After finishing my sets of adductor pulldowns recently, I was interested to see if rotating my supporting foot rearwards (as in final position for roundhouse or side kick) would change the height I can raise my leg to the side when supporting the weight. I found that this rearwards rotation reduced the height I could raise my leg from shoulder height to around navel height. I've come to the conclusion that this is why I seem to be getting more flexible but the improvement is not transferring into higher side or roundhouse kicks.
What is causing this and can anyone advise what exercises or stretches can allow me to fix this problem so I can increase the height of my kicks?
thanks
Jimmy
adductor pulldowns
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The Cougarkid
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Jan 22, 2008 16:03
- Location: uk
Re: adductor pulldowns
when you do your adductor pull down's your supporting leg is supposed to be facing forward and the leg pulling the weight isn't really supposed to be goin higher than navel height. you go to the same height as the split test, like a half split.
the reason you are getting more flexible but you kicks arn't getting higher could be to do with the alignment of your hips during the kick. it sounds as though you are trying to replicate the adductor pull down wen you should be trying to replicate a kurz front split. ie, your supporting leg shud be turned facing the other direction from which you are kicking, this makes the hips move freely. it cud also be that you have a strengh imbalance ie, uve trained your adductors to get stronger but your abductors are to weak to raise your leg any higher. the dynamic legs swings shud help this.
i have no idea whether this advice is 100% correct but hopefully it may help.
the reason you are getting more flexible but you kicks arn't getting higher could be to do with the alignment of your hips during the kick. it sounds as though you are trying to replicate the adductor pull down wen you should be trying to replicate a kurz front split. ie, your supporting leg shud be turned facing the other direction from which you are kicking, this makes the hips move freely. it cud also be that you have a strengh imbalance ie, uve trained your adductors to get stronger but your abductors are to weak to raise your leg any higher. the dynamic legs swings shud help this.
i have no idea whether this advice is 100% correct but hopefully it may help.
Re: adductor pulldowns
Hi Cougarkid,
Thanks for your feedback.
You are right, I have read the books, watched the DVD, read all of Mr. Kurz's notes etc and am aware of the correct foot position and height that I should be raising my pulling leg in adductor pulldowns. Its just that the small increase in my flexibility wasn't transferring into higher side or roundhouse kicks and this prompted me into experimenting with the position of my foot. I must emphasize that I'm not rotating my foot during adductor pulldown exercises. I am using correct form. After I had completed my sets one session I was just interested to see if there was a difference between how high I could raise my leg to the side with different foot positions. I found that if I rotated the foot rearwards (as in correct placement/form for side/roundhouse kick) the height I could raise my leg to the side decreased quite a bit.
I've thought about my kicking technique and hip alignment etc and am confident it is correct (3rd Dan Black Belt TKD). I'm definitely not replicating the adductor pulldown in my kicking technique. I'm 46 yo and just want to increase the height of my kicks to score higher for TKD poomsae (technical) competition. My kicks are currently about navel height with proper form. I've been plodding along for about 15 months now mainly doing adductor pulldowns and squats (with weights) and isometric side stretches (all in correct sequence) twice a week. I do relaxed butterfly stretches any chance I get (this started as a result of a groin strain and helped recovery - I've just kept going with it). I've had a few minor muscle strains along the way and this has also hindered my progress. I must admit that I don't do early morning dynamic stretches even though I know I should!
During dynamic stretches to the side I can raise my leg to shoulder/head height (I do lean slightly forward when doing this and I can raise my right leg higher than my left). I can't get to this height with my kicks and wonder whether there is a problem other than my adductors.
Can anyone help? I'm getting frustrated!
Jimmy
Thanks for your feedback.
You are right, I have read the books, watched the DVD, read all of Mr. Kurz's notes etc and am aware of the correct foot position and height that I should be raising my pulling leg in adductor pulldowns. Its just that the small increase in my flexibility wasn't transferring into higher side or roundhouse kicks and this prompted me into experimenting with the position of my foot. I must emphasize that I'm not rotating my foot during adductor pulldown exercises. I am using correct form. After I had completed my sets one session I was just interested to see if there was a difference between how high I could raise my leg to the side with different foot positions. I found that if I rotated the foot rearwards (as in correct placement/form for side/roundhouse kick) the height I could raise my leg to the side decreased quite a bit.
I've thought about my kicking technique and hip alignment etc and am confident it is correct (3rd Dan Black Belt TKD). I'm definitely not replicating the adductor pulldown in my kicking technique. I'm 46 yo and just want to increase the height of my kicks to score higher for TKD poomsae (technical) competition. My kicks are currently about navel height with proper form. I've been plodding along for about 15 months now mainly doing adductor pulldowns and squats (with weights) and isometric side stretches (all in correct sequence) twice a week. I do relaxed butterfly stretches any chance I get (this started as a result of a groin strain and helped recovery - I've just kept going with it). I've had a few minor muscle strains along the way and this has also hindered my progress. I must admit that I don't do early morning dynamic stretches even though I know I should!
