strengthening thighs and knees

as dodgy as the topic heading sounds, () i need to get the strength up in my thighs. before starting martial arts i didn't really do a hell of a lot of exercise, so now i have wibbly jelly legs, and can only hold stances for about three seconds before falling over and writhing around in agony.

so.... besides just holding my stances for longer and longer and longer... how do i strengthen my thighs? what exercises can i do?

and... i hurt my knee badly when i was a kid, and now it kind of has the tendency to bend sideways if i do something silly like run. are there any exercises i can do to make my knees stronger?

or should i just be talking to my si-heng about all this?

would appreciate the help muchly!

 

Squats, probably just bodyweight ones to start with although you should aim to build up to squatting with a weight.

 

*embarrassed*

i don't even know how to do a squat....

i have, like, literally, done no exercise since i ran around on the farm as a kid.

 

Try this

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mitchsquatdsl.wvx

 

Its basically standing with your feet shoulder width apart, and squatting down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make suer you keep your heels on the floor all the way and your there.
This is fine for bodyweight squatting, although id look up some technique videos to get a good idea when you start using weights.

 

Squats, burpees, and hill sprints are all fantastic no weight leg strengtheners.

 

ok, so if anyone does kung fu- squats are like going into ma bu, except with your feet closer together? i could do that.

what on earth is a "burpee"??

 

Like a squat thrust except you jump up explosivly after each one, and you can also add a pushup.

 

woooo. that sounds painful.

 

It can get worse; try chucking a weighted vest or a medicine ball into the mix.

 

Or doing it Tabata style :cry:

 

eish. no thanks. we're already putting bricks on our legs in the stances. i am but a baby kungfuist.

whaaa?

 

Do yourself a favour if you start squatting and go all the way down if you have the flexbility. That means go down until your hamstring contact your calves. Don't bounce, just go down, stop, and drive back up.

Too many people who say they go to parallel don't actually get down to parallel and lose a lot of the benefits of the exercise. And there are arguments and suggestion that it is easier on the knees to go all the way down. Anyway, ATG is the way to go if you can, and its best to start that way now.

 

will try that. thanks.

 

http://www.cbass.com/Squats.htm

I tend to agree with Clarence and do squats similar to him. Bar high up (when you progress to weighted squats), knees pass the toes somewhat, and ATG. Notice the top of the quad actually looks parallel in that photo... makes me wonder what "to parallel" really means.

 

Squats are good. Lunges are good. Deadlifts are real good.

Hill sprints or stair sprints build leg strength and endurance.

Have fun!!

BTW - do not overdo it - no more than X2 /week

 

in that link it shows him resting his heel on something. I;m not a fan of that, you should be driving up from the heel.

good advice from Nick K. Dont forget to strengthen your core. DL will help the lower back but you will need strong abdominals and hip flexors. do leg raises and situps.

 

In the third photo he does, but not the first photo.



I've never put anything under my heels either.

 

or if you wanted to really hammer the legs and work those little supporting muscles in the ankle and knee, try running along a pebble/snady beach!

gotta love where i live!

hills to the back, forest in the middle, sea at the front

 

my brother went to uni in Pompey. random fact I know