So you want to lose body fat. That’s great because the will to change will get you far ahead, but it’s not enough. This article is going to be about how to lose body fat quickly with Muay Thai.
Muay Thai is one of the best exercises for fat loss because it allows you to burn many calories while using all your muscles. It’ll also improve your discipline throughout everything in life, which will help you stay consistent in your diet and your training regimen. Lastly, it’ll help you be in a caloric deficit.
So you now understand that it’s one of the best exercises for losing body fat. This article is divided into two parts. The first is how to lose fat fast with Muay Thai, which will list six steps you can follow and start getting results.
And the second part is going to describe why Muay Thai is such an effective way of losing body fat. Both parts are extremely important to read and understand. While the first part will be more practical, really describing steps to lose body fat, the second part is going to motivate you and force you to be confident in Muay Thai as a way of losing fat, helping you stay more consistent.
Table of Contents
Let’s dive into the first part!
How to Lose Fat Fast With Muay Thai
The first part of this article will review how you can begin losing fat quicker than usual with Muay Thai. If you’ve never done Muay Thai before, I can’t express how difficult it can get if you truly put 100% of your effort into training.
Yes, you control the amount of effort you put into training. If, for example, you take the training sessions lightly and not really get involved with everything or anyone, you’ll also have an “easier” time, or should I say less physically demanding time.
Anyways, what we’ll do now is go over the six steps you want to constantly have in your mind when you want to lose weight with Muay Thai. If you really want to get serious about this journey, you can also make a shirt with the steps on them! If you do end up making one, I’ll buy one! (Send me an email)
Step #1 – Find a qualified instructor
The first step is the simplest one to follow, as it doesn’t require as much mental effort as the other steps. The first step is to find a qualified instructor to train under.
You want to look for local Muay Thai or martial arts gyms that teach The Art of Eight Limbs, aka Thai Boxing. It’s a very popular fighting style, so unless you live somewhere that doesn’t embrace martial arts and fighting, you’ll be able to find one. And if you can’t find one, I wrote a complete guide on how to train Muay Thai at home, which you definitely want to read.
Look for a reputable Muay Thai gym or training center with experienced instructors who can guide you through proper techniques and exercises.
Step #2 – Start with the basics
If you’re new to Muay Thai, focus on learning the fundamental techniques and movements before advancing to more intense workouts. Proper form is crucial to avoid injuries and get the most out of your training.
Proper form is also critical to prevent injuries. A single punch with a bad technique is all it takes to cause permanent wrist, hand, or even finger damage. So make sure to learn to punch and kick correctly before you even consider progressing into the more intense workouts, such as sparring.
Learn all the basics of Muay Thai by following this link!
Once you begin learning the basics, you’ll already begin burning more calories, which will kick off your fat-loss journey. So embrace the hustle and don’t think that you’re only going to lose body fat when you dive into the really intense workouts. Instead, learning the basics will also be a fantastic way of burning calories.
Step #3 – Train regularly
Now that you’re familiar with the basics, it’s time to dive deeper into the realm that is losing body fat by training Muay Thai.
Aim for consistent training sessions, ideally three to five times a week. Muay Thai is a high-energy workout that engages various muscle groups, helping you burn calories and fat.
3-5 training sessions per week will be ideal. By this point, you’ll spar regularly, which is one of the most intense workouts you’ll go through, especially if you spar for more than 5 minutes.
Anyways, you want to stay consistent with your training. Whether you become a good fighter or not at the end of this journey, I don’t care. However, what I do care about is that you’ll burn enough calories to fuel your fat-loss journey. And if you train under a good instructor, you’ll easily be able to do that.
Step #4 – Maintain a healthy diet
Weight loss is strongly influenced by diet. Consume a balanced, calorie-controlled diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Minimize your intake of sugary, processed, and high-calorie foods.
This is a critical point to understand, so pay very close attention. Your fat-loss journey begins and ends in the kitchen, not in the gym. Many people can’t quite grasp this concept, so let me clarify. Most of the results you’ll gain, most of the fat you’ll shed, will be thanks to you eating correctly and being in a caloric deficit.
Training Muay Thai is one way to burn calories, which will make being in a caloric deficit easier. Pay close attention now; However, if you want to lose weight, you can do so without training at all, but you won’t be able to do so without being in a caloric deficit, regardless of how hard you train.
To learn more about proper nutrition to fuel your fat-loss journey, follow this link to read a medical article on the topic.
Step #5 – Get enough rest
Ensure you’re getting sufficient sleep every night. Sleep plays a vital role in recovery and can support your weight loss efforts. Aim to sleep between seven and eight hours. And when I say seven hours, I don’t mean getting into bed at 10 pm and waking up at 5 am. What I mean is that you need to be asleep by 10 pm if you want to wake up the next day at 5 am. This distinction is important to understand.
Getting adequate, quality sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Most importantly, research has shown that losing sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight lost and encourage overeating.
