5 BASIC MUAY THAI WORKOUTS

Get started with a basic training routine that you can do on your own or with a buddy.

These 5 basic training workouts here are focused on getting you started and building and developing a training foundation, to start building muscle endurance, losing weight and burning calories to get you in better overall shape.
Even if you are a beginner in martial arts Muay Thai. With anything new… Start slow and go at your own pace. And consult your physician before you begin any of these exercises.
These are some of the basic training routines that my beginner’s at my gym do. And it will give you an idea on how Muay Thai fighters train. Go at your own pace. And know that you don’t have to do ALL of them. This is just a basic layout of some of the routines you can perform.
I’ve added youtube videos of some of the best fighters training. Check them out.
Above all have fun and enjoy the journey.
The first and most important part of the training is to do a proper warm-up and stretch before you start to try these martial art techniques. Warming up will actually increases your performance and reduces the chance of injury. Remember you are just learning these techniques so take your time GO SLOW and really focus on the techniques for now.

Stretching Before You Begin:

Start your stretching by using controlled, leg and arm swings that make use of your body’s natural range of motion. Like arm swings, truck rotations, and twists. This is called Dynamic stretching. Don’t force your muscle past your own range of motion. That comes after the workout.

• Circle your arms forward and backwards about 8-10 times each
• Rotate your neck up and down, side to side, left to right.
• Truck rotations 8-10 times.
• Frankenstein’s: Stand shoulder width apart, hands out in front and lift your foot to your hand in a swinging motion. Don’t forget to go backwards too.
• Leg rotations: Step on the ball of the foot and rotate your leg back and forth like your putting a cigarette but out. 8-10 times each leg.

Road Work:

Getting your road work in is a big part of Muay Thai training. This will help increase your conditioning and build strong shins for kicking.
Start small. Don’t measure the distance. Measure your time.
Maybe 10 minutes of light running (you don’t have to go full out sprints) 3 times a day after your stretching. And add 2 minutes with each new run, until you hit up to three mile. Try and run outside if you can, early in the morning when the sun is not beam down on your back. Running will help a lot with your cardiovascular training. You will be able to last longer hitting the bags, Thai pads, and fighting inside the ring or in a self defense situation. It will also help strengthen your leg muscles, which is a must for Muay Thai.
It takes a while to get used to, but I can tell your right now it will be one of the best benefits you’ll gain. It will help get your busy day started along with your training, and have a better peace of mind. Like meditating — it’s one place your don’t have to think about anything.

Shadow Boxing:

Shadow boxing is one of those things that you Have To Do in order to practice and perfect ALL of your Thai boxing techniques. It helps you to develop your strategies against any type of opponent.
If you can, try shadow boxing in front of a mirror (your local gym or Muay Thai school should have one). This will help to make sure that your executing your martial arts techniques correctly from every angle. If you see a mistake in your attack or defense, fix it. The mirror never lies.
Stand in your basic fighting position and go through all the Thai Kickboxing techniques you know. Don’t worry about looking silly. EVERYONE does their first time. As you get better start picking up your speed (keep proper form and periodically check yourself in the mirror for mistakes) and imagine fighting someone in front of you. Make it as realistic as you can, moving your feet and head and mixing the punches and kicking for good combinations. Try and go for 2 or 3 rounds with 3 minutes on and a 1 minute break.

Rope Skipping:

Jump roping is also a vital part to your training. No this isn’t the type of jumping roping you did in grade school. This type of training not only provides great stamina, but it also helps build hand-eye-coordination, and builds strong shoulder, wrists, forearms, calf and leg muscles too.
Constantly mixed up your footwork… Bounce with both legs, one leg, move forward, backward, side to side, bring the knees high to your chest, chris-cross if you want to get fancy. Just make sure your always changing your rhythm. Try 3 minutes, one minute rest for 2 to 3 rounds.

Bag Work:

The bag training is great for practicing your punches, kicks, knees and elbows. Hitting the bag will give you a better realistic feeling on fighting an opponent and at the same time give you a great workout. The benefits of bag training will improve your movement and timing coordination. It’ll also build stamina in your shoulders and legs with each strike you throw, which in turn will add more power to your Muay Thai punches and kicks.
When working on the Thai bag remember to always wrap your hands to protect your knuckles and wrist from taking damage. And again, take your time. You don’t have to go ROCKY style on the bag. Work on executing clean, technical punches and kicks. Perfect your form. The speed and power comes later. Try going 3 rounds on the bag mixing in all attacks. And don’t forget your footwork and head movement.

Muay Thai Pad Work:

I’m not going to talk about pad work here. I’ll save that for another blog. Pad training is a more advance method of working out, and should only be done with someone who knows what their doing. Ask your Kickboxing coach (Kru) to set some time aside to hold pads for you.
Muay Thai Pad training is an art in-it-self, and takes a lot of time and constant pad holding the master. A good pad trainer will mix up all the different techniques. Offense and defense to simulate different situations you might find yourself in a real fight. They’ll even dissect what your strengths and weaknesses are and come up with a Muay Thai fighting style that best suits you.

Here’s a basic training routine you can start doing right away.

• Start with a 10-20 min. jog (depending on your current condition)
  10 min. stretch
• 3 rounds of jump roping for 3 mins. with a 1 min. rest
• 3 rounds of shadow boxing for 3 mins. with a 1 min. rest
• 3-5 rounds of pad work for 3 mins. with a 1 min. rest
• 3-5 rounds of drilling techniques on your own or with a partner
• 100 knees, 100 round kicks, 100 push kicks on the heavy bag
• Conditioning – 50-100 crunches, 20 push-ups, 30 squats
• End with a 10 min stretch