Google "warm ups for workouts" and you'll get 15–20 minutes for sprints. Ask about HIIT and it drops to 5–10. Same athlete. Same training week. Three different answers, none of them right. After 25 years coaching fighters who train [...]
Most fighters treat warm up sets as non-negotiable. More ramps, more time, more preparation — it feels responsible. Thorough. Like you're doing things properly. But after years of coaching Muay Thai fighters and strength athletes, I found something that [...]
Today we're tackling a crucial concept in sport performance - the double-edged sword of Muay Thai specific training. The thing is, you need enough supplemental training to build athletic qualities that show up in the ring, but not so [...]
When it comes to fight warm up exercises, back stage at shows, I often see fighters missing out on truly priming their bodies for explosiveness. Well, today I'll share a two exercise protocol that will amp you up, both [...]
Why a lower body activation exercise for fighter's strength and conditioning? Activating the right muscles to efficiently create movement patterns in both strength and conditioning, and a fighter’s technical skill training makes a huge difference to your movement economy [...]
A complete fighters switch step tutorial, including technical drill breakdowns to optimise power through timing and foot placement. Some fighters struggle to find the correct movement pattern for an effective switch step, and coaches can struggle to teach this [...]
Some big questions this week! In this episode of the Q&A I'm asked... What is better for the longterm progression and why? MAS or Main Conditioning from Heavy Hitters? [...]
As promised, here’s the first area of soft tissue work that you can do at home using a tennis ball, or similar. I’ve started at the ground, with the foot, because not only is a tennis [...]
by Don Heatrick @donheatrick For many, Muay Thai warm up drills are a wasted opportunity to become better fighter. If raising your pulse and limbering up are all you are doing in your warm up, then there's plenty [...]
Can I use Plyo's before Muay Thai skill training? This short video explains the relationship between activation and fatigue, and how it relates to strength/power movements preceding Muay Thai technical and tactical training. Triggered by a question on my [...]
I received a great question following my last post on the Serape Effect, it went like this... “Howdy Don, Great article! Totally interested in this type of training, I had a look at your Speed, Power and Strength routine [...]
Following the Aerobic Plyometric Routine post, I've been asked to elaborate on just what 'stiff-ankling' is. So I've taken the opportunity to put together a short demonstration video and explained below just how this makes you explosive. Stiff-ankling is [...]
Following last weeks post, this article shares more in-fight relaxation tips inspired by my private session with Yodsanklai Fairtex in Pattaya. Every move Yod makes comes from a relaxed, shuffling fighting stance – which is a focus in his [...]
This weekend I was privileged to meet Will Chung when attending his Tacfit MMA workshop. To say he's had a profound effect on me would be an understatement. Will is not only an renowned martial artist and coach, but [...]
Forget your old perception of a warm-up and now consider a new model for optimising performance preparation for both fights and training sessions. Time is wasted and physical potential goes untapped following typical ill-conceived warm-up routines. I know it's [...]
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