Best Upper Body Exercises for Muay Thai: What Helps and What Wastes Time

Written by Tomasz Antczak · Published April 23, 2026 · Updated September 26, 2026

A practical guide to upper body training for Muay Thai, including pull-ups, rows, push-ups, pressing, carries, medicine-ball work, shoulder-support exercises, programming and common mistakes.

A lot of people training Muay Thai make one of two mistakes with upper-body gym work.

The first is doing almost none because they assume pads, bag work, clinch and sparring already cover everything.

The second is going too far the other way and building a bodybuilding-style upper-body programme full of pressing, shoulder fatigue and unnecessary volume.

Neither approach is particularly useful.

Upper-body strength can support Muay Thai by improving general strength, pulling ability, trunk control, posture and the physical capacity to tolerate training.

But the gym still has to fit around the sport.

The goal is not to build the biggest possible bench press.

The goal is not to chase a chest and arm pump before every pad session.

The goal is to build useful strength without creating so much fatigue that your actual Muay Thai gets worse.

For most fighters, that means keeping the programme relatively simple:

• pull
• press
• support the shoulders and upper back
• train the trunk
• include a small amount of explosive work
• control the total volume

What should upper-body training do for Muay Thai?

Upper-body strength training should support qualities such as:

• general pulling strength
• pressing strength
• upper-back capacity
• trunk control
• grip
• shoulder strength through tolerable ranges
• posture under load
• power production
• physical robustness

It should not be expected to replace:

• punching technique
• timing
• distance
• defence
• clinch skill
• pad work
• sparring

A stronger athlete is not automatically a better fighter.

Strength is one physical quality that can support the technical qualities developed through Muay Thai practice.

Research across combat sports supports structured strength training as a useful way to improve measures such as maximal strength and muscular power, although the available research is not specifically a ranking of exercises for Muay Thai.

That means we should use the evidence for the broad principle — strength training can be useful — without pretending science has identified one perfect set of Muay Thai gym exercises.

For the broader strength programme, read Strength Training for Muay Thai: Best Exercises and What to Skip.

The best upper-body exercises for Muay Thai

There is no single mandatory exercise.

The best choices are usually movements that:

• can be progressed
• feel good on your joints
• train a useful movement pattern
• have a reasonable recovery cost
• fit your available equipment
• do not consistently interfere with Muay Thai

Here are the main options.

1. Pull-ups and chin-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are excellent compound pulling exercises when you can perform them comfortably.

They train:

• lats
• upper back
• elbow flexors
• grip
• trunk control

They are also easy to progress.

You can use:

• assisted pull-ups
• bodyweight pull-ups
• neutral-grip pull-ups
• chin-ups
• weighted pull-ups

depending on your level.

If you cannot yet perform clean bodyweight repetitions, assisted pull-ups or lat pulldowns are perfectly useful alternatives.

The goal is to build pulling strength.

Not to prove that you can perform one particular exercise.

A simple starting range might be:

3 sets of 5–10 reps

Adjust according to your level.

For a more detailed progression, read Pull-Ups for Muay Thai.

2. Rows

Rows should have a place in most fighter strength programmes.

Useful options include:

• chest-supported rows
• one-arm dumbbell rows
• cable rows
• machine rows
• seal rows
• barbell rows

Rows train the upper back and give you another major pulling pattern alongside vertical pulls.

Chest-supported and cable variations can be especially convenient when you want upper-body work without adding unnecessary lower-back fatigue.

A practical rep range is:

2–4 sets of 6–12 reps

Choose a variation that lets you train the target muscles cleanly and consistently.

3. Push-ups

Push-ups are easy to underestimate because they look basic.

That is not a reason to ignore them.

They train pressing together with whole-body tension and scapular movement.

Useful variations include:

• standard push-ups
• paused push-ups
• tempo push-ups
• weighted push-ups
• ring push-ups if you tolerate them well
• explosive push-ups for power work

If standard push-ups become too easy, add difficulty instead of simply performing endless repetitions.

You could use:

• a weight vest
• a plate or load placed safely across the upper back
• resistance bands
• harder variations

Push-ups are particularly useful because they are easy to programme without turning the entire gym session into a pressing event.

4. Dumbbell bench press

Dumbbell bench pressing is a practical horizontal pressing option.

