Heatrick Heavy Hitters – Muay Thai Performance

Muay Thai seems to attract more than its fair share of "nice" people... So how can a nice person hit another person with the kind of destructive power that Muay Thai is designed to inflict? In a recent Heavy Hitters program support call, Arnaud asked how can he overcome a fear of hitting and hurting people? It was a great question, and one he was happy for me to share to help out others too. Thank...

Father Time waits for no man, and if you haven’t already felt how getting older affects your Muay Thai, it’s a certainty you will. In this episode, I’ll look at what you need to do to keep doing what you love (Muay Thai) and remaining badass for the rest of your life... What’s vital to remaining vital! Show notes and further resources at https://heatrick.com/2021/04/21/fighting-father-time-remaini...

A lot of fighters are using heart rate monitors these days, to allow them to train at the right intensity in their cardio sessions. And I love using monitors in my programs too. But most fighters are basing their training on a calculated age related maximum heart rate… Which for most people will be way off – because individual genetics determine what your max heart rate is, NOT your fitness. In th...

I've been asked how I'd recommend structuring strength and conditioning when you're just 2 weeks out from a fight. So here's a quick "down and dirty" podcast episode to get something out quickly! Show notes with links to further references:  https://heatrick.com/2021/03/02/2-weeks-out-how-to-structure-muay-thai-sc/ All podcast episodes are available at https://heatrick.com/podcast Subscribe a...

How to surpass those that have been training longer than you in Muay Thai: I’m often asked questions like… “Is 20 years old too late to start Muay Thai and become successful with it?” So in this episode, I wanted to add a little flavour to answers I’ve given to this in the past… I believe that measuring your potential impact in Muay Thai by the number of competitive years you have left in you isn’...

In this (whiteboard) podcast episode, I go into some detail on how I’d recommend changing the strength and conditioning element of training if you’ve little or no Muay Thai training going on right now! All podcast episodes are available at https://heatrick.com/podcast Subscribe and join the most informed Muay Thai performance community out there!

Paraphrasing a recent question… "I have seen your videos on different training blocks… I have been training Muay Thai for 6 months and I’m not going to be fighting any time soon, so is it necessary to do the speed block and peak-week if I’m not competing?" Here's a short podcast episode to share my thoughts on this one...

"If I have FIA (cam hip impingements on both hips), will I be able to ever kick high without surgery?" Prompted by an Instagram message, hip impingements and Muay Thai kicks are a common issue! So I've taken the opportunity to explain what you can do to help yourself if hip impingements affect you, and if you'll need to have surgery after all. For the video version of this episode, with further re...

Driven from a question left on one of my previous Q&A videos, here I expand on my reply, and explain what I mean when I say a "Low Intensity Muay Thai Session". For the video version of this episode, with further resource links at https://heatrick.com/2021/01/13/low-intensity-muay-thai-training/ All podcast episodes are available at https://heatrick.com/podcast

In this episode I dig into Jonathan Haggerty’s mindset, methods of conditioning your shins for Muay Thai kicks and shin blocks, and the different maximum heart rates for different exercises. For the video version of this episode, with text transcript and links, click here . All podcast episodes are available at https://heatrick.com/podcast

From Buakaw to Petchmorakot... is it real? Combat sports athletes are constantly bombarded with video clips of fighters using training methods or supplements that are seemingly a shortcut to fantastic results. Most of the time, these clips are little more than social media stunts, either to market a product or simply to get likes… And fighters are always up for having a laugh, and playing with som...

Don’t only rate your training session by the physical performance, such as distance covered, time to complete, maximum weight lifted, number of sets and reps, heart rate etc. Also rate your mental focus for the session. Ultimately, this IS the most important factor. Things like illness, injuries, lack of time, or a dog needing to take a dump, all interfere with you perception of what was a product...

