Jump to content

Different Kinds of Running - What is Best for Muay Thai?


Recommended Posts

It's pretty well known that all top nak muays run. But there are different ways of running, and they bring different benefits. Sprinting in short intervals seems to be more effective when it comes to building cardio than running longer distances at a lower pace. The more classic medium distance running builds endurance in the leg in a way that short intervals doesn't though. What way do you find most benefitial for muay thai practitioners, and why?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hill repeats, stairs and sprints are all great to work into training. I've only ever seen it applied here in Thailand in the lead up to a "big fight," rather than part of maintenance training.

I've read the articles and arguments and all that on how HIIT is better than distance for explosive blah blah blah. But I don't think that the 10 km runs that NakMuay are pounding out twice per day are necessarily only meant for cardio. It's mental training as well.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with both 515 and Sylvie. Both endurance and high intensity training have their places and respective benefits, neither one is better than the other, so I find it best to do both. Most people seem to run before training, but I prefer to do it afterwards. That way, I can use it to go over what I did during the session in my head. I tag sprints onto the end, either before or after the big run, depending on how I feel that day. Some days, I'll do one and not the other and occasionally, I won't do any running at all, but as long as you incorporate both kinds into your general routine, you're good.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Long slow endurance runs, besides the definite mental capacity it takes to do those sort of runs, also help with your body's utilization of the aerobic systems. I know usually when you're in a fight it's a ton of explosive anaerobic work, that's what all the sprints and HIIT helps with. That sort of power. The aerobic part comes in between combos or between rounds. Essentially the stronger aerobic system you have, the faster you'll be able to recover from the explosive work.

My cardio absolutely sucks, so I'm actually working on trying to build up to longer runs and work on the mental training to do them, since I get horribly bored and want to quit as soon as possible.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the input. I especially like Stephs point about needing the aerobic systems to be able to utilize the anaerobic ones throughout an entire fight. I'm also not really a fan of running, which is why i have prefered sprints. It takes shorter time, and during high intensity trainings, I have to focus, and thus don't get bored. My friend signed me up for one of these 10 km road races last month though, so now I have found some motivation to do longer distances as well, which i think has made a difference. Generally i think both have their place in training, but it's interesting to reflect on the proportions from a sports-science perspective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an issue with incorporating running to my training as I have a hip injury/weakness (something biological I have to live with it seems) which results in pain and stiffness in my right hip and thigh muscle if I run a lot. I've been trying different types of training, runs etc. to see what causes pain and what doesn't. It seems that anything apart from long distance runs are ok. Anyone with any thoughts or tips on how I can get cardio done for Muay Thai without too much running? In the gym I do cardio rounds on the bags, circuits, rope skipping etc but I'm always worried it's not enough as running seems to be such an integral part of Muay Thai training.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually have a similar problem Snoopy! I think that cycling is supposed to be really  good if you can get access to a stationary bike or something. Whenever I run long distances I start to get pain in my right hip and it eventually leads to me not being able to move my leg anymore if I continue to push it way past the limit. I haven't found any solution myself, what I've started trying to do is slowly build up. At this point I'm only doing short runs of about 3 km. It already causes some stiffness but its not enough to result in pain. What I intend to do is slowly increase it, so I'm hoping to build up strength without cause too much damage initially. I know this is probably not much help, but I hope you can find a way around it. I'll share any tips I figure out.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A couple years back I suffered from a bad case of plantar fasciitis that lasted 6 months(!!). Any ability to bounce around on my feet had to be reserved for sparring. I started working out on rowing machine and stationary bike, which helped with the cardio. Of course this doesn't replace running, but I found it to be the closest thing.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fall into the "cannot run because my back is a mess" category, also being a heavy woman it would be suicide on my articulations.

I know cycling can be a substitute, but how much? How long? What kind of route/intensity/setting (if on stationary bike?) Right now I jump on the stationary bike as I arrive at the gym, and I'm managing to fit a 20 minutes medium intensity biking before training as a warm up, I have the feeling is essential for my legs and knees to warm up that way. But I don't think that's enough as cardio conditioning/help recovery.

