My Shins.. bruised and hurt

So my question is how do I condition my shins so I can hit the bag at 100% ????

Seriously, they are all bruised up and I hit the bag like at 20% ....

Am I a wimp ??? Anyone got any tips?? ( I've already been through the other forums).

 

I would think that kicking a heavy bag should work.

From what I hear: All that stuff about kicking poles, whacking yourself in the shins with sticks, roliing sticks along your shins is bs and can be really bad for you in the long run.

PS: What do you mean by hitting the back?

 

I meant hit the bag, my bad.

I can't even hit the bag now..my shins feel like butter. they are bruised really bad.

 

Are your shins bruised from kicking a bag?

Because if they are, I dont think theres any other way (except maybe kicking a softer bag) to make them bruise less and still condition them. I think it's probably just something you'll have to get used to in that case.

 

yeah, from the bag. I really want to tuffen up my shins though so I feel no pain. any ideas grasshopper??

 

no not really, bag work was the only thing I could think of

take it easy perhaps?

 

Well I used to condition my shins by rolling an escrima stick up and down it. But apparently its "bs" so dont listen to me. Its not like it worked or anything.

 

Hey, don't worry... I used to condition my shins by playing a "game" with my buddies where we would kick each other's shins until one of us gave up. (stupid, yes, but it's how me and my friends compete) Then I realized the wonderful world of bagwork, and I haven't gone back to that (yet). During that period though, I was never once injured. Perhaps I was lucky?

Anyway, another way to condition your shins is to lightly but firmly tap your shins against the bag first. Once you get used to it, start hitting the bag a bit harder. Start off small, and work your way up. Find a comfortable starting point, and then as time progresses, increase the intensity.

 

It's not that it doesn't "work", it's that it doesn't strengthen the bones, just deadens the nerves. So you don't feel the pain, but you are much more likely to seriously injure yourself later on.

Bagwork is the only way I would recommend to condition the shins. Remember, you aren't just conditioning them for pain, but for impact.

In any case, be careful, don't overdo it, and take a break if you need to. The bruising and pain will go away with time.

 

Thanks guys!... yeah , I can barely walk right now and as a newbie to Muay Thai , were I learned to strike with my shins, I just am not sure if I am being a baby and can't hack it. I am usually mentally strong, but damn, the bag has just been kicking my shins ass

so will I ever be able to strike hard without pain??

 

Everybody has some body part or the other that gets to be a pain once in a while. My knees get cut and calloused very easily, and that affected my training for a period in time. I got over it though; just keep kicking that bag.

 

If you practice hard enough eventually it won't bother you.


I'm not a kickboxer, but I do believe in conditioning. I usually shin kick the bottom part of the heavy bag (where there's more sand) a couple hundred times. Seems to work pretty well for me, but as I said I'm not kickboxing.

 

My old conditioning bag used to be filled with pieces of densely packed cloth; perhaps a cloth filled bag may be softer on the shins?

 

holy crap. Yeah I kick the bottom part as the bag as well..but a hundred times ???? your crazy. I kick it 2 times and my shins hurt

Yeah I want to get to the point where I can just unload a thai kick and not feel any pain hopefully with practice I can do it!!

I dont wanna hit a soft bag, I want to hit hard!!!

 

Well with both legs... I just let my mind drift off when I start hammering them out, it's like a type of meditation, not nearly as bad as it sounds.
When you're doing this try to focus your mind on something else... even if it's just a spot on the bag in front of you. Keep your whole mind on that spot.

 

This is my advice: Take your shin and ram it into the bag on a regular basis. If you're hurting ram the hardest you can without feeling excruciating pain.
And yes rolling an escrima stick up your shin does nothing except kill nerves.

 

Picture your heavy bag as a would be assailant. Kick it as you would an aggressor. Keep kicking it for as long as you want or can. If you get in the right state of mind, it is medatative. If it was an atacker, the kick ould be hurting him alot more than you! keep that in mind, and it will seem worth it to keep progressing. Thats what I do.

 

Don't feel useless! Your new to Muay Thai. Tough shins are not natural, that's why we condition. Give it some time and you will realise that you can kick harder for longer.

 

thanks for all the encouragement people. I just hope that your right and that I will have "shins of steel" soon.

I know everyone is different, but If I kick the bag every other day, how long will it take for me to increase power???

 

This is one of the reasons why a diverse set of training techniques can be a good thing. Going all out all of the time leads to pain and possible injury... which leads to time when it is difficult or impossible to train.

My advice:
-set up a schedule of striking, work 10 reps in the air (slowly - to work on form), 10 reps on a soft bag or kick paddle, 10 reps against an opponent wearing a body guard, and 10 reps on a heavy bag. Rotate through several sets daily and increase the reops as you get more conditioned. In this way, you extend the amount of kicks you do, perfect the form, timing, delivery against a moving opponent, and practice against a hard target... all without getting hurt.