It can be easier for some athletes to adjust hand position and arm path compared with a fixed barbell grip.

That does not automatically make dumbbells superior.

If barbell bench press feels good and fits your programme, you can use it.

If dumbbells feel better, use dumbbells.

The exercise is a tool.

A sensible range might be:

2–3 sets of 5–10 reps

There is little reason for a recreational Muay Thai athlete to turn every pressing session into a maximal bench-press test.

5. Landmine press

The landmine press is another useful pressing variation.

It places the arm on an angled path rather than directly vertical or horizontal.

Some athletes find that position comfortable when high volumes of overhead or bench pressing do not suit them.

Options include:

• two-arm landmine press
• one-arm landmine press
• half-kneeling landmine press
• standing landmine press

The one-arm versions also require the trunk to manage force while the upper body presses.

That makes the movement useful without pretending it is a direct simulation of a punch.

It is still a gym exercise.

6. Overhead press

Overhead pressing is not automatically bad for fighters.

It is also not mandatory.

If you have comfortable overhead range and tolerate the exercise well, variations such as:

• dumbbell overhead press
• barbell overhead press
• machine press

can build useful pressing strength.

The important issue is total workload.

If you already have:

• several Muay Thai sessions
• lots of punching
• push-ups
• horizontal pressing

then adding large amounts of overhead pressing may simply be unnecessary.

Use enough to produce adaptation.

Not every available pressing pattern needs to be trained heavily in the same week.

7. Face pulls and rear-delt work

Face pulls, reverse flyes and similar exercises are accessory work.

They are not magic shoulder-protection exercises.

But they can be useful for adding low-cost volume to:

• rear delts
• upper back
• external-rotation-related musculature
• scapular movement

Good options include:

• cable face pulls
• reverse pec-deck
• rear-delt raises
• cable rear-delt flyes

Keep them controlled.

You do not need to turn them into maximal strength exercises.

For more specific shoulder mobility work, see Shoulder Mobility for Fighters.

8. Farmer carries and suitcase carries

Carries are simple and useful.

They can train:

• grip
• trunk stiffness
• posture
• shoulder-girdle loading
• walking under external load

Useful options include:

Farmer carry

Load in both hands.

Suitcase carry

Load in one hand.

The unilateral version gives the trunk a greater anti-lateral-flexion challenge.

Front-rack carry

Load held higher in front of the body.

Carries do not need to become a conditioning competition.

For strength-focused work, keep the distance manageable and maintain good posture.

For example:

2–4 carries of roughly 20–40 metres

9. Medicine-ball throws

Medicine-ball throws are more about power than maximal strength.

Useful variations include:

• chest passes
• rotational wall throws
• scoop throws
• overhead throws

The aim is to move explosively.

That means low repetitions and good rest usually make more sense than trying to perform a huge number of throws while exhausted.

A simple structure could be:

3–5 sets of 3–5 explosive reps

For rotational exercises, perform the work on both sides as appropriate.

Medicine-ball throws are not a substitute for punching practice.

They are general power exercises.

Your coach, pads, bag and sparring teach you how to apply force through Muay Thai technique.

10. Explosive push-ups

Explosive push-ups can be another simple upper-body power option.

Examples include:

• fast push-ups
• hands-leaving-floor push-ups
• clap push-ups for athletes who already have the control and strength

Keep repetitions low enough that the movement remains explosive.

For example:

3–4 sets of 3–5 reps

Once the speed clearly drops, the exercise is no longer doing the same job.

Do not turn power work into conditioning.

11. Dips

Dips can work well for some people.

For others, they are uncomfortable.

There is no reason to treat them as either mandatory or forbidden.

Use them if:

• you have comfortable range
• they do not irritate the shoulders
• they fit your total pressing volume

Skip or modify them if they repeatedly cause pain.

You have plenty of other pressing choices.

12. Direct arm work

Curls and triceps work are allowed.

There is no rule saying fighters are banned from training their arms.

A small amount of direct work can be useful if you want:

• additional elbow-flexor work
• additional triceps work
• extra muscle
• some local tissue capacity

Examples:

• dumbbell curls
• hammer curls
• cable curls
• cable pressdowns
• overhead triceps extensions if comfortable

The key is proportion.

If half of your upper-body programme is curls and pressdowns, you have probably lost sight of the main goal.