During dynamic stretches to the side I can raise my leg to shoulder/head height (I do lean slightly forward when doing this and I can raise my right leg higher than my left). I can't get to this height with my kicks and wonder whether there is a problem other than my adductors.
Can anyone help? I'm getting frustrated!
Jimmy
Re: adductor pulldowns
Jimmy,
I have exactly the same problem, although I haven't progressed onto adductor pulldowns. When I perform the side leg raise, my feet have to be parallel. If the foot on the ground is turned away from the raising leg (as it should be for side and roundhouse kicks), the tightness in my hips does not permit a high leg raise. Instead I get pain in my hips. If however I keep my feet parallel, my side leg raises are OK and improving, with pelvis rolling forwards correctly. My problem, like yours I gather, is that the side leg raise/adductor pulls do not translate to a side or particularly a roundhouse kick (See my post dated March 29th 2008 re Dynamic leg raises. Unfortunately, I did not receive a reply to the question regarding the supporting foot being turned away from the leg raise). Could it be that we both need to practice dynamic leg raises with the supporting foot turned away from the kick/leg raise? The heights of our raises would be much lower, but they may translate to kicks more readily. Of course, I don't actually know myself and would love someone to assist. It is really frustrating !
Can anyone assist Jimmy and Jimbo ???
Jimbo
I have exactly the same problem, although I haven't progressed onto adductor pulldowns. When I perform the side leg raise, my feet have to be parallel. If the foot on the ground is turned away from the raising leg (as it should be for side and roundhouse kicks), the tightness in my hips does not permit a high leg raise. Instead I get pain in my hips. If however I keep my feet parallel, my side leg raises are OK and improving, with pelvis rolling forwards correctly. My problem, like yours I gather, is that the side leg raise/adductor pulls do not translate to a side or particularly a roundhouse kick (See my post dated March 29th 2008 re Dynamic leg raises. Unfortunately, I did not receive a reply to the question regarding the supporting foot being turned away from the leg raise). Could it be that we both need to practice dynamic leg raises with the supporting foot turned away from the kick/leg raise? The heights of our raises would be much lower, but they may translate to kicks more readily. Of course, I don't actually know myself and would love someone to assist. It is really frustrating !
Can anyone assist Jimmy and Jimbo ???
Jimbo
Re: adductor pulldowns
Hi Jimbo,
Thanks for the reply. Its nice to get some feedback and to find out I'm not the only person having this problem. I think its just a matter of persevering with all the dynamic exercises (especially side leg raises in this case) and concentrating on correct form until flexibility improves. Of course strength training and flexibility exercises (isometrics, static relaxed etc) should continue. I just found it interesting that the height of my side leg raises wasn't translating into higher side kicks. I'm not sure about your suggestion of practicing dynamic side leg raises with the foot turned away from the raising leg. This will probably work the hamstring of the supporting leg more than its adductors. This may be OK but it will not result in the same degree of isolation of the adductors that I think is intended in the dynamic side leg raise exercise. I may have even answered our own questions here. Perhaps its lack of flexibility in our hamstrings which is limiting the height of the kicks (when using correct technique) rather than our adductors? My feeling is that we should stick to the techniques Mr Kurz suggests and concentrate on correct form and sequence. However, it would be nice to get an opinion from someone more knowledgeable and experienced than ourselves.
cheers
Jimmy
Thanks for the reply. Its nice to get some feedback and to find out I'm not the only person having this problem. I think its just a matter of persevering with all the dynamic exercises (especially side leg raises in this case) and concentrating on correct form until flexibility improves. Of course strength training and flexibility exercises (isometrics, static relaxed etc) should continue. I just found it interesting that the height of my side leg raises wasn't translating into higher side kicks. I'm not sure about your suggestion of practicing dynamic side leg raises with the foot turned away from the raising leg. This will probably work the hamstring of the supporting leg more than its adductors. This may be OK but it will not result in the same degree of isolation of the adductors that I think is intended in the dynamic side leg raise exercise. I may have even answered our own questions here. Perhaps its lack of flexibility in our hamstrings which is limiting the height of the kicks (when using correct technique) rather than our adductors? My feeling is that we should stick to the techniques Mr Kurz suggests and concentrate on correct form and sequence. However, it would be nice to get an opinion from someone more knowledgeable and experienced than ourselves.
cheers
Jimmy