Happy Friday! This is Curtain Culture, your online Muay Thai coach.

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

• My current training routine

• Why I’ve started strength training

• How strength training benefits your resilience and capacity to perform

My Current Training Routine

Currently my training split consists of 4-5 evenings of Muay Thai and 3 mornings of strength training.

My Muay Thai training consists of line work, pad rounds, bag work, partnered drills, and sparring. I will spend on average 90 minutes at the gym.

A typical week of training Muay Thai from Monday to Friday focuses on:

• Technique in line work and bag work

• Skill aquisition through pad holding and partnered drills

• Fight IQ and distance management from sparring

My strength training takes 1 hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and includes mobility, velocity, strength, and resilience exercises. With my fight happening late in the year, the focus at the moment is building a solid strength base. Low reps, heavy weight.

An example of a strength training looks something like this:

• Warm up - release trigger ball and mobility stretches

• Velocity block - band assisted pogo hopping

• Strength block - trap bar deadlift, landmine shoulder press, barbell hip thrust, dumbbell bench pull

• Resilience block - banded resistance shoulder row and neck supine hip bridge

Why I’ve started strength training

Before committing to training for my first professional fight in it has been a while between rigorous training blocks. In fact it has been about a year since my black singlet grading last year in May - a 5 hour physical test of endurance and technique.

After taking pretty much a year off consistent training I found it very difficult to get back into training. At first I tried to slot back into my old training routine and come to 5 or 6 classes a week. This quickly led to burnout and injuries however and I ended up taking longer to get back to a baseline of ability in the ring. I find that the mind is generally a lot quicker to sharpen fight IQ with previous experience but the mind-body connection takes longer to get the message across to a body that has been out of action.

At the start of April I was frustrated, my body was sore and I couldn’t seem to find a way to hit my rhythm with a consistent training schedule without hurting myself.

In comes strength training. As a precursor, I have previously tried to create my own strength programs from Youtube videos and online articles but it didn’t work for me. I wasn’t aware of proper training protocols and wasn’t dedicated enough to commit to a weightlifting program as well as Muay Thai without external support. A physio friend of mine has created an ‘Athlete Development Program’ designed to help people perform their sport specific movements efficiently. I joined in mid April and quickly felt the positive benefits of strength training.

I’ve been lifting heavy weights for low repititions. It was explained to me that by increasing the capacity and energy output of a muscle, the longer and harder it can work at a lower intensities. The biggest difference for me has been my calf muscles, they used to get very tight and sore from constant training. Now that I train them under heavy load, I no longer get those aches. This is an example of the ‘resilience' training blocks at work.

I’m excited to share more results and knowledge with you as my training changes. My strength trainers have told me that as I get closer to the fight, the weights will go down and there will be more focus on explosive movements for nervous system stimulus. This is all super interesting and exciting to learn about using myself as a human experiment.

Strength Training Benefits in Muay Thai

Proper movement mechanics and exercise selection are vital for athletic performance in Muay Thai. The gym provides an opportunity to improve movement patterns and force transfer, so it is crucial to prioritise mechanically efficient and stable movements. Neglecting exercise choices and form can lead to injuries and hinder progress.

Weightlifting, focusing on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses, benefits Muay Thai fighters by enhancing strength, power, and explosiveness. Plyometric exercises, Olympic lifts, and functional movements specific to Muay Thai are also beneficial. There is incredible value in tailored weightlifting programs for individual needs and goals. This ensures consistency, progressive overload, and proper recovery. Seek guidance from qualified trainers and gradually increase training intensity to avoid burnout.

Three actionable takeaways from these points are:

1. Prioritise proper movement mechanics and form in all training exercises to maximize efficiency and reduce the risk of injury.

2. Incorporate compound exercises, plyometrics, and functional movements specific to Muay Thai in your weightlifting routine to improve overall strength, power, and explosiveness.

3. Seek guidance from qualified trainers, customise your training program according to your individual needs and goals, and ensure consistency, progressive overload, and proper recovery for long-term improvement.

Explore more:

Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai 101 - A Science-Based Approach to Accelerated Athletic Development

6 Facts About Muay Thai Weight Lifting