Reformer Pilates or Yoga

[FableLies]

I do about 4 hours of kickboxing and 2 hours of yoga a week. I'm looking for something to improve kick height and explosive force for jumping, spinning kicks. Would reformer pilates offer better benefits over yoga? Would one session a week work? Or would it not really help? I've never done it before.

So presumably you want more flexibility, but specifically round your hips?

I reckon the best thing you could do for that would be some self guided stretching sessions focussing on those specific areas.

So I'd be doing sun salutations, seated straddle forward folds, seated pike forward folds, probably some long deep low lunges, half splits, pigeon pose, could maybe add in some warrior 3s etc. I think if you basically focus on getting closer to doing the splits (front and side) that would do the flexibility thing?

On power my assumption would be reformer Pilates might help because it's weighted but would it be more help than high weight low rep free weights? I'm not an expert in that area at all but my instinct would be the latter.

I don't think my flexibility is that bad, until you get to my hamstrings. I feel like it's something else that is holding me back.just have no idea what!

Have you asked your kickboxing teacher? Just thinking for explosive power and kicks comes from glutes so maybe hip thrusts, deadlifts and box jumps? Maybe you need to test each muscle in isolation so you know where the weakness is.

Well, I think almost all of those will stretch hip flexors and hamstrings.

For hamstrings have you discovered "elephant walks"? Bend down from standing as far as normally feasible, with legs straight and then bend one knee at a time, keeping the other legs straight. If you keep going at that I reckon it gets me another 2-4 inches (so from fingers touching floor to palms flat on floor say) from my starting point.

My main conclusion with yoga was that it was good but I just needed to spend more time focusing on those areas.