w w w. e l a s t i c s te e l .

c o m

E-BOOK
SIDE KICK
HEIGHT TRAINING

S id e Ki ck Heig ht Training
For t ra i n i n g to b e effective it has to be
high ly focu se d a nd speci fi c. In order to
imp rove yo u r si d e ki ck tech n i qu e, you
mu s t b ui ld u p flex i bi l ity an d stren gth i n
e ach of t h e co m p on ent s of a side kick:

Sup p ortin g l eg.

To r s o .
Ki c k in g l eg.
 Let ’s g o ove r e a c h o n e , w h at mu scle s a re invo lve d, w hy we must
t rai n t h e m an d how we should tra in them.

Kicking Leg
To u n d e r s t a n d t h e k i c k i n g l e g , t h i n k o f a b a r b e l l p u s h j e r k . T h a t ’ s w h e n
y o u h o l d t h e b a r b e l l o n y o u r u p p e r c h e s t , i n s t a n d i n g p o s i t i o n . Yo u u s e
a short leg push to accelerate the bar up and extend the arms over
your head.

The little leg jerk is done because the arms are not strong enough to
press the weight with assistance. The arms, in this case, is the kicking
l e g . Wo u l d y o u t r y t o d o a p u s h j e r k o r e v e n a b a s i c s h o u l d e r p r e s s , i f
you can’t lift your arms all the way up to vertical position, because you
lack shoulder mobility? Of course, you would not.

What if your shoulder was not strong enough to even hold your arms
there, would you add additional weight? Of course not. And yet people
kick without having proper range of motion or strength.

There is no way a proper technique can ever be developed. Never an

optimum power, or speed or accuracy. Why? Because your body is more
concerned about you not getting injured, than about “mastering” the
skill.

Requirements for a proper Side Kick

A proper side kick performing leg, requires flexibility in the muscles that
prevent abduction (lifting the leg to the side) and prevent medial rotation.
(Abduction and medial rotation is what your kicking leg is doing, during
side line kicks.) While the medial rotators and adductors need to be
strong.

But, not just generally strong. They must be strong in short range. Short
range is where muscle is completely flexed. Also, strong hip and knee
flexors (to have a good chamber). A beginner who starts kicking, can’t
possibly have this.
 Kicking Leg

How to Train It

1.- Place one knee

to the floor and the
other to the side as
shown in the picture.

Go as deep as you can go

until you feel a very light stretch.

2.- Now the sequence of the

exercise begins. Pay attention to
each step.

Without moving anything else,

bring the hip forward and tilt your
pelvis back contracting your
glutes:

3.- Ri g ht away, a s yo u
bring it back to neutral go
deeper into the stretch.
Fro m here o n yo u can repe at the ste ps:
b r i ng hi p s fo r wa rd fo r a se cond, as you
co m e b a c k to n e u t r a l g o even de e per into
the stretch.

Remember not to let go of the stretch

Now you are deeper into
the stretch and this took w he n yo u b r i ng t he hi p s fo rwards, in othe r
just 2 seconds! words, don't come up, always go deeper
p e lv is to the fl oor.

A l s o ke e p i n m i nd t hat i n your particular

c a s e t he m ove m e nt m ay n ot be this w ide ,
we are exaggerating it so you know what
yo u have to d o . I n yo u r c a s e i t w i l l be 1
d e gre e o r l e ss for eve ry re p.
 This is what a full sequence may look like,
exaggerating the moves:

Yo u c a n a l t e r n a t e s i d e s a n d d o a f e w s e t s , Yo u ' l l d o p r e f e r a b l y 1 0 p e r s i d e , d o i n g a s e t
you'll get deeper and deeper with eat set. of 20 Cossack Squats every two or three sets.

Starter Position

Now let's compare where you are starting and what

you are getting before you come outAnd
of thisafter applying
dynamic stretc h :
So you are starting here:
theAnd
different moves
after applying you
the different
So you are starting here: end up
moves you here:
end up here:

Ag a in , re memb er it may t a ke yo u a few se ssio n s u nt il yo u g et to t he fi n al p o s i ti o n ,

this is just so you get the point and how to move to do the exe rcis e .
Aga in, rememb er it may t a ke yo u a few se ssio n s u nt il yo u g et to t h e fin al p o s i ti o n ,
Re me mber about the key points highlighted above and give it a few tries until you un d er st a n d i t com pl etely.
this is just so you get the point and how to move to do the exercis e .
 Supporting Leg

Kicking height of the side line kicks, depends on the flexibility of the
supporting leg or standing leg.  In order to throw a high kick, the
kicking side of the pelvis must tilt up. If the pelvic does not tilt, the
kicking hip abduct no more than 45 degrees.

