20 Proven Best Bodyweight Exercises for Muay Thai

Do you ever know what Muay Thai is? Muay Thai is the form of the martial arts from Thailand, which referred as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’. This martial art used the stand-up striking alongside with clinching techniques. So, do you know why Muay Thai is commonly referred as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’? This is because this sport combines the use of fists, knees, elbows, shins, and you need a good physical preparation and exercise to be mastered in this sport. Do you know what are the best exercises for Muay Thai? Here are the various bodyweight exercises that will be beneficial for Muay Thai.

1. Deadlifts

Deadlift is the exercise that considered as one of the best strength-building exercises in this world. This exercise would be very beneficial to gain the huge strength for Muay Thai, because this exercise will improve the strength of your muscle, quad, hamstrings, lower backs, forearms, and traps.

In a short amount of time, taking on deadlift will help you to build the better posture and correct various strength imbalances. So, if you want to take the deadlift exercise, you will need the barbell and you need to lift it with both of your hands. For the beginners, you should try the light weight barbell, and then as the time you’re progressing, you could start to take the medium weight and heavy weight.

2. Front Squats

Front squat is an exercise that also will be very beneficial for the people who want to strengthen the muscle and thus, it will be beneficial for Muay Thai athletes too. Same as deadlift, you will need a barbell to perform this exercise. This weightlifting exercise will bring a lot of positive effects on your posture, but relatively safe for your spine. This exercise will be putting more stress on the quads and less stress on the spine. Remember that you will need to keep the stability of the core.

To do this exercise:

First, you need to take an attention of your hand position. You need to place your hand on the barbell close to the grip. But, do not fully grip the barbell, just hook the fingers around the bar.
Meet the bar and place the bar above the clavicle while rotating the elbows to create the horizontal angle with the arms.
Then, you need to unrack the bar. Whenever you want to unrack the heavy weight barbell, you need to take a mini-repetition as preparation before you unrack the heavy weight barbell.

3. Pulls Up

Pulls up would be very good for Muay Thai because this exercise will improve the strength in the clinch because this exercise will directly simulate your clinching position. This exercise would be very good to make your upper body, such as back, forearms, and biceps become stronger than before. If you can do a pull up, then it can be the sign that you’re in a great shape since not everybody can do this exercise.

To do this exercise, you just need to hang yourself up in the bar, with the arms shoulder width apart. Not only just hang up in the bar, but you need to pull yourself with the power in your biceps until the chin reaches the bar level. Hold that position for several seconds, lower your body just like as the starting position, and repeat again. If you can do it for about 3 to 5 repetitions, then , you’re great.

4. Single-Arm Push Up

The next exercise that also would be very beneficial for Muay Thai is the single-arm push up. This exercise will be beneficial to constantly challenge your muscle to be stronger than before and this exercise would be very good as the preparation before you’re lifting the heavy weight barbell. Also, the single-arm push up will force each of your arms to do an equal amount of work and thus, it will improve the balance and coordination of the body, which will beneficial for Muay Thai.

To do this exercise, the procedure is the same as ordinary push-ups, but in this exercise, you need to do push-up with just one of your hand.

First, you need to lay yourself down with the face facing the floor, and then you need to put one of your hand on the floor to stabilize the body with the other hand on your back. Also, engage gluten and hamstrings, and flatten your back so that the entire body is straight.
After that, begin to lower the body slowly by bending the elbow of your hand, but don’t let your body touches the floor. Before the body touches the floor, you need to hold your position, and then pull your elbow back to elevate your body just like the starting position. Repeat the steps.

5. Parallel Dips

Parallel dip is one of the exercise that would be very good for Muay Thai because it can improve the strength of your biceps, and then the muscle in your chest, arms, and shoulder. It has a slight similarity with the pull-ups because in the parallel dip, you need to push your body with the strength of your muscle.

To do this exercise, you need to:

Grasp the two parallel bars that approximately shoulder width apart with both of your hands in each bar.
Then, you need to pull yourself up with the arms extended and support your entire body. You need to hold this condition for several seconds.
Then, you need to lower your position where you elbows are bent and your shoulders are stretched.
Finally, push yourself with the arms to the starting position.

