Taking leg kicks to strengthen legs?

[7even]

Does this is actually work? What’s happening here? Are the leg muscles getting stronger from taking punishment? Or is it that the nerves are becoming dull from taking strikes to the legs? I keep waking up at night because my left leg is in so much pain from taking leg kicks. I think it’s more nerve damage than muscle damage.

 

[DoctorTaco]

I don’t know the science behind it but it does work. If it didn’t then pro fighters would crumple after being kicked like any average Joe would if they got hit like that.

 

[Berzerk]

Sounds about right. Like taking body shots on purpose to get better conditioning to eat them in real fights.

 

[zapataxiv]

I don’t know the science behind it but it does work. If it didn’t then pro fighters would crumple after being kicked like any average Joe would if they got hit like that.

I think there are diminishing results though

is it a part of your curriculum or do they get that exposure from pads and sparring?

 

[DoctorTaco]

Ideally I like working in body conditioning once a week. I stole the format from a good friend/trainer out in virgina- you throw a hard punch to the guard and then a follow up shot to the body or leg.

these days the only kickboxing training I do with guys is private pad work and coaching so my boxing classes do the drill with body punching instead

 

[shincheckin]

I don't know the science of it either but it works.

Your front leg will end up becoming much more conditioned than your rear leg.

I learned the difference in tolerance between my front and rear leg by getting leg kicked to my rear leg a few times in a fight. It's much more sensitive than my front leg and hurt after only like 2 kicks.

Side note, leg kicking the rear leg is a good tactic, as it's usually more sensitive than the front.

 

[panamaican]

It has something to do with conditioning the nerve endings or deadening them. Repeated blunt force trauma to the same area causes damage to the tissue and the nerve endings in that area. Over time, scar tissue develops in that area and the nerve endings are damaged or destroyed. This makes the area less sensitive to future trauma. Still gets hurt, just fewer nerves to react to it. Over time, the nerve endings regenerate...unless you maintain the conditioning routine.

This reminds of how body conditioning can be used to develop better bones for fighting through repeated strikes causing microfractures that heal thicker and denser than before the damage. Done carefully, it's great. Done poorly, you cause lasting damage instead.

The human body's ability to adapt to whatever you're putting it through is pretty cool, imo.