Training in Thailand

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hello everyone ,

my name is Steve and i’m 25 years old .
I have 1 big passion , you could even say it’s more like an addiction to me !
I love Muay Thai ! It’s the first thing on my mind when i wake up and the last
thing when i go to sleep .

I’ve been to Thailand 5 times already ( i’m half Thai ) , and trained twice in a camp .
The first time 1 month , the second time 3 months and now i’m leaving in a couple of
weeks for 7 months . The training was ok the first time but way too short .

The second time was really good but i still smoked at the time and only after a month or so could i stop smoking . It helped me alot but obviously it wasnt enough .

Almost a year later now ( still stopped with smoking ) , and i’ve really been working out and have improved my cardio alot .

Ok , now about the training . Training starts from 7.30am till 11am in the morning and from
3.30pm till 7pm in the evening . I’m planning on really getting the most out of my time in Thailand

so i will be training 2x a day / 5 ( maybe even 6 if i can ) times a week .
As you can guess this is going to be really tough on my body and there are a couple of things that

i dont know how to deal with .

  • When to eat : training for 7 hours a day means i’m going to have to eat alot , but i don’t see how .

If i get up at 6am and drink a protein shake and eat breakfast half an hour later then i only have like less then an
hour before training .

I’m worried that it won’t go well with the running in the morning ,
it’s more then 5 km / 3 mile every day .
Then at 11am another protein shake and half an hour later lunch .

Now comes the tricky part : around midday alot of guys go sleep for like half an hour or so ( i know i will ) ,
so you can recuperate a little bit . Then it’s already like 1 - 1.30pm , i won’t be hungry yet but in 2 hours time
there’s already the next training and i don’t think it’s a good idea to train that hard on an “empty” stomach .

So what to do ?
Training finishes at 7pm , another shake and half an hour later dinner .
So that means i can only eat 3 times a day ? That doesn’t sound good to me !

It’s very important to me to gain some weight while there . Now i weigh around 73 kg / 160 lb and would like to go to at least 80 kg / 176 lb .

  • Supplements : i want to take some supplements with me so if anyone can tell me what’s really necessary to help with faster recovery and building muscle .

  • Weightlifting : will it be possible to gain weight without lifting weights ?
    I know exercices like deadlifting , squatting and benchpressing can help me out but would it be wise to do them or would it be overkill ? And when should i do them ?

Ok then , i think that pretty much sums it all up . So if there are people who can help me out with some tips and advice , or maybe have been to Thailand themselves and can tell me what helped for them i would be very grateful !

Thanks alot , Steve

2

[quote]Bodhisattva_ wrote:

  • When to eat : training for 7 hours a day means i’m going to have to eat alot , but i don’t see how .[/quote]

This is highly dependent on your living conditions and how much money you have to spend. When I was in Phuket, I checked out the supermarket, and they had any sort of food you could want (even omega-3 eggs!) so you COULD stick to any diet if you wanted.

However, obviously that will cost you as much money as it would in the states.

If you are just not sure about dietary suggestions, I recommend purchasing Precision Nutrition by John Berardi. He also has suggestions about how to structure your diet so that it fits into your busy lifestyle (this is actually his primary selling point).

Ultimately you’re going to end up buying a cooler and carrying your food around with you. When I trained we started at 8AM, trained for 3 hours then resumed at 3PM and continued to train until 6PM.

Have a PWO shake, and eat at least every 2 hours between workouts. Maybe have a peri-workout shake if your stomach can handle it (drink during water breaks and such). If you can avoid drinking on the weekends, your body will thank you, although I know it is hard and you should have some fun.

[quote]If i get up at 6am and drink a protein shake and eat breakfast half an hour later then i only have like less then an
hour before training.[/quote]

You may just have to get up earlier and go to bed earlier to get more food in your stomach to digest before your training starts.

I suggest skipping this if possible and you already have a decent cardio base.

Eat even if you aren’t hungry.

If you can afford it MRP bars would make things easier.

You’ll gain weight by eating a caloric surplus, which will be hard if you’re training two times a day. You’ll just have to force yourself to eat.

As to whether you should lift–I think that is a matter of your recovery ability and physical capacity. It would probably not be a good idea right away certainly. Try to periodize it perhaps.

Other people can answer that better than I.

3

I just came back from Thailand.

Where are you training?

I trained on an empty stomach in the morning, but you can drink a MRP before training.

I brought two containers of Surge and a container of Metabolic Drive. I used the Surge after every training session and downed a drive right before bed. It really helped me recover.

Hit up the chicken cart after training and eat a ton. It’s cheap and you won’t need a cooler.

Don’t skip the morning run, if you do you won’t be taken seriously by the trainers.

4

[quote]You may just have to get up earlier and go to bed earlier to get more food in your stomach to digest before your training starts.
[/quote]

That’s going to be 1 of the hardest things i think .
I was counting on getting up at 6 am , drink a shake , half an hour later breakfast wich gives me 1 hour before training .
The training in the evening ends at 7 pm , drink a shake , half an hour later dinner so by then it’s already like 8 pm .
If i want to get enough rest then i have to be in bed by 10 pm
for my 8 hours of sleep .
That means training , sleep , training , sleep and that for
5 maybe even 6 days a week ! That’s gonna be fun !

5

@ Matt- :

I’m going to Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket .

Where have you been training ?