6. Hanging Leg Raise

Hanging leg raise is the exercise that will be beneficial for Muay Thai because this exercise will improve your abs and then it would improve the strength of the muscle around the midsection and even your Lats. If you still unfamiliar with this exercise, you need to imagine the pull-ups exercise, because these two exercises have a lot of similarities.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need to grab a bar and then just let yourself hang, until your body become stand still and don’t move anymore. Remember that you need to keep your leg straight.
Then, raise your feet slowly up to the bar and keep your feet straight. Hold the position for about 5 seconds.
After that, you can lower your leg again just like in the starting position. You can repeat the steps.

7. Tuck Jump

Tuck is jump is considered as the perfect exercise for Muay Thai because it will involve your total integrated body. As you already know from its name, tuck jump is a jumping exercise which becomes a bodyweight because it can strengthen the muscle in the lower body, as well as shaping your butt and your hips. Aside from that, tuck jump can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time and can maintain the health of the cardiovascular system.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need in a standing position with your knee slightly bent. Then, palms down your hands with your fingertips at the chest height.
Dip down into the quarter squat. Drive the knee toward your chest, until your knees almost touch your chest.
Finally, jump as high as you can with raise the knee up in a quick way. Do these steps repeatedly whenever you have this training.

8. Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight squat will also be beneficial for the Muay Thai because this exercise will strengthen your lower part of the body. By doing this exercise, you will get a lot of benefits. Your lower body muscle will be getting stronger and bigger, the mobility of your hip will be improved, and your calories will be burned faster than usual. Because you will do the bodyweight squats repeatedly, your heartbeat will be faster too, which will maintain the health of the cardiovascular system.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need to set your feet shoulder-width apart, pull in your lower abs, and keep your eyes forward.
Then, start your movement by bending the knee and drop your hips to lower your body.
Continue down to the full depth, and then pauses yourself for several seconds and then quickly reverse the motion until you’re returned to the starting position. Then, you can repeat these steps.

9. Inverted Row

If you already tried pull-ups but you still couldn’t do it properly, then you need to try this exercise first. In the matter of fact, inverted row is the type of bodyweight exercise that will be beneficial for Muay Thai because it will work your biceps, back, traps, and all stabilizer muscle in between. This exercise will make your heartbeat faster too so that without a doubt, this exercise will maintain the health of the cardiovascular system.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need to have a bar that positioned in the rack to about the waist height.
Take a grip of the bar with your both hands that wider than the shoulder-width and then hang yourself underneath the bar. You arms should fully extended and your heels on the ground, with the straight body position.
After that, start to flex the arms and pull your body towards the bar. Then after you reach the top of the motion, hold that position for several seconds. After that, lower your body just like as the starting position. You can repeat these steps.

10. Pistol Squat

If you are already getting used with an ordinary squat, then you need to move into the next level. Yes, pistol squat is basically same as the ordinary squat, but you must do it with just one of your foot. This exercise will be beneficial for Muay Thai because it will improve the strength of your lower-body muscles, as well as the core. Plus, pistol squat will be very essential to improve the stability and mobility of your body too.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need to stand up properly, and then raise one of your foot. Then, descend into a squat position by flexing your hip and your knee until your flexibility allows. Remember, you need to keep the balance of your body while flexing the hips and knee.
After holding that position in several seconds, then you must return to the starting position by extending through the hips and knee. You can do these steps repeatedly and you need to change to the other foot.

11. Sprawl

Sprawl is the exercise that would be beneficial for Muay Thai because this exercise will improve the overall strength in both upper and lower body. Also, this exercise will improve your speed as well since sprawl requires you to quickly pick up your feet and kick them backwards. This exercise will be beneficial for the health of your cardiovascular system too since sprawl will make your heart beat faster.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

As the starting position, you should prepare in athletic stance. The feet positon should be shoulder width apart, with both of your knees and hips slightly bent.
Then, try to start the sprawl movement by kicking your feet in the back and landing in the position just like whenever you’re having a push-up.
After that, you need to pull your feet back jut like in the starting position. Then, you should repeat the steps several times per training.

