Don Buck, a 60s/70s hardcore karate guy, spoke of a psychotically determined student holding horse stance to the point of unconsciousness to end every training day. He spoke of how very quickly after having taken up this practice that the student essentially became superhuman in a fight.
Me? On just a few minutes of the hold a day…I’m convinced one, that the anecdote holds true, and two…
That horse stance is magical!
Never have I done one movement that carries over so well overall.
Snow on the ground I’m outside and out of breath, or inside much the same.
I’d just held horse stance for a few minutes, and had combined it with upper body motions, punching, etc.
It needn’t be lower body only, it can be full body, like pushups as to what is worked in reverse.
The #1 lower body training exercise, huge benefit, zero equipment.
(Like pushups are for the upper body.)
When outside I’ll do a few bodyweight squats, and leap up.
When inside I’ll just shake out my legs, fast and loose.
My legs feel heavy, but it’s a good feeling, nor is it soreness.
They feel solid, powerful.
Something intriguing is going on in the body with them.
A hard to quantify full body effect.
Horse stance, a high horse stance, has become my most consistent leg work these past 6 months.
6 months ago I couldn’t unstick the stuck forklift, now I can. As I said, solid, powerful.
Horse stance the only variable I can
isolate as “there’s the cause”.
It is a kind of isometric training after all. They, isometrics, have these effects.
Isometrics work so well that almost no one do them. It takes a little crazy, or what the norm calls crazy to stick to them.
The truest form of max leg strength is not a squat…it’s a push/drive/drag.
Horse stance is building that quality as the legs shake…while rooting you into the ground.
My feet are always solidly rooted to the ground, be it firm, or slick ground. Hindu squats gave me the same effect.
There’s a noticeable difference between myself and coworkers slip sliding around moving in wintery conditions.
I couldn’t care less if it has gained me strength on a barbell, real world it’s a few minutes of daily practice paying dividends.
Simple training is where the true gold is. Free in money, paid in sweat, and a temporarily increased heart rate.
Effort is everything.
Equipment? Nothing necessary.
Horse stance is magical.
Persistence & Tenacity