My final fight, aged 40 years... Choosing the right competitive fight weight class, and then making that weight is the fight before the fight! I’m often asked questions like, “Is fighting at 127lbs ideal for someone who's 5 '8”?” Now, there’s obviously a lot that goes into deciding [...]
It’s common to believe you need lots of fancy gym equipment to train strength and conditioning effectively… You don’t! To carry out World-Class training, you'll only need a minimal amount of training equipment. It's how you use them that makes all the difference. All you need is at least the [...]
As a guest on the Muay Thai Guys Podcast, one question Paul Banasiak asked me was… “A lot of people have a lot of hip flexor issues – those were a lot of questions that we were getting before the podcast – how do you solve hip flexor problems… Talking [...]
Fat loss is a huge issue for Muay Thai enthusiasts of all levels. Not just cutting weight temporarily for one fight, but a long-term change in body composition – losing all unnecessary fat, so the body has only what’s useful for the highest performance. And of course, looking great is [...]
In this, the very first episode of the Science of Building Champions podcast, I’m joined by both TJ "The Thinking Man", AND "Mrs The Thinking Man", TJ’s wife Daisy, from Phuket – just a week out from both of their next fights on the same weekend… Originally from Houston, Texas [...]
For a number of years now, my Dad has been suffering from dementia… and we all know how that one goes. I’m not sharing this to garner sympathy. This most certainly is not a post about me. I’m sharing this because I hope to inspire. This is all just context [...]
We all come to Muay Thai for our own (equally valid) reasons. A few know they want to fight straight away… but most just want to train – and never intend to fight at all. Both of these motivations are correct! In the West, Muay Thai is NOT a career, [...]
I see many fighters consistently working on the wrong things. And this not only slows their progress to a crawl, but ultimately limits how far they can go. So in this episode, I’m going to explain how you can break limits in Muay Thai... [...]
Phase 1: Newbie Gains When you first start Muay Thai training, you’re swimming in a sea of technical corrections! As time goes on, with consistent practice of the core (game-changing) movements and techniques, fewer corrections are needed to achieve reliable performance. You’re moving along the continuum from novice to expert. [...]
Dan McGowan receiving his pre fight massage ahead of his historic win over Rungarai at Yokkao 28 A vigorous rub down with Namman Muay massage oil (boxing liniment), was a key part of my personal pre-fight preparation. And I think every Thai boxer has an amusing story about [...]
One Championship has been doing a great job of showcasing not only the fighters, but some of the behind the scenes training footage as well. And I'm often asked to comment on some of the exercises that have been shared on social media. And here’s one I was asked to comment on recently… [...]
Naresuan the Great Shrine, Ayutthaya My first trip to Thailand was back in 2000, organised by Ajarn Tony Moore though the British Thai Boxing Council. The trip was an eye-opener in every sense possible! As a Muay Thai coach, I travelled to train in real Muay Thai gyms, [...]
I’m often asked why Thais are so powerful without using resistance training. And here’s one I received recently... “I keep thinking that real power comes from perfect technique which is comes out of a result of hours and hours of repeating the same movement year after year that's why you [...]
What Clinch Strength Is & Isn’t Of all the Muay Thai tactics, the clinch demands the most raw strength. If you layout all Thai boxing techniques on the force-velocity curve, you’ll have clinchwork at one end (strength) and punches at the other (speed). BUT - Good clinch work comes from relaxed, efficient application [...]
I first published this in 2013, and it’s been my most popular video on YouTube even after all these years. So I’ve decided to update it and re-publish it for newer readers and anyone who wants to run it again, as it’s still as effective as ever in helping Thai boxers build functional strength [...]
This guide is for both Beginners & Competitive Fighters looking to grow as quickly as possible... For those looking to take advantage of every training potential, specifically to accelerate their Muay Thai performance and take their game to the next level. Contents: The Role of S&C in Muay Thai [...]
I’m often asked how I choose exercises for a fighter’s gym session. So I’ve broken down the steps I mentally run through when planning a strength and conditioning session – to ensure productive progress for every minute in the gym. So let’s get to it... My 9-step logic to selecting the best/most appropriate [...]
There are many myths and misunderstandings when it comes to fighters using heart rate monitors in their training... And despite many Instagram posts showing fighters wearing heart rate straps during training, many aren’t using this tool effectively at all. So I’m going to debunk these myths, and explain how to use heart rate [...]
I’m often asked if it’s good training for fighters to throw punches and kicks with resistance bands connected to their arms and legs? You know, like in the Instagram posts? The short answer is no! Loading up skilled Muay Thai technique is never a good idea, because it changes how you move. An [...]
The Heiden and Stick exercise is an important progression in a Thai boxers speed and plyometric training. It targets sideways, lateral movement, involving adductors and glute medius muscles at the hip to control the knee, and multiple muscle groups in the feet, ankle and calves. And it not only trains unilateral (single leg) [...]