12. Jumping Lunge

This is another bodyweight exercise that is very simple, which is no special equipment needed, and you can do it anywhere, anytime, and this would be very good for Muay Thai. This exercise will engage and strengthen the hamstring, quadriceps, gluteus, the abdomen, and the surrounding lower torso. Because this exercise will increase the heart beat, then jumping lunge would be very good too to maintain the health of the cardiovascular system.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following things:

As the starting position, you need to place one foot forward with the knee bent, and your rear knee nearly touching the floor.
After that, yu need to jump as high as you can and you need to swing your arms to gain the lift. Whenever you’re jumping as high as you can, you need to switch the position of your legs as well, which is moving your front leg to the back, and the rear leg to the front.
Repeat those steps several times per training and whenever you’re doing it on a daily routine, you will be good for Muay Thai.

13. Wall Sit

If you want to have the exercise that will be perfect for Muay Thai that doesn’t require the movement, then you should try wall sits. Wall sit is the exercise that can possibly do without any movement at all, which you just need to sit with your back stick to the wall in a sitting position, and you need to hold your overall bodyweight for several minutes. This exercise will be beneficial to measure and improve the strength endurance of your lower body.

To do this exercise, you need to follow the steps that mentioned below:

First, you need to find the wall that you can use to lean your back. Then, stand with your back flat against that wall.
Placed both of your feet in front of your body, spread it about shoulder width apart. Then, you need to position your body just like you’re sitting in the chair by bending your both knee and your back flat still against the wall.
Hold the postion for about 20 until 60 seconds. After that, straight back your knees to the starting position.

14. Handstand Push-up

If you have already mastered the ordinary push-up, then you need to move to the next level of pushup, which is the handstand push-up. This exercise will be more demanding than the ordinary push-up because you need to support the entire body with both of your hands. Also, doing this exercise will be beneficial too to improve the balance of your hands and your feet, as well as strengthen the core.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following steps:

You need to have the position which your back flat against the wall, then bend your waist, and the placed both of your hands on the floor.
Then, kicked yourself up against the wall and your body need to be upside down with the arms and leg fully extended. This is your starting position.
Then, you can start to lower your body by bending your elbow until your head nearly touches the floor. After that, push yourself back to the starting position.
You can repeat those steps several times per training.

15. Burpees

This is another simple bodyweight exercise that would be beneficial for Muay Thai. This is because the burpees require you to push-up, up-down, and jump all at once, so that it can strengthen you upper body and lower body at the same time. Plus, it wouldn’t require any special equipment. This exercise would be good for blood pumping and thus, it will be very good for the cardiovascular system.

To do burpees, you need to do the following steps:

First, you need to start from the squat position, with hands on the floor in front of you.
Then, your feet back just like in a push-up position.
After that, get back to the squat position immediately and jump as high as you can from that position.
Repeat those steps several times per training.

16. Hip Raise

Hip raise is one of the bodyweight exercises that will be beneficial for Muay Thai because this exercise will switch on your glutes. Glutes are the big muscle group and thus, they will be one of the top calories burner in the body. So, there is no doubt that after you’re doing this exercise, the calories in the body will be burned faster. Aside from that, the hip raise exercise will build the muscle all over the body.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following things:

First, you need to lay down in the floor with your back on the floor, and then bend your knees and your feet flat on the floor. Don’t forget to place your arms out and form the 45 degree with your body.
Then, squeeze your glutes tightly, then you need to raise the hip so that your body form the straight line from the shoulders to the knee.
Then, lower the hip slowly so that you will in the starting position. You can do these steps repeatedly several times in a hip raise training.

17. Plank

Plank is another simple exercise that will be very good for Muay Thai. There is no matter whether you’re beginner or experienced Muay Thai athletes, you can still do this simple exercise. Although this exercise is very simple, but this exercise will be very important to do because it will improve the body awareness and creates stability that you will need in every exercise. So, exercising plank would be beneficial for deadlifet, squats, burpees, and many other exercises.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following things:

First, you need to lay your face down on the floor so that your forearms and your hands support all of your bodyweight. Create the position so that your body forms the straight line between the shoulder and both of your feet.
Engage your abdominal, glutes, and thigh muscles. remember that your hip and your butt should stay in the same position. Also, you need to keep the position of your shoulder during the exercise, with your eyes stares down the floor.

