Q:   “I want to get stronger, but I avoid weightlifting because I’ve always heard it makes you slow and reduces flexibility. Is this true?” A:  Old-school weightlifting is one of the best ways to build strength. Weight workouts are also a tried-and-true method for improving your personal power output. There are, however, a few secrets to success you may not know. Once you master them, you’ll drastically improve your strength without sacrificing other attributes you need for m

Q:  You talked about lifting conventional weights for enhanced martial arts performance. What about other forms of weightlifting? A:  There is another type of weight training that deserves discussion. It entails attaching extra weight to your body — specifically, your ankles, wrists, or torso — and then engaging in functional martial arts training. Before I begin, let me say this about “functional training.” All too often, people use the term to refer to a hodgepodge of movem

Q:  When it comes to lifting weights, they say slower is better for building muscle, but some people insist that you need fast moves to build the explosive striking power that’s required for martial arts. Which approach is right? A:  There’s no short answer to this question because what’s right for one person isn’t always right for another. However, there are some nearly universal truths for building power with iron that can translate to explosiveness in the dojo. Before I ge

Strength and conditioning form the backbone of Muay Thai training, yet their importance often goes unrecognised. This oversight is...