Can you toughen your shins for Muay Thai kicks at any age?

Question

Can I build up my shins even though I'm in 30's? I'm new to kickboxing training. My shins get very sore sometime but I want to strengthen them up.

Answer 1

JV gives good answers.

There is something more scientific going on as well. What you are talking about is bone conditioning. In which by placing trauma on the bone you are causing microfractures, those fractures then repair themselves making the bone thicker and more dense.

Additionally it is killing nerve endings in your shins, yes the pain is much easier to accept when it doesn't hurt as bad. This isn't just a fooling of your brain, this is actually killing nerve endings.

Pain is a natural part of it, but it shouldn't be sharp or severe.

Don't listen to any crazy stuff about kicking trees, wooden poles, sandbags, rocks etc. That will injure you most definately, and Thai boxers in Thailand don't do all that stuff that they are rumored to do. They start like everyone else.

You start with kicking a banana bag or heavy bag repeatedly. The same as you would any strike, develop power, kill nerves, etc. This will also cause bone conditioning and do so in a rate that is much easier to recover from. Do it 3 times a week or so, not every day.

Soon you will be able to kick harder, your technique more sound and the pain will be less.

Thais do this for a long period of time, eventually working up to kicking on bamboo trees (because they are very soft).

Look any professional fighter will tell you that checking a kick hurts period. Getting a kick checked hurts even more.

You can develop yourself where it doesn't hurt as much, and you are able to throw your kicks harder.

Yes you can do this still at 30. You can do this at 40. Unless you have a bone condition, then you are fine.

Just stick to heavy bags, thai pads, and banana bags. Don't, don't don't go around kicking any poles, trees, wood, sandbags, rocks, or anything hard. That is just stupid, and you won't see any fighter doing that.

Sandbags compact and become like cement, you ever hit the bottom of a heavy bag that hasn't been used in a while? Anyway, you don't see boxers punching walls, and you won't see Thais kicking fenceposts. They use soft impact, and that will get you what you need safely and soundly.

Pads and bags my friend, pads and bags. Leave the trees alone.

Good luck kickboxing is great fun and very useful, not to mention a great workout.

Good luck, and keep in mind that 30 is not that old. It's not like you are 60. In fact most fighters reach their peak in the early to mid thirties, it is when your body finally starts to settle into itself, you are no longer growing and you haven't started to deteriorate yet. It is a good age.

Answer 2

There really isn't anything there to toughen. I mean it's not like there is a muscle covering the bone that you can build up or anything. What you have to do is train your mind to accept the pain and that can be done at any age.

Let's face it, blocking a kick with your shin and going shin on shin is going to hurt. You just have to accept that fact, work through the pain and get used to it.

Toughening the shins by beating on them is not about the shins themselves, it's about the brain and building up your pain tolerance.

The fact is you have chosen an Art in which pain is the normal condition.

Answer 3

I have been practicing Muay Thai for 4 years now and have developed dense shins. Since day one what I have done is with a bamboo stick lightly beat my shins for a few minutes a day along with kicking a Thai bag. After the process you shins will be very sore after a while it just all goes away. What you’re actually doing is making tiny breaks in your shin and when the break heals and calcifies it makes for a stronger shin bone.

Answer 4

No, bone strength and density are important. If you are too young or too old you will break your leg and shatter it. Best way to know is to have a dr ensure that your bones are strong and safe for such kind of training.

If you have the ok, then it is common to kick your shins against a wood pole or such which will slowly take the sharpness off your shins and dull them which will cause you less pain inthe future but you are literally shaping those shins into blunt bones rather than the edge they have now.

What JV says is correct too, its alot in your mind being able to handle the punishment.

Answer 5

u can toughen ur shins (& any other body parts) at any age. u should have no problems with brittle bones etc if ur in ur 30s. In traditional Muay Thai fighters often deaden the nerves in their shins, fists & forearms by hitting bags full of stones & sand & by rubbing special ointments into their skin to toughen it up.
It is going to hurt there is no way around that. I have done varous martial arts since I was about 6yo & I have many chips & bumps in my shins & arms & several flattened & damaged knuckles from doing various exercises to toughen various parts of my body.

Answer 6

YOu can still toughen your shins in your 30s. It gets tougher as you age, because to toughen your shins, you actually injure them slightly, and then heal... Ever hear the saying "What doesn't kill you, will make you stronger?" Shin toughening is based on this. Your healing process actually makes an injured area tougher than before.

Answer 7

Hi
I think it is possible to hardened any body part regardless of age, but you have to be aware of your limits and let your body recover from every training session.
For me (I'm 33) it works to massage my shins after a hard kicking session with Boxing Liniment, they sell this stuff at chinesse stores, make sure you do it for at least 15 min. per leg.
Good luck

Answer 8

when i started sparring my shins were constantly sore. but by the time the shinguards i ordered showed up, they had toughened up quite a bit. just give it time and eventually they'll start killing nerve endings. ^__^

geez...that sounded kinda morbid....

Answer 9

There's plenty of good advice here already but I have to add that it's good to use DIT DA JOW linament after conditioning. It helps heal and break up stagnated blood. It's also good for sore muscles. Just rub it on where you need it.