For Fighters – Is ONE Run Enough?
by Don Heatrick
@donheatrick
Many fighters struggle to adapt their training program to suit their personal weekly schedule…
A schedule that’s VASTLY different to a full time fighter out in Thailand.
In this short podcast, I explain more by way of a worked example from Jamie.
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Just One Weekly Run?
I’ve had a question from Jamie, who’s reached out on Instagram. I’m going to read it out to you for full context before I give an answer…
“Is three (cardio) runs needed, mate? I work five days a week.
“Wake up at around 7:00 a.m.. Get to work for 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., then get two busses to training, 6:00 p.m. to 8 or 8:30 p.m. and then get home for about 9:00 p.m.
“By the time I’ve showered and fed, it’s time to sleep for work again.
“I always wake up shattered from training.
“So waking up too tired from training to run before work.
“And then I’ve got no time after, unless I just force myself before work…
“Which I’m going to try my best to do as I know it’s a mindset thing…
“But then I still need energy for work and training at night.
“But I can always get two strength and conditioning and one sprint in per week, and run 2x 1.2 miles a week at Muay Thai.
“I don’t know if that’s too much to read or take in, but what I’m meaning is…
“I work, then go straight to training, then sleep and repeat.
“So it’s hard to find time to fit in three runs a week before work.
“I could run on a Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday and leave out a rest day.”
My Thoughts
One run on top of everything else that’s going on there, is enough, as long as it’s lasered in on the specific energy systems development that matches the purpose of your training block.
So is it more a requirement that you’ve got aerobic capacity being built with more steady state work?
Or is it more aerobic power where we’re working more higher intensity intervals.
Or even closer to the end of the fight camp, really close to the fight, are we working anaerobic lactic power with inadequate rest and recovery
and its very high intensity intervals with short periods?
Training is only making you fitter, stronger, more skillful if you’re recovering from it.
And we need to take into account not only the training stress, but all the stress that you’ve got going on in your life, even outside of training.
So work commitments, family commitments, how good is your sleep?
How much sleep are you getting?
All of that is crucial – to make sure you’re recovering enough – for you to keep progressing in your training.
All of those stressors, including the training stress, need to be managed and balanced to have an effective training program, and it’s crucial that you’re taking at least one full day’s rest each week as well.
Otherwise, you’re on that slippery slope to overtraining and potentially injury, not to mention a jaded and lacklustre Muay Thai performance.
Further Resources
- Optimal Fight Camp Blueprint
- Heart Rate Training Myths For Fighters
- Breaking Limits in Muay Thai
- How A Novice Can Become An Expert – And Why Some Never Will
- Do This Every Session To Get Better at Muay Thai Quicker
- Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai 101 – A Science-Based Approach to Accelerated Athletic Development
