Heatrick Heavy Hitters – Muay Thai Performance

Plyometrics and weight training. Let's clear up this confusion! In Muay Thai, fighters often treat "strength AND conditioning" as one thing. But these are two distinct components: "strength" OR "conditioning." Let’s break this down... STRENGTH Training includes: • Weight room-based resistance work • Plyometric and med ball drills • Explosive power training • Traditional strength exercises CONDITIONING is different: • Cardio work • Energy system development • Stamina building • Recovery capacity They're separate beasts with different purposes. And here's where people get tripped up... KEY MOMENTS Follow along using these quick timestamps: 00:00 Weight Training Includes Plyometrics? 00:12 Strength AND Conditioning... 00:48 Train Plyometrics Separately? 02:06 Weight Training Twice a Week? 02:51 Training in Thailand? Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/06/06/muay-thai-plyometrics-and-resistance-training-confused/

You know what’s fascinating about asking world champions for their best advice for Muay Thai? They see through the noise and cut to the chase.You may expect a ONE Championship double champ like Regian Eersel to talk about secret training methods or advanced fighting tactics. Instead, he shared something simpler – and far more powerful. One of the most dangerous strikers on the planet, standing there telling me his biggest regret wasn't about training harder or learning more techniques... It was about being too damn stubborn to listen to his coaches.“I was really hard-headed, I didn't listen at all,” he told me. When his trainers told him to punch more in sparring, he'd think, “Nah, I don't like doing the punch now. I'm gonna kick more.” Sound familiar? KEY MOMENTS Follow along using these quick timestamps: 00:00 Regretting Not Listening More! 00:10 Young & Hard-Headed 00:28 Coaches Saw It Coming 00:49 Having Eyes On Your Sparring 01:21 Exploiting a 3rd Person Perspective Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/30/regian-eersel-didnt-listen-to-best-advice/ [https://heatrick.com/2025/05/30/regian-eersel-didnt-listen-to-best-advice/]

“How strong do I need to be for Muay Thai — and am I strong enough?”“Why do I still gas out in sparring, even though my cardio seems solid?”These were the exact questions an experienced fighter threw at me during a recent coaching call.Many fighters share these frustrations, and it’s puzzling.One size doesn’t fit all, and I don’t like guessing or offering vague solutions!But the good news? I didn’t have to guess.I pulled up his performance testing results and pinpointed exactly where his training should focus.I believe you’ll find these insights helpful as well.KEY MOMENTSFollow along using these quick timestamps:00:00 Introduction 00:40 How Strong Is Strong Enough for Muay Thai? 01:33 Turn That Strength Into Power You Can Use 02:04 If You’re Strong Enough—Stop Chasing Bigger Deadlifts 02:27 The Real Reason You’re Gassing Out in Sparring 02:46 If Your Foundation Is Solid—Now It’s Time to EvolveFurther notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/23/how-strong-is-strong-enough-for-muay-thai-and-why-youre-still-gassing-in-sparring/ [https://heatrick.com/2025/05/23/how-strong-is-strong-enough-for-muay-thai-and-why-youre-still-gassing-in-sparring/]

In Muay Thai, you must dig deep, but do you know when to push your limits, and when to ease off to level up? Are you the “More!” type… or the “Too Much!” type?Over the years—training myself and coaching fighters around the world—I’ve spotted a pattern. We all live on a sliding scale when it comes to challenge.And that scale moves. Push the edge regularly, and your capacity rises. But let it slide for too long? It drops. Fast. What challenged you six months ago might not touch the sides today. Or worse—what used to be easy now feels hard again, because you’ve unknowingly slid backward. You’re always moving on the scale. The question is: which direction?KEY MOMENTS Follow along using these quick timestamps: 00:00 Go Hard or Go Home? 00:38 The Challenge Level – Sliding Scale 01:04 Are You the “More!” Type… or the “Too Much!” Type? 01:16 Train Hard… But Redefine What “Hard” Actually Means 01:51 So… Where Are You On the Continuum? 02:13 Be Brutally Honest 02:28 Further Videos...Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/16/dig-deep-but-know-your-edge-understand-the-moving-scale/ [https://heatrick.com/2025/05/16/dig-deep-but-know-your-edge-understand-the-moving-scale/] You'll find the "How Much Muay Thai Training Do You Really Need?" episode here: https://youtu.be/7a0s6qW5m6w [https://youtu.be/7a0s6qW5m6w]

Most fighters believe that every session, they must train harder to win. You don’t. Both older and younger fighters alike should take three steps forward, then one step back. Rinse and repeat for infinity!I was on a call recently with a fighter in his 30s — still sharp, still winning, still putting in the work.He asked me something I’ve heard before:“Can I keep progressing the weights each week, or do I need deload weeks?”Fair question.Especially if your lifts are still improving and nothing feels broken.But here’s the thing…Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.KEY MOMENTSFollow along using these quick timestamps: 00:00 The Unfair Advantage That Lets You Train Harder 00:27 Overuse Injuries Don’t Knock — They Creep In 01:16 Ride the Wave: Push Progress When It’s There 01:49 Don’t Drop the Other Plates While Spinning Strength 02:39 Fight-Ready Means Tapered and Tuned 03:35 Speed & Power — Don’t Let Them Fade 04:17 Two Resistance Sessions Is Goldilocks Training for FightersFurther notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/09/think-you-need-to-train-harder-to-win-fighters-over-30-know-better/ [https://heatrick.com/2025/05/09/think-you-need-to-train-harder-to-win-fighters-over-30-know-better/]