The Most Important Body Parts for Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA
If you have big biceps and can lift a crazy amount of weights, does it help you for MMA, Muay Thai, and BJJ? Or what about a really huge and muscular chest?
The answer is no. It will not help your game. It will actually hurt your game.
Big muscles are NOT good for your martial arts game if you want to maximize your potential. Ask any professional Muay Thai fighter and they will tell you that one of the easiest types of opponent to fight is the really big muscle man. Big muscles are detrimental from a few angles. First, big muscles will make you more tired quickly (all else being equal). Large muscles take up a lot of blood and oxygen to keep fresh and hence put a lot of pressure on your heart. Interestingly, the human heart does not change dramatically in size relative to body size. In other words, a man weighing 120kgs will have roughly the same size heart as a 60kgs man. This fact is the very reason why lightweight fighters seem to have endless cardio in competition whereas heavyweight fighters typically run out of gas in a few rounds. Second, big muscles make you less agile and more slow. Think of how an elephant moves versus a cheetah. The same logic applies. Of course, big muscles make you more powerful. Strength is important in martial arts, but it is the least important criteria of all the major ones. For example, cardio, technique, reflex, balance, speed, and mental strength are significantly more important than physical strength.
To be very clear, lifting weights can help your game. However, it does not help an extraordinary amount. It must be done correctly in order for it to be effective too. If you lift for size and power, then you are in the wrong sport. We asked the entire team of Evolve Instructors about the most important body parts for MMA, BJJ, and Muay Thai.
The answer was unanimous.
The most important body parts for MMA, BJJ, and Muay Thai are your heart and your core. Your heart drives your entire body. If you don't have a strong heart and good cardio, you will inevitably gas out. It is the engine in your car. Treat it well and you can drive 100 miles per hour for a long time. Treat it poorly and you cannot even finish one round. The good news is that the heart is a muscle and can be developed by interval training and by training regularly at Evolve. The second most important body part is your core. Your core is made up of your stomach muscles and lower back muscles. By doing any of the courses at Evolve, you will naturally develop a stronger core. However, if you supplement it with stomach and lower back work, then you will see a big difference in your game. The core is critical to Muay Thai because all of your power in strikes (punches, kicks, knees, elbows) comes from your ability to move your hips. In BJJ, the same is true. Your ability to move swiftly and adeptly on the ground is derived directly from your ability to move your hips. The ability to move your hips comes from a strong core. MMA follows the same logic.
If you train regularly at Evolve, you will develop a stronger heart and a stronger core. Of course, you will also develop your skills in Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA too if you take those courses. Our programs are 100% authentic. Additionally, the Evolve Instructor Team is arguably the best in Asia with over 300 years of elite world-class experience in teaching and competing. You will inevitably gain all the benefits of martial arts such as health, fitness, self-defense, mental strength, and more
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. Achieve Greatness Within.