What about pressing vs pulling volume?

You will often hear rules such as:

Do twice as much pulling as pushing.

There is no universal scientific ratio every fighter has to follow.

But there is a sensible programming idea behind the advice.

Muay Thai already involves a lot of repeated upper-body striking activity.

Your gym programme does not need to add huge amounts of pressing on top of that while barely training the upper back.

A practical approach is to make sure the week includes substantial pulling work through exercises such as:

• pull-ups
• pulldowns
• rows
• rear-delt work

You can still press.

Just avoid building the entire programme around pressing.

Instead of obsessing over a mathematical ratio, ask:

• Am I training both horizontal and vertical pulling?
• Is pressing volume dominating the gym programme?
• Are my shoulders tolerating the total workload?
• Is upper-body gym work affecting punching quality?

Those questions are more useful than trying to hit an arbitrary ratio.

What upper-body exercises waste time?

Very few exercises are universally useless.

The bigger problem is usually how they are programmed.

Here are the situations that most often create poor return for a Muay Thai athlete.

1. Excessive pressing volume

A session might include:

• bench press
• incline bench press
• overhead press
• dips
• machine chest press
• push-ups
• triceps work

All performed hard.

That may be fine in a bodybuilding programme where chest and pressing development are major goals.

But when you also train Muay Thai several times per week, the recovery cost may not be worth it.

Choose one or two main pressing movements.

You do not need all of them.

2. Turning bench press into the main sport

Barbell bench press is a useful strength exercise.

It is not a Muay Thai performance test.

Chasing the biggest possible bench can become a side project that consumes:

• training time
• recovery
• shoulder tolerance
• programme space

Use bench press if it serves the programme.

Do not build the programme around it just because it is easy to measure.

3. Too much bodybuilding volume

Hypertrophy is not bad.

Muscle can be useful.

The problem is importing a high-volume bodybuilding split into an already demanding Muay Thai schedule.

For example:

Monday

Chest

Tuesday

Back

Wednesday

Shoulders

Thursday

Arms

plus multiple Muay Thai sessions.

That quickly becomes a lot of total training.

A fighter programme usually benefits from combining movements into compact full-body sessions instead.

For weekly structure, use Muay Thai Workout Plan: How to Build a Weekly Gym Program Without Ruining Your Fight Training.

4. Training every set to failure

You do not need to reach muscular failure constantly to gain strength.

Research examining resistance-training proximity to failure suggests that strength gains do not require every set to be taken all the way to failure, while acute fatigue tends to increase as sets are performed closer to failure.

That matters when you also need to:

• hit pads
• spar
• clinch
• train again tomorrow

For most compound upper-body work, leaving a few clean repetitions available is often a practical choice.

A useful default might be:

around 1–3 reps in reserve

That is a programming guideline, not a law.

5. Performing power work when exhausted

Medicine-ball throws and explosive push-ups should look explosive.

If you perform them after:

• a huge strength session
• failure training
• a long conditioning circuit

then movement speed may already be poor.

Power work generally makes more sense earlier in the session while you are still able to produce fast, high-quality reps.

6. Using unstable exercises because they look athletic

A normal strength movement does not become more useful just because you perform it on:

• a balance ball
• an unstable board
• one foot for no clear reason

Muay Thai balance should mainly be developed through Muay Thai.

For strength work, stable positions usually allow you to produce and control force more effectively.

There can be reasons to use instability during rehabilitation or specific balance training.

That is different from making every press and row unnecessarily unstable.

7. Copying a punch with resistance

Exercises such as heavily resisted band punches can look very sport-specific.

But looking like Muay Thai is not automatically the same as transferring well to Muay Thai.

If too much resistance changes:

• speed
• coordination
• mechanics
• timing

you may simply be practising a different movement.

Use the gym for general physical qualities.

Use actual Muay Thai for actual punching.

8. Training through shoulder pain

An exercise is not mandatory because somebody online called it essential.

If a pressing or pulling movement repeatedly causes pain:

• check your technique
• adjust range
• reduce load
• try another grip
• change the exercise
• seek professional assessment if symptoms persist

There are many ways to train an upper-body movement pattern.

Do not force one particular exercise.

A simple upper-body session for Muay Thai

You do not need ten or twelve exercises.

Here is a practical example.

