If you visit the section How To Choose Exercises For a Fighters S&C Session on this page, and scroll to the video, Planning Resistance Training For Muay Thai, youll have a better idea how I recommend the two sessions are structured.

Rich Cadden: Real Deal Muay Thai Veteran SoBC Podcast EP 16, Without Burnout or Blowout Planning Long Term Fight Performance Training, Static passive flexibility ROM (an athletes greatest range), Dynamic flexibility ROM (an athletes second greatest range), Static active flexibility ROM (an athletes smallest range), Side Lying Straight Leg Lateral Raise (ankle weights if needed), Release Quad/Hip Flexor Tack & Stretch, Open Quad & Hip Flexor Band Distraction, Anchor Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat. As a typical structure, this works incredibly well. Overall, there arethree elements of mobility; I advocate a three step exercise process to tackle all three of these elements and fast-track your active mobility as a fighter. The Optimal Performance Pyramid (G.Cook 2003).

Thanks for subscribing! Which movement pattern am I looking to develop? Youve got to have both sides of the equation a high-performance body AND mind.

landmine (coreplate) twists, How To Choose Exercises For a Fighters S&C Session, Gym equipment poorly laid out (across opposite sides of the gym), No room to superset two paired exercises together, There arent enough barbells or dumbbells. And then now and again do a body weight / plyometric workout hitting the same muscles? Lack mobility required for more advanced techniques especially proper kicks and high kicks, Gas out quickly havent developed biomechanical efficiency in their strikes, causing them to use more energy AND leak power, Lack power havent properly learned how to generate power from legs and transfer it into striking limbs. Its also possible to be strong without being powerful. Yes, I do feature single arm exercises as well as single leg exercises in my programs. Hours of skilled, purposeful practice is essential for both gaining technical skill and tactical advantage, and for efficient, skilled movement. Anybody can chuck something together that will make you better for a month or so but then what?

The same range, actively held using the strength and stability of the muscles around the joint, spares the joint from taking the forces which its not deigned to do.

by simply practising Muay Thai. Arguing that one is superior to the other is nave. Lower body hip dominant e.g. Foam rolling is fucking awesome.

What training equipment is available? Whereas mobility better describes the (active) range of motion you have in a joint, that you can control and stabilise yourself as you use it in any given movement task, despite the load you are experiencing or the speed of movement. Professional Advice and Medical Disclaimer. Notice that I said while keeping good form that shit issuperimportant to get the most out of your strength and conditioning sessions and more importantly, to avoid injury. Step 1. Clinching and sparring routines will typically stop four days prior to a fight, in order to reduce the chance of getting an injury during training, and to start the weight cutting process.

Typically Ill make sure to hit my calves, hamstrings, IT band, quads, hips, glutes, back, and shoulders. Your body can only develop as a result of planned, progressive, systematic overload over a period of time.

And its in your best interest to start training both, as early as possible, if you care about growing as much as possible in this sport. The second week will be Pull/Push/Legs. .

Ive been doing his program on and off for a little while now, but have yet to stay consistent with it. Learn how your comment data is processed. , rather than isolating muscle groups (bodybuilder style). Should I be doing interval sprints or are long distance runs better? Imstokedto be trying this strength and conditioning routine! As I continue to do these specific workout routines, I will mix up the order in which I do the exercises to make sure everything is balanced. A Deload week keeps the fighter moving well (so not loosing anything), but resets fatigue built up in over the first 3-weeks of the block so that the next block starts relatively fresh, and ready to step things up even more! Take a look at what fighters are currently doing at Khongsittha Muay Thai. Or should I focus more on Olympic lifts? split jerk, jerk press, clean, clean and jerk, snatch etc. And thats plenty if youre doing the training correctly. Its something Im always banging on about, and for good reason. In fact, I rarely advise training both strength AND conditioning.

Thanks in advance, your website is awesome.

Speed training examples include: reaction drills, sprints,plyometrics, medicine ball drills, single kicks, punches etc. Firstly, strength requirements are relative.

In Muay Thai, your body is your vehicle, and YOU (the consciousness operator of the body) are the driver. Which training block am I looking to match from the fight camp blueprint (predominant athletic quality emphasis)?

Please check you inbox for your Optimal 12-Week Fight Camp Blueprint. Ive expanded on whats involved in each block in The Science of Building Champions video series here.

This improves the vehicles performance, but it also makes it more robust and less likely to breakdown. And eventually, especially before your next fight, youll have to train for maximal speed moving against little or no resistance as this is exactly what youll be needing to do in your fight. Heres my 9-step logic to selecting the best/most appropriate exercises for each category in any gym based session.

