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Originally Posted by djpfine
Which martial arts style gives the best workout during a class? I'm planning to start taking a Muay Thai class here as it seems like each class gives you a pretty thorough workout along with some training. Seems like kickboxing and traditional boxing are also up there. Any others that rip you into shape while also teaching you?
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Don't look at is from a perspective of "what style"...just choose whatever you enjoy doing and work it hard...
I can take a TKD workout at my old school and make it hard just based on what types of drills I have the students do and how "intense" I choose to make it...it's all a matter of structuring a "tough workout" based upon what you know and what your capabilities are...
If you want a "style" that's inherently "tougher" than others...then look to the ones that train full-force...whether it involves sparring, mitt/pad work, partner training, or bag work...it should focus on techniques that involve more muscle groups and whatnot, as it will tax your systems more...
A boxing-esque workout, where you work hands only, can be tougher than something like a karate workout b/c of the footwork, evasive maneuvering, and "explosiveness" involved.....even though Karate utilizes hand/foot techniques, rather than just hands...
It's up to the trainee to take some responsibility and use his creativity to make workouts as challenging as they'd like...
Using a round-system with XXX of work time and YYY of rest time helps b/c you can lengthen or shorten as you see fit...you can do something like free-hand squats or pushups or jumps or crunches or leg lifts during rest periods to keep your heartrate up and to work your endurance without overly taxing the muscles you work during the actual round...
Also, there's no magic bullet...a training session has an indirect effect in getting you into shape, but if you wanna focus exclusively on things like strength, cardio, strength/endurance, etc...then you may have to build in specific conditioning sessions...
Best of luck, brother...
