Can playing video games make you into a better Taekwondo Player? Can they give you the edge in Taekwondo competitions? Is spending all those hours shooting people left right and center actually going to pay off for you finally?

Well, some studies are showing that it actually just might for you!

In the previous article [Taekwondo Strength Training Basics – The Back Squat] we discussed the benefits and uses of the back squat within a strength training program. In this article we will address how to perform the movement correctly and safely. To perform the movement using a barbell (either fixed i.e. Smith machine or free) we need to focus on five distinct phases as follows:

One of the best exercises a Taekwondo athlete can use in the gym as a part of their Strength and Conditioning program (and even pretty much all year round!) is the back squat.

There are many variations of the squat movement and the back squat is what is regarded as the “classical” all round movement for lifting with legs. Here I will discuss how the squat movement works and what benefits you gain from performing it.

In Taekwondo training, a good Strength and Conditioning program is a vital component to your success, both short and long term. To gain a better understanding of a proper Strength and Conditioning program we need to understand some of the key elements that is in one.

Firstly as stated in previous articles we need to know what we are training for. What is our goal and what do we need to do to achieve it? Once we know this we can then start to periodize our training. We cover this in more detail at Taekwondo Training – Periodization I and Taekwondo Training – Periodization II.

Then there are different types of training protocols for different training goals. Power lifts use exercises such as clean and jerk, core lifts use exercises like squats and benchpresses and then we have assistance lifts (such as dumbbell curls) which isolate singular muscle types.

There are many different factors that affect stretching and flexibility, especially when it comes to Taekwondo.

One of the main things I see as a Strength & Conditioning (S&C) and Taekwondo coach is different levels of flexibility. Some kids, as soon as they enter the gym, can stretch right down into box splits. Others have to train for years to barely touch their toes.

On the other hand, there are those who have virtually no static flexibility at all but excellent kicking ability, with great height, range of motion (ROM) and technique and others who seem to be ‘hyperflexible’ with little or no kicking technique.

So what are factors that affect our flexibility and why are some individuals more flexible than others?

The 5 most common mistakes in Taekwondo Competition are very simple ones. In fact, in Taekwondo competition YOU can actually be your own worst enemy rather than your opponent!

Over the years of watching Taekwondo matches I have seen so many people making mistakes and losing due to their own errors. The reason why I know this on a personal level is because I have made these mistakes myself!

So let’s look at how you can cost yourself the win and see which are the most common mistakes in Taekwondo competition.

At a local Taekwondo Competition last weekend. The competition wasn’t a very high standard, but it was good enough for experienced players to try stuff out and more or less get a good workout from it.

While watching a match, I overheard a Taekwondo player talking about how he was “looking at his next opponent” and how he was trying to “psych him out” – and it really made me laugh.

What this guy didn’t know was that the opponent he was trying to “psych out” was one of the athletes I work with.

While working with athletes, one of the many (if not the highest) issues I have to work on is an athlete’s relationship with their family for the benefit of their Taekwondo Training and Competition Success.

In my last article – Taekwondo Success Is Determined By The People You Associate With – I talked about how the people you hang around with will determine how well you do.

Time and time again, I’ve seen how one little thing from a family member can either make or break someone, especially in the early part of their Taekwondo career.

On one of my many journeys to work with athletes to bring them to their next level, I had a talk with a young athlete this weekend, and it brought back to me the importance of who you associate with for success, not just in Taekwondo, but in Life in general.

This athlete was chatting with a “friend” (and I use that term loosely) on Facebook, and this “friend” was talking crap about his coach, and other people. His coach was definitely not happy, not because he was talking crap, but because what he was saying was firstly inaccurate but secondly and more importantly, because this young athlete let it get to him, and it was affecting his mindset.

Recently, while doing some work with a group of athletes I work with, I went over how they need to view tournaments that they go to for their overall Taekwondo success. I told them that it doesn’t matter about the local competitions, or even the International Open’s whether they win or lose. It’s not about winning. They’re about trying out new stuff, getting comfortable with new techniques and their performance.

People get caught up on that they have to win the whole time. This is especially true when competing either at National level, or at a local tournament. If they’re the local favourite, they feel there is pressure on them to win, every single time.

For your long term success, this is NOT something that you should be doing.