Heatrick Muay Thai Strength And Conditioning

Most likely, if you ask your Muay Thai trainer what fitness training you should do outside of your Muay Thai sessions, you’re told to simply run a number of times a week, and maybe do a little weight training if you want to… It’s largely down to you. And aside from “do more” when you have a fight coming up, there’s little guidance and rarely any structure. And this is a problem for the majority of Muay Thai trainers. It’s leaving students with only a basic athletic foundation and no hope of levelling up over time, let alone peaking performance for a fight if the student competes. So why does this happen? It’s largely because those traditional Golden Era Muay Thai methods are still aspirational to most coaches, even if things should have moved on and improved… Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2023/03/31/the-problem-with-your-muay-thai-trainer/

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 game recognise both that skill is perishable and can migrate over time, and that merely training for your next fight is limiting your progress too. In this episode… Professor Tony Myers, both a world class Muay Thai coach and an academic researcher in sport psychology, shares valuable insight into what makes good fighters great, and keeps them great! Full show notes and further resources at https://heatrick.com/2023/02/24/how-to-coach-experienced-fighters-professor-tony-myers/

What is authentic Muay Thai training now, and has it evolved for the better? Muay Thai 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 status. They were highly skilled and incredibly tough! Nostalgists will claim today’s fighters couldn’t stand with The Golden Era greats. And may even consider this as evidence that the training methods back then were superior too. But, what does this mean for your training? Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2023/02/10/what-is-authentic-muay-thai-training-now-old-school-vs-new-school/

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 all have a “bucket list”, and although Muay Thai is on there, you feel that your work life inevitably gets in the way of your fight life. And you may hate to admit it, but even family and friends crowd out your fight training too!  The biggest challenge in becoming the best you can be at Muay Thai, is how consistently you can train. And this is compounded when you pick up an injury or simply don’t seem to recover well. “If only I didn’t have to make a living and I could train full time!” But, even pro Muay Thai fighters have to work to make ends meet – a full-time income from just training and fighting isn’t there (yet).  And even then, the truth is a big chunk of your week is tied up with making a living, regardless if you're a Mua

Losing a fight by doing too much? Paul Banasiak shares that losing his Glory debut fight taught him to not over-effort... That it's important to balance risk and reward, and that doing more or going harder in a fight doesn't necessarily equate to bigger, better results. Be aware of the "glitches" you suffer by overthinking instructions and losing your flow! Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2023/01/20/paul-banasiak-losing-a-fight-by-doing-too-much/

When scheduling your weekly training plan for fighters, although many fighters and coaches are doing the right things, they organise their training weeks too haphazardly to get 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 to design weekly schedules that ensure training is efficient and effective – maximising results while consuming less time and energy, reducing overuse injuries, and increasing the amount of time for Muay Thai skill practice – or family and friends if you’d prefer! I’ll share these steps with you now, and show you how to use them. Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2023/01/13/scheduling-your-weekly-training-plan-for-fighters-part-2/

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?  Organising your training week, whatever your level of commitment to Muay Thai, can be daunting. However, it doesn’t have to be... Let’s run through the steps I use with clients to create your most effective weekly training plan.   Further notes and all the resources mentioned at https://heatrick.com/2023/01/06/scheduling-your-weekly-training-plan-for-fighters-part-1/

Some pre fight rituals boost confidence and performance, while others hamper it!  Having established an understanding of why rituals and superstitions speak directly to your emotional mind in high-stakes situations to boost confidence and performance in part 1...  In this episode, we lever this understanding to pick the best rituals and personalise them, while avoiding those that could inadvertently sabotage you! Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/12/09/how-pre-fight-ritual-boosts-confidence-performance-part-2/ If you like the look of my X-Martial t-shirt in the video, you can get yours, and help fund this channel (we get an affiliate payment) by clicking here: https://www.xmartial.com/?ref=D0i7eQ6a

The evidence is in. Pre fight rituals boost confidence and performance, fact!  Pre fight superstitions and rituals are an inherent part of all combat sports, and are baked into the culture of Muay Thai.  From Pra Jiad arm bands, Mongkhon headgear, lucky amulets, and sak yant tattoos, to wai kru and ram muay dances, modern day Muay Thai still carries many of the ancient Siam superstitions and rituals from its battlefield origins thousands of years ago. But what are these fighters onto? And how can seemingly irrational pre fight rituals boost confidence and competitive performance? Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/12/02/how-pre-fight-ritual-boosts-confidence-performance-part-1/ If you like the look of my X-Martial t-shirt in the video, you can get yours, and help fund this channel (we get an affiliate payment) by clicking here: https://www.xmartial.com/?ref=D0i7eQ6a

Solo fight skill technical practice can fast-track your fight ability if it's done well.  In this episode, avoid these fight skill pitfalls or risk sabotaging your technical practice and undoing all your hard work.  Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/11/11/fight-skills-technical-practice-part-1-group-sessions/ And make sure you've seen Part 1 of this video here: https://heatrick.com/2022/11/11/fight-skills-technical-practice-part-1-group-sessions/ And if you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe to stay up to date with our latest Muay Thai performance tips every Friday!

