Muay Thai has a reputation for being one of the toughest combat sports and deservedly so.
Fighters and casual practitioners of the sport know this to be a fact. With eight limbs to work with, Nak Muays are able to fight at a level of excitement and intensity that few sports can match.
Not everyone can be a fighter, though. There are a lot of Muay Thai enthusiasts that are into the sport to be more fit and strong. And a lot get into the sport because they believe that it can help them shed off some extra weight fast.
Are they right, though? Is Muay Thai good for losing weight? Can throwing punches, kicks, knees, and elbows help you say goodbye to excess pounds?
Read on to find the answer!
Reasons Muay Thai Can Help You Lose Weight
As mentioned above, Muay Thai is a combat sport and martial art that has a level of excitement that’s through the roof.
The great thing about it is that it directly translates to helping practitioners with their weight loss goals.
Is Muay Thai good for losing weight? The answer is a resounding YES!
In fact, Muay Thai is one of the best, if not the best, activities that you can do in order to burn fat and lose weight.
Here are four of the best reasons why that’s a fact:
1. Muay Thai is a Great Cardio Workout
Cardiovascular activity is considered the best way to burn calories. Eventually, it will help you burn fat and lose weight.
Muay Thai has so many moves and you’re constantly moving and throwing various strikes.
Start with shadowboxing, where you can practice all of your favorite moves. You can even mimic a fight or sparring session by visualizing an opponent right in front of you.
The technique drills that you need to do over and over until they are part of your muscle memory are also excellent as cardio workouts.
Lastly, the conditioning drills in every Muay Thai workout are second to none. It’s guaranteed to leave you gasping for breath but raring for more by the end.
2. HIIT is a Sure Way to Lose Weight
High-Intensity-Interval-Training (HIIT) is one of the surest ways to lose weight. You have probably already heard of interval training. It’s a training regimen where you alternate moments of intense workouts with moments of lesser intensity.
Guess what? Muay Thai is basically one of the best HIIT workouts!
HIIT is an awesome workout because it forces your heart to make sudden adjustments in a matter of minutes. You are also forced to perform activities that are out of your usual range of activities or workouts.
Your heart and your whole body will have to work at a faster rate and a more intense pace than it’s used to.
The result is that your body’s metabolism will see a significant increase. Plus, your body will be burning calories long after you’ve finished training.
A Muay Thai training session is an intense HIIT workout because training sessions are divided into rounds with rest in between. You get the full benefit of interval training and that includes weight loss.
3. Muay Thai Helps Build Up Your Muscles
Regular training in Muay Thai can also result in building up your muscles and physical strength.
Muscle building plays a significant part in weight loss. This is because if you have more muscles, then you are burning more fat.
In Muay Thai, every strike you throw requires you to tense your muscles, especially at the moment of impact. After a while of throwing punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, your muscles will feel like it lifted a lot of weights.
The repetitive throwing of strikes in every training session will give you a workout that’s similar in effect to strength training. What’s more, Muay Thai training sessions often finish up with bodyweight exercises for that extra muscle-building.
4. Muay Thai is a Great Workout for the Whole Body
Lastly, Muay Thai is a great workout for your entire body. Being known as the art of eight limbs means you have so many body parts moving when training.
If you are sparring or getting ready for a fight, the training picks up and intensifies even more. You train your arms and shoulders for the hard punches that you’re going to throw throughout the fight.
And you also need to harden your shins to throw the hardest kicks possible. Of course, you’ll also have to harden your elbows and knees for those devastating blows that can knock out any opponent any time.
Plus, you will need to engage and tense your core with every strike you make. The same is true when you defend the attacks of your opponent.
All of that will lead to a stronger, leaner, and more ripped physique that also boasts a great cardio!
| Diet Matters!
There is a saying that “abs are built in the kitchen”. When it comes to a successful weight loss plan, diet matters. It is not so much about the quantity of food but also the quality. A proper diet helps to power your training, provides fuel for recovery, builds muscle and promotes fat loss. Check out “Can You Build Muscle with Muay Thai?” and “Foods to eat before Muay Thai” for more information. |
Conclusion
After looking at these reasons, there shouldn’t be any doubt that Muay Thai is an awesome way to lose weight.
It’s not just a good way to lose weight…but it’s actually one of the BEST activities that you can do to lose unwanted pounds.
So what are you waiting for? If you feel like you could use losing a pound or two or more, then start hitting the pads or heavy bag and strike your way to a fitter you!