1. Medicine-ball rotational throw

3 × 3 per side

Fast, clean reps.

2. Pull-ups or lat pulldown

3 × 5–10

3. Dumbbell bench press or landmine press

3 × 5–8

4. Chest-supported row

3 × 8–12

5. Face pull or rear-delt raise

2 × 10–15

6. Farmer carry

3 controlled carries

Optional:

7. Curl or triceps exercise

1–2 sets

That is already plenty of useful work.

You could also distribute these exercises across two full-body sessions rather than having a separate upper-body day.

For most people combining strength training with Muay Thai, that is often easier to recover from.

Example across two full-body gym sessions

Gym Session A

• Medicine-ball throw
• squat variation
• pull-ups
• dumbbell bench press
• Romanian deadlift
• trunk exercise

Gym Session B

• explosive push-up
• trap bar deadlift or other lower-body strength movement
• chest-supported row
• landmine press
• split squat
• farmer carry

This structure keeps upper-body training inside a broader strength programme rather than requiring another entire gym day.

For a complete template, see Muay Thai Strength Training Program: 2 Days per Week.

How often should you train upper body?

For many people doing regular Muay Thai:

1–2 exposures per week is enough.

That does not necessarily mean one or two dedicated upper-body days.

A full-body programme might train:

• one press
• one pull

in each gym session.

That already gives you two exposures.

Your ideal amount depends on:

• Muay Thai frequency
• gym volume
• sparring
• clinch intensity
• experience
• sleep
• work and life stress
• recovery between sessions

If your shoulders and arms constantly feel tired during Muay Thai, adding more upper-body work is probably not the first solution.

How hard should you train?

Strength work needs effort.

But every session does not need to become a test.

For most main lifts:

• use clean repetitions
• stop before technique breaks down
• keep some repetitions in reserve
• progress gradually

For explosive work:

• keep repetitions low
• rest enough to maintain speed
• stop when quality clearly falls

For accessories:

• use controlled repetitions
• avoid adding endless sets just for a pump

The goal is repeatable training.

When should you place upper-body training?

Think about the next Muay Thai session.

If tomorrow is:

• hard sparring
• heavy clinch
• important pad work

then a huge upper-body session tonight may be poorly timed.

You do not necessarily need to avoid all strength training before Muay Thai.

But the harder and higher-volume the gym session becomes, the more likely it is to affect subsequent training.

If you need to train both on the same day, decide which session has priority.

If Muay Thai matters more that day, do the skill session while fresher when possible and keep the gym work controlled.

For same-day training, read Two Workouts a Day: Simple Hydration and Recovery Plan.

Upper-body training and clinch work

Clinch training can create a lot of fatigue through:

• upper back
• shoulders
• arms
• grip
• neck

That matters when programming the gym.

If your Muay Thai week already contains demanding clinch sessions, you may need less additional upper-body volume.

For example, a week with hard clinch might not be the best time to add:

• very high pull-up volume
• heavy rows to failure
• large amounts of grip work
• excessive carries

Gym programming should respond to what is happening in sport practice.

Not exist independently from it.

What about punching power?

Punching power is not created by one upper-body exercise.

A punch is a coordinated whole-body action involving:

• technique
• timing
• lower-body force
• rotation
• trunk transfer
• upper-body contribution
• speed

That is why simply bench pressing more does not create a predictable increase in punching power.

General strength can contribute to an athlete’s physical capacity.

But actual striking power still has to be developed and expressed through sport-specific technique.

If you want more emphasis on trunk training, read Core Training for Fighters.

What if your shoulders always feel tight?

Do not immediately assume you need twenty more mobility exercises.

First look at your total workload.

Ask:

• How many striking sessions am I doing?
• How much pressing am I doing?
• Am I doing enough pulling?
• Am I taking every press to failure?
• Did I suddenly add more volume?
• Does one specific exercise irritate the shoulder?
• Is pain actually present rather than simple stiffness?

Useful changes may include:

• reducing pressing volume
• changing exercise variation
• adding more manageable pulling work
• keeping accessory work controlled
• moving a gym session away from hard pads or sparring

For mobility work, use Shoulder Mobility for Fighters.

Persistent pain, weakness or loss of normal movement should be assessed rather than treated as a normal training inconvenience.

Common mistake: assuming soreness means the session worked

A fighter strength session does not need to produce severe soreness.

