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Back to School for Kids, Back to the Gym for Adults: Muay Thai as Your ‘Me Time’

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With the children back in school, the house might feel a bit empty. It’s the perfect opportunity to focus on yourself. For many, that means hitting the gym and finding a personal fitness routine that can be more than just a workout. Enter Muay Thai at Level Up Boxing & Fitness in Lanham, MD.

Muay Thai: More Than Just Kickboxing

While Kickboxing offers great health benefits, Muay Thai is something different altogether. Often referred to as “The Art of Eight Limbs,” Muay Thai engages fists, elbows, knees, and shins. It’s a great way to level up your fitness while embracing an adult hobbie that’s both challenging and enjoyable.

Muay Thai as a Stress Reliever

The daily grind can lead to built-up stress. Muay Thai can be an incredibly effective way to channel that stress into something positive. The rigorous training focuses your mind and body, allowing you to release tension while improving your overall fitness. This form of exercise isn’t just a workout; it’s ‘Me Time’ for adults seeking balance in their lives.

Find Your Groove in Lanham, MD

At Level Up Boxing & Fitness in Lanham, MD, we offer classes suitable for all skill levels. Our expert trainers understand that Muay Thai is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned pro, we have a program tailored to your needs.

Connect with Community

There’s something special about the camaraderie that builds within the walls of a Muay Thai gym. You’re not just joining a fitness class; you’re joining a community. A community that encourages and challenges you to be your best. It’s a social adult hobbie that offers growth in more ways than one.

A New Path to Fitness

If traditional gym workouts have left you uninspired, Muay Thai might be the key to unlocking a new path to fitness. Engaging, challenging, and unique, this ancient martial art offers a fresh take on physical well-being.

Conclusion

Muay Thai at Level Up Boxing & Fitness in Lanham, MD isn’t just another way to break a sweat. It’s a way to engage with a community, build confidence, relieve stress, and truly make time for yourself.



