The Blog of E.M. FitzGerald

As of late I have tried to focus myself on nothing but training, and physical conditioning. I have attempted to construct a positive mentality for myself in this regard, leaving everything that is “unimportant” on the side and going gung-ho with Muay Thai. Having this new attitude, I decided to see how far I could push my body in terms of physical strength. Having been in Thailand for a while, I decided that it was time to conduct a test of my capabilities, to see just how well the training was working for me. During my time in Thailand I have been lifting weights many days during the week between the workouts, so I figured that it would be easy to pass what most people consider to be a “hard” test. Looking around a bit online, I decided that I wanted to be “hardcore”, so I chose the workout test that the actors of 300 did at the beginning and end of their training cycle to mark their levels of fitness for the film. I had heard this 300 test was very hard, so I decided to give it a shot.

The 300 test is composed of:

25 pull-ups

50 dead-lifts at 135 pounds

50 push-ups

50 box jumps with a 24 in. box

50 floor wipers

50 clean and press with a 36 pounds kettle bell

25 pull ups

Not having done dead-lifts in over a month, I was a bit nervous but I decided to go ahead with the test anyway. The test is supposed to be timed, but I decided to skip that part as all I wanted was a baseline setting so I could track my progress. Starting, I manged 19 pull-ups, not bad considering the most I’ve ever been able to do prior was 12. I then did 25 dead-lifts at 135, as I hadn’t lifted in a long time and didn’t want to totally destroy myself. I could have done the full 50, but I doubt I would be able to walk afterward. The 50 push-ups were a breeze, as were the 50 box jumps. I did 10 of the 50 floor wipers, I have never done them before and found it hard to keep myself centered on the bench. I did the full 50 clean and press, but with a 26 pound kettle bell instead of a 36 pound variant. To finish, I did 14 pull-ups.

I felt quite proud of myself, and was happy that my new-found “warrior” mentality had paid off, as I had tried my best to have the ferocity of a tiger during my test. After the test I lifted a few weights, and the did the afternoon workout.

Skip to the next day.

Soreness like no other. My lower back, thanks to not having done dead-lifts in over a month hurts and getting out of bed took far longer than it should have. My shoulders were also sore from the workout, as were my abs, calves and hamstrings. I hadn’t been so sore in years, which is a bit surprising because I tend to workout very hard when I put my mind to it. I had to take off all the practices yesterday due to this soreness, as kicking with a sore lower back felt no good at all. Instead of doing the workout, I decided that I wanted to recover as quickly as possible; I went to the massage parlor for a Thai massage.

Arriving at the parlor I almost said foot massage, as those are relaxing and I often fall asleep. However I knew that I needed to release the lactic acid from my muscles, so I went with the Thai massage. I had heard stories about the Thai massage before, and how potentially painful it could be. With my sore limbs, I knew that I was in for a treat of no small proportions. Tales of pain, being hard of breath and some serious joint cracking rattled through my mind as I took off my shirt and took my place face down on the massage bed. A lithe looking Thai woman gave me a glass of water, let me finish it then began her torture.

She started with my feet, which was fine. She then, with surprising strength began to dig an elbow into my tender calf muscles. For the next 30 minutes I was sucking in breath, trying to keep my small cries of pain as quiet as I possibly could. The legs weren’t even the worse part, that turned out to be my back. With hands like hammers and fingers like daggers she proceeded to cause me some serious muscular discomfort as she prodded and kneaded my back. Then, in the middle she told me that if I wanted she could go harder. Already squirming with the pain, short of breath with eyes watering, I was just fine with the current amount of pain thank you very much, and told her so. After spending about 20 minutes on my back alone, pummeling it thoroughly she moved onto my arms. I soon discovered that my forearms were sore, as she made it painfully clear that they were. Once my arms had been massaged, I turned over and she worked on my neck and the front of my legs. I swear she was using nearly all of her body weight in the process, but my eyes were closed as I quite simply did not want to look at what was happening.