6

[quote]Bodhisattva_ wrote:
@ Matt- :

I’m going to Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket .

Where have you been training ? [/quote]

I trained at TMT about two months ago.

There is a good meat cart at the entrance to the road going into TMT, stock up on them, they are only 20-30 baht. There are several pretty good supermarkets in town that you can hit up.

One more thing–if you want a cheap place to live, go check out Jane’s place (it’s a guy actually). He’s an artist that lives a little ways down the road past TMT. Go past the Forest Bungalow (I think that is the name) and take a right. You will see a place that is renting out for 300 baht per night and 8000 per month. Although he doesn’t speak particularly good English, he and his neighbors are cool as hell and I only stayed there for a couple days when he came and dropped my rate to 200 baht per day.

When the TMT bungalows are going for 4000 a week, you will not find a better rate, and he needs the money. His rooms are sparse but functional–good AC, small fridge, a bathroom with a shower and hot water, queen sized bed. Nothing fancy, but that is the same as you’ll get in the bungalows that TMT will try to sell you, just a little bigger for them. The only thing that is missing is a stove if you were hoping to cook. But I bet Jane would let you could at his house if you could somehow ask him.

7

How long did you stay and how was it ?

Thanks about the room but i’m staying for
quite a long time so i think the tropical
bungalows at the camp will be perfect for me .
I need a little bit of luxury and comfort , especially for such a long time .

8

I trained at Sinbi. My advice is don’t pay for more than a few weeks at one place until you are very sure that is where you want to train.

I know we had some guys from TMT come to Sinbi and guys from Sinbi go to TMT. Different atmosphere and training at each place, but both are very good. Just have to find your fit.

Rawai Muay Thai is a fat camp for overweight house wives :slight_smile:

9

[quote]Bodhisattva_ wrote:
How long did you stay and how was it ?

Thanks about the room but i’m staying for
quite a long time so i think the tropical
bungalows at the camp will be perfect for me .
I need a little bit of luxury and comfort , especially for such a long time . [/quote]

I only stayed for about two weeks and was a beginner, so we might be in different departments. The Muay Thai was very good, and the facility was well equipped. The MMA side was not so good however. I won’t go into details unless you want, but I was very disappointed in the head MMA trainer Ray Elbe.

JonnyTMT is there right now I believe, and is quite advanced so he might be able to give you a different perspective on the whole experience. In general I thought the camp was very friendly and accommodating.

As for the rooms, it is your call of course, but Jane’s place is not uncomfortable at all and is actually closer. You really don’t gain much at all from staying in the other bungalows and you pay out the nose. Do me a favor and at least check the place out.

10

[quote]
The MMA side was not so good however. I won’t go into details unless you want, but I was very disappointed in the head MMA trainer Ray Elbe.

Do me a favor and at least check the place out.[/quote]

Well it’s strictly Muay Thai for me but please do tell me
what happened . And i’m definitely going to check Jane’s Place out .

11

Hey Steve I live at the camp so if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

12

This a cool fucking thread.

13

TMT rules!

14

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
This a cool fucking thread.[/quote]

[quote]barchie wrote:
TMT rules![/quote]

You guys been to Thailand already ?
If so then please share your experiences here .

15

[quote]Bodhisattva_ wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
This a cool fucking thread.

barchie wrote:
TMT rules!

You guys been to Thailand already ?
If so then please share your experiences here .

[/quote]

Haha I wish!

I’d like to go there someday. Regardless of the fact that I don’t study Muay Thai, it just seems like a very interesting country, and I’d love to see a Muay Thai fight in the actual country. That would be awesome.

16

Hey FightingIrish there are some really good camps for training western boxing in Thailand as well. At least 4 of the trainers at my gym have pro boxing records.

One of them is a 2 time Thailand boxing champion and another is a former WBF light flyweight champion. I don’t think there are many places where you can get a private training session with a former WBF champ for well under 20 dollars. Here you can :slight_smile:

17

I was at TMT for 3 months. It was a great experience. I’ve been to Phuket about 6-7 times. Whenever I have vacation time, I have a hard time going anywhere else, because I love Phuket so much.

Go! Have fun! Train hard!

18

I would love to hear some more from the guys who stayed at TMT .
How were the bungalows ( pictures from inside ? ) , what was the food like , was the wi-fi decent , was the camp crowded…

I know it’s alot of questions but i really want to know if Tiger lives up to it’s reputation , and who better to ask then you guys who are staying there now or have been there before .

19

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
This a cool fucking thread.[/quote]

Seconded.

20

I stayed at the camp bungalows for a while-- they’re basic… clean, at camp, but nothing special. Then, I moved across the street to the Baan Suan bungalows, which are expensive, but REALLY nice. They have a pool (which is SO nice after training!), they clean your room everyday, clean towels, do your dishes, they have big fridges, microwave ovens, they’re pretty new, very clean and the people that run the place are great. If you have some extra cash, I highly recommend them. If you are just looking for a place that’s clean and livable, there are plenty of places on and off camp.

The Wi-fi was okay for the most part. Not super fast, and when there were storms sometimes it would go out for the night, but as far as basic internet stuff, it was fine. Downloaded movies, UFC, etc. was a different story (long time for that kind of stuff).

What else do you want to know?

Also, Jonny TMT is still there, so he can tell you about all the improvements that they’ve been making. From what I understand, the camp is in a constant state of development.