Getting decent cardio for my September fight

[ceser20]

My conditioning has always been bad, (due to my reluctance to work hard on it) and I entered my first Muay Thai fight and gassed horrifcally in the first round and barely pulled a draw out of the bag. I promised myself that I would try my hardest to get my cardio sorted. My next fight is in September where I will fight at 78kg (as opposed to my current 82kg). I have been training in light contact for about 10 years and am finding the transition to full contact difficult.

My dilemma is that I have heard so many conflicting things and dont know where to start. My instructor has advised me to run around 2-3 miles in the morning finishing with pressups and situps, then train about an hour of drills in the evening 6 days a week. Is this correct or overtraining? Should I be adding in any weight training to this - I dont want to lose strength and I currently weight train?

Apologies for this post, I have been reading as much information on Sherdog as I could but I see so many conflicting posts and I know how much us whitebelts annoy everyone

Thanks in advance

[Ian Coe]

So if its your 2nd fight you'd have 3*2 min rounds c class rules I guess.

No shins, 10 oz, no head gear etc???
Or is it AM c class?



You could play about with weights, you have long enough to adapt nicely.



If you start training and build a strong aerobic base from July time and transition to the sprint type work August time. The last couple of weeks of august could then be HIIT work.

This would all be on top of pad work and sparring in the evening.
6 skill sessions a week I don't think would be needed. 3-4 2 hour sessions would be fine


edit
1) For weights do full body compound lifts should you dabble. get your overal strength up. I will hunt you down and bitch slap you if I hear of you doing curls

2) In case there is some misunderstanding.

Do sprint and HIIT 2-3 times a week in replace of stand up training (when you get to that level with your aerobic base). You could try it the time before or after, but that will go badly, trust me on this.
If you have weight to loose run in the mornings (before food) as was suggested, but don't kill yourself. Be breathing hard, but not ready to puke up.
I personally don't really run in the mornings unless in thailand (as a warm up). That said I am trying to train sometimes in the morning these days because I'm cutting weight.


You have a while. Build up 1-2 sessions extra a week, don't throw yourself straight into 10 sessions a week...you'll last all of 2 weeks before you burn out.

[Mark Limbaga]

HIIT work, Tabata method and complexes are you best bets apart from your regular training

[ceser20]

Originally Posted by Ian Coe

So if its your 2nd fight you'd have 3*2 min rounds c class rules I guess.

No shins, 10 oz, no head gear etc???
Or is it AM c class?



You could play about with weights, you have long enough to adapt nicely.



If you start training and build a strong aerobic base from July time and transition to the sprint type work August time. The last couple of weeks of august could then be HIIT work.

This would all be on top of pad work and sparring in the evening.
6 skill sessions a week I don't think would be needed. 3-4 2 hour sessions would be fine

Yes, I will be fighting 3*2 min rounds with no shin or head guards and most likely 10oz gloves. This was exactly the sort of answer I was hoping for, thank you. I will read up on HIIT work as I have to admit it is not something I have been looking at previously.

I didn't realise how big the jump was to full contact and how draining it is. I now have far more respect for fc fighters as their dedication is amazing.

Thanks again for your post!

[Ian Coe]

Yeah, nps


Try HIIT training after you have a decent aerobic base. I'm thinking your fitish, but not properly fit enough to jump to HIIT and stick with it (you SPRINT, which people who aren't fit enough tend to jog/fast run because they can't recover).

Try HIIT on pads.
I trained for a few sessions (before all my partners mysteriously couldn't make it again) doing tabata (a form of HIIT, but with higher work then rest intervals) on pads. 3*20 punch, 3*20 knee 3*20 kick. THAT is hard stuff 9I'd leave that well alone till late august time to finish yourself off).
Remember, nothing taxing the last 4-7 days before the fight

[ceser20]

Originally Posted by Ian Coe

Yeah, nps.....

Thanks again, by the looks of it I really wouldn't last currently on HIIT. At the moment I'm more "all show, no go" as in I look in good muscular shape but have appauling cardio due to too much time lifting and not enough training correctly for my art. Jumping in the ring put me in my place and showed me I still have much to learn.

[Ian Coe]

Read my edit to the first reply.

Are you a pretty boy (all curls and isolational work)?





How tall are you btw?

[ceser20]

Originally Posted by Ian Coe

Read my edit to the first reply.

Are you a pretty boy (all curls and isolational work)?





How tall are you btw?

I knew I'd be found out yeah i have been doing isolation stuff and I hate to say it....curls. I needed a wake up call. I thought I was awesome cos I had a six pack etc and got my arse handed to me in the ring.

I'm 6'1"

I read your edit, trust me I am taking in everything you have said, no more curls! If I do them again I expect a kicking

[Ian Coe]

6'11


Your 2 inches taller then me and I weigh 83-84kg (fighting away at 81)

Where in the uk are you from (so I can work out how long it will take me if I hear you've been curling)?

[Sinister]

So let me understand this.

Your instructor gave you a set of instructions, and you came on the Internet looking for advice?

P.S. - I wouldn't skip the distance running. What is controversial is people attempting to prove HIIT over distance, when both make the best combination. There's no controversy about that and that fighters who skip one or the other end up having problems.