After what seemed like 3 hours (it was only a bit longer than an hour), she finished. I slowly got off the massage bed and paid her the 250 baht that I owed her. I cannot describe the joy that I felt once the massage was finished. Hoping to feel like a new man once I was done, I walked out the door and into the Thai sunshine.

Sadly though, I didn’t feel like a new man. I did however feel like a man in a lot less pain, which was a relief. The Thai woman had gotten rid of a good amount of the lactic acid in my muscles, and I felt as though I could likely train the day after. I still didn’t feel 100% though, so I decided to get a haircut. The salon is right next to the massage parlor, so it was a quick trip there. Annoyingly, the woman who cuts the hair there does a poor job and only knows how to give buzz cuts to men. I do this to my hair back home for free, she however charges 100 baht for it and leaves tufts of hair standing where everything else has been cut. At the end of my haircut I asked for a shave as well. Since I have never had someone shave me before, I figured why not? It cost 150 baht though, which put me off a bit but that’s life I guess. She took me to the back room, and using as little shaving gel as possible covered my face. Using a sole razor blade she proceeded to give me the worse shave I have ever had. I was thinking that because I was paying for it, that it would be very well done. Surprise! Not at all. She left a ton of hair on my face still, and she cut me up something fierce. The only reason I had asked her to do it is because I have no shaving gel and have been dry shaving here in Thailand, which is no fun at all.

After the lame haircut and the lame shave, I headed over to the convenience store (also next door), and bought a disposable razor. I had bought one before and it didn’t work very well, so I went with a different kind. Luckily, this one worked just fine and I was able to finish the shave the barber had started. Depressed that I had just spent 500 baht on something besides food, I retreated to my room a bit dejected and still sore.

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone…it was poring as though the natural phenomenon was going out of style. The monsoon rain season still has not yet descended upon us, I can only imagine what that is going to look/feel like. I hear it’s quite amazing, due to the sheer amount of water that drops from the skies above. Doesn’t mean that much to me though, as I have become fully immersed in the world of Muay Thai. My kicks are crisp, as are my punches. I am getting faster and stronger by the day, and due to getting more rest than normal I am no longer getting hurt or sick. I’ve effectively cut beer out of my diet, which I am sure has helped my cause no small amount.

I have found that my skipping ability has become greatly improved, allowing me to skip (jump rope) for extended periods of 30+ minutes at a time, even though it is really boring to skip so long! I also started doing a kettle bell workout, which just about destroyed every muscle of my body- but I figure that I will get used to the stress of such a workout soon enough. If I can conquer the now livable heat and humidity, then weights are not a big deal. It is more than a feeling that I am getting that my training is improving. There is a photographer at the Muay Thai camp who is now taking a bunch of pictures of me training, so that I have a photographic record of my progress here. I have seen some of the pictures, and even when I am exhausted like I was today, my form is good.

After doing the normal 5 and 5 routine that is done every day, today we did Muay Thai Boran after the workout. Muay Boran is what the art was before there was any “formal” teaching. It is a much more brutal martial art, and as such is no longer used in sport Muay Thai (for which I train). We engaged in three different techniques of Muay Boran: grasping the kicking leg, and striking the leg with an elbow; grasping the kicking leg and kneeing the muscle; and avoiding a straight, moving out of the way and elbowing the opponent in the back of neck to stun then. Naturally we did these drills at a very slow and safe pace, and I can only imagine how nasty they would be if put into practice. I will be going through the motions in all of them, so that I can get them down into my muscle memory so all I have to do is react. I figure that if a street fight situation ever occurs, these Muay Boran skills would be good to have down pat.

Just after the satisfying workout we had a nice buffet that was put on by the gym, and as such it was free. As I am never one to say no to free food, I took an active part in downing my fair (or maybe not so fair) portion of the food prepared. It had been prepared by the mother of the owner of the gym, Tuk, and looked/smelled amazing. To begin I made a nice bed of white rice on my plate, then covered that with massaman chicken, which I was told was not hot. In addition, I took a bit of pineapple and watermelon. Little did I know, eating the food would be harder than the training.

