Prepare yourself for the 21st Annual TBA Muay Thai Camp July 26-31, 2011.

The Thai Boxing Association's Annual Pacific Northwest Camp is a big deal. Five days of camping in the woods with over 100 of America's most dedicated Thaiboxers; living, breathing, eating, and training Muay Thai from seven in the morning to nine at night with the most successful Thai Boxing instructor in the world, Ajarn Surachai Sirisute.

I feel blessed to have an invitation to participate in such an elite training opportunity. I cannot wait to train alongside the many talented students that will also be there. In preparation for this event, I will be training myself as if I were fighting again. However, this camp and a fight are very different. A fight lasts 15 minutes, while this camp is going to be 6-8 hours of training every day for four and a half days.

I used to fight and train full time six years ago. Now I spend most of my time teaching classes and training clients, while running a business. I don't train as much as I'd like to. But, that is not an excuse. I must train my basic endurance to keep up with the volume of activity at the camp, specifically my Muay Thai endurance. A thousand pushups will not prepare me for the thousands of kicks, elbows, and knees that I will be throwing. Nor will they prepare my body to block all of the incoming hits that I will be taking. But, they will come in handy if I forget to “pay respects”. Below is how I am training myself to have basic Muay Thai Fighter endurance in six weeks.

Monday June 13, 2011
8am
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Pushups (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squats with two 12kg Kettlebells (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Full Body Rows (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Lunges with 12kg Kettlebell(8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday June 14, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Bagwork (30 min)
Shadowbox (30min)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday June 15, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Thursday June 16, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadow Box (5min)
Bagwork (5min)
Hard Bagwork (4x3min rounds with 1 minute rest)
Shadowbox (15min)
Stretch (20min)

Friday June 17, 2011
10am
Movement Prep (5min)
Rotate for 15 rounds no rest:
Shadowbox (3min)
Bagwork (3min)
Jumprope (3min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday June 18, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Sunday June 19, 2011
Stretch (20min)

This week was a painful start. My upper body was sore until Friday from Monday's workout. Although I'm dreading the consequences, I think I need to up the weight on the squats and lunges next week.

Monday June 20, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Pushups (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squats with two 16kg Kettlebells (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Full Body Rows (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Lunges with 16kg Kettlebell(8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (15min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday June 21, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Partnerwork (10x3min rounds with 30 sec rest)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday June 22, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Thursday June 23, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Partnerwork (5x3min rounds with 30ec rest)
Hard Padwork (2x3min rounds with 30sec rest)
Hard Bagwork (3x5min rounds with 30sec rest)
Stretch (20min)

Friday June 24, 2011
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Bagwork (45min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday June 25, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Sunday June 26, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Monday's workout killed me again this week until Thursday. My legs were sore from the increase in weight, but my upper body didn't get as sore as last week. I can already feel my stamina increasing and I've got a little more snap in my punches. Next week I'm adding in some much needed bodyweight strength exercises to keep the muscle on me that I'm losing from all of this cardio.

Monday June 27, 2011
8am
Full Body Rows
1x20
1x15
1x10
---------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Pushups (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squats with two 16kg Kettlebells (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Full Body Rows (8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Lunges with 16kg Kettlebell(8repsx5sets)
Shadowbox (15min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday June 28, 2011
8am
Bridges
1x20
1x15
1x10
----------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Partnerwork 6x3min
Bagwork (20min)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday June 29, 2011
8am
Handstands
3x30sec
Stretch (20min)

Thursday June 30, 2011
8am
Leg Raises
1x20
1x15
1x10
-----------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Spar 6x3min
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Friday July 1, 2011
8am
Squats
1x20
1x15
1x10
------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Bagwork 16x3min
Jog (15min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday July 2, 2011
8am
Pushups
1x20
1x15
1x10
Stretch (20min)

Sunday July 3, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Didn't get that sore this week, but I jammed my toe on a knee in sparring, and then ran on it the next day. Apparently that's a no-no. Time to go get some ice. Good news is that I'm hitting harder and generally doing more work than I was capable of in the first two weeks of training. This is the last week of my first block of training. Next week I'll be kicking the intensity up a notch.

Monday July 4, 2011
10am
Full Body Rows
1x20
1x15
2x10
----------------------
12pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Squat Jumps (7reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squat Jumps (7reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (7reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (7repsx 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday July 5, 2011
8am
Bridges
1x20
1x15
2x10
-----------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Partnerwork (5x3min)
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday July 6, 2011
8am
Handstands
4x30sec
Stretch (20min)

Thursday July 7, 2011
8am
Leg Raises
1x20
1x15
2x10
--------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Hard Spar (3x5min)
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Friday July 8, 2011
8am
Squats
1x20
1x15
2x10
------------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Bagwork (7x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday July 9, 2011
12pm
Pushups
1x20
1x15
2x10
Stretch (20min)

Sunday July 10, 2011
Stretch (20min)

Monday's workout was a killer. I couldn't even demonstrate pushups or squats until Thursday I was so sore. I'm trying to convince myself that the higher intensity feels good. I can feel the higher stamina threshold and greater explosiveness from it in sparring. Next week is more of the same.

Monday July 11, 2011
10am
Full Body Rows
1x20
1x15
2x10
----------------------
12pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Squat Jumps (9reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squat Jumps (9reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (9reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (9repsx 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday July 12, 2011
8am
Bridges
1x20
1x15
2x10
-----------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday July 13, 2011
8am
Handstands
4x30sec
Swim (30min)
Stretch (20min)

Thursday July 14, 2011
8am
Leg Raises
1x20
1x15
2x10
--------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Jog (20min)
Stretch (20min)

Friday July 15, 2011
8am
Squats
1x20
1x15
2x10
------------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Partnerwork (6x3min)
Bagwork (8x3min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday July 16, 2011
12pm
Pushups
1x20
1x15
2x10
Swim (30min)
Stretch (20min)

Sunday July 17, 2011
Stretch (20min)

My joints are starting to ache from all the high-impact training. So, I killed two birds with one stone and added in some swimming as an active rest on my off days. It's incredible how just a half hour of easy laps in a pool can speed up recovery. Next week is the last week of my six week training program. Then, it's off to the Pacific Northwest Camp.

Monday July 18th, 2011
10am
Full Body Rows
1x20
1x15
2x10
----------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (5min)
Squat Jumps (11reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Squat Jumps (11reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (11reps x 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Clap Pushups (11repsx 6sets)
Shadowbox (8min)
Stretch (20min)

Tuesday July 19th, 2011
8am
Bridges
1x20
1x15
2x10
-----------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Hard Bagwork (4x5min)
Stretch (20min)

Wednesday July 20th, 2011
8am
Handstands
4x30sec
Swim (30min)
Stretch (20min)
---------------------------
8pm
Shadowbox (10min)
Spar (4x3min)
Padwork (4x3min)
Bagwork (8x3min)
Stretch (20min)

Thursday July 21st, 2011
8am
Leg Raises
1x20
1x15
2x10
--------------------
1pm
Movement Prep (5min)
Shadowbox (20min)
Bagwork (20min)
Jog (20min)
Stretch (20min)

Friday July 22nd, 2011
8am
Squats
1x20
1x15
2x10
------------------------
1pm
Swim (45min)
Stretch (20min)

Saturday July 23rd, 2011
12pm
Pushups
1x20
1x15
2x10
Swim (30min)
Stretch (20min)

Sunday July 24th, 2011
Stretch (20min)