Today we're tackling a crucial concept in sport performance - the double-edged sword of Muay Thai specific training.

The thing is, you need enough supplemental training to build athletic qualities that show up in the ring, but not so much that you'd be better off just doing more Muay Thai instead.

I'll break this down through three excellent questions from our YouTube community that approach this challenge from different angles.

Because let's face it - if your supplemental training isn't making you better at Muay Thai, why bother?

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:23 The Transfer of Training Problem

02:16 Advanced Techniques and Specificity

04:33 Training Quality vs Conditioning

06:54 Muay Thai Specific Training – The Bigger Picture

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/08/01/muay-thai-specific-training-resistance-training-qa/Search "muay thai specific" on our YouTube channel links page for this episode's show notes and further resources now!

There’s a secret military strategy that can transform your fighting IQ. The OODA Loop is a tactical framework that can give you a serious edge in the ring.

The OODA Loop was developed by a U.S. Air Force strategist, and it’s ideal for Muay Thai.Strategic Application...

Many fighters fail here – especially in aggressive exchanges. They skip the crucial observation phase and turn it into a head-to-head slugfest.

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 OODA Loop - military strategy

00:22 1. Observe

00:50 2. Orient

01:13 3. Decide

01:24 4. Act

01:42 Strategic Application

02:16 Scoring Perspective

03:51 Energy Management

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/07/25/ooda-loop-for-muay-thai-strategy/

Ever felt supremely fit but wondered, “Why do I gas out in a fight?”

I recently had a coaching call with a fighter who experienced exactly this. Despite being in the best shape of his life, he found himself exhausted after just three rounds.

It wasn’t his fitness level – it was his fight strategy and work-rest ratios.

Many fighters make three common mistakes:

• Work too long without adequate rest
• Rest too long and lose momentum
• Or (most commonly) have no strategic approach to their output at all

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 How Many Rounds? It Matters!

00:24 Muay Thai Time Motion Analysis

01:10 What Happened In This Fight?

01:58 You Can't Beat Human Biology!

02:14 Work:Rest Outliers

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/07/18/why-do-i-gas-out-in-a-fight-when-im-fit/

One of my fighters found themselves up to their neck in a brutal training schedule...

Three killer training days stacked back-to-back!

This isn't what you'd draw up in a perfect world. With Muay Thai training, you must work with what you've got.Muay Thai gym schedules are what they are - you train when the classes run.

And let's talk about training partners - they can change everything about your session.

A partner's experience level, size, or whether they're preparing for a fight can turn what you planned as an easy technical session into a full-on war.

Your total workload combines both your life outside the Muay Thai gym and your training inside it.

It's not just about managing your training, it's about managing your entire stress load–work, family, commuting–it all counts!

In this episode, I break down how to handle these challenging schedules.

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 Adapting To Training Schedules

00:11 Managing High-Intensity Training Weeks

00:24 Working With Fixed Training Days

00:41 Balancing Training Intensity

00:51 Understanding Training Load Cycles

01:03 Adjusting Training Variables

01:27 Optimizing Recovery Strategies

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/06/20/surviving-a-brutal-training-schedule/

🔍 Search "brutal" on our YouTube channel links page for this episode's show notes and further resources now!

This week, I received an interesting question from Orson in Thailand about using HRV as a fighter.

After coaching fighters and analyzing performance data for over 15 years, I'll share something counterintuitive:

Some of your best training sessions might happen on days when your HRV scores suggest otherwise.Here's what the research and practical experience shows:

Recovery Scores Are Signals, Not Stop Signs

* Low HRV indicates an increased stress load

* High HRV suggests parasympathetic dominance

* Neither absolutely dictates training intensity

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 HRV Monitoring For Fighters

00:12 Understanding Different HRV Systems

00:59 Low HRV Scores: Why You Can Still Train Hard

01:20 The Four-Week Training Cycle Explained

01:59 Balancing Data With How You Feel02:27 High-Intensity Weeks: Managing The Red Flags

02:53 Stop Micromanaging Your HRV Scores

03:19 The Bigger Picture: Beyond Daily Readings

04:02 When Multiple Red Flags Really Matter

04:21 Making Smart Training Adjustments

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/06/13/when-to-ignore-your-hrv-score-and-why/

Plyometrics and weight training. Let's clear up this confusion!

In Muay Thai, fighters often treat "strength AND conditioning" as one thing. But these are two distinct components: "strength" OR "conditioning."

Let’s break this down...

