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Getting Fit Fast At Rawai Muay Thai

Getting Fit Fast At Rawai Muay Thai

After nearly five months of traveling through the USA and Europe, I feel like crap.

You’d think that after all of our amazing adventures I’d be on top of the world, but my body is paying the price for our time on the road. We’ve been eating junk food way too regularly and the number of intense workouts we’ve had whilst traveling can be counted on one hand.

The body needs a shock to the system and I think I’ve found it.

Muay Thai Kickboxing Training at Rawai Muay Thai.

Rawai Muay Thai - Phuket, Thailand

Rawai Muay Thai - Phuket, Thailand

4-6 hours of training per day, 6 days a week in the Thai humidity. This was sure to help me feel better!

I arrived in Rawai on a Sunday night and woke up at 6am on the Monday morning refreshed and eager to get started. With my gym clothes on, I headed to the Rawai Muay Thai Boxing Camp for my first training session.

Before getting into action I needed to buy the necessary Muay Thai equipment from the gym – 12oz gloves, handwraps and shin guards.

Muay Thai Equipment - Gloves, Shorts, Singlet and Shin Guards

Muay Thai Equipment - Gloves, Shorts, Singlet and Shin Guards

Now I felt the part and was totally ready to step inside the ring… but not so fast! Before the 2-hour morning session, we needed to warm-up first.

No problem, I thought. Until one of my fellow students told me that the warm-up was a 4 kilometer run followed up by 10-15 minutes of skipping rope or bouncing on tyres. I tagged along with a couple of the older guys for the run and was glad to discover that they were happy to take it nice and slow.

With that said, a 4km run (mostly uphill) in the Phuket heat still wasn’t easy and by the time I arrived back at camp, I was already pretty tired. “Go on the tires!” one of the trainers barked at me – this sounded more inviting than skipping but within minutes my calves felt like they were on fire.

Bouncing on tyres to warm up

Warm Up: Bouncing On Tyres. Harder than it looks!

By the time we actually started the class, I was absolutely exhausted and dripping in sweat. But this is exactly what I was here for!

A typical Muay Thai boxing class consisted of 10-15 minutes of stretching before getting into the hard work. For the first 4 days at Rawai Muay Thai I was a part of the beginners class, taught under the watchful eyes of Hehm and Fin. We learned the basic techniques of Muay Thai including punches, kicks, elbows and knees and ended each class with a demo on how to tie your handwraps.

It was on the fifth day (Friday) that I was finally let loose into the advanced class which used up every last ounce of energy my body had! Following the warm-up and morning stretch, each student participated in 5 x 3 minute rounds on the boxing bags around the gym followed by 5 x 3 minute pad sessions with a trainer inside the rings where proper Muay Thai technique was taught.

In between each of these rounds, we were made to do 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups.

Practicing a Muay Thai Kick

Ouweeee! Practicing a Muay Thai Kick

I gave each class everything I had and although my technique still was poor, the trainers were extremely friendly, helpful and happy to point out exactly where I was going wrong and how to fix my mistakes. For those who are serious about learning the proper technique, 600 Baht (under $20 USD) buys you a 1-hour VIP training session with the trainer of your choice.

Muay Thai training in Thailand definitely isn’t for the faint of heart but if you’re looking to get back on the road to fitness and health then it’s a great way to get your butt into gear!

Some of us (myself included!) occasionally need to be forced to exercise and by the end of the first week of training, I felt a hundred times better than when I arrived.

I definitely got what I needed out of my time at Rawai Muay Thai – the hard part will be to keep it up once I get home.

A Typical Day at Rawai Muay Thai

6:00am – Wake up and shower. Eat a banana for some morning energy.
6:30am – Head down to the gym for the 4km run and warm-up.
7:30am –  2-hour morning session begins.
9:30am – Go back to room, shower and then have breakfast.
10:00am – Spare time until approximately 2:30pm. Either have a nap, do some work or explore the local area.
3:00pm – Back to gym for the afternoon session. Another 2 hours of intense Muay Thai training!
5:00pm – Back to room again for another shower.
6:00pm – Dinner – usually at the Cashew Nut Restaurant.
7:00pm – Back to room to get some work done and Skype with Amy.
9:00pm – Fast asleep!

Would you attend a Muay Thai Boxing Camp and do what I did? Why/why not?

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