People come to Muay Thai for a lot of reasons, and "I want to get in shape" is the most common one. The good news is that you do not need a separate gym membership to get there.
A hard Muay Thai class is interval training with a skill attached: short bursts of work, short rests, repeated for an hour.
Why it works
You alternate between effort and recovery, which is what makes the hour pass quickly and keeps your heart rate moving. You also spend the hour on your feet, rotating, bracing and balancing — the unglamorous strength that carries over into everything else.
- Hip and core strength from kicking.
- Balance and posture.
- Serious conditioning from pad rounds.
How to build the habit
Two classes a week, consistently, beats five classes in one week and nothing for a month. Put the classes in your calendar, keep a water bottle in your bag, and treat the first month as practice for showing up rather than a performance.
Fall training notes
Fall is the busiest season for new members — schools restart, work routines settle and people finally book the class they have been thinking about all summer.
- Book your classes for the week on Sunday night, not on the day.
- Warm up for two extra minutes if you have been sitting at a desk all day.
- Keep one rest day after your hardest session — recovery is part of the programme.
Common mistakes we see every week
- Kicking with the leg, not the hip. Kicks come from rotation. If your hip does not turn, your shin will do all the work — and it will let you know.
- Dropping the hands when kicking. A kick is a trade. Leave the guard up or you will get countered in sparring.
- Ignoring the teep. It is the simplest, most useful technique in the sport. Beginners skip it because it looks basic.
- Death-gripping the pads. Hold your hands up and let the pad absorb the shot.
A drill you can try between classes
Fifty-teep finisher. You do not need a partner or a bag for most of this, and it takes about fifteen minutes:
- Ten teeps on each leg, focusing on the hip turn.
- Twenty roundhouses on the bag at 60% power, ten each side.
- Ten slow checked kicks, alternating sides.
- Finish with one minute of shadow boxing, hands up the whole time.
Training at ARC MMA in Toronto
We run Muay Thai classes at 382 Yonge St in downtown Toronto, two minutes from College Station. Classes are capped at 20 people, coached from start to finish, and open to complete beginners. If you want to see whether it fits, book a free 1-on-1 trial — you will get a coach, a pair of loaner gloves and no sales pitch.
You can see the full timetable on the classes and pricing page, meet the coaches on the trainers page, and check upcoming seminars on the events page.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does a class burn?
Roughly 500–800 for an hour of honest work, depending on your size and effort. Treat any exact number as an estimate.
Will I lose weight?
Training helps, but food does most of the work. Coaches will happily point you in the right direction without selling you a diet.
Is it good cardio?
Yes, if you keep moving between drills instead of standing and chatting.
Written by the coaching team at ARC MMA. Questions about this guide? Send us a message or call (416) 450-8020.
Related reading
- How Progress Works in Muay Thai — October 2026 — How progress really works in Muay Thai: the four stages, how coaches assess them, and why the plateau around m.
- What Gear You Actually Need for Muay Thai — October 2026 — What gear you actually need for Muay Thai and what can wait — a no-pressure buying guide from the coaches at A.
- Is Muay Thai Safe? Questions Worth Asking Before You Start — October 2026 — Is Muay Thai safe for a complete beginner? A straight answer from ARC MMA coaches in Toronto, plus the questio.
Where to go next
Have a look at classes and pricing or book a free trial if you want to try a session. For a wider view of the discipline, ONE Championship is worth following: ONE Championship.
