THE BEGINNERS GUIDE
TO RUNNING FOR MUAY THAI

By David Dack

If you're a Muay Thai fighter looking for ways to improve your stamina and endurance, look no further than running.

Here's the truth. Logging the miles is a key part of Muay Thai training and something you should be doing religiously if you want to stay in fighting shape.

In Thailand, most Muay Thai trainees are required to run a few miles before and often after their pad work and sparring sessions.  In fact, "no run, no fight" is one of the most popular sayings in the Muay Thai training world. 

The question is, how does actually running help you improve as a fighter and how to get started? Keep on reading for the answers.

In this article, I'm going to explain some of the benefits that running offers Muay Thai fighters, as well as show you how to incorporate road work into your workout routine without risking injury or burnout. I'll also delve into some of the training approaches you can follow to develop...

To Run Hard or To Run Long… That Is The Question

While it’s not absolutely necessary to run when you want to fight, it is necessary to do so if you want to perform well.

With running, you can opt between short, fast, explosive sprints or long, steady, long runs. This begs the question: which is better to do? What would help you more as a Muay Thai fighter?

Let’s get a few simple scientific terms and facts out of the way. There 3 types of skeletal muscle. “Slow twitch” are used when doing activites of low intensity, such as walking. They’re called slow because the muscles take a long time to contract, and can endure without fatiguing for a long time. Slow twitch fibers do not produce much force, so they’re not the type of muscles used to lift weights. (Ivyroses, n.d.).

“Fast twitch” muscle fibers are involved in activities that require short, fast bursts of power, such as heavy weightlifting or 100m...