Any advice is welcome!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Most Recent Topics

  • Latest Comments

    • "He who does not know how to read only sees the differences. For him who knows how to read, it all comes to the same thing, since the sentence is identical. Whoever has finished his apprenticeship recognizes things and events, everywhere and always, as vibrations of the same divine and infinitel sweet word. This does not mean that he will not suffer Pain is the color of certain events. When a man who can and a man who cannot read look at a sentence written in red ink, they both see the same red color, but this color is not so important for the one as for the other."   A beautiful analogy by Simone Weil (Waiting for God), which especially in the last sentence communicates how hard it is to discuss Muay Thai with those who don't know how to "read" its sentences. Yes, I see the effort. Yes, I see the power. Yes, I even see the "technique"...but this is like talking about the color of sentences written out at times.
    • from Reddit discussing shin pain and toughening of the shins: There are several factors, and people create theories on this based on pictures of Muay Thai, but honestly from my wife's direct experience they go some what numb and hard from lots of kicking bags and pads, and fighting (in Thailand some bags could get quite hard, almost cement like in places). Within a year in Thailand Sylvie was fighting every 10 or 12 days and it really was not a problem, seldom feeling much pain, especially if you treat them properly after damage, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztzTmHfae-k and then more advanced, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcWtd00U7oQ And they keep getting harder. After a few years or so Sylvie felt like she would win any shin clash in any fight, they just became incredible hard. In this video she is talking about 2 years in about how and why she thought her shins had gotten so hard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFXCmZVXeGE she shows in the vid how her shins became kind of permanently serrated, with divots and dings. As she discusses only 2 years in (now she's 13 years of fighting in) very experienced Thais have incredibly hard shins, like iron. Yes, there are ideas about fighting hard or not, but that really isn't the determining factor from our experience with Sylvie coming up on 300 fights and being around a lot of old fighters. They just can get incredibly tough. The cycles of damage and repair just really change the shin (people in the internet like to talk about microfractures and whatnot). Over time Sylvie eventually didn't really need the heat treatment anymore after fights, now she seldom uses it. She's even has several times in the last couple of years split her skin open on checks without even feeling much contact. Just looked down and there was blood.  
    • The race for cheaper "grassroots" labor to fill Entertainment Muay Thai cards is on. Rajadamnern vs Lumpinee, trad Muay Thai vs Entertainment Muay Thai. This is the next economic challenge for the sport. Who can tap the rural fighter labor source better, as the trad festival fight culture that has feed the sport for over a century is quickly eroding.   
  • The Latest From Open Topics Forum

    • Hi all, Does anyone know of any suppliers for blanks (Plain items to design and print a logo on) that are a good quality? Or put me in the right direction? thanks all  
    • The first fight between Poot Lorlek and Posai Sittiboonlert was recently uploaded to youtube. Posai is one of the earliest great Muay Khao fighters and influential to Dieselnoi, but there's very little footage of him. Poot is one of the GOATs and one of Posai's best wins, it's really cool to see how Posai's style looked against another elite fighter.
    • Yeah, this is certainly possible. Thanks! I just like the idea of a training camp pre-fight because of focus and getting more "locked in".. Do you know of any high level gyms in europe you would recommend? 
    • You could just pick a high-level gym in a European city, just live and train there for however long you want (a month?). Lots of gyms have morning and evening classes.
    • Hi, i have a general question concerning Muay-Thai training camps, are there any serious ones in Europe at all? I know there are some for kickboxing in the Netherlands, but that's not interesting to me or what i aim for. I have found some regarding Muay-Thai in google searches, but what iv'e found seem to be only "retreats" with Muay-Thai on a level compareable to fitness-boxing, yoga or mindfullness.. So what i look for, but can't seem to find anywhere, are camps similar to those in Thailand. Grueling, high-intensity workouts with trainers who have actually fought and don't just do this as a hobby/fitness regime. A place where you can actually grow, improve technique and build strength and gas-tank with high intensity, not a vacation... No hate whatsoever to those who do fitness-boxing and attend retreats like these, i just find it VERY ODD that there ain't any training camps like those in Thailand out there, or perhaps i haven't looked good enough?..  Appericiate all responses, thank you! 
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      1.4k
    • Total Posts
      11.5k
×
×
  • Create New...