The untold truth about Muay Thai strength training. Learn more about incorporating resistance training seamlessly into your training routine. Discover why traditional Thai trainers have been skeptical, and how you can strike a balance between these two worlds. Resistance training isn't just about raw power; it's your body's insurance policy against wear and tear. [...]
Fight ready pad work isn't just about sweating out; it's about crafting a strategic approach that replicates the fight's intensity. Dive deep into the nuances of fight-specific training in this episode, as we uncover how to leverage pad work sessions for maximum psychological and physical benefit, ensuring you're sharp and agile for the big [...]
One thing’s for sure, at some stage, every fighter will push their training too far and burnout. Likely, getting sick or injured, along with feeling grumpy, depressed and lacking motivation to train at all. You can both catch this before it happens and recover from it quicker, IF you understand the three stages on [...]
Gear up for an eye-opening episode as we dive into the fascinating topic of "Squats vs Muay Thai Kicks." Join us as we tackle James' query on integrating strength training with Muay Thai techniques. Despite boasting impressive lifting numbers, James finds himself trailing behind professional fighters in terms of fighting ability and technique. Should [...]
The world of Muay Thai is changing. And athletic performance matters more than ever. Gone are the days when Thai fighters had a monopoly on the sport. Today, Western fighters are using sports science and professional training methods to close the gap on their Thai counterparts. If you're a Muay Thai fighter or a [...]
Don't underestimate the importance of discipline in strength and conditioning. It's all too easy to become distracted by what's shiny and new, only to shortcut progress by playing your ace too early... Or, to charge headlong into overuse injury and the frustration of time out of training. You can look at that next block [...]
Technical tips to prevent injuring your foot throwing your low kick! The Muay Thai round kick is one most powerful kicks in martial arts. To avoid smashing your foot to smithereens when throwing your low kick, you must master range, kicking foot position, and tactical set up. Check out the full video for in-depth [...]
For snappy punches and kicks, Shin Box Switch hip mobility exercises both warm up and challenge hip internal and external range of motion – they're harder than they look! And adding a hip extension movement turns these hip mobility exercises into combined hip strengthening exercises too... Not to mention increasing your ability to use your [...]
When putting together a training plan... Although many fighters and coaches are doing the right things, they organise their training weeks haphazardly and squander the full training effect, or inadvertently cancel out performance gains entirely. At best, this wastes effort. At worst, it burns out fighters and injures them. But, you can apply simple steps [...]
These days, fighter training has become more sophisticated. Coaches, fighters, and hobbyists alike all realise that to remain healthy, injury free and perform their best it takes more than steady runs, bag work, pad work, and sparring. But, what types of sessions are needed? How often should you train? What order should sessions go? [...]
Thoracic spine, or mid back rotation mobility is lacking in 90% of the fighters I’ve tested, from novices to world class pros. In the last episode, I demonstrated how I test and score this. If you scored between 1 to 3, you’re limiting your striking power and have an increased risk of lower back [...]
How do you score on this thoracic spine rotation test? 9 out of 10 fighters can’t adequately twist their torso! They don’t have enough t-spine rotation, especially on the dominant side of their body. This means they’re limiting the amount of power they can produce in strikes (especially the close-range weapons like elbows and knees), and have an [...]
Regularly practicing this splits, passive, relaxed stretching routine for fighters will rapidly enhance your kicking flexibility. Splits stretching as shown for just 7 mins, at least 3 times per week, will make a huge difference to your kicking ability at all target heights. Not only will you reach higher targets, like the head, that [...]
Both barbells and dumbbells have their place in a fighters program for exercises like the shoulder press... Either to target specific qualities in different blocks of training, to accommodate shoulder mobility or injury, or simply because of the limited availability of one or the other in your gym! In this video all is explained, while [...]
Not so common... Muay Thai coach to Muay Thai veteran fighter What happens when a 45 year old Muay Thai coach returns to the ring to compete for a Muay Thai veteran title, after 11 years out, and with 20kg to lose in 15 just weeks? …Huge lessons, and a big win! Rich Cadden, [...]
Fighters burnout all the time. Hobbyists, amateurs, and pros alike must learn how to balance high intensity fight training with adequate recovery, to not only peak on fight night, but to optimise long term fight performance and health too. We all have a training “Goldilocks zone” that boosts our performance without sending us into [...]
Combat sports have so many athletic qualities and technical and tactical skills demanding attention, that training opportunities are inexhaustible! But, is fighter performance training healthy? In truth, the objectives are different when either training for health or training for optimal fighter performance – even if both walk hand-in-hand for part of the journey. There's [...]
One thing’s for sure, delayed onset muscle soreness is part of a fighter’s training – especially when you head out to Thailand to train! But… Is delayed onset muscle soreness the sign of a good training session? How can you avoid being too sore? Should you train if you’re really sore? How can you [...]
What's the secret to winning in Muay Thai? Iman Barlow can shed some light! In this episode, Iman Barlow shares valuable insight into what it really takes to take your childhood dreams all the way. Part of the first generation of child nak Muay outside of Thailand, and with a competitive career spanning 25 [...]
In this episode, we ask how do Thais train so much and explain why you don’t have to! I’m often asked questions similar to this one from Alex… “I was wondering something while I was training at Attachai. The sessions over there are way harder than I’m used to, but I assume he just puts [...]