18. Bench Jumps

Bench jump is the type of exercise that would be very simple to do, but it is very important to do this exercise with proper technique. This exercise would be beneficial for Muay Thai because this exercise will improve the speed of your movements and it would be the perfect exercise for your lower body muscles and your leg powers. If you’re still a beginner, you should be careful since this exercise will cause you an injury whenever you’re doing it without proper technique.

To do this exercise, you will need to do the following things;

First, you need to find a bench that will suit with you. Placed it in front of you, stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
For the preparation of the jump, you need to do the squat and you need to swing your arms behind you.
Then, extend your hips, knees, and ankle to jump as high as you can. To support the jump, swing your arms forward and up.
Jump over the bench and landing with the knees bent.
Then face the opposite direction and jump back over the bench.

19. Shadow Boxing

We bet that you already know that shadow boxing will be very beneficial for Muay Thai. Yes, this exercise is very versatile, which you can practice it anywhere you want without any distraction at all. But, whenever you want to do this exercise, it is better if you have a coach or an instructor to guide and assist you the proper technique of shadow boxing. This exercise will improve the fighting skills and the strength of your muscle, or even it will prepare your mental before the real fight.

This exercise is very simple to do. You just have to throw punches to the air while you move around. This is would be very beneficial when you face the real fight because you will get used to move around and perform the punch naturally. If you can punch naturally, then it will allow you to be efficient, to relax, and to feel comfortable in your own body.

20. Skater Jumps

This is also beneficial for every Muay Thai athlete, because this exercise will be beneficial to increase the leg power and also, it will improve the athlete’s ability to change the direction in the Muay Thai field in a split second. This skater jump will be essential to make your legs become stronger and improve the overall balance and coordination of your body.

To do this exercise, you need to do the following things:

First,you need to stand with your left leg with your hips and knees slightly bent. After that, you need to extend the hip, knee, and leg to jump forward to the right at about a 45 degree angle.
Then, land with your right foot with your knee and your hips slightly bent to absorb the impact. After that, jump as fast as you can to the opposite direction and repeat these steps several times during the training.

Tips For Muay Thai Exercise

After you know all of the bodyweight exercises that will be beneficial for Muay Thai, then you also need to take a look at the various tips that you can do for Muay Thai, so that your exercise will improve your skill in a short amount of time. Check these tips out:

Try to Have the Private Lessons Rather Than Class Lessons. Group activities would be very great to keep your mood high during the exercise. But, for the Muay Thai exercise, you would have a greater progress if you have a one-on-one coaching. Most of the successful Muay Thai athletes had the private lessons so that they able to concentrate more during the exercise, which will enhance their skill faster than the group lessons.
You Have to be Fascinated With Muay Thai. It is okay if you’re beginner in Muay Thai, as long as you’re fascinated with Muay Thai. Muay Thai is a skill based sport, so it requires the hard work if you decide to do this sport. If you’re fascinated about Muay Thai, you will tend to do every exercise with a greater determination, rather than you’ll doing Muay Thai exercise just for fun, or you just want to get the better shape in your body.
Watch Muay Thai Fights. Watching professional Muay Thai athletes have a fight in a television would be very beneficial for every person who want to be the professional Muay Thai athlete. By watching the Muay Thai athletes, you will know the basic technique that commonly used in Muay Thai, and exercise it afterwards.
Push Your Body. If you want to do the Muay Thai exercises that already mentioned above, don’t expect that those exercises will be easy for you. Those exercises are intense and extreme,so that you need to have a great determination to do that exercise. But, if you’re starting to feel the cramps or pain in the muscle, don’t push yourself any longer because you need to rest your muscle.
Give Your Body Some Time to Rest. We must agree that if you’re exercising excessively, that wouldn’t be good for your body. So, you need to build the schedule throughout the week. You need to have the day off to allow your body to rest and recover after a lot of sessions of intense exercise.