STRENGTH Training includes:

• Weight room-based resistance work

• Plyometric and med ball drills

• Explosive power training

• Traditional strength exercises

CONDITIONING is different:

• Cardio work

• Energy system development

• Stamina building

• Recovery capacity

They're separate beasts with different purposes.

And here's where people get tripped up...

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 Weight Training Includes Plyometrics?

00:12 Strength AND Conditioning...

00:48 Train Plyometrics Separately?

02:06 Weight Training Twice a Week?

02:51 Training in Thailand?

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/06/06/muay-thai-plyometrics-and-resistance-training-confused/

You know what’s fascinating about asking world champions for their best advice for Muay Thai?

They see through the noise and cut to the chase.You may expect a ONE Championship double champ like Regian Eersel to talk about secret training methods or advanced fighting tactics.

Instead, he shared something simpler – and far more powerful.

One of the most dangerous strikers on the planet, standing there telling me his biggest regret wasn't about training harder or learning more techniques...

It was about being too damn stubborn to listen to his coaches.“I was really hard-headed, I didn't listen at all,” he told me.

When his trainers told him to punch more in sparring, he'd think, “Nah, I don't like doing the punch now. I'm gonna kick more.”

Sound familiar?

KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 Regretting Not Listening More!

00:10 Young & Hard-Headed

00:28 Coaches Saw It Coming

00:49 Having Eyes On Your Sparring

01:21 Exploiting a 3rd Person Perspective

Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/30/regian-eersel-didnt-listen-to-best-advice/

“How strong do I need to be for Muay Thai — and am I strong enough?”“Why do I still gas out in sparring, even though my cardio seems solid?”These were the exact questions an experienced fighter threw at me during a recent coaching call.Many fighters share these frustrations, and it’s puzzling.One size doesn’t fit all, and I don’t like guessing or offering vague solutions!But the good news? I didn’t have to guess.I pulled up his performance testing results and pinpointed exactly where his training should focus.I believe you’ll find these insights helpful as well.KEY MOMENTSFollow along using these quick timestamps:00:00 Introduction

00:40 How Strong Is Strong Enough for Muay Thai?

01:33 Turn That Strength Into Power You Can Use

02:04 If You’re Strong Enough—Stop Chasing Bigger Deadlifts

02:27 The Real Reason You’re Gassing Out in Sparring

02:46 If Your Foundation Is Solid—Now It’s Time to EvolveFurther notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/23/how-strong-is-strong-enough-for-muay-thai-and-why-youre-still-gassing-in-sparring/

In Muay Thai, you must dig deep, but do you know when to push your limits, and when to ease off to level up?

Are you the “More!” type… or the “Too Much!” type?Over the years—training myself and coaching fighters around the world—I’ve spotted a pattern.

We all live on a sliding scale when it comes to challenge.And that scale moves.

Push the edge regularly, and your capacity rises.

But let it slide for too long? It drops. Fast.

What challenged you six months ago might not touch the sides today.

Or worse—what used to be easy now feels hard again, because you’ve unknowingly slid backward.

You’re always moving on the scale.

The question is: which direction?KEY MOMENTS

Follow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 Go Hard or Go Home?

00:38 The Challenge Level – Sliding Scale

01:04 Are You the “More!” Type… or the “Too Much!” Type?

01:16 Train Hard… But Redefine What “Hard” Actually Means

01:51 So… Where Are You On the Continuum?

02:13 Be Brutally Honest

02:28 Further Videos...Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/16/dig-deep-but-know-your-edge-understand-the-moving-scale/

You'll find the "How Much Muay Thai Training Do You Really Need?" episode here: https://youtu.be/7a0s6qW5m6w

Most fighters believe that every session, they must train harder to win. You don’t. Both older and younger fighters alike should take three steps forward, then one step back. Rinse and repeat for infinity!I was on a call recently with a fighter in his 30s — still sharp, still winning, still putting in the work.He asked me something I’ve heard before:“Can I keep progressing the weights each week, or do I need deload weeks?”Fair question.Especially if your lifts are still improving and nothing feels broken.But here’s the thing…Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.KEY MOMENTSFollow along using these quick timestamps:

00:00 The Unfair Advantage That Lets You Train Harder

00:27 Overuse Injuries Don’t Knock — They Creep In

01:16 Ride the Wave: Push Progress When It’s There

01:49 Don’t Drop the Other Plates While Spinning Strength

02:39 Fight-Ready Means Tapered and Tuned

03:35 Speed & Power — Don’t Let Them Fade

04:17 Two Resistance Sessions Is Goldilocks Training for FightersFurther notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2025/05/09/think-you-need-to-train-harder-to-win-fighters-over-30-know-better/