When addressing the topic of Muay Thai and strength and conditioning, the age-old wisdom of "Get fit for Muay Thai by doing Muay Thai" holds significant merit. Traditionally, minimal emphasis was placed on strength training, with conditioning primarily revolving around the "Nak Muay Trilogy" of running, skipping (jump rope), and pad work. However, with recent advancements in sports science, there has been a growing trend among fighters to allocate a portion of their training sessions to focused strength and conditioning.
While it is essential to incorporate these elements, some individuals tend to overemphasize them, dedicating excessive time that surpasses the actual Muay Thai training. I believe that strength and conditioning should complement, not overshadow, the core Muay Thai practice. Despite not possessing formal qualifications in fitness or S&C, I have developed a circuit over the past 30 years of training in Thailand and I now use this circuit at my Chiang Mai training center.
This circuit, shaped through experiences at renowned establishments across Thailand, appears to effectively target the areas crucial for enhancing a Nak Muay's strength and power.
"You could do far worse than to include this circuit at the end of your Muay Thai Training session!"
Note: If you don't have the equipment used in this video it is easy to find substitute weights. Dumbbells can be used in stead of kettle bells and a weight bar. Anything heavy ( Bucket of sand or large gallon bottle of water) can be used in some exercises such as Calf raises, lunges, floor swipers etc; Dips can be done on chairs and leg raises done on the floor. Be creative.
Circuit For Muay Thai:
Warm up: Go straight into it if after a class or do 15 minutes skipping if from cold.
25 Close Grip Pull ups
25 Dips
25 Close Grip Press UPs
25 Leg Raises
25 Clean & Jerks
25 Floor Swipers
25 Deadlifts
25 V Sit Ups
25 Lunges
25 Calf Raises
25 Wide Arm Press Ups
25 Dips
25 Wide Arm Pull Ups
