123 episodes
Heatrick Heavy Hitters – Muay Thai Performance Don Heatrick
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- Sport
Helping ambitious fighters and coaches take their game to the next level by bridging the gap between Strength and Conditioning, Performance Science, and Muay Thai
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Is Watching Teammates Before Your Fight A Mistake? – Bryan Popejoy
Is watching teammates before your fight a mistake?
Coach Bryan Popejoy discusses the potential consequence of doing so on your energy levels in your own fight.
Your body is a holistic system, mobilising energy based on your brain’s perception of your environment.
The more emotionally invested you are, the greater the level of autonomic system arousal and the greater the energy cost, even if you physically do nothing… Your body is charged and ready to act, even if you deem yourself to be inactive!
For fighters yet to fight on that same show, watching your teammates is draining you.
When I flew out to Thailand to compete at the amateur Muay Thai World Championships back in 2007, my corner team sat next to me, eagerly watching the new (at the time) Rocky Balboa in-flight movie.
Glancing across during a fight scene, I found my adrenaline levels going through the roof!
Because I was competing myself when we arrived in Thailand, it was just too much for me. I had to stop watching such emotive fight scenes.
This is an example of how draining even watching fights can be (if you’re emotionally invested).
In the end, I watched Rocky Balboa on the flight home again after the championships instead, and enjoyed it FAR more!
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/06/21/energy-cost-of-watching-teammates/ -
Bulletproof – How To Take A Muay Thai Body Shot
I’ve always been able to take a body shot. A bulletproof core has always been my superpower.
It allowed me to become a dominant Muay Khao fighter, completely unfazed by trading the heaviest of knees in the clinch…
Confident I could inflict much more damage than I would take.
To take a Muay Thai body shot you must both develop the prerequisite core strength and shot absorbing technique.
The truth is, that even a strong core can only absorb a body shot without taking damage IF it’s tensed. And there’s a skill to this!
In this video I break down this skill, revealing the secrets that turn you from winded and fractured to robust and relentless…
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 The Truth About Taking A Body Shot
00:52 Anticipate or Collapse
01:24 Clinch Knees Blindfolded
02:16 How To Brace Your Ribs
03:10 Exhaling To Compress The Ribs
03:46 Moving Away From The Strike
04:35 Lateral Spine Flexing Works Too
04:54 Using The Lats In The Clinch
05:53 Using The Lats In Your Guard
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/06/14/bulletproof-how-to-take-a-muay-thai-body-shot/ -
A Personal Muay Thai For You – You're Unique
Unlike many sports, in Muay Thai you can excel regardless of your stature or body type. It's possible to find a personal Muay Thai style for you.
Tall fighters, short fighters, strong fighters, fast fighters! With so many tools in the box, Muay Thai allows you to play to your strengths.
Develop the Muay Thai skill to fight using a style that suits your body type and athletic abilities, and you become a unique puzzle to crack!
I practiced several different martial arts before I found Muay Thai – Judo, Kyokushinkai karate, Taekwondo, Boxing, Kickboxing...
But none of them afforded me the freedom to fight full force, using my whole body like Muay Thai did.
Instead of being pigeonholed in a way that disadvantaged me, I could play the game how I wanted to.
With so many tools in your (Muay Thai) box, it's possible to change your fight tactics to beat different opponents.
Explore, play, have fun with your training. The more you can find your own way, the more success you'll have!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Muay Thai Really Is For Every BODY
00:23 So Many Tools In The Box
00:41 Playing To Your Strengths
01:07 Your Own Muay Thai "Flavour"
01:30 In Other Sports Body Type Matters More
01:53 Find A Fight Style That Works For You
02:06 Become Unique
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/06/07/a-personal-muay-thai-for-you-youre-unique/ -
Hindsight – My Young Fighter Training Mistake
Now in my fifties, the training mistakes I made as a young fighter are finally catching up with me...
If some training is good, and more means quicker results, then even more training is even better, right?
That's how it felt at the time. However, time and scientific evidence have proved me wrong!
The fact is, I'm part of an emerging demographic of caucasian males in their early fifties who, after years heavily involved in sports, now need hip replacements.
Don't let either your enthusiasm or FOMO drive you to make the same mistake. Now over 30 years on, we (should) know better. ;)
In this episode:
00:00 Hindsight Is A Wonderful Thing
00:24 The Difference Between Good & Bad Reps
00:56 Fast Forward To A Problem
01:38 What To Do & Not To Do
02:33 80/20 Your Solo Practice
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/05/24/hindsight-my-young-fighter-training-mistake/ -
Understanding Your First Fight Performance – Both Before And After
Why can't you fight how you spar in training? Why are you so stiff, clumsy, and fatigued?
The key to understanding your first fight performance is to recognise the undeniable influence of your psychology on your physiology!
Yerkes-Dodson anyone?
In this episode, we discuss the tipping point between the optimal amount of stress to achieve your best and dropping over the cliff edge into the shadow of your real capability...
Robbing you of your movement, mobility, fitness, technique and fight IQ!
And if you're new to competition, this tipping point is far more easily exceeded – and to be expected!!
Here's just what to expect from your first fight(s) and how to swing your mindset toward a better outcome, quickly.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Yerkes-Dodson Anyone?
00:15 Optimal ANS Arousal – More Isn't Better
01:02 The Cost Of Being Over Aroused
01:36 For Your First Fight It's Expected!
02:23 Should You Change Your Training?
02:56 How Your Personality Affects Performance
03:51 How Good or Bad Valence Affects Performance
05:34 Fear And Excitement – Same Brain Cocktail!
06:22 Fight Experience Matters
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/05/17/understanding-your-first-fight-performance-both-before-and-after/ -
Fighter Training Through Injury – Right or Wrong?
Are you a fighter training around injury? Should you be resting up or smashing on regardless?
I've pushed on when I shouldn't have, and needlessly backed off too. There are lessons to learn here.
Injury is part of any athlete's journey. But for fighters, managing injury well can separate you from the competition...
In this episode:
00:00 Two Types of Injury
00:48 Testing It Out To See
01:48 How To Train Even When Injured
Further notes and resources at https://heatrick.com/2024/05/10/fighter-training-through-injury-right-or-wrong/
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