When we talk about combat-based games most people think about boxing, BJJ, or other forms of MMA. Most people are not familiar with Muay Thai although Muay Thai is rapidly gaining fame. People still think about Muay Thai as a very dangerous game that will only equip them for self-defense. There is no doubt that Muay Thai is very good for self-defense but limiting the scope of Muay Thai to just another combat game might not be such a good idea. Muay Thai is one of the most rapidly growing combat base games. It is not only growing in popularity but also in technique. There was a time when Muay Thai was just tagged as a dangerous game but with the help of mainstream media and its changing maneuvers, the game has finally changed public opinion.
Everyone has a different expectation from Muay Thai. Some people are only in for technique, others are in for self-defense whereas some are in for health. There is no doubt that Muay Thai is great for weight loss but when it comes to muscle gain, people get very skeptical. We have seen that most Muay Thai boxers are very lean but we also need to acknowledge their toned body, abs, and chiseled body. They might not look like Michael B Jordan but we can’t ignore their toned muscular body.
How Muay Thai Can Help With Muscle Building?
One of the most common misconceptions about combat-based training and especially Muay Thai is that it helps in losing weight. There is no doubt about it, Muay Thai is excellent for weight loss. In fact, within the first three months, you will be able to shed a lot of fat. This will eventually benefit you because the rest of the fat will be used in developing muscle. Your body will be toned because, with the help of Muay Thai, your whole body will be engaged in exercises. Eventually, you will see the progress in your whole body. One thing to keep in mind is that you might not be able to focus on a group of muscles but eventually, you will see that your body is developing a posture. You will not only develop a better technique of exercises but you will also see the progress in your body structure.
How to Gain Muscle While Training For Muay Thai
To help you get used to the technique you will have to go through a lot of different exercises. You need to build stamina, work on your endurance and then develop a muscle memory that can support your defense. Overall, there is a lot more going on behind the curtain that you need to keep in mind. To help you know about some of the most common exercises that you can use for Muay Thai, we have listed down a few tips. These tips will help you with your daily exercises and other MMA-based training as well.
Start With Stretching
Starching is great for all kinds of exercise. It will help you complete every step of exercises, you will be able to make the most out of your exercises and you can avoid injury. With the help of stretching, you will be able to retain the flexibility that your body has lost. Apart from this, your Muay Thai kicks will get better.
There is a very complex technology behind the Muay Thai kick, if you are not able to complete it properly, you might end up hurting yourself. However, after proper starching you will be able to reach your apex, your kicks will go higher and it will be less painful. Even after you are done with the exercises you will notice that your body is no longer sore and you cannot feel too much pain. Starching will not take too long. You just need 10-15 minutes of stretching time and you will eventually see progress. Overall, stretching is for helping you ease the exercise process but it can be incorporated into the exercises as well.
Let Your Body Have Some Healing Time
No pain no gain is an old quote. You don’t have to test the limits of your body just because you want to see progress. Sometimes it is better to let your body rest and heal. If you want to build your muscle faster, you need to help your body recover. The only route to recovery is regeneration. The muscle-building process can be simply explained that it is a process of telling your body that it needs to make healthy cells.
When we work out, the muscle goes through wear and tear. This wear and tear are then detected and recovered when the body makes new cells. The new cells are far more powerful, bulkier and more in numbers because the body detects the need. However, when you stop working, the newer cells get back to their older form because the body detects that there is no need to gain stronger cells.
The muscle-building process is pretty painful because your body is going through a repair process. To help your body recover, you need to have some rest. This is the reason instructors recommend that an individual should only work for 3-5 days a week and spend the rest of the time relaxing your body. This way you will be able to gain more muscle. Apart from this, a healthy sleeping pattern is also important.
Stay Away From Boring Exercises
One of the major reasons people start very enthusiastically and then leave the exercise altogether is because of the monotonous style. Everyone starts with a passion but doing the same exercises every day gets very challenging. The best way to make your exercises fun is to mix and match various exercises. You should customize an exercise plan according to your need but make sure it has so many different exercises combined. You can add different exercises for each day or you can add 5 different exercises every day. Some people ditch the traditional aerobics and add dance to their exercises. However, it is better to have a small portion of starching and then squats, deadlifts, bench press, pushups, Russian twist, and others. This way you will be able to entrain yourself as well and you will not feel like you are losing motivation.