The Muay Thai Development League Lands in Maryland

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The MDL made it’s long awaited debut here in Maryland!
Originally started off under the YDL name and focusing ONLY on youth bouts, the MDL has grown to include Adult competition as well. These events are geared towards matching students of Muay Thai up by aggression level. This was what attracted me to these events right away. I believe there is true value in bringing our students along from one level to the next. Even within our gym, we start people off in an Intro Program to focus on teaching them the fundamental knowledge of Muay Thai. Our new students start off by learning the proper stance, movement, and then move on to technique in a 4 Week Introductory Course. Then from there they move on to our intermediate class, where they will really learn how to put all those fundamentals to use.
The majority of our students train for fun and fitness. So many of not most will never compete in Muay Thai. One thing that really separates Level Up’s Muay Thai and Kickboxing programs from so many other gyms in the area is our ability to prepare ANYONE who does want to compete. All of our students that have gone on to become Regional, National, or World Champions started with ZERO experience. Our method to getting even the most unsuspecting student competition ready has been our process of moving them through each level. SO for those that are interested in competition, we have a level test to make sure they really know their Defense, and our systems for Offense before moving into sparring. We also have a process for drilling to help them overcome some of the harder aspects to learn when you first start sparring.
Competition wise, the general flow has always been to start them off in Exhibitions, where there is no winner announced. These are valuable in our opinion because they give us a look at what our students will look like in a simulated fight, at a fight pace, in a more controlled environment. We hold these exhibitions events regularly at Level Up to help our students and other gyms all over the East Coast progress. Generally from there, they move on to shows, and tournaments, then to international tournaments, and big title fights.
MDL offers a step between sparring and even the Exhibition level. Because of the aggression system they have in place, and even having a level that has no head contact, the MDL makes it possible for anyone with competent training and the courage to step on the mat the ability to try out competing. For the Youth Competitors especially starting off with no head contact helps them develop their other tools, specifically the kicks to the body and legs, their teeps and push kicks (straight kicks to the body) knees, and clinch. As opposed to one kid that might be a little slugger overwhelming the rest of the kids with a flurry of punches to the head.
This also carries over to the adults, and is especially a great way for our team specifically to work on rounding out their game as much as possible. We are Level Up Boxing for a reason haha. As a very Boxing-Centric Muay Thai (known as Muay Mat) its always good to have to focus more on our other tools. For this MDL we took a small group of 3 adults and one of our Youth students. Tank, Sunny, Ms Lolita, and our young gun Suraj.
Tank and Sunny both have competition experience, and are both preparing to compete at the WKA National Muay Thai and Kickboxing tournament in Delaware at the end of August. This event having controlled contact was safe even being only a few weeks out from the big tournament. What makes it extremely valuable to me as a Coach is being able to see what they throw in a more live environment, if they respond to commands, and even more specifically which type of commands they respond to best. That’s one of the most important assets to these events for Coaches, strengthening communication during competition.
Sunny was up first for us. She had a great technical match. Her opponent came out pretty strong which was perfect since we are looking to sharpen some tools for the tournament. Sunny kept a cool head, listened amazingly, threw everything we called and displayed beautiful skill. We are super excited for her to be back in the ring in a few weeks.
Next our guy Tank. Tank is a heavyweight fighter. He’s had two Boxing exhibitions, and 2 Muay Thai fights. He’s an undersized heavy weight to put it simply. Size does matter when it comes to fighting, but it is possible to still be successful if you really work on your skill. Tank is a great fighter, his name describes him pretty perfectly. He’s tough as nails, and virtually unfazed when things heat up. Our core mode for our Fight Team is aggressive, but there’s undeniably something about slick defense that has always been just as important to me when training our students. Tank found that gear recently and did an amazing job of switching back and forth between an aggressive but technical style, and elusive defense. He was composed, he was tactical, he threw every thing we called, he had great instincts of his own when attacking, and really showed so much of what we train. I couldn’t be more proud of him. Recently we have given him the nickname Swaggy Tank for implementing the slickness into his game, he absolutely validated the moniker last weekend.
Next up we had our Team Mom Ms Lolita, who is 57 years young compete for the first time. I really cant fully explain how amazing she is, and I feel like she deserves a full write up of her own. So be on the look out for that coming soon. For now, I’ll just tell you that so many people in their 20’s in the best shape of their life won’t even jump into something like this. The level of trust she put in her team, and the way the team rallied around her to make sure she was ready is really what Level Up is all about. Congrats on your First Fight!!
Last and maybe most important our guy Suraj aka Suraji P! This young man has been training with us since he was a little guy! He’s 14 now but Works in with the adult classes. And in sparring you better now take him light cause his jab is Bud Crawford-esque. One of our many southpaws at the gym, Suraj carries on the legacy of highly competitive lefties. The southpaw stance is a tricky thing depending on where you go. A lot of gyms won’t, can’t, or just don’t know how to train Southpaws. It’s always been a specialty of ours. Suraj showed that on Sunday in both of his bouts for sure. His matches where in the light head contact category. So he was able to utilize his Boxing, which is one of his strongest tools. The light head contact again though forces these athletes to focus on other tools. Suraj did a great job using set up pouches to land kicks, and really utilized great work in the Clinch, landing some beautiful knees, turns, and ALMOST got a sweep haha. We got a lot of great data for him to work on for his next competition which is also going to be the WKA tournament at the end of August.
We had an absolute blast at this event. We have been campaigning for them to come to Maryland since 2018 haha. So we are ecstatic Patrick Rivera of the WBC made his way out here to give the Maryland and surrounding area gyms the opportunity to compete. We want to thank Matthew Van Valkenburgh for running the MDL alongside Patrick. Matthew has been doing a hell of a job getting the Youth scrimmages going here in MD, and this is another massive step in the right direction for the sport.
I also want to thank our teammates that came out to support, Josh, Leo, Liza, Pape, Sey, and Adrian. Adrian and Pape also helped corner this weekend and did a great job. I also gotta give Sey a big shoutout for taking time to work with Ms Lolita as well. They worked on her teep a bunch, which was one of her best weapons. I’m truly grateful for our team. You guys make this the best job on earth.
Coach Jason aka Peter Parker
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Coach

Tracking Calories and Macronutrients

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Tracking Calories and Macronutrients by Erin Jimenez

 

“You can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time”

 

For 7 years I have been dieting, starving, and binge eating. I calculated every pound I have cut for my fights and I have gained and rapidly lost more than 100 pounds over the years to make weight. Other athletes cut more! In an effort to stay lean or “small” so that I have to cut less weight, I have prolonged periods of restricted caloric intake.

 

For the majority of people, the metabolism adapts to the prolonged calorie deficit by operating more efficiently. The body functions at lower energy expenditure and burns fewer calories. If proper dietary adjustments (i.e. reverse dieting) aren’t made to account for this slow down, the body will store extra calories in the form of fat. During extended dieting, important metabolic hormones become mis-regulated. These adaptations to long periods of calorie restriction can be reversed by fueling the body properly.

 

Maintaining an extremely low-calorie diet is not sustainable for athletic performance, long term health, function, and happiness. One of the best statements I have heard that finally hit me after years of trying to be both lean and strong is, “you can’t stay lean and build muscle at the same time.”

