Tag Archives: muay thai

Muay Thai vs. Capoeira: Choose the Best Martial Art for You

Muay Thai

If you watched The Biggest Loser last season, you may have noticed that the emphasis in the gym was on martial arts. With trainer Cara Castronova‘s background as a 2 time Golden Gloves boxing champion and trainer Brett Hoebel‘s emphasis on Capoeira, as well as many past BL contestants who ha vediscovered a love of Muay Thai boxing, the exercise workouts were definitely not typical. What was the reason that these two completely different forms of martial arts were chosen?

At first glance, these two forms of martial arts have almost nothing in common. Muay Thai is an ancient form of combat fighting that utilizes all of the limbs, plus elbows and knees, in striking. Commonly called The Art of Eight Limbs, this stand up form of martial arts combines elements of boxing as well as stand up clinch techniques, as opposed to boxing which uses two (hands) and other forms of martial arts which utilize four (hands and feet).

Most competitive forms of marital arts place an emphasis on conditioning, and Muay Thai is no exception. Designed to help increase endurance for ring competition, most Muay Thai classes incorporate shadowboxing, jumping rope, running and often weight training. A cornerstone of Muay Thai training is working pad rounds, in which a student works one on one with a coach in hitting specially designed pads, called focus mitts. The focus mitts are created to absorb impact and help a fighter learn to hit correctly without harming their training partner.

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Posted on June 21, 2023 by Carmen

Brett Hoebel is the New Biggest Loser Trainer

Brett Hoebel Fired from Biggest Loser in Week 14

The curiosity has finally been satisfied – Brett Hoebel is the new Biggest Loser trainer. For weeks Biggest Loser fans have been peering at silhouettes and the back side of his head, but now, we can introduce you to him.

Listen now to our exclusive interview to learn more about Brett and his new job as a “Loser” trainer!

Brett is a world renowned fitness expert, named one of the top trainers in New York state and the founder of Hoebel Fitness. He credits his fitness DVD program, RevAbs, a part of the Beachbody Brands which also produces P90X, with helping him finally land the gig, a job he repeatedly refers to as “an honor.” As well, “a lot of hard work and determination” and a chance to teach Jillian Michaels, who is currently in her final season with the show, Capoeira were all part of getting him on the show. His other fitness brand is called reVamp. (more…)

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Natalie K

We Love Fruit 2 Day

This week, we love Fruit 2 Day, a delicious (and nutritious!) real fruit juice – and so much more. What’s not to love about a portion controlled container of real fruit juice and, oddly enough, fruit bits. Seriously. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I will admit I was skeptical – although I love fruit smoothies, I’m not so in love with regular fruit juice and I bought this – somewhat pricey at $3.50 for 2 bottles – with a healthy amount of skepticism. Juice mixed with chunks of fruit sounded a bit odd. I was in for a treat. (more…)

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Carmen

The Benefits of Martial Arts For Kids

There are lots of activities that kids can be involved in. Soccer, swim team, ballet, gymnastics – my kids have done them all. Rarely have they been involved in a sport that I think holds life lasting benefits – until now. About a year ago, my teenage daughter asked if she could join the muay thai classes that her girlfriend was enrolled in, and I agreed. Well, it’s been such a great learning experience for her that I’ve now enrolled two more of my children in classes. They love the instructors, who make every class exciting, and the self-defense that they’ve learned has been amazing. The instructors keep tabs on all of the students, asking about grades and behavior at home and reinforcing the desired behaviors. (more…)

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Carmen

Kickin’ Butt and Takin’ Names with Capoeira

Capoeira is a form of dance-inspired martial arts. (via FortuneCity)

When I realized I had been successful with my weight loss, I knew that the hardest part of the entire endeavor was ahead of me. Losing weight is very hard, but I think that maintenance is even more difficult. I lost weight walking and running, but I knew that I’d need to mix up my exercise choices so that I’d stay interested and off the sofa. While reading an exercise magazine one day, I saw an article discussing Capoeira – a dance form incorporating martial arts elements, originating in Brazil as a system of physical discipline and movement. Having taken years of ballet in the past, I was intrigued. So I looked online, found a studio near me that taught it, and went for a trial class. (more…)

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Carmen

Carmen Staicer’s Weight Loss Success Story

Carmen before and after her 80-pound weight loss.

I’m Carmen, and I’m thrilled to “meet” you! I’m new to DietsInReview, in the position of Chief Mom. I’d like to share my story with you, since, right now, you are probably wondering just who in the heck I am and why do I feel qualified to talk diet/exercise/weight loss/raising a family.

For most of my childhood, I was the skinny one. Now, that doesn’t mean I was thin – just that I was the thinnest one. It helped that I was very serious about my ballet classes, and training for four hours a day, five days a week doesn’t leave you much time to put on weight. Then I got married. Then I had six kids. With each child, I didn’t gain much weight during the pregnancy, but after, I rapidly put on the poundage. Every so often, I’d try to lose weight, and it never worked. I’d end each diet the same – face down in a gallon of ice cream, depressed and disgusted. I just didn’t think I’d ever be able to lose weight and resigned myself to being The Fat Mom. (more…)

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Carmen