Why Everyone Should Try A Muay Thai Class At Least Once
Have You Ever Taken A Muay Thai Class? You Really Should…
Muay Thai is a martial art and combat sport that uses 8 different “points” of the body to strike an opponent. It is often regarded as one of the more grueling MMA styles due to the devastating knee and elbow hits that fighters have to defend against.
Don’t think that Muay Thai is an exclusive club for the dedicated elite. Everyone has to start from zero.
For non-professional fighters, practicing Muay Thai can be an incredibly rewarding experience with dozens of mental and physical benefits.
As such, Muay Thai should definitely be something you consider adding to your current fitness routine. All it takes is a few classes to start seeing the benefits.
But what are those benefits? Why should you bother taking a Muay Thai class? Let’s explore some of those now:
Muay Thai Is Insanely Effective At Burning Calories
Many people center their fitness routine around burning calories and losing weight. We all want that fit, “tone” appearance to our physiques. To achieve that, you need a strong muscular base with a low enough body fat percentage for your muscles to show more.
Most of us live very sedentary lives. Not only that, but we are constantly busy with other important priorities. Many cannot afford to spend more than an hour at the gym a day. Because of that, it’s important to be as efficient as possible with your time.
Muay Thai classes are typically an hour long and can burn up to 600 calories per hour. How? Because it’s essentially an intense full-body workout.
3 classes of Muay Thai a week equals to 1,800 calories burned per week. In a month, that’s 7,200 calories or 2.4 pounds of fat.
That’s some serious calorie burn.
Trying to burn that many calories while walking on a treadmill would take hours every single day.
Let’s face it, nobody has time for that. Try out Muay Thai instead.
Build Muscle Without Weight Training
Muay Thai, like many combat sports, will add muscle to your frame over time. You won’t have a bodybuilder physique, but you will look like an athlete.
That’s because to practice Muay Thai, you need to be an athlete.
Because this martial art uses 8 different strike points, every part of your body is utilized in most movements and combinations. Being able to do these movements repeatedly requires the appropriate amount of muscle.
Expect to be sore after your first couple Muay Thai classes. It will take some getting used to, but eventually, your body will adapt. Once it does, that chronic soreness will go away.
Combining Muay Thai with a proper muscle-building routine can lead to some serious muscle gains.
Speak with your personal trainer about how to best incorporate this into your current routine. If you’re looking to get started with personal training in Houston, contact us today to train with the best fitness coaches around.
Become Part Of The Fighting Community
Let’s face it, working out can be lonely sometimes. It’s nice being able to put your headphones on and rock out to your favorite songs.
But sometimes it would be great to meet people and become part of a community of like-minded individuals.
This is where MMA offers something that bodybuilding doesn’t: the opportunity to expand your social circle and create friendships through training.
Of course, you can make friends via lifting weights, but it’s much harder that way. That’s because social interaction is 100% optional when working out.
Muay Thai gives you no choice but to talk and interact with others. You will often be partnered with a stranger for most drills. You may have to spar someone you’ve never met. Regardless, you will be talking to and working with another person.
Many fighter communities are often close-knit. The blood, sweat, and tears that go into practicing and mastering martial arts bonds people together in a way that other fitness-related activities simply don’t do.
Don’t Forget The Mental Benefits
We’ve already touched on some of the physical and social benefits of trying Muay Thai. Now let’s talk about the mental benefits.
Practicing Muay Thai is difficult. To progress takes mental discipline, toughness, and dedication. The more elite you become, the more sacrifice is required.
This may sound grueling, and that’s because it is. However, the increase in confidence and mental toughness that results from this can be applied to every other area of your life.
Muay Thai helps you burn a ton of calories and build a great physique, but it comes at a cost. A single session will almost certainly be the most difficult part of your day.
Rather than let that discourage you, think of the feeling of accomplishment you’ll experience after every session. You took a difficult activity and you crushed it. That alone is something to feel great about.
It may not be tangible, but confidence and discipline are arguably the two biggest benefits you will get from the sport.
Now it’s up to you to take your first class.
Muay Thai Classes at O Athletik
O Athletik is a Houston Heights gym that offers multiple Muay Thai & kickboxing classes throughout the week to fit your busy schedule.
The classes are available to all general members who purchase the Metro Fight Club package on top of their base membership.
These classes are for all experience levels and are taught by some of the best instructors in all of Houston.
You don’t want to miss out.
For questions about O Athletik or our class schedule, please give us a call or complete the form below. We will get in touch with you shortly.