The chicken was unlike any kind of hot that I’ve ever had before! My lips were on fire, and my eyes began to water. I am very used to the hot that one finds in Mexi-Cali cuisine, but this was on a whole different level. I can withstand hot sauce pretty well, and most peppers to boot if they are prepared right. This time though, things were different. Thai hot is something out of this world. I started to sweat again, and a few tears fell from my eyes at the extreme amount of spice in the chicken. My sinuses got all clogged up and I had to make a trip to the bathroom to clear them out, trying my best not to breath in any of the spices in the process. Coming back to my plate, I began eating once again which proved to be a painful experience. Yet, like a good boy I finished my whole plate and quickly downed the fruit. It was the fruit that saved me, as the watermelon put out the incredible fire that was roaring through my taste buds. After about 10 slices of watermelon and 8 of pineapple, the sweating stopped and I could breathe normal again without the fear of getting the spice up my nose. Hopefully, I will be able to avoid the potential for bodily destruction of that nature the rest of my trip!!!

Photos of the Big Buddha, and Phuket!

The Big Buddha

On The Road to The Big Buddha

Another View of the Buddha!

Part of the Big Buddha Complex, the Golden Buddha

Big Buddha Construction

The Big Buddha is supposed to be completed in 2010, let’s hope they finish on time!

Walking around Phuket is a strange experience, as no one besides foreigners seem to embark on such a conquest. Due to the weather, sweat drips off the body after walking less than a mile, which is no good at all. In addition, there are no sidewalks in Phuket, so one needs to walk against traffic to survive.

The traffic itself is a different story all together. There are traffic laws in Thailand, but no one obeys them and they are not enforced.

Helmet law? Nope.

Seat belt law? Nope.

Drivers License? Nope.

Driving on the correct side of the road? Nope.

Speed Limit? Nope.

Basically, walking in Phuket is done at the peril of the individual. While scooters are not expensive, I do not have any clue how to drive one and I am very frugal so I haven’t even considered getting one. I have seen everything from a whole family of 7 on one scooter, to a 8 year old riding one by himself. Crazy.

Therefore, my legs get a nice workout every time I want to head to the beach, or go just about anywhere really unless I can manage a free ride with someone else.

A few days ago, my friend and I decided to hit up some stores that looked to be interesting in Phuket Town. After waiting a long time for a bus, we got one and were driven to Chalong as I had some business to conduct there. After the business had been concluded, we waited for another bus to pick us up. It never came. Annoyed, we decided to say f-u to the bus and walk to Phuket town. It wasn’t terribly hot out, so it seemed okay as we started out.

Chalong to Phuket town is a long walk, and half the time one needs to watch both directions of the road as mopeds and cars can come out of nowhere. After about 45 minutes we finally got to Phuket Town, but got lost. Tired of walking, we flagged down a Tuk-Tuk that only opperated in Patong, and didn’t know Phuket Town. We didn’t care, and paid him 100 baht, far too much to take us to Thalong road where we wanted to it. Turns out it was only 2 blocks away, but at least now I can say I’ve ridden in a Tuk-Tuk. We got to the shop, called Soul of Asia where I wanted to go. Antiques were what I wanted to see, and the ones they had there were not very good. They had work by Dali and Picasso, but nothing really amazing in terms of Thai anqitues, most of the work was from Burma!

We luckily caught the bus back to Rawai, tired, wet from the rain and not interested in doing anything for the rest of the day.

For a few days we did that as I recovered from the sore throat that I had which had been exaserbated by all the damn smoke coming from the burning coconut husks. The Thais like to burn refuse, which is really not a good thing for me or my lungs. They burn things all the time, and every day. Every time I am out running in the morning I curse myself an idiot for thinking that I am going to have a good run, as I can barely breathe between the fumes, the humidity and the smoke!

