High Kick Anatomy
High Kick Anatomy
Are you ready to elevate your high-kick game to new heights?
Your high kick has anatomy! It includes the strength and flexibility of the hip flexors, the flexibility of the hamstrings, the strength of the glutes, and the mobility of the hip joint.
By focusing on these areas in addition to kicking and kicking and kicking some more to increase endurance, you can bring your kicks to your desired height! The best news is that these focus areas will also improve your jumps, leaps, and turns! It is a win-win!
Let's break it down. First, we will tackle the hip flexors! These muscles must be strong and flexible. Keep in mind that tight hip flexors do not mean strong hip flexors.
#1 Hip Flexors
The hip flexors are a group of muscles in the upper thigh that allow you to bend forward at the hip and lift your knee toward your chest. They are connected to your abdominals and your quadriceps. The muscles that make up the hip flexor group are:
Iliacus
Psoas major
Rectus femoris
Sartorius
Pectineus
Hip flexors are essential for everyday movement and are used whenever you bring your knees toward your torso, as in a high kick. Tight or strained hip flexors can make it harder for your pelvis to rotate correctly and cause pain or discomfort in the front of your hip.
You can prevent hip flexor strain with stretches and strengthening exercises.
Banded hip flexor marches and holds
Kneeling 90˚ lifts (open-close)
Hip flexor stretch kneeling (opposing activation of glute and hamstring)
Splits with the back leg elevated (Advanced)
Next, let's look at the hamstrings. Simply put, your hamstrings must be flexible enough to sit easily in your right and left splits and lay forward over your front leg.
#2 Hamstrings
Hamstring Flexibility prevents pain and injury and maintains good posture and balance. Tight hamstrings can cause lower back pain and can make it difficult to do daily activities. The muscles that make up the hamstring group are:
Biceps femoris
Semimembranosus
Semitendinosus
Stretches for hamstring flexibility.
Half monkey (quad activation)
V sit stretch
Runner lunge
Splits with the Front leg elevated (Advanced)
PNF (needs a partner)
Moving on to #3, the Glutes!
Strong glutes are essential for control over the leg during the high kick. This helps to avoid the leg 'flinging' up and down to avoid injury in the back, knees, and hips. These muscles also improve athletic performance, balance, and posture. And you can see how these functions directly translate to our famous high kicks! The muscles that make up the Gluteal group are:
gluteus maximus
gluteus medius
gluteus minimus.
The gluteal muscles are responsible for many functions, including:
Hip stability
Locomotion
Hip extension
Hip abduction
Lower back support
Knee injury prevention
Strengthening Glutes:
Bridges (of all types)
Whale tails (my personal favorite)
Hip hinge lunges and SQs (for extra load on the glutes)
Finally, and so very important, is #4 Hip Mobility!
Hip Mobility is not just about how far you can stretch but how easily you can move the hip joint without pain or tightness. The hip joint is a complex ball and socket joint. Tight muscles in the hip, such as the hip flexors and glutes, can limit hip mobility.
Stretches for the hip joint.
90/90 stretches
360 hip openers in and out
Kneeling hip hydrant circles RL
While this may seem like a lot of anatomy information, it's also empowering. Understanding how interconnected the areas of our body are responsible for the beautiful high kicks that dancers and drill teams are famous for performing can give you a sense of control over your own performance.
Remember, consistency compounds! With the added bonus of stronger jumps, leaps, and turns, your kicks will effortlessly be flying high in no time. So, armed with this knowledge, it's time to hit the practice floor and start incorporating these exercises into your routine. You can take your high-kick performance to new heights with dedication!
