How to Improve Leg Strength for Karate Kicks?

I want to get stronger legs in order to hold kicks for karate katas, and be able to balance better. I have problems holding kicks in places, and for certain kicks even getting the kick high enough. At this point I am extremely flexible and it has been determined strength is the issue for holding kicks and getting better balance. So, any drills? Thanks!!|||balance


make sure your supporting leg is bent.


you have good posture.


and your technique is correct


practice








edit:%26gt; nick to throw a kick and drop it in front of you is easy.


to go in slow motion through proper form and holding it. take a lot of practice. it improves your balance, strengthens muscles, and show control. i%26#039;m sure i%26#039;m missing a few points here but in short thats part of the reason.





when you do a push at normal speed that easy.


do your push up and hold it (hold yourself off the ground about inch for about 30 secs) do 30 push ups like that. you will see a differences ver%26#039;s the normal speed one.|||Kick..a lot


Do a light warm up and strech


1. get 2 pads at 2 heights stomach and head usually


kick lower pad first, drop leg, lower then higher, drop, lower higher lower, drop etc


try and stop your leg in between heights to make yourself really drag that leg up to the higher pad


2. Hold your leg in the air, sounds obvious but dont go for minute holds, try maybe 10 seconds but concentrate on height, 10 seconds at 5cm higher than comfortable is better than a minute in your comfort zone


Start with twice a week because your legs will be too sore to get the full benefit if you repeat to regularly


Come back to me if you want more ideas. I used to find that same problem i cud kick once really high but never hold it or do it slowly.|||DO NOT RUN!!!





running releases cortisol a stress hormone which actually traps body fat


it also releases more acid into your system and that eats away muscle





look at a cross country runner


theres no muscle or fat on them


theres nothing on them








squat


farmer walks (pick up something heavy and just walk while holding it, it works shoulders and legs)


more squats





then work your core, roundhouse kicks come from your core


your core also helps keep you balanced


after that


start by putting a little piece of wood on the ground or try to get it up in the air about a foot and balance on it, lift one leg, put it down lift the other





ive gotten to the point where i can balance on a barbell for several seconds by distributing my weight back and forth, i can hold high kicks from roundhouse for several seconds or go very slow motion





i can throw a high kick out sideways and go in slow motion but i cant hold it up high yet||| Cable pulls every possible way you can do them(pulling down and raising or extending with leg straight).Stretching with leg as high as you can get it to(remember to keep support leg and foot correct).You want to strengthen the hip/butt muscles for keeping the leg up and extended,also use the leg-scissor machine both ways.Stretch after workout.|||I recco jogging. you will not get the immediate results that come from leg presses and squats but in 15 years your knees and lower back will thank-you.


The strength in your karate kicks should come mostly from your hips. Not your legs. You only need enough leg strength to maintain control.


Start standing on one leg while your other leg is in a proper chamber for karate (heel on the plane in front of the standing knee). Keep your standing leg bent, stay low. Hold it as long as you can. Begin to practice your kicks in slow motion with 110% control.|||I%26#039;m sorry since I%26#039;m speaking from inexperience, but why would you want to hold a kick in the air?





My answer would have been kick a banana bag and that kicking power is usually more technique and flexibility than actual strength, but I guess that%26#039;s not your interest at all.





Edit: I certainly couldn%26#039;t imagine ever wanting to drop a kick in front of me, but for a few reasons, drilling to hold one out in the air just seems worse.|||low stances and squats to condition your quads....balance? just stand in akward positions, anything that bothers your balance, keep doing it to get used to it.|||Balance is your issue.|||running and squats work out your legs alot (: