Ok ok… let me say… I am terrible about getting to rolling my muscles and shins. H is on me about it, and I am trying… but damn does it hurt. I know I need to do it, to help smooth out the ossification that happens in the micro fractures. I say, I say… It don’t feel good though.
So while I am bad about doing it myself, I am going to talk about why we should do it. You know how you say “I love burpees.” Just to try to reverse psychology yourself into thinking you like them. I am going to write about the process of rolling out your shins, bones, and muscles. Maybe reverse psychology myself into doing it more. It could happen right. But H is there and he will do it for me even if I am not happy about it and mutter terrible things due to the pain. But I am getting better… I am always reaching to be better than I was before. So doing it regularly will be better than I was before. Yay! Its the small goals.
Alright first things first – Muay Thai is awesome, and awesomely hard on your shins. It is this way because we use them to shield kicks coming in. It is far better to take a kick on a shin, then get hit in the liver, and puke blood. Just a thought.
There are many memes going around about it, for good reason: I did not make these. Copyrite the internet
So we shield kicks with our shins, toes up, muscle wrapped around the shin to protect our vital organs. Yes the pain goes through the shin guards, and yes you still get bruised. I do all the time. Some times we go crazy and shin to shin check each other. Ouch, and sometimes we use our shin guards… Ouch too but not as ouch.
What happens to your shin: (Hint: no you don’t have to kick banana trees or any trees to train, leave the poor trees alone, the heavy bag will do plenty for you.)
When you do shield and hit shin to shin, when you hit heavy bags, and sometimes even the corner of the pads, you get small micro fractures in your shins.
When your body repairs those micro fractures in your shin by adding calcium deposits called ossification. This is your bodies way of finding say a weak point and adding more material to strengthen it. Yay for smart bodies.
These ossifications can make your shin feel bumpy, and or be uneven. Those bumps can possibly cause more pain when you kick, so you must roll them out while they are healing.
So you must roll out your shins. We like to use a tiger tail. Some people swear by a metal pipe. Others like to use just a wooden dowel.
This is all called shin conditioning, because you are conditioning your shin to contain more dense bone tissue, and to maybe feel the pain less. Although I think it is more your body is used to the pain. It still hurts but since you have healed from it before you don’t care as much. I am not a doctor this is just what I have discovered in my training.
(Running: is also a great way to increase density in your shin bones.)
What to do/after care: (believe me the last thing I want to do after I have a couple of huge knots on my shin that are sure to be bruises, is roll a cylindrical pipe like thing on those aching bruises and that aching bone.)
- Roll out your shins, using a Tigertail, or pipe, or bamboo stick –
- Roll in a downward motion
- If you find an area that hurts put constant pressure on it with the stick for 30 seconds and roll it down again.
- Thai Oil (we use Namman Muay boxing liniment), or tiger balm – something that will get the blood flowing to shin area.
- Namman – This is what we use – I am not affiliated with them, it just works. This is what the Thai fighters use in Thailand, and if it is good enough for them it is good enough for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Namman-Muay-Boxing-Liniment-120ml/dp/B001ON8ZN6
- Namman – This is what we use – I am not affiliated with them, it just works. This is what the Thai fighters use in Thailand, and if it is good enough for them it is good enough for me.
- Make sure you are consuming things with calcium and vitamin D.
- Drink plenty of water
- Go out and train again, even if it hurts… you will find it will hurt less (??) or perhaps you just notice it less.
When I am consistent about taking time to do my maintenance and upkeep for my body. I can see it perform better. Less pain and better training. So you know it just behoves me to do it.
Monday 10/05/2020: 1 mile run, 30 minutes weight lifting workout, 10 min core workout from Dana Lynn Bailey
1 mile run I just stuck to my normal path.
Weight lifting: done as a superset
(Note: curl bar not the greatest to use for hip thrusters but I made an improvised pad and it worked)
1) Clean and Press x3 sets of 6 reps
2) Hip Thrusters x3 sets of 15 reps
3) Bench Press x 3 sets of 6 reps
4) Bulgarian Split Squats x 3 sets of 15 reps (L and R side)
Dana Lynn Baileys 10 minute core workout
45 seconds on with 15 seconds rest between each
1) Hollow body
2) Hollow body reverse crunches
3) Sit Bicycles
4) Star Crunches
5) Side Right planks dips
6) Side Left planks dips
7) High Plank opsite Side Knee to Elbow
8 ) V Sit Leg Circles
9) Heel Touches
10) Explosive Sit Ups
Tuesday 10/06/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai
If you want to change up your training and make it instantly harder. Try doing the rounds in the opposite stance. Man south paw can be confusing sometimes for me. But I am pleased to say that it’s getting easier. I felt like my foot was not in the bucket, I felt like I was getting some better extensions in my punches, and felt like it was flowing better, all on the south paw side. Yay!