When it comes to fight skill technical practice, repetition is key. And group sessions present challenges for individuals looking for technical practice opportunities to fast-track changes in their fight skill habits. In this episode, I discuss my approach for fast-tracking technical practice in group sessions, both as a coach, and a fighter taking part in a class too. Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/11/11/fight-skills-technical-practice-part-1-group-sessions/

There’s a difference between feeling tired during fights and being tired… Competing as a fighter is stressful, and the cocktail of neurochemicals and hormones this dumps into your body drastically affects how you feel. Especially early in a fight career, nervousness, anxiety, or even all-out fear, will leave you feeling exhausted without even exerting yourself! But, I’ve found there can be a disparity between the sensations you feel, and the performance you can produce if you can override them. From the top down, emotion affects posture. And from the bottom up, posture affects emotion. If your training has built good postural habits, then despite how tired you feel, you may well not look it! Don’t assume because you feel tired, and are facing an exhausted-looking opponent, that you look just as exhausted during the fight too. Show notes and further resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/11/04/feeling-tired-during-fights-isnt-the-same-as-being-tired/

Even elite pros require methods for coping with pre fight nerves. And it begins with accepting how you really feel, before adopting strategies to manage that pre fight anxiety when it crops up... And it will! Every fighter has nerves before a fight. If they didn't, they can't perform their best. However, it's important to manage your nerves so, you don't become overwhelmed. In this episode, the pre fight process is mapped out, and personal tools are deployed to make sure you perform your best. Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/10/28/tips-for-coping-with-pre-fight-nerves/

Are you strategically pacing yourself to win fights? Armed with an understanding of how to use a heart rate monitor to determine your own unique training pace, you can not only boost your fight fitness… But crucially, learn how to strategically pace your efforts during a fight to produce the best tactical effect. Just add your own style and technical ability! By training at your maximum sustainable work rate, and learning when you’re either over or under this, and by how far, you can strategically time your biggest efforts for the greatest impact. And keep yourself safe and recharged when it’s needed too. Shownotes and further resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/10/21/strategically-pacing-yourself-to-win-fights/

Using fighter’s deload week effectively takes discipline! Recovery is often a dirty word for fighters… However, it’s the difference between year-on-year progress, or a monthly boom and bust. In this discussion with Rolf Eijsink during his coaching call, we explore both my approach to maximising deload weeks, and Rolf’s valuable insight too. Use these tips to deload like a pro… Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/10/14/using-fighters-deload-week-to-kill-it/

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 may have not been available to you before, but you'll also kick faster and with less effort at all kicking ranges. Including those you could reach before too This passive relaxed splits stretching routine helps fighters fast-track your kicking ability, and easily maintain flexibility once you've got it too. Check out this week's video for my splits stretching tips... Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/10/07/the-splits-stretching-routine-for-fighters-kicks/

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 up before finding their true limit, or, 2. Meets challenges head-on and only stops when physically unable to continue The truth is, the mind quits way before the body will. And training a mind with the mental strength to find out where the limits really are, takes practice.   Take every opportunity you can to train this habit and develop a true fighter's identity. It'll serve you outside the ring just as well as inside it. Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/09/30/mental-strength-training-for-fighters/

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 episode all is explained, while I share part of a discussion from a video call with one of my Heavy Hitter clients... He struggled to get hold of two barbells for the Deadlift and Shoulder Press superset pairing in his program. Armed with the information shared on this call, he opted to use a barbell for the Deadlift, and then use a pair of dumbbells for the shoulder press – so he could compact his training session as much as possible without negatively affecting his results. Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/09/23/barbell-vs-dumbbell-shoulder-press-for-fighters/

Discipline is needed when your motivation has run dry, and it’s exponentially more important! Fighters must build real discipline in order to become the best they can be. In the last episode, I explained that consistent effort over the long-term makes the biggest difference to your performance. To achieve that, there’s a common denominator – DISCIPLINE. Discipline comes from caring enough about achieving something that you’ll do what it takes, even when things become difficult. Let’s break this down into component parts so you can make practical use of it...  Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2022/09/16/real-discipline-for-fighters/

Do you know the difference between optimal and peak performance for fighters? 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 place. However, this attitude is regularly misplaced and over simplified. Understanding when this kind of maximal effort is needed, and when it’s not, is what separates those that become the best they can be and those that boom and bust! In this episode, I’ll explain what the difference is between optimal and peak performance training, and how to use both approaches to best effect as a fighter. The objective is to build long-term performance, so that in a year you’ll be a different fighter. And in a few years you’ll be untouchable! This is very different to the flat, cyclic progress the vast majority of fighters make with their athletic performance between one fight and the next