Strength and recovery without missing sessions.
The most common mistake of a motivated student isn't training too little. It's adding CrossFit, running, bag work and sessions with me in the same week, and breaking down in week four. This is what adds up, what takes away, and how to know when to stop.
If you tell me you're tired, I adjust the session. If you don't tell me and skip, the month is lost. Always tell me.
Three exercises. Twice a week. That's it.
Muay Thai is already the cardio. What most people lack is strength in the hips and trunk, and you don't need a gym for that.
- Squat or lunge, with or without weight. Three sets of eight to twelve. It's where the kick and the clinch come from.
- Push-up or row. Push and pull. Three sets until it's hard, without going to failure. Shoulders that last twelve rounds.
- Plank with rotation or ab wheel. Three sets of 30 to 45 seconds. The trunk is what connects the hip to the fist.
If you already go to a gym, don't add this on top. Tell me your routine and I'll tell you what to drop.
What adds up, what takes away.
Adds: brisk walk or bike, 20 minutes
Twice a week, at a pace where you can talk. Recovers and builds a base without punishing joints.
Takes away: a 10k run the day before
You arrive with empty legs and the session is half a session. If you run, do it the day after.
Adds: sleep
Seven hours. It's the only supplement that works and it's free. A student who sleeps five doesn't progress, whatever they train.
Takes away: training through pain
Soreness yes, pain no. The difference: soreness improves as you move; pain gets worse. If it gets worse, stop and tell me.
Shins. Since you're going to ask.
Yes, they hurt for the first few weeks of kicking pads. It's normal and it passes with repetition alone. No, you don't need to kick trees or roll bottles on them. That's a legend and all it does is injure you.
What does work: kicking pads with technique (the shin, not the foot), shin guards for the first ten sessions, and patience. What doesn't: any shin pain that shows up when walking or running rather than kicking. Those are shin-splint symptoms, and that's where you stop, reduce what's causing it, and if it doesn't improve in a week, see a doctor.
Questions about conditioning and recovery.
Should I keep training with shin pain?
With discomfort from kicking, yes. With pain that shows up when walking or running, no. Reduce what's causing it and if it doesn't improve in a week or gets worse, see a doctor. Don't tough it out.
What are the best exercises for Muay Thai?
Squat or lunge, push-up or row, and trunk. Twice a week. Muay Thai itself provides the rest.
How much rest do I need?
Two full days a week minimum. If you train with me twice and do strength twice, that's already four days. Don't add more.
Do I need supplements or a special diet?
No. Eat enough, protein at every meal, sleep seven hours. If you have a specific weight goal, we talk about it properly, don't improvise it.
I've missed two weeks. Do I start from scratch?
No. Come back and tell me so the first session is gentler. You recover in two sessions. What you don't recover from is quitting out of embarrassment about coming back.
How's the load? Tell me.
Tired, sore, no time, over-motivated. Whatever it is, one message and I adjust the next session.