushion that you never really feel the hard surface of the tree on your hardest kick.

That is just a ghetto backyard way to do it if you don't have access to a gym with a heavy bag or banana bag.

In my opinion a banana bag is the best.

Sorry Judomofo, having a kind of bad day 2day and feeling really lazy!!

Answer 3

The only way to get to that level of toughness is to train your shins to get used to the pain. Repeatedly kicking a tree will probably just do more damage than good though, so one way to work your way up is to start by kicking a heavy bag with your shin. Work your way up until you are kicking with all your force. This will cause micro-fractures along the edge of your shin, while still leaving the nerves intact. When your shin heals itself it will gradually heal harder and harder. When you feel like your not hurting yourself by kicking the heavy bag with all your might, step up to a more resistant target such as a small tree or fence post. Again, start off gently to wear down the shin and gradually work your way up until you are kicking the tree or post with all your might and aren't getting injured. Once you reach that level, your shins will be as hard as a Muay Thai fighter's.

Answer 4

You've been watching those damn Gung Fu movies again...

There is much to be said for proper technique, proper timing and proper kick placement. Oh ya and this thing called practice. Get to the heavy bag and practice 500 roundhouse kicks each side a day. Then you too will have a devastating kick, with minimal damage to your limbs...

lr

http://www.pacificwingchunassociation.com

Answer 5

i agree with the guys a heavy bag or banana bag is great for starters..

after you get acustom to the toughness of the bag and can take that impact i'd move over to a makiwara post that is padded and wrapped from top to bottom, here's how to make your own striking post: http://ctr.usf.edu/shotokan/makiwara.html

there are also two person drills you can do:

my husband and i start out in our fighting stances
i throw a gentle low-line roundhouse(muay Thai) kick to his shin as he blocks my kick..
then he repeats the same kick as i block with my front leg..
we slowly progress into stronger kicks as our shins become comfortable with the impact..
we usually do about 20 per leg, switching our stance to southpaw after 10 kicks..

now there are always risks when it comes to body hardening.. your limbs aren't made to take the force and abuse you chose to put them through and you definitely will pay for it in your later years, with things like arthritis and calcium deposits.. it's a choice you have to make for yourself.. yeah, 60 might seem a world away, but you have to ask yourself if you are willing to spend that time with aches and pains and imobility.. it's a choice we all have to make..

hope this helps!

~*good luck*~

Answer 6

when I played soccer an exercise that I did for shin was to put a towel/blanket on the floor and stand on it...then grab the towel using your toes only so that you bring in and bunch up the towel towards you. you can also add a weight on the towel to increase resistance

Answer 7

Run up and down stairs as much as you can... this helps with overall leg fitness and even does a bit for the arms that are pupming up and down struggling to help the legs get up the stairs. :)

Answer 8

got hurt huh?.......well i play softball so i get hurt there all the time one thing you can do is.....but like a book or a leg weight on ur shin and do 4 sets of 15 and lift it or ride it like a bike

Answer 9

Cycling,Squats or Leg weights.

Answer 10

split your shin bones when they heal they'll be hard as nails but you will pay when your older.and you spelt your name wrong the m is upside down it should be w.