Training: jump rope 8 mins before classJumping jacks, squats, and pushups between rounds for active recovery
1) Jab, Cross, Teep
2) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Bob and Weave and get out
3) held for H
4) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Bob and weave, Cross, Hook, Bob and weave, Hook, Cross
6) held for H
7) rear Body Cover, Lead uppercut, Cross, Rear Body Cover, rear uppercut, hook, Cross.
8 ) held for H
9) full boxing 20 – Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Bob and Weave, Cross, Hook, Bob and Weave, Hook, Cross, Bob and Weave, rear Body Cover, Lead uppercut, Cross, Rear Body Cover, rear uppercut, hook, Cross, Bob and weave an incoming overhand, shoulder check, hook, Cross.
10) Held pads for H
Wednesday 10/07/2020: 40 minutes- 1 mile run and 26 minute calisthenics workout
I ran 1 mile early this morning and felt like I could keep going. Yay!
Calisthenics workout: HUMP DAY
Done in a superset, x3 sets
H) 10 tricep dips
U) 30 Bicycle Crunches
M) 30 Plank Jacks
P) 20 Reverse Lunges- 20 on each leg
D) 30 second Plank + shoulder touches
A) 30 Star Jumps
Y) 50 Flutter Kicks
Thursday 10/08/2020: 1 hour and 15 min of Muay Thai
Ok today was a great day. I worked hard and kept up the level of energy. Yay! Learned a new drill. Shin is sore but it was fun today.
It was super fun. Made small tweaks to make my drills better. I got compliments on my feed. Was hitting my partner harder to make him shield and cover better. Khun Kru Krysta appreciated my feeeing. Yay!
Training: jump rope to warm up
Jumping jacks, jump squats and pushups between rounds for active recovery
1) Jab, Cross, rear Teep, Jab, Cross, Lead Teep
2) held pads for H
3) Jab, Cross, Overhand, Rear Kick
4) Held pads for H
5) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Bob and Weave, Cross, Hook, Bob and Weave, Hook, Cross
6) I repeated this round working South Paw both times.
7) Rear High elbow cover, Uppercut, Cross, Lead High elbow cover, Uppercut, Hook, Cross
8 ) held for H
Sangtinoi (spelling?) drill from the seminar…Yes
9) Rear leg shield, Rear Kick, Rear Leg Sheild, Rear Kick, Rear Leg Shield, Overhand, Cross, Knee
10) held pads for h
Extra credit training
11) repeat of # 9
12) repeat of # 7 with random hit/strikes to make you either High elbow cover, or low body cover
13) repeat of # 7 with random hit/strikes to make you either High elbow cover, or low body cover
Thanks for a great class Khun Kru Krysta.
The video is of me learning the new skill so not polished or shiny yet. But will keep working on it. You can see video look for Thursday October 8 – on #sharpcupcake on instagram.
Saturday 10/10/2020: 2 hours – Kali/staff and Muay Thai
What a fun day of training. It was a bit chilly this morning for staff class but so long as I kept moving it was alright.
In Muay Thai we worked some new drills, new to me and it was fun. I loosened up and try to keep flowing. I worked on shuffling out and getting distance after each drill, all the while keeping my guard up.
Kali/Staff training:
1) low witik, high witik, low witik, low back hand , high backhand
2) low redondo, high redondo, low redondo, low back hand, high backhand
3) high witik, low witik, high witik, low backhand, high backhand
4) low redondo, high redondo, low redondo, low backhand, high backhand
5) high witik, high witik, high witik, low backhand, high backhand
6) high redondo, high redondo, high redondo, low backhand, high backhand
7) low witik, low witik, low witik, low backhand, high backhand
8 ) low redondo, low redondo, low redondo, low backhand, high backhand
9) full box
Muay Thai Training: jumping jacks, squat jumps, pushups, flutter kicks, reverse crunches, plank
1) Jab, Cross, Teep
2) held pads for H
3) Jab, Cross, Overhand, Rear Kick
4) Held pads for H
5) Jab, Cross, Hook, Chain Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
6) Held pads for H
7) Jab, Cross, Elbow, Elbow, Lead Knee, Lead Kick
8) Rear Shield, Rear Kick, Rear Shield, Rear Kick, Rear Shield, Overhand, Cross, Knee
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for great classes.
Oh and the tiger tail is great for rolling your muscles after you get done working out as well.
So that is all for today. I got done with my workout this morning, made sure everyone was fed, and now am finishing up this post. I have not rolled out, but I am about to go do that now, I told myself as soon as I was done with this post I must do it. =)
This was an a 31,000 foot/9448.8 meter high overview of shin maintenance. I am not a scientist, or doctor, so consult your doctor. This is what I have learned and what we do to maintain..
Get out there, work hard for your goals. I am working on being better about maintenance for my body, but be better than me, and make sure you do your recovery/maintenance on your body.
Thanks for reading. If you liked it please let me know by liking the post. If you want to see more of my training, or adventures subscribe. And of course if you want to comment please feel free to.
Thinks with Spinks 