BOOST YOUR CORE: 4 BENEFITS OF MUAY THAI

By Sean Fagan

It's a little strange to consider, but a centuries-old fighting system might be the best core workout out there! 

First, a little history lesson: Muay Thai is the national sport and a cultural martial art of Thailand. It originates several hundreds of years ago when used as a close-combat form that utilized the entire body as a weapon. Muay Thai employs stand-up striking, along with many other grappling techniques (called "clinching").

Muay Thai's discipline is referred to as the "Art of Eight Limbs" as it involves the use of elbows, fists, knees, and shins. Like many other forms of martial art, the practitioners, called nak muay, invest in themselves and their fighting success by strengthening their bodies to almost unthinkable heights.

The main goal in fighting Muay Thai is to beat down your opponent mostly through strikes. It’s ultimately good for both defensive and offensive fights. But, in the modern...

 HOW A SIX-PACK MAKES YOU A BETTER NAK MUAY

From Muay Thai Guy

Some sort of exercise that includes working the abs is part of almost any exercise program, even more so if your aim is to train Muay Thai.  No respectable, proper Muay Thai gym will ignore ab conditioning.

Many are misguided to think that this type of exercise will help them get a six-pack. This is great and all, but the real reason we do so many sit ups and planks is because we want to get those muscles stronger, not prettier.

That’s a no-brainer, huh? After all, what muscles don’t you want stronger for Muay Thai? Arguably, if you had to pick just one area to focus on as part of your conditioning routine, it should be your abdominal muscles.

Here are my thoughts on why strong abs lead to strong Muay Thai.

BUILDING CORE STRENGTH STABILIZES YOU

You may or may not have heard this sage advice before: if you want to improve your balance, work on your core strength.