If upper-body DOMS makes it difficult to:

• keep your guard up
• punch smoothly
• clinch
• perform normal pad work

then the gym session probably cost too much.

Reduce:

• total sets
• exercise novelty
• eccentric overload
• failure training

The goal is progress you can repeat.

Not maximum soreness.

Common mistake: changing exercises every week

Pull-ups this week.

TRX rows next week.

A complicated machine the week after.

Then a social-media exercise that supposedly makes punches faster.

Constant variation makes progression harder to measure.

Pick a few reliable exercises.

Keep them long enough to improve.

Change them when there is a reason.

Common mistake: trying to train everything at once

One upper-body session does not need:

• maximal strength
• hypertrophy
• endurance
• power
• grip
• shoulders
• arms
• conditioning

all at maximum volume.

Prioritise.

A small amount of good work performed consistently beats a giant session that ruins the next two days.

FAQ

What are the best upper-body exercises for Muay Thai?

A strong basic selection includes:

• pull-ups or pulldowns
• rows
• push-ups
• dumbbell or landmine pressing
• rear-delt or upper-back accessory work
• carries
• a small amount of medicine-ball or explosive push-up work

You do not need all of them in every session.

Should Muay Thai fighters bench press?

You can.

Barbell bench press is not mandatory and is not automatically bad.

Use it if you tolerate it well and it fits your total pressing volume.

Dumbbell pressing, push-ups and landmine pressing are valid alternatives.

Are pull-ups good for Muay Thai?

Yes.

They are a simple compound pulling movement and can be progressed from assisted variations through bodyweight to weighted reps.

Should fighters do more pulling than pushing?

There is no evidence-based universal ratio.

The useful principle is to make sure your programme contains enough pulling and upper-back work rather than allowing pressing to dominate the gym week.

Should fighters train shoulders?

Yes, but “training shoulders” does not mean doing enormous amounts of isolation work.

Pressing, pulling, carries and appropriate accessory work already train the shoulder complex in different ways.

Are dips good for Muay Thai?

They can be.

Use them if they feel good and fit the programme.

If they repeatedly irritate the shoulders, choose another pressing movement.

Should I do arms?

A small amount is fine.

Direct arm training can be included after the main work if you want it and recover from it.

How many upper-body sessions should I do?

For many Muay Thai trainees, one to two upper-body exposures per week is enough.

These can be part of full-body gym sessions rather than separate bodybuilding-style upper-body days.

Should I train to failure?

Not routinely on every set.

You can build strength without taking all compound sets to failure, and closer-to-failure training generally creates more acute fatigue.

Are medicine-ball throws good for punching power?

They can be useful general power exercises.

They do not replace punching practice and should not be presented as a direct shortcut to stronger punches.

What if strength training makes my punches feel slow?

Look first at fatigue.

Reduce:

• gym volume
• pressing volume
• failure training
• poorly timed sessions

and check whether Muay Thai quality improves.

Sources and further reading

The general strength-training recommendations in this guide are informed by research on combat-sport athletes and resistance-training fatigue.

• Cid-Calfucura I et al. Effects of Strength Training on Physical Fitness of Olympic Combat Sports Athletes: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023;20(4):3516. PMID: 36834211.
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36834211/

• Refalo MC et al. Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure, Determined by Repetitions-in-Reserve, on Neuromuscular Fatigue in Resistance-Trained Males and Females. Sports Medicine - Open. 2023. PMID: 36752989.
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36752989/

• Robinson ZP et al. Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions. Sports Medicine. 2024. PMID: 38970765.
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38970765/

The combat-sport literature includes sports such as boxing, judo, karate, wrestling and fencing and is not specific to every Muay Thai training situation.

The exercise list in this article is therefore a practical programme design, not a scientifically proven ranking from first to tenth.

Final takeaway

Good upper-body training for Muay Thai is not complicated.

Build the programme around a small number of useful movements:

• pull-ups or pulldowns
• rows
• push-ups or another press
• shoulder and upper-back accessory work
• carries
• a small amount of explosive work

Keep the volume under control.

Do not let pressing dominate the programme.

Do not turn every set into failure.

And do not judge the gym session by how sore it makes you.

The best upper-body programme is the one that helps you get stronger without making your actual Muay Thai worse.