Why Muay Thai is Better For Fitness Than A Gym Workout
In this day and age, Muay Thai is not just one of the best striking styles that are good for self-defense. No, it has become a very popular option among average people who just want to get in top shape. In fact, Muay Thai might be a much better option for fitness than a regular gym workout.
The key reason why Muay Thai training is better is that the classes are fun and never get boring. Fitness workouts tend to get boring after a couple of months because you are doing the same exercises. And the second reason is that Muay Thai will both boost your fitness, and teach you how to fight at the same time.
Muay Thai training is intense
There is no fooling around in Muay Thai classes and the training is intense. Coaches will push your mind and body over the limits every time you step on the mats. Students do a lot of intense cardio drills, as well as strength exercises. Although this method of training is hard, it will boost your fitness much faster than a gym workout. You will never ever see Thai boxers gassing out in a fight.
Training Muay Thai may sound hard, but don’t let this scare you. It will all become much easier over time when you get stronger. When you enter the gym for the first time, it will all look awkward as you are not strong and flexible enough. This is why you have to spend the first couple of months working hard on improving endurance and core strength. Once you get in shape, it will all feel like a regular workout.
It teaches you good self-defense skills
Muay Thai training is better than a gym because it is a more versatile workout. Apart from the fitness benefits, it will also boost your fighting abilities. Let’s not forget that we are talking about one of the best self-defense fighting systems that will teach you all about real fighting. Even though your goal is to get in shape, you will still learn good fighting skills. You can later apply these skills in a self-defense situation or to get out of trouble.
Muay Thai is a total package when it comes to striking. It trains you how to use all 8 limbs as weapons to fight at all ranges. You will learn how to strike with hard kicks, punches, and fight in the clinch using elbows and knees. The emphasis is on hard kicks, throwing each strike with power, and fighting in the famous “Thai clinch”. This is a clinch position from which you can unload with elbows, knees, or throw the attacker down to the ground.
Training is very hard and realistic and will teach you all about the mental and physical aspects of fighting. Classes include a lot of sparring, which is the best method of simulating the fight. Though sparring is optional, you should try it as it trains you to control your emotions and apply the techniques in a real fight.
It is a full-body workout
A Muay Thai class is made up of various aerobic and anaerobic workouts. In just one class, you will boost both your cardio and strength. And things get even better as this type of training activates every single muscle in your body. This means that Thai boxing is one of the rare workouts that equally improve both upper and lower body muscles. This is a key reason why Thai boxing is so popular as you can’t do a similar workout in a fitness gym.
However, don’t expect to build big muscles with this type of training. The focus is on building muscles that last long, do not burn much oxygen, and fatigue slower. In the end, you will look lean, ripped, and be a functional athlete.
Training rarely gets boring
Gym workouts have many benefits. But at the same time, the biggest downside is that it’s really hard to stay motivated. You will spend most of the time doing the same exercises every week, which might be fine for a couple of months. But over time, doing the same workouts becomes boring and you will lose motivation to train. Muay Thai, on the other side, differs a lot when it comes to this aspect and provides more fun.
Each class in Muay Thai is unique and dynamic, and training rarely gets boring. This is notably true if we are talking about sparring where you exchange strikes with the partner. It will give you a rush of adrenalin and dopamine that will keep you up at night. And you will feel this whenever you spar, no matter how experienced you are.
You will meet a lot of new friends
Muay Thai classes is a great place to meet new people who share the same passion and goals as you are. You will train in a group of 10–20 people, but the number depends on how big the school is. This is a group of people that you will meet three or more times per week, and you will become close after a few months. Even if you are shy and introvert, you will open yourself to other people at some point.
The relationships made in the gyms are very strong as you are all connected by the same passion and goals. In the fitness gym, however, you will be a lonely wolf rarely talking with other people.
Bear in mind that there is typically no talking during the Muay Thai training neither. But after the class, students have a habit to talk with each other about training, techniques and give each other advice on how to get better. This is where you will meet a lot of nice people, and maybe a close friend.
Muay Thai burns a lot of calories
Muay Thai training is cardio intense. You will run up to 3 miles just to warm up, not to mention the heavy bag workout. In each class, you will spend between 600–1000 calories per hour depending on your weight, which is a lot.
People are often shocked to see how quickly they burn fat with Muay Thai. Most average people need just a couple of months to get in solid shape. And let’s not forget that it’s not all about the calories as you will work on improving your strength as well.
This is the main reason why we can see so many people joining the classes, especially women. If you want to learn more about fitness benefits, be sure to read our article on this topic below.
Muay Thai training boosts confidence
Both Muay Thai and gym workouts can benefit your mental health. But, martial art training might be better as it boosts your confidence like nothing else. For sure, the beginnings will be hard, and expect to eat many humble pies in the first couple of months. Your initial goal should be to stay humble, keep the ego low, and survive the opening months.
Your confidence will start to rise as you get stronger and more skillful. Being strong and having good fighting skills will make you feel like an alpha. This will have an impact on your life outside the gym where you will have a killer mindset and be ready to deal with anything that life throws at you. You will have a much easier time dealing with the problems at work, at home, or in relationships.
