Best Muay Thai & Kickboxing Workouts at Home

Muay Thai and kickboxing are martial arts styles that rely on perfect coordination between your arms and legs to ensure you can protect yourself yet deliver devastating blows. While Muay Thai provides a wider range of techniques due to also allowing grapples, both sports require that your body be conditioned to handle the strain of combat. Your legs have to be flexible enough to extend your reach, your core has to be tough enough to tank damage, and your limbs have to be resilient enough to absorb the impact from swinging punches or kicks. A good workout environment will contribute to the process of getting into shape as you continue to practice Muay Thai or kickboxing.

It may be hard to imagine your home as an ideal workout environment, but it can function just as well as a gym. With no strangers around, you can listen to music that invigorates you while you work out without being an inconvenience to others. You have easy access to healthy food and water during breaks or after your workout is over. Your home can be the best place to do workouts so long as you can consistently exercise without interruptions. If you rearrange your home and remove all distractions, you may find yourself being productive whenever you engage in physical exertion.

If you are interested in setting up a Muay Thai or kickboxing workout at home, this article will advise you on how to get ready. You will be told how to fit in your workout within your daily schedule, what equipment you should get, and where at home it is best to train. Then you will see samples of exercises and workout programs that test the physical limits of the muscle groups required in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Finally, you will be given recommendations of the clothing used in Muay Thai and kickboxing that also have applications in exercises or casual wear.

Muay Thai and kickboxing workout programs tend to lay out the times and days that are spent doing exercises. However, the list of possible workouts can be narrowed down if you examine your daily schedule. Do you have a few hours to spare in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Which days have more free time that you can take advantage of? You need to consistently exercise for at least 2 to 3 days per week to get the most out of your training. Make sure to select a Muay Thai or kickboxing workout program that you know you can accomplish with little disruption from other aspects of your life.

If you prefer to practice Muay Thai or kickboxing by yourself, you may need a punching bag. There are two types of punching bags to choose from: hanging and freestanding. Hanging punching bags are more durable, provide a mobile target, and take up less space. Freestanding punching bags are easier to set up, can be easily repositioned, and cause less discomfort for your knuckles.

Considering both Muay Thai and kickboxing involve honing techniques that require you to use the full length of your limbs, you need a space big enough to practice in. It is suggested you exercise in either your living room, garage, basement, or backyard if you have one. If you opt to work out indoors, the way you arrange your space may depend on whether you use a punching bag or not. If you decide to train without one, you only need space with a length equal to your full height and a width equal to half your height. If you want to put a punching bag in your space, the dimensions of the room have to be 10 feet in length and 10 feet in width. Just make sure to clear any obstructions that you or the punching bag could knock into. You can either dedicate a section of the room or make use of the entire room as your workout space if you would prefer.

This term refers to a method of training where you square off and demonstrate the moves you currently know against a hypothetical opponent. When engaged in a “practice fight,” move as if your hypothetical opponent is coming at you with the intent to knock you out. But keep in mind that the purpose of shadow boxing is not to win. Take this opportunity to improve on your execution of techniques while in the mindset of trying to defend yourself.

Start out in a standard push-up position. Bring both your hands together underneath the center of your chest. Adjust your thumbs and index fingers so that they form the shape of a diamond. Your arms and legs should be aligned right down the center of your body. Lower your body without touching the ground. Your upper torso should not rest on your hands. Elevate your body until your arms are fully extended. Repeat the process.

Lie flat on the ground with your arms stretched above your hand and your legs fully extended. Lift your arms, head, shoulders, and legs off the ground while keeping the rest of your body flat on the ground. Try to keep the elevated body parts off the ground for as long as possible. Slowly return them to the ground to rest. Repeat the process.

Start in a fighting stance. Using your back leg, swing it forward while still bent, then in a snapping motion, extend it fully as you kick in front of you. Your leg should be straight and level with your hips. Bring your kicking leg back and return to your fighting stance. Then flip around so that the position of your forward and back legs is switched. Remember to keep your arms close to your upper torso as you practice this technique.

Start in a fighting stance. Depending on which leg you use, bend your leg as you bring it up to your torso. When your knee has reached up to your chest, in a snapping motion, extend your leg fully as you kick in front of you. Make sure to kick out so that you are hitting with the ball of your foot rather than the flat of the foot. Bring your kicking leg back down and return to your fighting stance. Remember to alternate legs as you repeat the process.

Start in a fighting stance. Using your forward leg, take a small step in front of you and root your foot in its spot. Raise your back leg until it is fully bent. Pivot your forward foot and turn your hips to the side as you swing your back leg into a wide arc. Gradually extend your back leg as it travels. It should be fully extended with the top of your foot pointed sideways as you complete the kick. Bring back your back leg and return to your fighting stance. Remember to alternate legs as you repeat the process.

Start in a fighting stance. Depending on which arm you use, bend your elbow fully so that your forearm and bicep are pressed against each other. Raise your arm slightly and sharply turn your shoulder and hips towards the direction you are attacking. Make sure to pivot the foot on the same side as the elbow doing the strike. Bring your elbow back and return to your fighting stance. Remember to alternate elbows as you repeat the process.

You will need a free-standing punching bag for this exercise. Sit down in front of the punching bag. Get close and wrap your legs around so that they encircle the section right above the base. Raise your upper torso until you are at eye level with the punching bag. While holding your position, throw some punches while alternating between arms. Lower your upper torso until your back is flat on the ground. Repeat the process.

Start out in a standard squatting position with your fists raised on opposite sides of your head. Shuffle your back foot over until it reaches your forward foot. Using your back leg as support, raise your forward foot and kick out towards your side. Bring your kicking leg back down and return to the starting position. Remember to alternate between legs as you practice this technique.

