Isometric split progression

Exercises and routines for developing kicking attributes such as height, control, dexterity, accuracy, balance, speed, power, distance and timing. So far there are between 15 and 50 exercises for training each of these attributes.

Though at this rate I'll probably have serialised the whole book on MAP before the damn thing is even published!

 

You are correct. Overtraining leads to poor progress and injuries. So don't do it.

 

I've split some off-topic posts from this thread. Please keep this thread on-topic as a lot of people find Van Zandt's advice on flexibility very helpful.

 

Dear Van Znadt. SItuation is now. I finsihed with my cycling seasond, and now I combine runnng and cycling for my athletics workout, so I am better at tkd. Yesterday I was like 20k on cycle easy and slow ride, and today I had to run to catch my bus and now my legs hurt me as hel quadricipes and they are sore now for 4th day yesterday not tht severe. So now my workout plan of tkd is tht. 2-2.5 hours on monday, wednsday, thursday. tuesday and friday lil bit more than 1 hour. Than I should do 3 intesive athletics workouts with sprints, 2 weeks, 1 week recovery, 1 week stamina building, like 5 times 2hrs on cycle. And now I have to also incorperate every 2nd day isometrics, so how shld I combine all tht. Now I train for korea 2011, I am gonna train there at tkd university and I hope in few years if no injuries and if I am gonna be good enough, olympic games. And I think I also have craps now what to do about them, but just went 30min rrecovery cycle and 10min run and I did iso last time 3 days ago. all the best

 

My last question....

What kind of kick routine would be good for slow kicks and would I do them every day?

I was thinking something like this to do everyday -

Slow Kicking:

15 axe kicks (each leg)
15 roundhouse kicks (each leg)
15 side kicks (each leg)

Static:

Touch your toes to stretch hamstrings
Butterfly stretch
Leg stretch sitting (put left leg out and tuck your other leg right below your knee while sitting down).

Isometric stretching switch from straddle to front split every day.

 

Funniest thing is tht when I go into side split 8-10 inches missing to floor but adducturs flies exercsies, I can barely spread my legs when u lie on ur back and move sideways ur legs. I am f... 5 days sore :S On weekend I went easy cycling for 40min-1h. all the best

 

Hi DVZ,
Regarding the direction that the feet point when doing the side split stretch, I looked at your photo at the top of your blog. Your hips and toes are pointing forward, but I don't see how you could do this when you aren't doing the full splits ie. already touching the ground. If you are still 6 or 8 inches above the ground, wouldn't you have to be upright ie. your hips alligned up in order to bear extra weight in a backpack, etc? But your toes would still have to point forward to maintain balance. Is this acceptable?

ps I'm now at level 4. Haven't been extremely sore, but feel strength starting to improve in being able to hold the stretch at the limit! Thanks again!

 

Hmmm, this does look awesome indeed. Getting along in the early stages!

I have a couple of things to ask though Mr Van Zandt, and thanks again for all the work!

If I take my strength training as Bill Wallace's video: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJF2rLaRAZM"]here[/ame] cardio as my three mile run and these stretches as flexibility training, is the correct order:

Bill Wallace's Vid
*rest ten minutes*
Isometrics (if a stretching day)
*rest ten minutes*
Run 3 miles
*dinner/bedtime*

?

Also, with the action of 'tensing' for the stretch, should I be focussing on trying to essentially squeeze my thighs together through the floor? Any better way of visualising it?

Cheers again for this!

 

Slow kicks = doing your techniques at 1/2 to 1/4 speed.

Static kicks = executing your kick and holding it in place at full extension.

Slow kicks build strength to perform your kicks with better control and dexterity. Static kicks are mostly for perfecting your form (ideal if you do patterns/kata).

 

You mean - you achieve greater ROM in your side split on the floor than in the adductor fly with your legs in the air? Probably because the weight pressing down on the target muscles during the side split reduces your body's ability to resist during the movement. Also due to the SAID Principle* flexibility is largely position specific - hence why a lot of people who can do splits can't automatically do high kicks, so they have to train strength in their kicking position(s) too (slow and static kicks, etc).

* SAID Principle - specific adaptation to imposed demands. Your body performs according to how you train.

 

Apologies if my directing you to my blog photo caused a bit of confusion. I'm leaning forward onto my arms in that picture because it somewhat takes the weight off my hips, which I have to do because of my current difficulties with my joints.

Is this the position you mean?



If so, then yeah, that's acceptable. In fact it's the ideal position, because you have your body weight + weighted rucksack/vest pressing down onto the target muscles (adductors) thus increasing the intensity of your contractions.

Great to hear you can feel your strength improving.

 

You have the order of exercises fairly spot on. For more information about arranging your workouts, check out the following link at Thomas Kurz's website:

http://stadion.com/column_stretch17.html

You describe the action of tensing during isometrics well. Another way to describe it is by trying to "pinch" the floor with the inside of your thighs (in the side split, for example).

 

Hey van zandt I had to reduce my workload since wedsnday a lot, I just go on workouts do few kicks and help clubmates to prepare for competitions. I feel strong pains in my quadricipes, on side part, yesterday I had cycling shorts under dobok, today I feel better. It happenes to me,when I run to catch bus I feel strong pain in my legs, and also masagge helped me. Also when I play soccer when I kick ball I feel strong pain in my quadricipes. It's now almost like for a week now, but now pain started to vanish. Today did cycling and taekwondo workout without problems Last time, I did iso was on monday. When shld I do them again, and my primary goal is nice kicks for taekwondo, should I also do static slow kicks and how to practice them and how often. all the best

 

Program speedsheet

Hi Guys,

I've created a training spreadsheet of Dans isometric progressions featured in this thread. You can grab it through my blog (yes I know its a shameless plug for my blog).

The .pdf file is downloadable at the very bottom of the latest post about this plan.
http://training4splits.blogspot.com/2010/10/isometrics-plan.html

 

Nicely done

 

How exactly does the front split progressions look like? I google it and there are people that do it standing, and doing it with one knee on the ground. It never feels right when I'm doing it, am I not supposed to feel any stretch on my back leg? Thanks for any help

 

Hey guys I got kicked today in my hand finger and I can move it quite, and bottom of finger hurts but not a lot. It's not swelled just lil bit, but I have feeling like my other fingers are heavy. what are symptoms of broken bone, I dont wanna spend several hours in hospital on x-ray. all the best
And another question? Is nowadays olympic taekwondo fight or sport?As I never wanna kick ass out of my opponent, I just play it like game on scores and I never kick strong in head. But guy today kicked me, when I smashed into some object for kicking, he kicked me in finger. And he was 30sec before angry on me why I back up and dont wanna fight. enjoy ppl

 

Dude, this is seriously in the wrong thread- injuries thread anyone?

 

Injuries, sport vs street defense, conflict resolution, anger management...virtually any thread but isometric progressions lol

 

In terms of training load (sets, reps, weight etc) the details remain the same for the front split as they are for the side split. In terms of what position you should be doing, the answer is [generally] one which permits you the most leverage to maximally contract the target muscles - which, in this case, would primarily be the hamstrings and, to a much lesser extent, the hip flexor of the rear leg. My preference is for the following:



I focus almost all of the tension in the hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus) of the front leg) because I train the adductors [target muscles of the back leg] during my side split sets.