If you’re interested doing an at home muay thai workout then you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve been training Muay Thai for over four years now. While I usually train at my gym, when I do train at home, I like to focus on conditioning and movements that require minimal equipment and can be done in the shortest amount of time with maximum results.
In this post we’ve include some basic at home muay thai works and a weekly muay thai training routine. So let’s get to it!
Most Muay Thai Workouts Generally Include:
- Warm ups (Running, skipping rope)
- Technique (Shadow Boxing, Pad Work, Heavy Bag, Partner Drills)
- Strength and Conditioning (abs/core work/pushups/pullups)
- Sparring (Live sparring, Clinch Sparring)
- Cool Downs (Stretches, Meditation)
Key Takeaways and Tips
- The average Muay Thai workout includes warm ups, techinque or instruction, strength and conditioning exercises, and cool down movements
- You can implement several of these exercises into your at home training depending on your home equipment
- If you want to purchase some basic equipment for your home training I recommend:
- While I don’t recommend home training exclusively for beginners, you can supplement your in class training with doing Muay Thai workouts at home as well as utilizing online resources and guides
At Home Muay Thai Workout
Your home Muay Thai training will depend heavily on what equipment you have available.
If you want to buy some basics for your home training, I’d recommend purchasing:
- skipping rope
- light dumbbells or kettle bell
- heavy bag (+ wraps and gloves)
- pull up/dip stand
Sample Muay Thai Workout You Can Do at Home (~1 Hour):
1. Warm up jump rope (5-10 minutes)
2 Shadow Boxing (3-6 minutes)
3. 50 Push Ups
4. 50 Squats (bodyweight or with 25lbs / 10kg dumbbell or kettle bell
5. 50 punches each hand with 5lb /2kg dumbbell
6. 50 teeps each leg
7. 50 knees each legs, then shadow boxing/bag work for next 30 minutes.
8. Cool down stretches
30 Minute Muay Thai Workout
- Warm up jump rope (5 minutes)
- Shadow Boxing (5 minutes)
- 25 Push Ups (1 minute)
- 25 Squats (bodyweight or with 25lbs / 10kg dumbbell or kettle bell) (1 minute)
- 25 punches each hand with 5lb /2kg dumbbell (1 minute)
- 25 teeps each leg (2 minutes)
- 25 knees each legs (2 minutes)
- Heavybag or shadow boxing combinations (2 rounds at 4 minutes each)
- Cool down stretches (5 minutes)
Sample Muay Thai Weekly Training Schedule
| Day | Focus | Description | Exercises |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Strength and Conditioning | Starting the week strong, focus on building your physical endurance and muscle strength. Incorporate exercises such as squats, push-ups, and burpees to target various muscle groups. Make sure to include Thai-specific movement patterns, like teeps, knees, and clinch-based exercises. | Squats, Push-ups, Burpees, Teeps, Knees, Clinch-based exercises (2-3 sets of 8-12 reps each) |
| Tuesday | Technique and Fundamental Skills | Dedicate Tuesdays to refining the core techniques of Muay Thai – striking, footwork, and defense. Spend time on shadowboxing for at least 20-30 minutes, developing your rhythm, and sharpening your striking skills. With a heavy bag, practice combinations and integrate precise footwork throughout the session. Include dynamic stretching towards the end. | Shadowboxing (20-30 mins), Heavy bag combinations, Dynamic stretching |
| Wednesday | Active Recovery | To optimize progress, rest and active recovery play a vital role alongside rigorous training. Focus on activities that promote relaxation and help combat muscle soreness. | Yoga, Foam rolling, Light jogging, Low-intensity exercise |
| Thursday | Sparring and Drills | Integrate sparring and partner-based drills for a more interactive and challenging session. If partners are unavailable, focus on shadow sparring – envision yourself in a real fight, simulating exchanges and evasive movements. | Sparring, Partner-based drills, Shadow sparring |
| Friday | Speed and Power | Concentrate on increasing the speed and power of your strikes, clinch work, and footwork. Perform explosive exercises like plyometrics, sprints, or rapid-fire punching and kicking drills on a heavy bag. | Plyometrics (jump squats, box jumps), Sprints, Rapid-fire punching and kicking drills on a heavy bag |
| Saturday | Flexibility and Mobility | Devote Saturdays to enhancing your flexibility and mobility. Spend time on deep stretching exercises like splits, lunges, and hip openers. Incorporating yoga or Pilates into your routine can significantly improve flexibility and balance. | Deep stretching exercises (splits, lunges, hip openers), Yoga, Pilates |
| Sunday | Rest Day | Recharge your body and mind with a well-deserved rest. Proper recovery ensures you return to training the following week with renewed energy and commitment. Listen to your body, and prioritize self-care and reflection to help maintain your passion for Muay Thai and overall well-being. | Rest and self-care |
Whether you are training Muay Thai at a gym or at home, creating and following a weekly scheduling can help immensely with program adherence, tracking your pogress, and including the right balance of intensity and variety.
