Muay Thai is a really effective way for losing weight. As one of the most intensive workouts, combining strength, cardio endurance and learning self-defence. The great thing about Muay Thai is that anyone can start training. No matter how big you are or even if you've never trained before.
With people now becoming more health conscious, looking for new, fun ways to lose weight and wanting to become more confident and be able to defend themselves, Muay Thai will certainly tick all of those boxes.
A healthy balanced diet combined with a consistent training routine will help you lose weight quick. Here's how you can train Muay Thai for weight loss, with guides, training routines and more:
My Muay Thai Journey
I started training Muay Thai in 2020, weighing 336lbs (24 stone). At the age of 24, I was very unhealthy and had no experience training Muay Thai or any martial art for that matter.
When I started trying to lose weight, I was doing a bit of weight lifting and going on bike rides to help try and get things started. It quickly became boring and I would just 'yo-yo' from health-kick to health-kick with the inability to really stick to it.
I went down to my local gym in Manchester, with the idea of training Jiu Jitsu. After speaking with my now coach, he told me about the Muay Thai classes that he did.
After training for just 2 years, I'd already lost over 10 stone - Read More: Losing 10 stone in 2 years - and have been able to stick to training ever since. Muay Thai is a super effective way of losing weight as it's fun, you're learning new skills and the exercises are intense. But don't let the intensity put you off, most, if not all gyms accommodate to all levels, everyone has to start somewhere right?
It can be daunting at first but it's probably one of the best ways to train for weight loss, meeting new people and learning new skills on how to defend yourself.
We put a blog together on how to find Muay Thai gyms near you.
How long does it take to see results from training Muay Thai
If losing weight is your goal with Muay Thai, you'll start to see results from around 6 months to a year. This is only a rule of thumb, there are so many variables. Some will see results quicker than others but with consistent training and a good diet there's no doubt that you'll see some incredible results.
For me personally, I started to see results after about 4 months, but I had started training on the heavy bag at home during lockdown before gyms were able to open back up. Don't forget, as you're training you're putting on muscle through strength and conditioning, and if you're starting as a complete beginner your body will be going through a lot of changes.
As you start out, it's likely that you'll see your weight fluctuate quite drastically, so don't focus too much on the scales as you'll start to develop a bad mindset of always trying to hit numbers. As there's a lot of cardio involved in Muay Thai, you're naturally going to burn fat over time. But the real difference is with strength and conditioning, over time your body is going to start to build muscle and your body composition will start to alter. So whilst the number on the scale may not be changing for a while, your body definitely will be.
Weight yourself occasionally to keep an eye on things, but also take progress pictures so you can see how your body is changing, even if the number on the scale isn't.
How much weight will I lose training Muay Thai?
There's no ceiling on how much weight you can lose whilst training. I'm 4 years in, training Muay Thai specifically and have lost well over 14 stone. Whilst I was injured and couldn't lift weights for around a year I took up training Jiu Jitsu and MMA alongside Muay Thai which helped me keep on track.
More recently, I don't see a lot of change on the scales but notice a lot of differences with how I look and my body composition. Losing weight in my face, my skin tightening up and my overall health.
If you stick to a strict diet and put in the work whilst you're training, you can lose a significant amount of weight in quite a short period of time. We share more below on how many calories you can burn in a Muay Thai session.
How Muay Thai Helps You Lose Weight
Muay Thai is a complete body workout with intense cardio. Because you're learning new skills such as self defence, punching, kicking, kneeing and clinching, you'll put the idea of weight loss to the back of your mind and start to focus on learning the new skill.
This is important because it stays fun meaning you can stick to training for longer. However you chose to lose weight is up to you, there's no one size fits all and everyone has their own unique way of losing weight.
But you landed on this blog for a reason 💪🏻. Clearly something about Muay Thai got you interested, so why not train in something that you actually enjoy and naturally lose weight doing it?