This workout program begins with either jogging or jumping rope for 30 minutes to 1 hour as part of your warmup. To loosen up your muscles, do stretching exercises for 15 minutes. Examples of stretching exercises include arm circles, leg pendulums, spinal rotations, etc. Now that your body is ready, you can engage in shadow boxing for 20 minutes. After finishing this step, you can review Muay Thai techniques you currently know and expand your expertise by learning new ones. You choose the offensive, defensive, and movement drills you wish to do for 6 rounds with 20-second breaks in between exercises. You finish up by selecting a list of 8 exercises suited for strength training. Each exercise is given attention for 4 minutes, with 20-second intervals of movement and 10-second breaks that eventually add up to the total number of minutes. List of strength building exercises include planks, burpees, push-ups, etc.

This workout program begins with doing stretches, jumping rope, and shadow boxing as part of your warmup. You stretch for 10 minutes, jump rope for 2 rounds with each round being 3 minutes, and shadow box for 3 rounds with each round being 3 minutes. While you are shadow boxing, use the three rounds to work on different aspects of Muay Thai. Use the first round to develop your footwork. The second round should be used to practice blocks and kicks. The third round includes combinations of offensive and defensive techniques using both the upper and lower torsos. Move on to using a punching bag to perfect your current move set. It is suggested you do 50 push kicks and 50 roundhouse kicks to help you get used to repeating the motions. Remember to alternate between your legs as you complete your reps. Conclude your workout by doing combinations of your choice for 5 rounds. This is an opportunity to review the Muay Tai techniques you currently know.

This workout program begins with jumping rope, front leg swings, side leg swings, and push-ups as part of your warmup. Each exercise will be done within 30 seconds with a 10-second rest upon completion. You will then move on to complete 4 rounds which include different combinations of punches, kicks, and strengthening exercises utilized in kickboxing. The first round includes jabs, cross jabs, lead kicks, rear kicks, lead hooks, and rear hooks. About 6 combinations are done, each within 30 seconds with a 10-second rest upon completion. The second round includes jabs, cross jabs, lead hook, lead kicks, and rear kicks. About 6 combinations are done, each within 30 seconds with a 10-second rest upon completion The third round includes jabs, rear hooks, check holds, lead kicks, and rear kicks. Only 2 combinations with jabs, rear hooks, lead kicks, and rear kicks last for a full minute. The remaining 2 are done within 30 seconds with a 10-second rest upon completion. The fourth round includes jabs, cross jabs, planks, rear kicks, and lead kicks. About 6 combinations are done within 30 seconds with no break at the end. You end your workout by jumping rope at a slower pace within 30 seconds.

Muay Thai gloves have extra padding over the knuckles and wrists to prevent injury to yourself while punching. They also allow flexibility as you are able to close your hands fully and hold on tight when initiating grapples. While comparable to boxing gloves, Muay Thai gloves are much lighter and are designed to handle more than punching. It is suggested you wear these if you plan to practice on a punching bag.

Muay Thai shorts have large slits along the pant legs to encourage freedom of movement when you are practicing kicks, blocks, grapples, etc. The large openings at the hems both prevent your legs from being inhibited and let the air current flow to help keep your lower torso cool. Despite the baggy appearance, the elastic waistband helps keep your shorts secure around your waist.

Muay Thai shin guards have heavy padding around your shins and the top of your feet to prevent injury to yourself while kicking or blocking. Secured with velcro straps, they encircle your thighs while exposing your toes and heels. Despite being able to see the bulky outline of the padding, wearing these does not slow you down while moving your lower torso.

Muay Thai headgear is a padded helmet lined with layers of foam to help absorb impact while fitting comfortably around your head. While there is padding protecting your head, face, and jaw, there are also openings for the top, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. This protects the vulnerable parts while allowing you full use of your senses. You only need to wear this if you are sparring with a training partner.

Muay Thai foot grips have slip-resistant soles that help with traction on smoother surfaces. Because they cover your thighs down to your toes, these areas are protected from mat burns, abrasions, and cuts. The materials of the foot grips also make sure that bacteria and fungi cannot infect your feet.

Muay Thai ankle guards have gel lining in the lower shin and top of the feet to prevent injury to yourself during kicks and blocks. There are grip pads on the bottom to help with traction while exposing your heel and toes. The compression helps speed up recovery if you strain muscles or joints in your ankles.

Just because your Muay Thai or kickboxing workout is at home does not mean you should act with any less caution. The purpose of the first days of your workout is to help you gauge the current capabilities of your body. You need to know what you are capable of doing and how much you can handle before needing rest. If you go into a Muay Thai or kickboxing workout with the expectations of reaching a professional fighter’s skill level within a short period of time, you are going to be disappointed. And possibly in immense pain.

It is good to want to make an effort, but you should never keep punishing your body out of stubbornness. Honing your body to reach the physical prowess of a Muay Thai or kickboxing fighter takes a lot of time and patience. The point of Muay Thai and kickboxing workout programs are to teach you discipline and what it means to persevere. It also teaches you to recognize when your body clearly has had enough for the day. Keep pushing ahead and you may end up pulling a muscle, cramping up your joints, or collapsing on the ground. Any one of these would certainly put your Muay Thai or kickboxing workout on hold.

The advice given in this article is meant to make it a little easier for you to engage in a Muay Thai or kickboxing workout at home. If you follow every step and recommendation, you may find doing sets of exercises every week may not have been as impossible as you thought. However, do not stop your research for how to prepare for your workout at home here. You may find other useful tips in the link here.