(While I think home Muay Thai training is great, I don’t recommend it completely for beginners, and home training should ideally only supplement in class instruction)
What Do You Need to Train Muay Thai at Home?
To begin your home-based Muay Thai training, you will need some essential equipment and an appropriate training space. Here’s a list of basic necessities for a productive and safe training environment:
- Training Space: A dedicated training area is crucial for your Muay Thai workouts at home. You will need a spacious, comfortable space free of obstacles and hazards, providing adequate room for movement, punches, and kicks. Ideal locations include a garage, basement, or backyard.
- Flooring: Training on a suitable surface is essential to avoid injuries and accidents. If your training area has a hard concrete floor, consider investing in some high-quality protective mats, such as jigsaw or puzzle mats, to cushion your movements and minimize the risk of injuries.
- Heavy Bag: A heavy bag is an indispensable piece of equipment for any martial arts practitioner, as it helps develop power, speed, form, and technique. You can choose between a hanging or freestanding bag, depending on your training space and preferences. Ensure that the weight and size of the bag match your skill level and requirements.
- Gloves and Hand Wraps: Investing in high-quality gloves and hand wraps is critical to protecting your hands and wrists during heavy bag workouts and shadowboxing. Make sure to choose gloves with the appropriate size, weight, and padding to suit your individual training needs.
- Other Training Accessories: In addition to the above essentials, you might benefit from other training accessories such as skipping ropes, resistance bands, and medicine balls to enhance your workouts further. These tools can facilitate a comprehensive and varied training experience that targets various aspects of fitness and skill development.
Can You Do Muay Thai Workouts at Home?
Yes, you can definitely train Muay Thai at home, even without access to a gym or instructor.
While home training can be an effective way to learn and improve in this martial art, I don’t recommend it for a complete beginner in Muay Thai. Without some basic instruction atleast initially, you may develope more habits and improper technique. Plus if you don’t have a partner you can train with at home the type of training you can do may be limited.
However, if you are more experienced and want to supplement your in class training or take some time away from your gym to train at home, it is definitely possible to training at home, maintain what you’ve learned so far, and even improve your Muay Thai skills.
One of the critical aspects of training Muay Thai at home is choosing the right resources and workout programs. With a ton of instructional materials available online, including videos, articles, and ebooks, you can easily find comprehensive workouts that cater to your skill level and specific goals.
By combining elements of technique, conditioning, and mental focus, you can develop your skills effectively even without a training partner or coach.
Can You Learn Muay Thai on Your Own?
While it is possible to teach yourself basic techniques and improve your physical fitness, you cannot reach the level of expertise a well-rounded martial artist would achieve with professional instruction.
Without guidance from a talented teacher, you might develop bad habits and miss out on the finer nuances of proper form and strategy.
That said, there are several resources available for those looking to get started with Muay Thai training at home.
Instructional videos, books, and online tutorials can provide a wealth of useful information to help you grasp fundamental concepts and techniques. Training partners or participating in online communities can also give valuable feedback and motivation to help you progress. Keep in mind, though, that eventually attending classes and workshops with experienced coaches will be crucial for refining your skills and advancing your training.