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Step #6 – Repeat (Steps #2-#5)
The last step will be to repeat steps #2 – #5. You want to constantly work on your basics and remain consistent in your training. You also always want to eat healthily and rest sufficiently. If you desire to lose any body fat with Muay Thai, you must follow the steps I presented in this part of the article and constantly repeat them.
Look, fat loss is a battle with yourself. Your mind is going to try and convince you to remain in your comfort zone. However, you want to avoid listening to your mind, as the only thing he’s trying to do is to convince you to be lazy, as it looks for the easiest way out.
This is why it’s a battle with yourself. You must do everything in your ability to remain consistent and persistent on the goal ahead—to lose body fat!
Reasons Why Muay Thai Helps Lose Weight
Now that you know how to lose body fat with Muay Thai, let’s dive into the second part of the article, which will describe the six primary reasons why Muay Thai is a great activity for fat loss.
Understanding these reasons will help you stay motivated, which is difficult in today’s world. While I don’t believe in relying on motivation to do the hard things in life, it’s something that can kick off a life-long journey, so I have to acknowledge that.
But if you can train long enough to make Muay Thai a habit you simply can’t skip or else you feel something is missing your life, you’ll be good for the rest of your life.
So let’s now dive into the six reasons why Muay Thai is a great fat-loss activity.
#1 – High-Intensity Cardio
Muay Thai training involves intense and continuous movements, such as kicking, punching, kneeing, and elbowing, which significantly elevate your heart rate. The constant movement and high-intensity nature of the sport lead to a substantial caloric expenditure, helping you burn fat and lose weight.
In general, the higher your heart rate during physical activity, the higher the exercise intensity.
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From my experience, I don’t know many other exercises that have a similar effect to what Muay Thai does on your heart rate. It elevates it to a level where it’s going to be very hard to breathe, which is a reflection of the number of calories you’ll burn during this intense exercise.
Remember, being in a caloric deficit is the key to losing body fat. That’s why burning more calories can help you lose body fat, especially when you burn a lot, like in the case of Muay Thai.
#2 – Full-Body Workout
Practicing Muay Thai engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including your legs, core, arms, and back. The combination of striking and defensive techniques ensures that almost every muscle in your body is activated during a training session, resulting in increased energy expenditure and enhanced muscle tone.
#3 – HIIT Training
Muay Thai training often involves High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) techniques. This means you alternate between short bursts of intense activity, like quick combos, and brief rest periods. HIIT is known for its effectiveness in burning calories and fat even after the workout is over, thanks to the “afterburn effect.”
Here are some of the benefits of HIIT exercises:
- HIIT can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
- Your metabolic rate is higher for hours after HIIT exercise.
- HIIT can help you lose fat.
- You might gain muscle using HIIT.
- HIIT can improve oxygen consumption.
- HIIT can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
- HIIT can reduce blood sugar.
As you can see, you have plenty to gain from training in Muay Thai. Just look at the number of positive benefits we got here.
#4 – Increased Endurance
Regular Muay Thai training gradually improves your cardiovascular endurance. As your stamina increases, you can sustain longer and more intense workouts, leading to higher calorie burn and better overall fitness.
Indeed, it’s like a cycle. The better you are, the more calories you can burn. The “worse” you are, the fewer calories you’ll be able to burn. So that’s another reason why you want to remain consistent with Muay Thai in the long term.
#5 – Stress Reduction
Stress and emotional eating can contribute to weight gain. Engaging in Muay Thai can help reduce stress and anxiety through physical activity and the focus required during training sessions. This can, in turn, help curb emotional eating habits, promoting weight loss.
Read more about why martial arts reduce stress by following this link to an article of mine explaining the topic.
#6 – Motivation and Enjoyment
Traditional gym workouts can sometimes become monotonous, leading to a lack of motivation. Muay Thai offers a dynamic and exciting training experience, which can keep you engaged and enthusiastic about your fitness journey. When you enjoy your workouts, you’re more likely to stick with them, leading to consistent progress and weight loss.
Muay Thai is extremely enjoyable. Although you’ll feel stressed and you will want to avoid getting hit in the face too often, at the end of the day, you’ll have tons of fun. This is why you’ll want to stay consistent with your training!
Final Words
This article had two purposes, let’s see if I was able to achieve them with you. My initial aim with this article was to give you the tools to begin losing body fat with Muay Thai. It was to give you a step-by-step system to always have in mind that will eventually help you lose body fat.
The second goal was to motivate you to start. Again, I dislike relying on motivation to do the hard things in life since you’ll almost always not have motivation. This is a lesson I learned late in life, unfortunately. However, here I am teaching it to you.
Hopefully, I’ve been able to achieve both, and if not, I hope you can comment down below your concerns or any questions you have.
Here are other articles you’ll benefit from reading:
Should You Learn Muay Thai? (Not What You Think)
Muay Thai – All Basic Punches You Must Know to Hit Fiercely
9 Amazing Benefits Muay Thai Training Will Give You
The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai Gear: Must-Have Equipment
A Guide to Selecting the Perfect Pair of Muay Thai Gloves for You
