Conditioning shins...

[retired]

is that the "ankle" or maybe the "instep"?

[Eddie]

PADS AND HVY BAGS

This is all you need, good luck.

[twillbanks]

When I started Muay Thai I began throwing round kicks at a light bag, then the proverbial heavy banana bag, and finally at a very heavy bag filled with sand. I found that slowly progressing to each (w/the soothing help of liniment) gave me confidence and endurance. I found that my body told me when I could go on, and when enough was enough. I began doing the whole tree kicking thing just to see how tough I was, but I was later advised that this was foolish because of the possibility of putting holes in my shins (no resistance on a tree vs. minor resistance in a sand bag).

I conditioned the hell out of my shins, day in, day out, but even all this couldn't prepare me for the last time I sparred with my instructor. I failed to properly set up a round kick--I telegraphed it, and my shin drove directly into his knee, creating a hole in my lower shin that, to this day, still bothers the hell out of me when I make any medium to hard contact. That was five years ago.

My experience leads me to tell you...condition all you like, but you just never know what's going to happen. At least conditioning shins gives you half a chance. Imagine the pain of an unconditioned shin meeting a knee full force, shinguard or not.

Stick with heavy sandbags, IMHO.

[Tom Yum]

I kick the sand filled pads and bags with allmost an obsession and the result has been amazing. I've kicked elbow with decent contact and all I get is a little swelling and a bruise for about 4-5 days.

I've kicked shin on shin (about 60% max power) My shin was slightly bruised - he started bruising at the contact area then the bruise spread down his leg and hurt to walk the day after. I felt bad about it, but he was back in a couple of days.

I've broken shin guards with kicks (while wearing shin guards too) and have kicked a street lamp post repeatedly (about 40% power) with little bruising.

My training: kick sand filled pads or bags as hard as you possibly can doing pyramid drills as often as possible, also do light (40% power) shin on shin drills. Use linements for heavy contact days and massage your shins regularly.

[twillbanks]

Tom,

Do you have any suggestions for conditioning the muscle around the shin bone? There have been times that I have not brought my shin out enough to match the angle at which the round kick is coming, and consequently, my shin muscles bear the brunt of the kick. I'd love your opinion--really liked your last post about your conditioning regiment!

-Tom Willbanks

[Tom Yum]

Jumping rope is good for developing calves and shin muscles. I think obsessive kicking of sand bags hardens the shin muscles too and gets them used to impact. The analogy I suppose is like doing obsessive ab work with sand filled medicine balls.

I do calf raises while sitting on a calf raise machine. I start with the toes allmost pointed upward and work the full range until my heel is in the air and the ball of the foot is holding all of the weight. Feel your shins as your toes point into the air with your heel still on the ground and bring your toes down and then back up, your shin muscle (when conditioned) should feel rock hard.

[twillbanks]

Thanks Tom! I'll try your suggestions!

[xnfx]

A little off topic, but how do you guys go about healing after training your shins? Like when you have a little swelling, bruising, bone bruising, fluid in the area, etc.?