This means that a kick will be thrown no higher than the knee. Even a
kick to the groin requires 90 degrees abduction (abduction is lifting
of the leg to the side).

So the pelvic position must change. Once the pelvis moves, the
flexibility of the supporting leg comes into play. Of course not just
flexibility, but also strength.
 Supporting Leg

How to Train It
1.- Place your foot on an
elevated surface and face it
sideways. Bend your knee
s l i g ht ly. G o a s fa r a s yo u c a n g o
without feeling a stretch. Now
the sequence of the exercise
begins.

Pay attention to each step.

2.- Without moving

anything else, extend your
knee (move the knee
down), until you feel a
slight stretch.

3.- Ri g ht away, b e n d i t
back up and lower your
to r s o to t h e s i d e s l i g ht ly.

Fro m here o n yo u can repe at the ste ps:

ex te n d t h e k n e e s l i g ht ly for a se cond,
b e nd i t b a c k u p a nd go d e epe r, and so on.
Now you are deeper into
the stretch and this took Remember not to move the torso up when
just 2 seconds!
yo u are ex tend i ng t he knee, ot h e r w i s e yo u
won't get any gains.

A l s o ke e p i n m i nd t hat i n your particular

c a s e t he m ove m e nt m ay not be this w ide ,
we are exaggerating it so you know what
yo u have to d o . I n yo u r c a s e i t w i l l be 1
d e gre e o r l e s s for eve ry re p.
 This is what a full sequence may look like,
exaggerating the moves:

Yo u c a n a l t e r n a t e s i d e s a n d d o a f e w s e t s , Yo u ' l l d o p r e f e r a b l y 1 0 p e r s i d e , d o i n g a s e t
you'll get deeper and deeper with eat set. of 20 Cossack Squats every two or three sets.

As knee
goes up...

... torso comes

closer to leg

As knee
goes up...

... torso comes

closer to leg

knee goes down

for a second

Starting - Ending Points

And
And after
after applying
applying
So
So you
you are
are starting
starting here:
here: the
the different moves
different moves you
you
end
end up here:
up here:

Aga in, rememb er it may t a ke yo u a few se ssio n s u nt il yo u g et to t h e fin al p o s i ti o n ,

Aga in, rememb er it may t a ke yo u a few se ssio n s u nt il yo u g et to t h e fin al p o s i ti o n ,
this is just so you get the point and how to move to do the exercis e .
this is just so you get the point and how to move to do the exercis e .
 TRUNK

If your torso is strong and flexible the kick is hard to see when it’s coming.
If the trunk is stiff and weak, it will drop before the kick is initiated. It can
be seen a mile away.

Thus is takes less effort to throw a kick when the torso does not have to
m a k e a t r i p t o t h e c o r n e r s t o r e a n d b a c k e v e r y t i m e t h e l e g c o m e s u p .   Ye s ,
it’s that important and that’s why we made a program for it.

How can I improve my kick?

Over the years many people would ask me to look at their kicks. Even
the high kickers. “What can I do to improve my kick?” they asked.
“ To r s o , y o u t o r s o p o s i t i o n ”, w a s a v e r y c o m m o n r e s p o n s e . M o s t fi g h t e r s
kick and punch. The better positioned the upper body during the kick,
t h e s h o r te r t h e p a u s e b et we e n a k i c k a n d a p u n c h .  Or p u n c h a n d a k i c k
for that matter.

Whether you are a pro fighter or you just train for your enjoyment, you
know that the faster you can follow up with your hands after the kick,
the more chances you will score.

A very  flexible torso  is what keeps your punches closer to the target,
right after the kick.

Finally there is the look of the kick, of how the form appears. A kick
looks much better when the head is not brushing the floor on the high
kick. Think of great competitors with awesome techniques.
 Torso Exercise
How to Train It

1.- Place one leg on the wall (or an

elevated surface) and get into a side kick
p o s i t i o n , a s s h o w n i n t h e p i c t u re .

B r in g yo u r to r s o a s h ig h a s yo u c a n u nt il
you feel a very light stretch.

