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 physically and mentally in a total of just 8 to 15 reps! [...]
As fighters become more experienced, we must understand how to coach them so they don't become stale. Experts in any field are ruthlessly good at the basics. What marks the best apart from the rest, is their ability to revisit and resharpen their foundational practice. It's vital that those at the top of their [...]
Tawanchai has been putting in the work for his first defence of the ONE Championship Featherweight Muay Thai World title. And he's shared a glimpse of his strength and conditioning prep on Instagram. In the clip, we see him working through a series of exercises... Battling Ropes Band Resisted High Knees Band Resisted Agility [...]
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 [...]
Understanding exactly why a big fighter isn’t always stronger is crucial for fight performance. It explains why some fighters perform well in their weight class and others don’t, and informs how you can best train to dominate your weight class too. As we’ve seen in the previous two videos, it’s speed that kills! However, [...]
Even many pro fighters don’t understand the real secret of how to punch using the hips to maximum effect – because it can seem counter intuitive. But grasp this and your punch power will sky rocket. Once you understand how the correct hip mechanics can transfer maximum force to your punch, you’ll win by [...]
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 [...]
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 and ultimate strength and power levels. And many fighters struggle to “feel” the difference between [...]
There are a ton of different reaction time training methods and an ever-increasing crop of reaction training devices… And for fighters, they’re NOT all created equal. Some methods really only function as warm-up or movement activities, whereas others can develop Saenchai-like reflexes in the ring! [...]
Tune-up your Muay Thai Superman punch or elbow with this Med Ball Jump Slam exercise! Not only is this a great explosive hip extension and core anti-extension exercise, but it’s a fantastic way to teach timing and awareness of body position during jumping strikes. Seriously great for amping up your flying Superman elbow! This [...]
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 to students that 'don't get it'. This fighters switch step tutorial video looks at building [...]
Fighters push ups aren't typically considered to enhance the clinch! Most fighters view push ups only as a punch-specific exercise, but programmed in your training correctly, it can make a serious difference to your Muay Thai clinch escape too. And being a bodyweight exercise, specific [...]
I'm not going to opt for the more obvious reaction or hand eye coordination drills, catching, avoiding, throwing or punching tennis balls. Instead, I’m going to share two strength and conditioning exercises for fighters using a tennis ball... Both of which directly contribute to two key factors that heavily influence [...]
Why is there typically more shouting during strikes in Muay Thai training than in fighting? In this episode, I’ll share my thoughts on this specifically, and on breathing during Muay Thai in general... Join the most informed Muay Thai performance community out there! Subscribe Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/donheatrick Apple [...]
I'm often asked how fighters can adjust their training programs if they're experiencing lower back pain while deadlifting. Here's a recent question... "I'm struggling doing deadlifts at the moment due to my lower back being activated before my glutes in my posterior chain. "I'm working on the muscle imbalance in [...]
Riddle me this... What becomes more difficult the better you get? ...Have you got it? I'll tell you where I'm going with this, my answer is... Improvement But this is much more than just a riddle... If you want to become the best you can be, we must unpack this [...]
Panicos Yusuf came to England from Cyprus on a one-way ticket, with just £60 in his pocket and a habit of working hard... He's since achieved an incredible amount in the sport of Muay Thai, owing everything to his family, his friends, his coaches [...]
Bryan Popejoy has found himself at the forefront of American Muay Thai since the 1980's, literally involved from Illinois in the East, through Arizona, to California in the West. His experience both as a Muay Thai fighter himself (in the early "Wild West" period of American Muay Thai), and as [...]
Martial arts and Muay Thai are all that 25 year old Dan McGowan has ever known. And just when he began to question his own dedication and purpose, Muay Thai gave back – in the form of fantastic opportunities with the other legends at Evolve MMA in Singapore. Dan is [...]