Benefits of Muay Thai for Weightloss
The benefits for training Muay Thai for weight loss are honestly endless. Throughout my Muay Thai journey and losing so much weight, I've learnt a lot about myself and have grown in other areas of my life as a result of the sport.
Since I started training I've been to Thailand to train at some of the most prestigious gyms and met some of Muay Thai's golden age fighters. There's no doubt that Muay Thai will open so many doors for you in so many different ways.
Confidence is one of the big benefits of any types of training. Whether it's weights, cardio, martial arts of anything else. The body change over time, will help you feel and look different
Self Defence is one of the main reasons a lot of people start training martial arts. Having the confidence and ability to do anything you want without the fear of not being able to defend yourself is a huge confidence boost in life.
Social Life isn't something I considered when I started out training but like with any hobby, you're going to meet new people who are all interested in the same thing. Going to live Muay Thai events, chatting to people whilst training and making new friends is another great to to stay on track.
Culture and history are some of the key components of the sport that truly capture people and keep them progressing. Whilst the sport has a rich history and traditions, so if the sport doesn't capture you just as much as it did us, the country where it was founded definitely will.
Muay Thai Weightloss Guide
We've put together a bit of a guide on how you can lose weight training Muay Thai. The biggest thing to keep in mind is eating relatively clean and just consistently training and you'll definitely see results.
Everyone has a different life, work can get in the way but this is how I was able to stick to it and see some incredible results.
How often should I train to lose weight
When I first started I was training Muay Thai once per week. This was an hour session with a combination of a warmup, hitting pads and sparring. Sparring is definitely optional and some people don't really want to spar which is completely fine. It is worth keeping in mind though sparring is very fun and a brilliant way to test out your newly learned skills.
Sparring Muay Thai is light playful style and very technical, focussing on skill and execution rather than power.
When starting out, you should try and aim for a couple of times a week. Don't go too intense, you have time to learn and develop and be able to train more often. Like with the weight, don't focus too much on numbers. Instead, focus on the new techniques you want to learn, practice them in the gym or at home and try them out when you're hitting pads. This is a very subtle difference but because you're focussing on developing a new skill rather than how many times you train, you're naturally going to train more.
How many calories will I burn in a Muay Thai session
During the earlier days of my training, I used a fitness tracking device around my chest which tracked calories burned so I could stay on track and as a record of all my hard work.
On average I was burning around 700 to over 1,000 calories in a Muay Thai session. As my ability to train got better, my cardio improved and I got more consistent with training, I could get this well over 1,000 as I was able to do more within classes.
Muay Thai Weightloss Diet
Don't overthink the diet in the start. You're not fighting at Rajadamnern or Lumpini just yet. A great way to start out is by adding tracking your calories in an app and prepping your meals. It doesn't have to be just boring chicken and rice.
Use the TDEE calculator to see how many calories you should be consuming in a day, set your goal weight and keep up tracking your calories.
You can still be creative with your meals and enjoy tasty food, but keep everything in moderation with a healthy balanced diet, don't exceed your daily calories too much too often and you'll see great results with your weight loss.
Best Clothes to Wear For Training
We make Muay Thai gear from S to 3XL and look to expand this as we grow. The reason we did this is because of my personal journey in the sport. What I found when I started out is that it's hard to find nice gym gear in bigger sizes.
When you want to get more involved in the sport that you love, you'll want to buy more gear. As you lose more weight, you'll want t look and feel good.
Our Muay Thai gear comes in a range of sizes so you'll be able to find our stylish gear in the size that fits you.
The key thing to keep in mind when trying to lose weight is to have fun with it. Don't be too strict on yourself and stick to consistent training and eating relatively clean for the majority of the time. If you cut out everything bad at once, you'll have a harder time sticking to it and end up going back to bad habits.
Small changes over time will make a huge difference that you can comfortably stick to.
So, what are you waiting for? Get down to your local Muay Thai gym by using our guide to finding your local gym further up in this blog.