Combat sports are extremely popular in our region. They foster discipline and confidence, and teach that force should only be used for self-defense. The main and most widespread combat sports are MMA, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, Muay Thai, sanda, taekwondo, savate, capoeira, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, sambo, Kyokushin and Kudo.
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Some of them are increasingly finding a place in gyms, too. New types of workouts are emerging, including variations on the respective combat sports. Individual moves are incorporated for good reason—the positive effects they have on the body and overall health are undeniable.
Which combat sports are practiced at the gym?
Muay Thai – for confidence and self-defense
Muay Thai is undoubtedly one of the most popular combat sports today. It is also known as “the art of eight limbs,” since it uses punches, kicks, elbows and knees—a total of eight points of contact. This is a free-form bout in which opponents choose how they fight.
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The main Muay Thai techniques are divided into two groups: Mae Mai, or basic techniques, and Look Mai, or advanced techniques. Bouts consist of five 3-minute rounds, with two-minute breaks between each round.
One of the qualities this sport develops is patience and the will to achieve your goals. Since it requires participants to possess a wide range of athletic abilities, training in Muay Thai offers many benefits.
Here are the top 5:
- An effective cardio workout
- Leg strength
- Improves balance
- Self-defense
- Relieves stress
Boxing – for full-body coordination
A boxing match usually consists of a set number of 3-minute rounds, with 9 to 12 rounds in total and a one-minute break between rounds.
Boxing as a sport requires a high level of athletic ability. Strength, speed, flexibility, endurance and “nerves of steel” are just some of the requirements. Boxing combines intense cardio and strength training, allowing the average person to improve their athletic abilities without having to take punches to the body.
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Boxing’s popularity among stars, supermodels and singers proves its many benefits. And although boxing is often an aggressive sport, you can achieve an athletic physique without facing a real opponent.
Unlike other cardio workouts, such as running or cycling, boxing works all the body’s muscle groups—not just the upper body, but the lower body too. The legs are worked intensely in every boxing workout. If you want to get in shape and improve your health, this is the sport for you. Here’s why:
- An effective cardio workout
- Improves overall fitness
- Improves hand-eye coordination
- Relieves stress
- Builds endurance
Fortunately, in recent years boxing has become a popular and widely practiced combat sport among women, too, as it boosts fitness and is a quick, effective way to lose weight and shape your body.
MMA – the perfect cardio workout
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is another widely practiced combat sport in which participants use a range of techniques, including striking and grappling.
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MMA is the perfect workout for weight loss and body sculpting, as its very high intensity significantly increases your heart rate. Exercises are performed in 3-minute rounds using 16-ounce gloves. After each round, take one minute of active recovery.
The top 5 benefits of MMA workouts are:
- Improve overall body coordination
- Build strength
- Boost confidence
- Relieve stress
- An effective cardio workout
What Are Combat Sports Workouts at the Gym?
Whether you actually train these combat sports or simply borrow the training methods of a true champion in these disciplines, Muay Thai, boxing and MMA workouts are as demanding as they are effective.
The five most effective strength and conditioning exercises for Muay Thai are:
- Deadlift – one of the best strength exercises on the planet. It’s important to master the technique first and then add weight, as poor form can lead to serious injuries. It’s one of the key exercises for building muscle mass and density throughout your back and legs. To perform it, squat down into a chair-like position while holding a barbell loaded with the desired weight.
- Front squat (barbell squat) – a great exercise for toning your lower body without straining your knees. Do 5 x 10 reps as a warm-up, then 5 x 3 reps
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- Pull-ups – In Muay Thai, pull-ups are a great way to build strength, especially weighted pull-ups, as they directly simulate the clinch position.
- One-arm push-ups – in this exercise, your weight is balanced between your working arm and both legs. It helps improve coordination and generate more core strength.
- Sprints – this doesn’t just mean traditional running sprints; it includes a variety of exercises performed at high intensity for a short period. You can also sprint on an exercise bike or rowing machine, for example.
Top 5 Boxing workouts:
- Sparring – every muscle in the body is engaged, making it the main exercise in boxing. The goal is to practise the techniques you’ve learned in a setting that closely resembles a real fight. When done properly, sparring develops everything a fighter needs – fitness, skills and confidence.
- Punching-bag workout – the best way to learn new boxing techniques. This workout helps you develop speed and accuracy.
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- Shadowboxing – practising different techniques, combinations, blocks or counterattacks. This helps fighters develop the link between technique and awareness by visualising the moves they would make in a real fight.
- Speed-bag workout – a great way to improve the dynamism and speed of your punches. An ideal part of cardio training.
MMA workouts include:
- Jumping rope – 1 to 3 or 5 minutes, depending on your level, for 5 rounds with one minute of rest between each round.
- Punching-bag workout – 5 low kicks (kick the lower part of the bag), 5 high kicks (kick the upper part of the bag), 10 straight punches (alternating right and left); 5 left hooks, then 5 right hooks; 5 knee strikes, alternating legs.
- Shadowboxing – practising different techniques, combinations, blocks or counterattacks against an imaginary opponent.
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- Chest, shoulder, triceps and abs workout – push-ups, sit-ups, shoulder presses.
- Plyometric exercises – a workout in which your muscles reach maximum force in the shortest possible time. Plyometric exercises include bounding, jumping up from a deep squat, throwing and catching a medicine ball, stepping down from and up onto a step platform, plyometric push-ups and more.
Why start training in combat sports alongside gym workouts? What can you achieve?
People of all ages around the world train in combat sports. They have been shown to help you achieve physical goals while also teaching endurance, discipline, confidence and self-defence techniques.
Repeating the many techniques in boxing, Muay Thai and MMA, combined with sparring, stretching, strength training, cardio and other complementary forms of physical activity, will get you into excellent shape.
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