 

Getting your diet on track is harder than training for many people. Before I post more articles on how to get your diet together for optimal athletic performance, the first step is determining how many calories and macronutrients you need.

 

  1. Track how many calories you burn.

No, its not mandatory to know precisely how many calories you burn a day. However, we tend to overestimate how many calories we burn pushing too many pencils at work and even how hard we really work at the gym. There are options available aside from the Fitbit Charge HR (my personal favorite), like the BodyMedia Armband ($26.45 on Amazon) or the bodybugg calorie management system.

 

  1. Calculate how many calories you need.

Are you eating enough? Head to http://gymgeek.com/nutrition/nutrition-articles/macro-nutrient-calculator/. There, you will be guided on how to calculate your BMR to work out the total amount of calories you need on a daily basis. Then, you will work out your macronutrient ratios. Not sure what a macro is? Check this out: https://mynutrition.wsu.edu/nutrition-basics/

 

*Be sure to click on Strength Training. Unless you are cutting weight for a fight or weeks out from a bikini contest, this is the most sustainable plan for athletic performance and happiness.

 

Other macronutrient calculators are available:

https://www.iifym.com

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm

https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator

 

  1. Adjust macros according to your training schedule.

Reduce carbs on days you are not training hard and on rest days. On super intense days (doing my morning 5K, strength and conditioning, 2 striking classes, and sparring), you can follow the higher carb plan. For my plan, I eat 150-200g carbs on rest days, ~250g on typical training days, and up to 350g on super intense days. Everyone’s plan will differ depending on physical activity.

 

  1. Track your nutrition intake.

Consistently tracking your food will give you information about your eating habits and help you calculate your macronutrient ratios. One of the best apps out there is MyFitnessPal: https://www.myfitnesspal.com.

MyFitnessPal will show you how many grams of carbohydrates, fats, and protein you have eaten.

 

  1. “Trust the process.”

It’s a common misconception to believe you can punch in your age, weight, and height into a calculator and get the exact number of calories and macros you need to look like a superhero. This isn’t real. It takes more to get the results you want based on your body type (ecto/meso/endomorph), environmental influences (like stress), and metabolic differences (like changes in hormones). But, the first step is figuring out what your body needs and when it needs it.

 

Stay tuned for blogs on Fueling Your Workout and Eating For Performance.

Team USA At The Unified World Championships PT 2

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Day 2 was a free day for the Team.

We started the day off on the beach training. We warmed up with a light jog. Got in a few rounds of shadowboxing, light sparring, and mittwork. The sand took a little adjustment. We were all careful not to go too fast or too hard being so close to the competition. Sand aside, you couldn’t ask for a better setting. The Mountains on one side, the Ocean on the other. After training we walked down to the water for a bit. You had to appreciate where these guys had gotten themselves. Earning their way on to this team, and drumming up the money to get themselves there. This is fighting at it’s purest, doing it soley for the love of the sport. We spent about two hours training before we headed back to the Hotel. Everyone on the team was planning to head out to explore some of Italy while we had free time.

 

 

We decided to head to Pisa. It was only a short train ride away. A bunch of the other teammates did the same. We took a cab ride over with the Hotel’s go to Cab driver Sanki. He laughed at us for going to Pisa saying it was small. At first I was confused why anyone would deter us from seeing something as famous as Pisa. After thinking about it though, I know I have personally told people who came to visit DC that the sites weren’t that great. I guess when you spend so much time around something you stop seeing it’s value. We felt there was no way we could be this close and not come see the Leaning Tower. Just as someone who traveled from far would want to see the White House or Washington Monument. When we got off the train we had a general idea of which direction to travel in. The Tower was visible from the train platform. We found the Cathedral Square and cruised around for a bit taking photos. It’s funny to see all the people getting their shot of them holding up the tower. I snapped a picture out of context to show how bizarre everyone looks outside of their personal picture. After walking around for a bit we grabbed some food. In front of the Cathedral Square there was market area filled with street vendors. They all had the Pisa keychains and t-shirts, one thing that jumped out at us was this Camera attachment we saw a few people with. It’s an extendable pole that lets you attach your cellphone too to take a selfie with. They sell a remote camera shutter also to take the shot without having to touch the phone. This thing is going to revolutionize the selfie world, we dubbed it the helpie. 

 

As the sun started to go down we decided to head back to the train station. We had a confusing time coming back as the train we got on took us a different track back then the way we came. After train hoping a couple times, and missing our stop once, we made it back in one piece. To our suprise when we walked out of the station Sanki our Cab driver was already waiting. I’m still not sure how he knew to be there. Once we got back to the hotel we all turned in to prep for the first day of competition. 