After a lengthy bit of time off, training began again this Monday, and today my friend Nick and I headed to the Big Buddha of Phuket. The Buddha is in the middle of the island of Phuket, and commands amazing views of the entire isle. It is supposed to be finished this year, and is almost done. The Buddha itself is covered in finished alabaster, though the lotus leaf he is sitting on is still concrete without any kind of decor. The huge white Buddha can be seen from almost anywhere on Phuket, though getting there from the shore can be a bit of a pain. We paid 500 baht to get to the top, and spent about 20 minutes there. Avoiding all of the tourist crud, we soon made our way back down as the construction was still going on and there wasn’t all that much to see except for the view.

Pictures coming soon!

In the last blog post that I wrote, I went into detail about the training that exists where I am staying in Phuket, the Rawai Muay Thai gym. At the end of that post, I mentioned that I would write about the best way to prepare for Muay Thai training, and I now feel obliged to do just that.

The largest aspect of training in Thailand involves cardiovascular fitness. There is a lot of body movement during every session, and it can easily be exhausting for those who are not acclimated to doing such intense work. For those who are considering coming to Phuket for a fitness holiday I would recommend doing the following before coming:

1. Run 3-5 miles (5k-8k) four to five times a week: Running is a great form of cardio training and will help with training the body to endure physical discomfort in the form of Muay Thai for a long period of time. 3-5 miles is a long way for most people, but even if one runs it at a slow pace it will still be beneficial. If never having run before, it is best to start out slow in terms of mileage, and work up. Running will strengthen the abs, back, legs and shoulders of the individual, which is crucial as those muscle groups are readily used in Muay Thai training. There are many other positives to running, including dropping weight and greater energy, but the most important one besides those listed is being able to breathe better while working out. The air in Thailand is very wet, and though Phuket is at sea level it is hard to get enough air into the lungs due to the humid climate. A firm base in running is the first key to preparing for a Muay Thai adventure.

2. Jumping (skipping rope) for 15-20 minutes 3-5 times a week: Before coming to Thailand this used to give me a headache, but I worked past that and now I can do it with ease. Jumping rope is a combination workout, both cardio and muscle building. Swinging the rope builds up the arms while the jumping works the calves. It is a good confidence builder when an individual can jump for 20 minutes straight without stopping, and like Muay Thai it’s all about timing!

3. Workout at the gym 2-3 times a week: Going to the gym to get some weight training in is always a plus. The Thais don’t believe in weights as it slows down kicking and punching speed, however lifting weights does add to power. Ab work is a must, and there are plenty of ab workouts that can be done to strengthen the abs, as one needs strong abs on which to take punches and kicks. In addition, any kind of leg strengthening is a plus. Shoulders, lower back and neck workouts are also good, as they will help overall fitness and allow for more intense training in Thailand.

4. Stretching everyday: Stretching is very important, and helps to stave off injury. Flexibility is very important in Muay Thai, so the more flexible one is, the more potential they have. Doing a light warm-up before stretching is advisable, as stretching cold can lead to injury.

5. Get used to training in the heat: Thailand is a country that is very close to the equator, and as such it is always very hot. 30-33 C (high 80’s to low 90’s) are the common temperatures in Phuket, which leads to some very sweaty workouts. Working out in hot weather will help the body adjust to that climate, which will make training in Thailand that much easier.

There you have it, five suggestions for those who are thinking about coming to Thailand. Had I known to do these things before I came it would have been a lot easier for me. At the moment I have gotten used to the climate and the training, though it took a few weeks. If I had done these things before Thailand, I would be set and could have gotten the most of my training from the very start!

- A note about this: these are recommendations for those who want to train in Phuket, different regions have different climates. I have based my suggestions on personal experience, and have included them in this post because I find that they would be beneficial. These are basic fitness tips for Phuket training. If you want to train in Bangkok, you had better be way past these workout tips because Muay Thai is far more serious in the capital. Skipping rope for an hour a day is common there as the level of competition is that much greater!!!