D o n' t fo rce t h e p o s it io n u p , u s e t h e n e ce s s a ry strength

to stay up but not to the point of maximum effort or pain.

Now t he s e q u e nce of t he exe rcis e

b e g in s . Pay at te nt io n to e ach s tep.

2.- C o n t r a c t y o u r u p p e r o b l i q u e s . To m a ke t h i s p o s s i b l e y o u w i l l p u s h d o w n y o u r l e g
w i t h y o u r f ro n t h a n d . R e m e m b e r t h e g o a l i s n o t t o p u s h t h e l e g d o w n , b u t w e u s e t h i s t o
help us contract your upper obliques.
H o l d t h e c o n t r a c t i o n fo r 3 t o 5 s e c o n d s .

3.- Le t g o o f t h e c o n t r a c t i o n a n d r i g h t
a w a y c o m e a l i t t l e h i g h e r. D o n ' t p a u s e
after letting go of the contraction
o t h e r w i s e t h e e ffe c t w i l l b e l o s t .

Yo u h a v e t o fe e l t h a t a s y o u l e t g o o f t h e
contraction you a re able to come up
higher with your torso. It doesn't have to
be a huge change, it is normally a small
r a n g e i n c re a s e a t a t i m e .

Similarly to the other exercises you can

re p e a t t h e s te p s , c o n t r a c t t h e n h i g h e r,
c o n t r a c t t h e n h i g h e r, u n t i l t h e p o s i t i o n i s
Now you are deeper into too uncomfortable for you.
the stretch and this took
just 2 seconds!
Keep the torso up while you contract the
upper obliques, don't come lower when you
do this, the idea is to strengthen the weakest
r a n g e , w h i c h i s w h e n t h e to r s o i s h i g h e r. T h i s
will allow you to naturally come this high
eventually after a few weeks training.
This is what a full sequence may look like,
exaggerating the moves:

Starting - Ending Points

Now let's compare where you are starting and what you are
getting before you come out of this dynamic stretch:

So you are starting here:

And after applying the exercise

techniques you end here:

Again, remember it may take you a few sessions until you get to t h e fi n a l p o s i t i o n ,
thi s i s ju s t s o yo u g et the p o i nt and how to m ove to d o t h e exerc i se.

Remember about the key points highlighted above and gi ve i t a few t r i es

u nti l yo u u nd e r s tand i t co m p lete ly.
How to Train All 3 Components
Repeat the above 3 exercises in a sequence, gradually building
up to 5 rounds. There’s more to it than this routine, many more
m u s c l e s a n d a c t i o n s a r e i n v o l v e d . Ta k e a l o o k a t t h e f u l l
programs below.

Do you train and train a n d do n’ t h ave t h e res u lts yo u

d e s ire?? Do yo u wa nt to m a s te r a ll your k i c k s o n ce
a n d fo r a ll? ?

Yo u c a n m a ste r yo u r k i c ks
in 5-6 Mo nt hs!
Or... Do you P refe r t h e St a n d a rd Metho d? “ k i c k a nd k i c k a nd k i c k s o m e
more .... a n d h op e t h at i t w i ll wo r k so m e h ow, eve ntu a lly. . .

The ALL KICK MASTER COMBO

includes everything you need to
finally master all your kick!

20 programs that will help you

improve and develop each aspect
of your kicks separately, allowing
you to gain mastery of your kicks
faster!!
 *** Get a vertical 180º Side Kick! ***

* Wo ul d yo u r at her t r a i n wi th an instructor than a follow along vid e o? 

* Yo u s t retc h a nd st retc h a nd always back to square one?  Then you ne e d

to have a look at th is course .

C l a sses wi l l be hel d online, at the comfort of your home.

Yo u ' l l g et access to a group wh e re yo u can g et yo u r qu e s t i o n s an swe re d

an d m otivat i o n fro m ot her s l i ke you wanting to become stronger and m o re
fl exible every day.

IMP O RTANT! You 'l l be gu ide d ste p by ste p by a li ve i nstr u c to r who w i l l

adju st t he exe rc i se s to yo u r ow n ne e d s.

Learn the techniques to re a c h a 1 8 0º si d e k i c k ha nd s-o n fro m a n

experience d E l a s t i c Ste e l i n s t r u c to r.

w w w. e l a s t i c s te e l . c o m