Muay thai zero to hero(with a little luck)

[Catweiser]

Figured Id benefit from a log, motivational psych says its good to state goals and keep on your own progress- here goes.


Starting point:

25 year old muay thai newb- my cheap rental apartment is getting bulldozed in 5-6 months. Its an opportunity to store my stuff, take some time off school, and go to thailand to train for a few months. Dont care that I'll be travelling as a newb I've checked it out and it seems like a dec idea. If you were gonna post that this is a bad idea save your time and gtfo my diary


GPP- Cardio is OK(not amazing) due to 2-3x weekly low impact eliptical HIIT workouts. Core is weak as fuck, prolly some muscle imbalances due to my job as a tradesman. Overall not super strong.

Back- Spondylosis L5. Better when Im regularly active but can flare up and be a real bitch sometimes. Quit BJJ after 6 months because of this. that was 1.5 years ago. My main obstacle.

Knee annoyance- hurt 3 weeks ago, intermittent pain nothing serious.



Goals: Get my body ready for some intensive, hard muay thai training in Thailand.

Train muay thai 2 times a week, leading up to 3-5x a week BODY WILLING. Dont push too hard at the beginning and get injured, let my body acclimate to training so I can do it all day in 5-6 months time.



Obstacles/Solutions

Back: Regular physio exercises(shoot for every day which is partly why I wanna keep this log to keep on myself.

Time- Tradesman, student, athletic aspirations, friends + family.

Solutions: less time with friends and family

 

[LatFlare]

Are you the guy that started that thread about how to get ready to go train in Thailand?

Good luck, mang

 

[Catweiser]

Thats me- that was a solid thread I got some damn good info there on these here internets.

I took the advice to heart- just focusing on muay thai conditioning as folks suggested.

 

[Catweiser]

9/18/13


Decent class- back is a bit rocked after work etc...

 

[Catweiser]

9/19/13
food poisoning. No GPP or anything

 

[Catweiser]

9/20/13-9/24/13

23- 50 kicks on the thai bag at home. and some stretching/shadow boxing.

24- 1 class- alright. working the kicks, learning new dance moves.



Shit I need-

thai rope
physio for the knee nip it in the bud

quick google search scored this. Might throw it in a day or two/as time permits.

Shadow boxing might be a better way to get more coordinate tho...






Here are my best skip tips plus a suggested beginner's workout you can weave into your overall routine once or twice a week.


Skip Tips

• Don't take two hops per turn; this is the number one error I see people make. It over-stresses knees and ankles and cuts down the calorie burn. Instead, stay up on the balls of your feet and spin your rope moderately fast (70-120 turns per minute) and evenly so you take only one jump per turn of the rope.

• Use your wrists, not your shoulders, to turn the rope. Bend your arms and keep them close to your body, at hip-to-waist level. Don't jump more than an inch off the ground and keep your knees springy.

• Aerobic shoes and those with extra ankle support and padding at the ball of your foot are best for jumping. Ideal jumping surfaces: padded carpets and "sprung floors" like those found in basketball courts and aerobic studios.

• If you have trouble synchronizing upper and lower body movements when jumping, fold rope in half and hold both handles in your right hand. Grip the center of line with left hand and hold hands up near waist level so that loop is off to side. Now jump as you turn the loop. Stay low, bending knees slightly as you touch down, and swinging the rope in unison with your feet. Once you have mastered this timing, it should be easier to learn the jumping moves.

Beginner's Workout

Alternate one minute of jump rope with one minute of marching in place for a total of 15 minutes. If you do this twice a week on a regular basis you should be able to gradually work your way up to a 30 minute workout. At that point you can switch to a 2:1 ratio of rope/march or replace the march with something higher intensity like running in place or a series of strength moves. I've given you different types of jumps to try so you can keep things interesting and perfect coordination and agility, two things often lacking in a fitness routine.

• The Basic Two Foot Jump is the simplest move to learn so try it first: Stand with your feet together in front of the rope line. Bend your elbows and hold your arms out to sides at about hip level. Spin the rope and, as it approaches your toes, skip over it. Stay low, only jump an inch or so off the floor and when you land, allow knees to bend slightly to help absorb impact.

• Boxer's Shift and Shuffle: Spin rope and, as it approaches toes, shift your weight slightly to the left, move left foot a small distance forward, and jump, again staying low and slightly bending knees on touch down. On the next spin, shift your weight right. Continue alternating. Spinning the rope a little faster and jumping low instead of trying to spring way up off the floor will help you establish a smooth steady rhythm.

• Knee Lifts: Turn the rope and as the line passes beneath your feet, bend your right knee and lift it up to chest level. On the next turn, repeat with left leg. Continue alternating. Make it more challenging by walking or running forward as you do your knee lifts.

• Cross Country Ski: Spin the rope and, as it passes underneath, open legs about a stride's length apart by straddling left foot forward and right foot backward. On next pass, move legs back to the center, and then on next pass, straddle legs again, only this time move right leg forward and left leg back. Continue alternating. Land softly and quietly bending your knees slightly to help absorb the impact.

I am not a fan of leather or cloth ropes; they don't hold their shape very well and they are harder to spin. I prefer plastic, plastic-coated wire or plastic beaded ropes. I found my favorite jump rope in a toy store for a dollar but I recommend the Super Rope for beginners and experts alike. It has angled handle and ultra-thin coated wire line. (I am not associated with this company in any way but if you are the fifth one to tweet me today I will send you one.)

For the second week in a row I am including a link to a stretching article. Jump rope is a very bouncy movement so it can leave the muscles tied up. A good post-workout stretch will help keep the muscles long, strong and injury free.

 

[Catweiser]

9/25/13


hour of fairly intense "swimming for conditioning" class.

Not what I expected but alright. Ill let in continue to take up my wednesday as 2-3x muay thai is enough for now I dont want to be doing those situps 4x a week until Im conditioned to it a bit they fuck with the back. the swimming decompresses alot of that.

Not super sure of what the swimming is doing for me I guess cardio. Gotta read a bit and be more results oriented with my workouts.

 

[Catweiser]

10/07/13

Limber 11 and mobility work

Rest up after a swole weekend of heavy lifting.




Diet- banana, spinache, pizza, sushi. Juuuunk.

 

[Catweiser]

21/10/13

Last couple of weeks have been 2 days a week training with work, school, and the bs that seems to take too much of my time. Mobility work and 2x a week is ok but not where I need to be to get ready...


Growth areas- finding a trainer to work on compound lifts Im thinking its a good idea to get some strength before I go to avoid injury.

- Diet. I eat like a slob sometimes.

-Time management(including what I do with my time needs to be more in line with my goals)

 

[Catweiser]

25/10/13

Work- Mobility and a muay thai class



Diet- Decent, shopped,doing lunches.


Growth areas- Now thinking I should improve mobility and core before starting lifting perhaps. Or maybe I should just start light and do both at the same time....will try to find a decent trainer soon.