I've trained muay thai and krav maga for the last 6-7 years and will say that there isn't much you need to switch up to get ready to train, just get in and start training. They are both very intense cardio wise, more so in an HIIT fashion as opposed to a sustained cardio like boxing. You'll warm up with sprints, kettlebells, push ups, shoulder taps, etc.. and the focus will be very little to no break between. The goal is to get cardio level up and be able to last in a real altercation if needed.
I've been weight training for 25 years and competing in various events and activities. Krav and muay thai have me in the best shape I've ever been in and I still lift heavy 4 days a week. I'd recommend keeping resistance training involved.
Thanks, I actually signed up for a krav maga class a few years back, when I weighed 310lb, at 5'10. Needless to say , I was in way over my head and just couldn't keep up. I am in much better shape currently, I just dont want to be embarrassed like that again.
And yes, it would be a couple classes a week in addition to strength training and liss as well.
I understand I will have to push myself harder than ever to get the results I'm looking for.
I understand the importance of progressive overload and variation in my routine to improve my results, I can just tell I need a more intense addition to my workload and having others to help push me out of my comfort zone and hold me accountable to really further my progress and enhance my results.
I have never been a strong runner and this lack of such a fundamental ability, along with my current lack of body weight move strength concerns me while considering this change of pace.I feel I will definitely need to focus on these aspects a lot during this transition.
I was working with a personal trainer for a while, who taught e a lot in a very short amount of time. And man, I left his gym many days on the verge of losing my lunch. But he was very knowledgeable and his sessions were always challenging and he seemed to have endless combinations of interval and compound exercises to keep my body guessing with moves I could never do at my normal gym.
I'm really leaning towards going back, at least for a little while to have him analyze my training to date, give me constructive criticism, and pretty much whip me back into the animal I was when I left before moving on to the other classes.
As massochist as that sounds, I do train hard, but I no longer get as sore, if at all from my regimen. So its definitely time to step things up.
I dont mind if dont get to mma training, but I would enjoy trying boxing, kick boxing, and giving krav another shot. And with the class trials available on certain "coupon" websites, I can get a taste of all of them before deciding which one I feel works the best for me.
I definitely agree with going with something more HIIT focused. And I would rather learn some of the other styles besides just boxing, even though it is definitely a good way to get in shape.
Question
kisaj , I know you said you've been working for 6-7 years on krav and muay thai, plus the long history of lifting, competing, etc. But did you have any martial arts experience prior, and if you dont mind me asking, how old were you when you began the krav/muay?