Gyms around the world are either reopening or preparing to reopen very soon. It’s great news, but the reality of just what we’re going back to bears some thought. In order to reopen safely, gyms must abide by new operating restrictions and safe practice. The number of people allowed in the gym at one time will be limited to comply with social distancing rules and to ensure shared space and equipme...

I’m hearing more often from fighters that are doing their best to systematically improve their athletic ability... But are finding that well-meaning trainers are sabotaging them with regular “beastings” that set them back. A knowledge gap is beginning to grow between the students and trainers/coaches. Information is increasingly available online, and students are actively researching ways of optim...

Today, are you heading out predominantly for a training session, a practice session, or a spoiling session? Let me explain what I mean by these... Training - moves you forward, it’s progressive, developmental loads and drills Practicing - reinforcing existing skill, creating good habits, maintaining athletic qualities, Spoiling - excessively repeating poor form, building bad habits (either under f...

The world-wide impact of the COVID-19 virus is now being truly realised… Events are cancelled and fighters are now feeling a little aimless, not knowing how long restrictions are going to be in place. During this time of inevitable social lock-down – depending on where you are in the world, it’s either already here, or it’s coming – it’s the time to focus on the things you can control. And as a fi...

I see many fighters consistently working on the wrong things. And this not only slows their progress to a crawl, but ultimately limits how far they can go. So in this episode, I’m going to explain how you can break limits in Muay Thai. Article Links (mentioned in this episode)... How A Novice Can Become An Expert – And Why Some Never Will Valgus Knees: Corrective Exercises If Your Knees Buckle In...

I won what turned out to be my last fight, but was taken by ambulance to hospital immediately afterwards to spend the night under observation. Of all my fights, this one felt the most physically gruelling… my trademark strength and physical fitness had suddenly abandoned me – as if my opponent was wearing Kryptonite... Full text transcript at https://heatrick.com

I’m often asked, “What other exercises should I use with your Optimal Fight Camp Blueprint?” If you’re listening to this and you’ve not seen the free blueprint and the supporting three part video series, here's the link: https://heatrick.com/12-week-fight-camp/ Please get involved at whatever level you choose, and help me in my mission to take the sport of Muay Thai to the next level and build the...

Astonishingly EASY Goal Setting Logic! Video, text transcript, LINKS and more at https://heatrick.com/2018/09/22/muay-thai-astonishingly-easy-goal-setting-logic/ Following the last Heavy Hitters Podcast (looking at post-fight reviewing and goal setting), this video explains my logic for selecting what your next Muay Thai S&C goals should be! And it's simpler than you think!!

It maybe a bit of cliché in the fight game that either you win a fight or you learn… but that doesn’t mean it’s not true! However, you can seriously increase your rate of learning (even if you won the fight) if you follow up by reflecting on the answers to certain questions. And in this episode, I’ll share with you the 15 winning questions to ask yourself after every fight (win or lose) so you nev...

Recently I spoke to legendary sports scientist, educator, and S&C coach Dr Yessis on Lawrence Kenshin's podcast... And ahead of that going live, here are my reflections on Muay Thai S&C as a result of that chat! Full text transcript and more at https://heatrick.com/2018/09/01/reflecting-on-muay-thai-sc-after-speaking-to-dr-yessis/

Are you struggling to fit all the training you want into the week? Well you’re not alone! And in this episode let’s dig into why you don’t need MORE training time! Video transcript page with all the links! https://heatrick.com/2018/08/17/you-dont-need-more-training-time/

"Heavy Hitter", Bob Wansink audio messaged me some great questions regarding speed and power training via Anchor.fm, and this Heavy Hitters Podcast is a direct reply. In this episode, I share the 5 exercise categories I use in every resistance training session that I program. Full webpage with text transcript and extra links at https://heatrick.com/2018/08/04/the-5-exercise-categories-in-a-resista...

My OWN funeral? And I seem pleased about it?? "Once the fear of regret is greater than the fear of failure, then you can really start living."