I dont know about you, but I get overwhelmed with the amount of choices I have when it comes to strength and conditioning. Since Im a big fan of his website, I wanted to pick his brain and really dive deep into the strength and conditioning realm. Don Heatrick is a family man from the UK, former mechanical design engineer, European Muay Thai silver medallist, former pro Thai boxer (ranked 4th in UK while aged 40-years), a Muay Thai coach, podcast host, and the go-to expert on Muay Thai performance training with over 25 years of coaching experience. These decisions are always justified by going back to step 3 Which training block am I looking to match from the fight camp blueprint?. Get at least two total body sessions in your program every week, on non-consecutive days (so make sure you dont do two days in a row). In a typical week you should perform an equal number of sets and reps of all the following movements: Theres a hierarchy to the decisions involved in choosing the best exercises for a fighters strength and conditioning session, to ensure productive progress for every minute in the gym. Speed training develops the maximum velocity you can move against little or no resistance. Done properly, weight training exposes movement errors theres no place to hide. Testing your range of motion to find what you need to work on (like in my sitting on your heels test in the example above), or going by feedback from your movement, or any localised restriction or pain that you feel, should inform your choice of exercise programming.

Your triceps are hit when training upper-body pushing movements (both vertical and horizontal).. This method is not recommended for foreign fighters, as the standard two week method is much easier and considered healthier than the Thai method. If you noticed, all of the strength and conditioning workouts begin with legs, then move to upper body pull and upper body push exercises. You need to understand that its an investment.

If you dont have that kind of time then cut out the exercises you feel arent 100% necessary or speed up your warm up/cool down so you can get to the main workout sooner (or just pass up on the cardio at the end). FEATURED GUIDE: Bodyweight Training for Fighters, FEATURED GUIDE: Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai 101, FEATURED ARTICLE: Breaking Limits In Muay Thai. They tend to throw arm-punches rather than using the, Are more prone to injury due to improper movement patterns.

In fact, local osteopaths and therapists refer a lot of injured clients to me that simply need strengthening to get them out of pain and to move well. Hi Santiago, thanks for the feedback. it helped me a lot. Moreover, in this very same article you said We use primarily bilateral lifts exercises that use both limbs together which has a better strength development effect than single limb exercises..

Step 2. Thats enough stimulus for their body to begin adapting, but leaves enough headroom to continue development in the following weeks too without wasting progress, by going in harder than is necessary. bench press, Upper body vertical push e.g. The reason behind this is that Thai fighters believe in the traditional methods of cutting weight in Thailand, and they want to focus more of their attention in the training aspect. It will do you no good to remain focused on getting stronger if you lack the proficiency to use your current strength correctly.

My brother is wanting to start Muay Thai classes as a fun way to get exercise.

However, in the article of yours that he referenced you actually point out the benefits of One-Leg exercises only, but say nothing about One-Arm exercises. This not only prevents correctly patterned skill rehearsal, but also exposes the fighter to an unnecessary injury risk.

Also, this fighter described himself as having big, heavy legs. Because of this, a static splits stretch will also much easier for him than dynamically lifting of his legs. In his training we targeted mobility and stretching of the adductors (groin) muscles But also critically, we equally targeted the strength of hip abductors, such as glute medius, to strengthen the lateral leg lifting action using exercises like: Muscles alway work in pairs on either side of the joint. This particular fighter was relatively weaker in the muscles that lift his leg out to the side fighting any tightness in the groin (adductors) muscles and the self weight of his leg too. Active flexibility is far more important for athletes (correlates more strongly with sporting proficiency), even though passive flexibility provides a protective reserve if a joint unexpectedly stressed beyond its normal operational limits something that occurs in combat sports like Muay Thai. If your kicking mobility is a limiting factor for you too, dont just think about stretching. Combining stretching AND strengthening exercises increases the correlation between active and passive flexibility, and decrease the difference between them..

Part II will cover all of the differences in different promotions currently running in Thailand. There are no shortcuts. exercises that use both limbs together which has a better strength development effect than single limb exercises. The gym is an opportunity to practice these patterns, honing the coordinated actions of multiple muscle groups to transfer force from the ground while maintaining stability through a challenging range of motion. But this doesnt mean that strength training shouldnt be part of a Thai boxers training, Its also possible to be strong without being powerful.

Just like Muay Thai technique, movements used in the weights room are skilled movement patterns that transfer to athletic performance if done correctly.

;). Strength training develops the maximum amount of force you can produce.

In this way your whole body gets a training stimulus 2-3 times a week rather than just once with a split muscle-group routine. Power aims to develop force as quickly as possible.

