I was asked about that Pallof Press w/ Perturbation core exercise that Tawanchai was using in my recent reaction video... "Could that be used in a Strength Block in a training program?" When choosing the best core exercise for fighters, it's important to first consider... How far a fighter is away from an important [...]
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 [...]
Muay Thai training and Muay Thai as an art has a deep history. And when it comes to the ring sport we’ve all come to love, the period between 1980 and 1995 known as “The Golden Era”, spawned arguably the most talented fighters ever. Names like Dieselnoi, Samart, Jongsanan, and Sakmongkol demand almost superhero [...]
Your work life and fight life are in conflict. I know you feel the clock is ticking, that you’re running out of time when it comes to finding out how far you can go in Muay Thai. It was true for me, and it’s true for everyone – regardless if they compete or not. We [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Fighter mental strength training isn't only about what happens on the pads or in sparring. Mental strength is built over the long-term from the habits you repeat each day. In reality, everything you do is an opportunity to either cement the identity of someone who either: 1. Avoids challenging situations or circumstances or gives [...]
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 [...]
Do you know the difference between optimal and peak fight performance? Too many fighters don’t, and it’s costing them! I see many pro and hobbyist fighters alike, rightly working incredibly hard in their training, but mistakenly believing that every session must push them harder than the last. “Go hard or go home” has its [...]
Fighters instinctively feel that hill sprints boost their fight performance. And mixing these High Resistance Intervals amongst your “roadwork” develops your endurance in a way steady state running can’t. But, not everyone has access to a decent hill. What’s the minimum hill gradient required? And what alternatives to hill sprints are there if you [...]
To become a stronger fighter, you must use resistance training correctly... Historically, old-school fight coaches claimed that weight training makes fighters big and slow. But that’s only true if you use resistance training poorly. When used in the right way, weight training can either make you much stronger WITHOUT getting any bigger, or both [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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! [...]