At Home Muay Thai Training – Last Words
Hopefully, this post gave you some insight on how you can design your own at home muay thai training with workout examples and a weekly schedule breakdown.
Remember, most Muay Thai classes will usually consist of some form of the below so it’s best to try to implement types of that training at home to get the most from Muay Thai:
- Warm ups (Run, skipping rope)
- Technique (Shadow Boxing, Pad Work, Heavy Bag, Partner Drills)
- Strength and Conditioning (abs/core work/pushups/pullups)
- Sparring (Live sparring, Clinch Sparring)
- Cool Downs (Stretches, Meditation)
Finally, depending on your home equipment, you can definitely implement many of these training exercises at home. Plus you can also consider supplementing your training with weight lifting, yoga, and learning from online resources.
Thanks for reading all, and hope you have a good day – Zack
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a Sample Muay Thai Workout You Can Do at Home?
Depending on your equipment here is a sample Muay Thai workout that you can do at home with limited equipment:
1. Warm up jump rope (5-10 minutes)
2 Shadow Boxing (3-6 minutes)
3. 50 Push Ups
4. 50 Squats (bodyweight or with 25lbs / 10kg dumbbell or kettle bell
5. 50 punches each hand with 5lb /2kg dumbbell
6. 50 teeps each leg
7. 50 knees each legs, then shadow boxing/bag work for next 30 minutes.
8. Cool down stretches
Can You Get Fit Doing Muay Thai?
Yes, practicing Muay Thai is definitely an effective way to improve your overall fitness level.
Muay Thai emphasizes full-body movements. For example, when executing a punch, you rely on not only your arm muscles but also core rotation and footwork. Similarly, performing a kick recruits your leg muscles, core stability, and balance.
Another benefit of Muay Thai is its focus on cardiovascular endurance. High-intensity training sessions, which often include interval training, pad work, and sparring, push your heart and lungs to work harder.
How Many Calories Does a Muay Thai Workout Burn?
The number of calories burned during a Muay Thai workout depends on several factors, including your age, weight, gender, and fitness level. However, an intense 60-minute Muay Thai workout can burn anywhere from 600 to 1,200 calories, making it an exceptional choice for weight management and overall fitness.
Factors that contribute to increased calorie burn during a Muay Thai training session include the duration and intensity of the workout, as well as the specific drills and exercises performed. For example, engaging in high-intensity drills or sparring sessions will burn a higher number of calories compared to a slower-paced technical session.
How Do You Get a Muay Thai Physique?
Achieving a Muay Thai physique requires commitment and dedication to regular training sessions, a suitable nutrition plan, and an adequate recovery regimen. Following these key elements will help you develop the lean, sculpted body of a Muay Thai practitioner.
To get a Muay Thai physique (while a lot of it will depend on genetics), you can focus your efforts on consistent training and proper nutrition.
With consistent training 2-4 times a week, you can expect to burn a solid amount of calories. Plus if your diet is in check, and you are in a calorie deficit you can definitely expect to lose weight overtime.
Is Muay Thai Dangerous?
While training Muay Thai isn’t very dangerous, you may still get some minor bumps and bruises, especially during sparring.
However, Muay Thai training is very safe and isn’t dangerous.
The highest risk of injury comes from hard sparring or competing in Muay Thai, where fighters trade full power punches and kicks, leading to potential injuries like broken bones, concussions, and cuts. Competing in Muay Thai should be taken seriously and requires years of training.
Does Muay Thai Hurt?
Regarding the question of whether Muay Thai hurts, it’s important to note that while minor injuries and bruises are common, most of them heal within a few days.
Common injuries include swollen ankles or feet, sprained wrists, bruised shins, strained neck muscles, bruised legs, injured elbows, and even concussions or headaches.
It’s crucial to practice preventative measures, such as proper techniques, using protective gear, and conditioning exercises, to reduce the risk of these injuries.
Zack is an avid jiu jitsu practitioner and martial arts nerd. He currently holds a brown belt in BJJ. When not on the mats or in the gym, he can be found going for walks with his wife, attempting (and often failing) to train his dog, and frequently obsessing over a specific hobby only to forget about it a week later.