 

TO BE CONT…..

Team USA At The Unified World Championships PT 1

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We started our journey near home at the Dulles International Airport. Myself, Jared and Patrick got dropped off and met up with Luther and his wife Rachel inside. After a long flight we had a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt Germany. The flight from Frankfurt to Florence Italy was short, maybe just over an hour. The US Team had people coming in on different fights so we waited for a bit at the airport to we could all catch the bus to the Hotel as a group. We are staying at the Hotel Kyrton here in Tuscany. It’s like a bread and breakfast style hotel. The hotel is cozy, there is a common area with couches and cable TV. A small island bar in the center of the first floor that serves Coffee, Espresso, Wine, and other drinks. After checking in and getting our rooms assigned we had dinner here at the Hotel. There are two large dining areas, we eat in the main dining area, the food is served restaurant style at dinner and buffet style at breakfast. I slept well for the most part, outside of waking up around 3am not sure where I was for a second. haha. I got up around 7am to go down and eat and get an idea of what the days schedule was like. A lot of the fighters still had weight to cut and were up early bundled up to run outside. The Level Up Crew traveled close to their fight weight, Jared and Pat went for a run the night we got in just to be sure. Both woke up on weight and ready to go. The Bus to take us to the venue was late, they had picked up some fighters from other teams so we sent all our fighters on the first Bus to get weigh ins started while the Coaches hung back to catch the second bus. Once we arrived at the venue all the coaches went in to find their fighters. Most of them have been in weight cut mode for roughly 48 hours at this point. There wasn’t much in the way of stores nearby to pick up drinks for rehydration. I found a shop down the street with water for sale and was able to make it back in time to hand it off to the guys as they went in step onto the scale. 

After weigh ins most of the team went their separate ways looking for places to eat. There was a string of restaurants running a long the main street. We checked a few until we found one that jumped out at us. The main strip ran a long the shore line, Luther spotted a place that backed right up to the beach, we checked the menu and decided to go with that. They walked us through to the back which opened up to an outdoor patio overlooking the ocean. The food was incredible. Our waiter didn’t speak any English but we made it work, he was super hospital to us. As always, that first meal after a weight cut brings about positive mood change. I have to say this was probably the best post weigh in meal we have had as a team. As hectic as the travel has been, and just the general being out of our element all around as far as our processes go, at this point we all had to step back and enjoy the moment. We even saw a guy fly down off the mountain on a hang glider and land right on the beach behind us. (see video below) On the ride back with everything behind us and feeling like we were settling in I was really able to reflect on things. I think in America we get used to what we consider a standard, and that creates expectations. Or maybe not all of us. I expect things to be as I picture them in my head. Italy wasn’t exactly what I expected at first. I’m not really sure how to explain what I pictured in my head, and what the difference is of my initial impression. On the ride back though it hit me that what seemed different here was the simplicity of just enjoying life for what it is. For most of us in America we are constantly pushing forward to whats next, we always want more. I’m not saying that being here changes that in me. I feel like thats part of what makes Americans who we are.  It was nice to have a reminder to just enjoy the moment though. 
When we got back to the hotel we decided to go explore the town near us and locate the market to get bottled water and supplies we may need for the tournament. We got turned around a few times on the way. Jared stepped into a hotel and they gave him a map and marked off where we were and where we needed to get to. We started off in the right direction, second guessed ourselves and doubled back, then realized we were going the right way in the first place (lol) We found the market tucked away off the main strip of stores. The clerk was super helpful. We were able to pick up fruit and water. We stopped in a another small shop on our way back looking for peanut butter, no luck. In both places the guys were asked if they were athletes, and both times were greater with excitement at being fighters. Everyone we met was extremely nice. We got back just in time for dinner. After we received our Team USA fight shorts. After a brief meeting discussing the plans for the following day we were free to do what we wanted. I hooked my laptop up to the TV in the main common area. A bunch of us sat down to watch School Dance, a Level Up favorite you will hear us constantly quoting from. The movie was over around midnight. For the most part everyone turned in. I decided to stay up and write this while everything was fresh in mind. Tomorrow, we will get up and eat breakfast around 7am, go back to sleep for a bit, then head to the beach around 10am to get in some training. 

 Video Highlight 

Stay tuned! 

 

Coach Jason

 

Joining A Fight Team

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So I just got home from watching the new movie Fury with Brad Pitt. It got me thinking about the early days of my journey. Joining a gym with a competitive Fight Team that you want to be a part of is not an easy task. Many don’t have what it takes mentally. I can assure you that at the end of the day, thats what matters most. The physical gifts you were born with or worked for will only take you so far. Making it through what ever is necessary to become a member of the Team is a different type of accomplishment.

