Muay Thai & Strength Training... plus busy schedule...

**doctahmango** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 12:35pm

Hi everyone,

Currently I train Muay Thai about 3 times per week. Usually twice during the week, and one class on saturday. I currently lift weights only once per week. And my routine consists of:

Back Squats: 3x5
Incline Press OR Military Press: 3x5 (alternate each session)
Deadlifts: 3x5
Pull Ups OR Chin Ups: 3 sets to failure

Is one weight training session per week adequate enough to maintain and build strength, coupled in with 3 Muay Thai classes per week, each running at 1.5 hours per session?

Or are at least 2 weight lifting sessions necessary in order to maintain and build strength? In which case I would have to cut out one Muay Thai class?

I am pretty busy as I work full time and I study part time as well... so I need to devote adequate time towards that... I also do volunteer work... etc... so my schedule is pretty busy overall.

Otherwise my diet is clean... although sometimes my sleeping patterns are not adequate... I.e. I'll end up getting about 6-7 hours of sleep per night instead of 8.

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 12:38pm

I do one session a week with almost the exact same routine (I do pushups instead of bench) and build plenty of strength and do a lot more classes than you.

I would say just try and get more sleep. Sleep is very important.

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 12:43pm

Sheeyit, I haven't slept 8 hours straight in months.

How many pullups does it usually take you to reach failure?

**feral** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 1:35pm

Hmm, my coaches always stressed that if i wanted to see improvements in my Muay Thai, i needed to go to class a minimum of 3 times per week, if not 4. So I wouldn't cut a class out, especially if getting better at MT is your goal

I'm also stuck only weight lifting once a week, and I'm not really making any gains, but i'm not exactly getting weaker either. Eventually i'm going to try to squeeze one more day in.

**doctahmango** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 1:44pm

I try my best to get in more sleep... but sometimes with all of the other things going on in my life... it's difficult... although I will try to make that my priority.

As for how many pull ups it takes untill failure... after doing military press, deadlifts, and squats... i'd say around... 8 pull ups? (I know.. that's pretty sad... and i'm working my way up)
I also get in quite a bit of pushups and other bodyweight exercises during the Muay Thai class... either at the beginning of class during warm ups, and or at the end...

If I could train 4 times a week right now, I would... but my other obligations are restricting me... although I used to train 4-5 times a week in Muay Thai...
So now, it's training more for overall strength and conditioning as opposed to fighting..

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 1:47pm

You should look into getting a pullup bar for your home. Just throw it up in a doorway. That way on days you can't make it to the gym you can at least do a bunch of pullups, pushups, curls if you buy a couple free weights, etc. I find it very helpful to find more at-home excercises as not all of us have the time to get to the gym every day off of martial arts training.

**doctahmango** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 2:32pm

Hey,

Oh I do have a pull up bar at home. Actually, all of my strength training is done at home. I have a 3x3 Cage with an olympic bar and 300 lbs of plates... And I do pull ups off the bar on the cage...
I also have a set of dumbells.

So I should do pullups and chinups on a daily basis regardless of when I weight train and goto class?

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 6/23/2008 2:44pm

Well youll want to build up gradually I suppose. I only rest one day a week. On the days I do sanshou, muay thai, bjj or weight training I still wake up and do at least: 50 pullups, 50 chinups, curls, dips, weighted and incline pushups (weighted by my 25Ibs son sitting on my back) and a 15 minute or so ab routine. Really, I just do the pull ups all day long when I'm home.

Then if I still have energy after class or going to the gym (most days) I repeat the whole routing again at night time, switching it up every day with a couple of additional excercises. Drinking something like whey protein shakes after a good workout is very important as it will help you recover quicker to let you do more.

Also, you could try doing your weight training once in the morning and once again at night as you get stronger.

EDIT: I am not an expert in these matters, this is just what's working for me at the moment. It's just to give you an idea.

And I do NOT to all 50 pull ups at once. I do 50 in 3-5 sets of 10-20 reps, resting for one minute in between.

**honesty** · Posted On: 6/24/2008 2:55am

For strength training, find a post by Teh El Macho, go to his signature and click on the link for Stronglifts 5x5. Read. Implement. You can do this twice a week though they recommend 3 times. I've been doing this for just 2 weeks so far and I'm already noticing a difference.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 6/24/2008 9:47am

You beat me to it :)

doctahmango, see my sig and follow the link. It all depends on what your goals are. You can certainly gain strenght with exercising at least once a week. You can make twice a week as well.

I would not try to lift more than twice a week (or 5 times in a 2-week period) if you are training MA three times a week. At some point, you will be able to increase the intensity where you'll be lifting or MA training 5 times a week. Some could actually do it 6 times a week. They have come to a point where they are conditioned to pull that out.

But it takes an aweful amount of time to get there, so, baby steps.

The one thing you want is to get two days of rest per week, and these rest days MUST NOT BE CONSECUTIVE. That is, don't take the whole weekend to rest off from MA or lifting.

Also, you can split your workouts so that, instead of having a 1 session a week, you can split into two workouts, for example.

Besides the StrongLifts 5x5 program (in my sig) and Mark Rippetoe's book "Starting Strength 2nd Ed", check Ross Enamait's website (www.rosstraining.com) and get "Infinite Intensity" and "Never Gymless" (he's of the theory of short, intense workouts several times a week for the MA practitioner.)

Either the 5x5 program or Enamait's work will get you strong. The 5x5 is more suitable for gaining mass (some people need to do so), whereas Enamait's work takes into account that his readers most likely are busy training MA.

Another thing to consider: the 5x5 is much simpler to implement, whereas Ross program requires you to plan really well - which is not a bad thing, but some people may find 5x5 easier to follow.

My suggestion is to stick to the 5x5 but buy Enamait's book, so that you educate yourself better on the many training options at your disposal.