Henrik Olofsson: "Why CrossFit can benefit Muay Thai Fighters”
As you could see from the latest video released on our YouTube channel and Instagram @yokkao, Yokkao began to incorporate, on the advice of Yokkao promoter Stefania Picelli, a new type of training for Pakorn PK MuayThaiGym and Kongsak Sitboonmee. Because of this, Yokkao and Stefania have turned to Ror Alexander and Henrik Olofsson, professional trainers of Aspire Club which is located in Bangkok at one of the most important CrossFit centers in Asia, CrossFitBK. Alexander and Olofsson will follow up on Pakorn PK Muay Thai Gym and Konsak’s new strength and conditioning program.
For the occasion, Yokkao created a dedicated collection of bags and wall balls which will be ready to buy at this website in December. Below is an explanation from Henrik Olofsson, whose background speaks for itself, on why CrossFit training can greatly benefit Muay Thai fighters. HENRIK OLOFSSON - Degree in Sports Science (Gustavus Adolphus College) - Personal Trainer diploma (Norwegian School of Sports Science) - Certified TRX instructor Certified Bootcamp Trainer (Fitness Australia) - Certified Youth Fitness Specialist - Level 2 Certified Olympic Lifting Instructor - Level 1 Years of Experience: 10 years experience participating in collegiate/professional sports (ice-hockey, fitness training and bodybuilding) 6 years international experience as a personal trainer and sports performance coach in 3 different continents. (Norway, Sweden, Vietnam, USA and Thailand) Specialty fields: Corrective Exercise Specialist Performance, Enhancement Specialist ,TRX Olympic lifts, Sport performance, Youth Fitness Expert CROSSFIT AND MUAY THAI CrossFit has seen explosive, global growth last 5 years and more and more athletes are turning to CrossFit to improve sport performance.
There are a several aspects of CrossFit training that has a great carryover to martial arts such as Muay Thai. THE PROGRAMMING One of the ways that CrossFit defines fitness and how the training protocols are founded is on the development of the 10 General Physical Skills (GPS) for optimal physical competence. - cardiovascular endurance - stamina - strength - flexibility - power - speed - coordination - agility - balance - accuracy All of the GPS listed above are unarguably good qualities to have as a Muay Thai fighter and a balanced CrossFit program will include them all to some extent. MEASURABLE WORKOUTS It is no secret that CrossFit is known for being intense. Adding the measurable component to a workout brings out competitiveness and brings a new dimension to working out.
The mental toughness that's required to progress and improve in CrossFit is comparable to what a fighter might face in the ring, making CrossFit a great form of training to improve not only on the physical but also on the psychological aspect of Muay Thai. SPORT SPECIFICITY CrossFit has been around for well over a decade and has in that relative short time span already taken shape in to a sport in itself. With this said, not every exercise or benchmark "WOD" (CrossFit workout) is suitable for a high level Muay Thai fighter.
However, you can certainly achieve a sport specific, progressive strength and conditioning (S&C) program for sports using the CrossFit methodology. At the end of the day, the outcome and effectiveness in any S&C program lies in the art of program design. With smart exercise selection, including anti/rotational exercises as well as uni/ipsilateral movements combined with CrossFit elements leaves potential for an optimised CrossFit strength and conditioning program for Muay Thai. In summary; CrossFit training can have a very high degree of transferability to Muay Thai and a well balanced CrossFit S&C program has great potential to improve both physical as well as psychological qualities in fighters.