 

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In the movie, the Tank Team gets a new member. I won’t go into too many details and ruin the movie, but at first, they aren’t too thrilled about having him. This is one of the parallels that made me think back to my early days as a “Fight Team Hopeful”. I knew exactly what I joined my gym for. I wanted to Fight. My very first day I met Mike Easton, Mike gave me a tour of the gym, went through some basics with me, and talked to me for about an hour about fighting and becoming a part of the Fight Team. Mike is that kind of guy, he genuinely is the type that is excited to talk about fighting, very down to earth, and very welcoming. I was fortunate that he was my guide my frist day. Thats not alwasy the case in every gym.  I know that if I’d had a different experience, I’d still be where I am, because I was set to my task. That said, I am very appreciative for having that experience. In the movie, the “new guy” wasn’t welcomed with open arms. Not by the team, not by their leader. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but he is coming into a group that fought and bled together. They have shared experiences and time that can’t be easily replicated, and possibly never will be. This is where those parellels started to jump out at me.

 

There is a quote by Jim Rohn. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. You take a group of people, that have sparred with each other, traveled with each other, been through all the highs and lows of Winning and Losing, you will see a little of each of them in each person. They move the same way, talk the same way, find the same things funny, they become a unit. So adding someone new into the mix won’t be an overnight process. This is where tough skin, and being mentally tough comes into play. Understanding that you need to put the time in, and that it’s not that they don’t like you. It may seem like that sometimes, but thats not usually the case (unless your just an asshole) From the time they spend together they develop those similarities and bond that you won’t understand until you’re in it. What is also tough for the new guy/girl to realize also is that many have come and gone. So although it’s not as drastic as War, where soldiers have seen other soldiers come, and die, all fight teams have had hopeful new member that start off with promise, yet eventually fade out. It’s just the nature of the game. So without realizing it, that core group will begin to put up a barrier, and not get attached to people as quickly. It’s human nature.

 

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Also it’s important to take into account the “Rookie” stage. In pretty much anything you do in life you will need to get through this. Embrace it, understand that it’s going to be one of the toughest parts of your journey, but that it will also shape you for years to come. How you chose to navigate it could put you on a path to success, or send you in the complete opposite direction. Swallow your pride, take your licks, and press on. We have all at one point been the Rookie. It’s a right of passage. I’d reccomend keeping a journal. Document those moments. Having a real reminder of where you came from can ground you out when you need it. One day when you are the vet, that journal maybe helpul to a new Rookie.

 

Hang In There Rookie

Hang In There Rookie

 

A lot of this process falls to the leader. There maybe times where the Leader/Coach has become jaded the same as the Team. As I said people come and go. A coaches time is valuable. Accepting the time they offer is a contract. They give you their time and knowledge, YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH IT!! Even if you never become a Professional Fighter, if you desire to be a member of the Fight Team you need to be willing to commit to it. With that commitment comes the responsibilty of also being there for your teammates. They need you at practice, they need you at the fights. Keep in mind, we are talking about being a Member of the Elite Group of the gym. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a casual member, the majority of people who train are, but once you have taken this step you should be sure you are truly prepared for what is required on your end. There’s no such thing as being a part time Fight Team Member. That does you and your Teammates no good. Another favorite quote of mine is “There is no standing still, you are either moving towards your goals, or away from them”. Let that sink in. The time you decide you have other things that come before the team and your training will set you back tremendously. It also creates a terrible cycle, you will take your break, come back, notice everyone has gotten better and is now a step a head, and some will stick it out for a bit. They start to feel like they are catching back up, then something else comes a long and pulls them out. Now you fall even further behind. Guys/Girls you started with now have fights under their belt. Eventually these types will lose their fire, mostly because they come back in and try to jump back into sparring and working with the Fight Team, then get a dose of how far behind they have fallen. If the team has a solid Leader/Coach, they will know how to guide you through all these things, and at what pace more importatntly. They have done it before, so listen to them, trust that they have your best interests at heart and follow their lead.

 

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

 

So take all this into account. Keep in mind that just because you join a gym with a Fight Team, doesn’t mean that has to be your path. If you train for fun or to get into shape, the majority of the classes are taylored towards you. You are an important part of the culture. If the Fight Team is something you thibk you want to be a part of, make sure you REALLY want it, and understand that giving your commitment to them, earns their commitment to you. I can personally tell you that I can’t imagine what my life would be without my Team. They are my family, I love them with all my heart, and I know they feel the same. If I was every in trouble I know I could count on them, and they know they can count on me. That bond is something special you won’t find many other places in life.

 

Coach Jason.