muay thai + 5x5 style training

[coreyb]

Hi,

I am starting at a local Muay Thai gym next week and was wondering if anyone has any experience combining these two hobbies together?

I have made a lot of good strength gains with the 3x5 program and I want that to continue. However, I know that training Muay Thai 2-3 times a week (if not more!) is going to make my current strength training progress not possible.

What kind of changes/program ideas can I implement to keep up my progress at a good rate and accel at Muay Thai without fatigue?

Thanks guys.

edit - I should mention that I'm still not very strong (squat 1RM = bodyweight,deadlift = bodyweight, etc) so I would like to continue gaining strength rather then work on excercises made for boxing.

 

[Mercere]

With those squat and dead numbers, there is no need doing 5x5. So keep it simple: Continue on 3x5 and try to increase weight each time. You'll progress a lot faster.

 

[coreyb]

Ok. The only problem is that I THINK that adding 2-3 days of kickboxing a week might stall my 3x5 progress and vice versa?

 

[Mercere]

It will definitely slow your progress at some point, if you want to make Muay Thai you priority, then you can drop back squatting twice a week and add a front squat session to intensify your conditioning and skill drills. If you want to increase your lifts, you can reduce the intensity on your Muay Thai work on some days.

 

[coreyb]

ok, that sounds good for now I suppose. Now does anyone here have any muay thai experience? I was wondering what would be a good weight to be at for muay thai. I'm a little over 6 feet tall and am weighing in at 185 lbs right now. But not cut at all.

 

[the_alcatraz]

I did Muay-Tai from when I was 8 till 16...you get shredded doing it...however, don't expect to gain any size if you're really doing Muai-Tai...

 

[coreyb]

I'm not looking for size, I like where I'm at right now! I just want to my strength to keep going up!

 

[the_alcatraz]

Well, it will definately give you strength, speed and power....but it will probably decrease your size

 

[Tagio]

you should be more than 185 if you're 6 foot, there are a few skinny guys who do well in competitive fighting but mostly it's moderately thick people, try to pack some good food into your system

 

[Illuminati]

bro, you will quickly realize that strength plays a very small role in the fighting arts such as muay thai (and BJJ for that matter). being a good, hard striker, be it with your hands/feet/elbows/knees has more to do with being able to transfer your weight behind your strikes than it has to do with how strong you are. striking speed is also much more important than strength.
being able to use various strikes to set your opponent up for the knockout punch, kick, knee or elbow is also important, and these are things that are not related to strength.

At 6' tall and 185, you are the perfect size. most Muay Thai kickboxers are rather slim. look at Anderson Silva. or look on youtube for a guy named Bukaw. these guys are tall, lanky, have tremendous speed and very solid technique. plus, at your height and weight, you should have a reach advantage over your opponents. shit, lose 5lbs, carry your weight at 180, and cut to 170 when you fight.