How about skilled kettlebell technique (like swings, push presses, jerk presses, cleans, and snatches), or power lifting technique (such as squats, deadlifts presses, and rows) or olympic lifting technique (like high pulls, snatch, clean, and split jerk), The main thing here is that EVERY exercise, in EVERY session must be. Although I recommend a conjugate or concurrent periodisation model for fighters training (where strength, power, and speed are simultaneously trained) only.

So if youre truly committed to your own personal growth and performing at your highest potential, regardless of whether you choose to compete or not. Having enough sleep while training is a critical factor towards seeing results in Muay Thai.

To be the best you can be respect the contribution that all aspects of your training make to you as a fighter, and practice both S&C and technical Muay Thai from the start. Ive started doing the 2 days Strength routine posted by Sean Fagan who said it is based on your advice and knowledge.

Its like compounding interest on your invested time. However, I tend to find myselfshadowboxingin front of the mirror between sets so I guess its not a complete break.

Fear the fighter thats trained progressively for a year or two and has reaped the rewards. , when competing against similarly skilled drivers in high-performance vehicles.

First, I am lucky enough to have a flexible schedule where I can pretty much workout whenever I want for as long as I want. Generally, power is more important to a Thai boxer than strength, as we rarely have the luxury of taking as long as wed like to apply our force. Most fighters dont get stronger because they tend to want to turn all sessions into conditioning sessions reducing rest periods, adding more exercises, repetitions, and overall volume which then wastes the opportunity to build something different, and vital! deadlift, Upper body horizontal push e.g.

If youre only interested in a beasting or lifting heavy stuff with no regard for exercise selection or form and technique, youre not only likely to injure yourself but youre also wasting a valuable opportunity to move better.

Promotions like Max Muay Thai and Super Muay Thai favor an aggressive style over technique. Its therefore critical to train specifically in the gym be the most productive you can, then get out and get on with other important things. Unlike tuning up a car, you cant build physical capability overnight with some last-minute overtime by the team of mechanics. Hi Jack, thanks for reaching out and Im glad the content is helpful. Along with the heavy weights, Ill be taking a long break between sets of around 3-5 minutes to allow my muscles and body to recover. Training for a three round of five round fight will almost certainly change the way you train. I highly recommend making this investment as early as possible, as it will have a significant compounding effect over the years and will accelerate your growth in the sport unlike anything else (as long as you keep up your skill training). Which athletic quality(s) am I looking to develop?

Its well worth your time and effort.

Sean is a professional fighter currently living, training and fighting in Thailand.

On high week, you should feel like there are no good reps left in you. So both aspects are important. Step 4.

Your biceps get a lot of work during the upper body pulling movements (both vertical and horizontal). Hey! Talking with Don and listening to his advice gave me the confidence to create my own strength and conditioning routine that you can follow along with throughout the next few months.

But for now, the most important thing for me is building up my strength foundation so when I do start to work on more explosive movements (power) and quickness of my strikes (speed) I will get the best results possible since I have a solid strength base.

In most cases, the only resistance you have is the weight of your gloves. This is essentially to help with my endurance so I can train for longer periods of time and it will also help circulate the blood through my body to aidwith muscle recovery. Hope it helps, and I look forward to hearing how it works out for you!.

Execute mechanically efficient, stable movement patterns that you can call on automatically later when under extreme stress and fatigue. Each exercise addresses the each of the three elements of mobility highlighted above, and in that specific order. Could i then do all of these in a singular workout? More stimulus simply means much more progress.

They are two different parts of the athletic puzzle.

His mission is to provide you with the tools, resources and inspiration to accomplish your Muay Thai dreams! Thai boxers, like most athletes, dont have much time to dedicate to weight training sessions. Training in Thailand puts your body in an unusual environment, so its important to see how you react to the food options, heat, and other factors.

Power exercise examples include: Olympic lifts (e.g. Get some sleep!

All ofDons posts on strength and conditioning for Muay Thaiare top quality and always provide me with useful, practical information and exercises to implement into my training. After an initial period of adaptation, youll have to start being more deliberate about your training to continue your growth in the sport. Glad you found this helpful. If the targeted athletic benefit can be developed during Muay Thai training, then it should be, not in supplemental S&C sessions! Follow Don Heatrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donheatrick/. Training can actually vary significantly if you are preparing for a fight. Fighters must focus on strength, power, and speed development in the weights room, as these adaptations arent maximally stressed during Thai boxing training and will otherwise leave untapped physical potential. Im continually humbled by exercises that cause me to crumble and lose form, even though unloaded I appear to move well. If youd like more detail, check out my Optimal Fight Camp Blueprint here.