Muay Thai is known for being very athletic, and it is well-known that you need to be strong and have the muscle to succeed.
As you need to be strong to participate in Muay Thai, should you lift weights when you are training?
Lifting weights is very beneficial for your body as it helps to burn fat and make you stronger, resulting in more power.
Power is very important in Muay Thai as you want to avoid getting hit and you want to avoid any damage to your body, so having the strength to fight back is an important part of Muay Thai.
This article will explain if you should lift weights when you are training for Muay Thai and whether or not it is beneficial for your body to do so.
You can find out more below about if lifting weights adds any benefits to your performance in Muay Thai.
Is Lifting Weights Normal For Muay Thai Fighters?
Traditional Muay Thai fighters build muscle from training, but some Muay Thai fighters do lift weights to improve their performance as they become stronger and leaner.
This means that they are more successful in their Muay Thai training. Some people prefer to weight train as they enjoy it, and others prefer to focus solely on Muay Thai.
Does Muay Thai Build Muscle?
Muay Thai does build muscle as you are participating in bodyweight exercises to help become stronger and fitter.
When you are looking to gain obvious muscle, you might feel stronger from training, but you might not see a difference in your physical body.
This is the main reason why people decide to lift weights as well as train in Muay Thai, as they can see their muscles develop whilst feeling stronger in their training.
Although Muay Thai allows you to gain some muscular strength, you will notice a much more effective difference from lifting weights.
Should You Lift Weights When Training For Muay Thai?
When you decide to lift weights when training for Muay Thai, it can be difficult for your body to adjust. You need to make sure that you are eating the right amount of calories.
If you are burning calories and then not replacing them with food, it will become very difficult for you to gain muscle. This can be challenging, especially if you are not used to eating this much.
You also need to look after your body if you are training in Muay Thai and lifting weights.
You need to plan your training sessions for Muay Thai and weight lifting carefully to make sure that you are not overworking your body and potentially causing any damage to yourself.
What Weights Should You Lift For Muay Thai?
If you want to start lifting weights for Muay Thai training, you need to focus on compound movements that train more than one muscle group at a time.
By doing compound movements, you will not be leaving any muscles out, becoming stronger overall.
Pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and bench presses are good for strength training as they work several muscles at a time instead of only working one.
From performing these exercises, you will see a development in your strength and your Muay Thai training.
How Lifting Weights For Muay Thai Training Can Be Dangerous
Lifting weights for Muay Thai training can be dangerous for your muscles, which is why you need to carefully plan each training session.
If you do not plan your training sessions properly, there is a risk that you will over-work your body.
Rest Well
If you do not rest between sessions, you will cause your body a lot of harm.
If you are constantly training in Muay Thai and lifting weights every day, your body will not be recovering well and you will risk permanently damaging your muscles.
It usually takes your body at least 48 hours to recover from a workout, which will keep your muscles healthy.
You should always wait for a couple of days before intense training as not doing so will cause you to injure yourself.
If you are injured, you will need to take more time off from training in Muay Thai and lifting weights, so it is important to rest well in between sessions to avoid this.
Stretch Properly
Stretching after Muay Thai and weight lifting sessions is important for aiding your recovery. If you don’t stretch well, your muscles will become stiff, which will make them feel tired and hinder your progress.
Stretching will make sure that you are recovering properly, which is important when you are doing intensive training.
When you stretch between workouts, you will be making sure that your muscles are developing well.
Make sure that you stretch your whole body, not just one area, as stretching one area will not be of any benefit to you and your recovery process.
Don’t Lift Weights Straight After Muay Thai Training
A common mistake that people make when they want to develop their muscles is that they try to do too much too quickly.
If you try to lift weights straight after a Muay Thai training session, your muscles will be too tired and you will not see any progress from your training session.
Waiting until your muscles are fresh and ready to lift weights is important for seeing a significant improvement in your strength.
Putting your body through too much intensive exercise at one time will cause your progress to slow down, so it is important not to overwork your muscles.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, you can lift weights for Muay Thai training, but you need to plan your schedule correctly.
If you do not plan your Muay Thai and weight lifting schedule correctly, you will not see any progress as your body will be too overworked. This can cause permanent damage to your muscles as they will not be recovering properly.
Lifting weights can allow you to see some development in your Muay Thai training, but you will see more physical muscle develop from lifting weights than not lifting any at all.
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