March 13th, 2011
By Tim Valencia – TKS Inland Empire Kicking Coach
First, I covered what specifically makes you kick farther, next I covered which muscles work to make you kick farther, now I will cover more of what you can do to train yourself to kick farther .
Last week I wrote about the two types of muscles Type I and Type II. While Type II is the one to focus on, Type I must not be neglected. Think of it this way, if Type II is Chris Johnson, Type I would be Brandon Jacobs. Power, Strength, Mass, these are giving your body mass which means more potential energy to be transferred into the ball.
Below is a list of specific exercises/ the muscle groups and the repetitions that I often include in my workouts:
Leg Press- Quadriceps and Hamstrings-8 Reps Heavy Weight slow motion on down and full pressure pushing up
Calf Raises-Calves- 12-15 reps. As much weight as you feel comfortable with- Slow deliberate motions to really feel burn
Power Cleans-Hip and Quadriceps 7-9 Reps Medium Weight
Box Squats-Quadriceps 7-8 High Weight, slow deliberation and quick explosion on standing back up
Leg Extensions- Quadriceps- High Weight 8-10 reps Full range while staying stationary through the entire exercise
If you can’t tell already , certain lifts focus on really tearing the muscle fiber through slow deliberate movement. The intent is so when the fibers heal the muscles gain mass. Also, the lifts that focus on the quick completion of the second part of the lift focus on quickness and explosion. This is to still engage the Type II muscles in the end phase of the lift.
As always with weight lifting –only lift with what you comfortable with and lift with a spotter. Conversely, stretching is not just encouraged but required. Not only in the recovery aspect, but also in the strengthening. Don’t believe me go through one session of Bikram yoga and see if you feel any difference in your kicking ability/ strength.
The next step for you would be to continue on with this lifts like these in combination with constant stretching.
The Kicking System 