High Knee Raises
High Knee Raises
Is it okay to do dynamic high knee raises as part of the dynamic stretching warm-up and/or as part of my morning stretch routine?
Re: High Knee Raises
The reason full leg raises are done instead of the knee raises is that it's basically the same stretch, but when extending the leg it lengthens the muscles being stretched, resulting in a greater stretch.
If you watch Thomas Kurz in the following video, he demonstrates how the leg raises lead with the knee. So in any case, it is like doing a high knee raise, just with your foot extended more to enhance the stretch.
If you are doing the full leg raises like this, then a high knee raise would be unnecessary, as it is a lesser stretch anyhow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEnu-Dq-hbw
If you watch Thomas Kurz in the following video, he demonstrates how the leg raises lead with the knee. So in any case, it is like doing a high knee raise, just with your foot extended more to enhance the stretch.
If you are doing the full leg raises like this, then a high knee raise would be unnecessary, as it is a lesser stretch anyhow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEnu-Dq-hbw
Re: High Knee Raises
Oh yeah, that's true, but then what about the fact that I can lift my knee higher in high knee raises than in leg raises?
Also, I know that high knee raises are useful for not only improving your knee kicks, but also for developing a better Taekwondo- like roundhouse kick. So, if I don't need to do them in my morning routine or in my dynamic active stretch warm-up for kicking, then does this mean that I should only include high knee raises in the main part of my kicking or speed/technical workouts?
Also, I know that high knee raises are useful for not only improving your knee kicks, but also for developing a better Taekwondo- like roundhouse kick. So, if I don't need to do them in my morning routine or in my dynamic active stretch warm-up for kicking, then does this mean that I should only include high knee raises in the main part of my kicking or speed/technical workouts?
Re: High Knee Raises
That's because your muscles aren't lengthened by extending the leg. So you knee may come higher, but you aren't getting the stretch you would if your leg was also extended.REG wrote:Oh yeah, that's true, but then what about the fact that I can lift my knee higher in high knee raises than in leg raises?
As with other stretches, it's not how high or far apart your legs are that matters, it's the quality of the stretch you are getting. I often see people trying to put their feet on really high things, but they can't keep their base leg vertical. If their base leg were made vertical, then actually the angle between their legs would hardly be over 90 degrees.
That's all I would really use them for, it's a technical issue for the mechanics of your kicks. But there are better things to do to develop the flexibility for it.does this mean that I should only include high knee raises in the main part of my kicking or speed/technical workouts?