The question of whether martial arts training can replace conventional gym workouts has been debated for decades. The most straightforward answer to that question is: it depends. Some martial artists swear you don’t need a gym membership, while others believe it’s silly to cut out all other forms of exercise completely. While martial arts training helps with muscle strength and endurance, that’s not its intended purpose.

The reality is that it’s your fitness goals that determine if martial arts training alone is adequate. This article will explore how martial arts training impacts your body so you can figure out if it’s enough to reach your goals.

Breaking Down How Martial Arts Training Impacts Different Training Goals

Let’s discuss how martial arts training impacts specific training goals:

1) Cardio: Forget The Treadmill

Martial arts training burns more calories than running, challenges both body and mind, and keeps workouts exciting by constantly teaching you new skills.

If your workout routine consists of little more than running on a treadmill a few times a week, martial arts training will give you all the benefits you get from running and much more.

For starters, spending an hour in a martial arts class is a lot more fun than running for the same amount of time. Activities like running quickly become monotonous, and you’ll need lots of willpower to stick to your routine.

In contrast, martial arts training never feels boring. Classes typically involve breakdowns of two or three techniques, so you’re regularly learning new things whenever you show up for classes. Each class is unique in some way, so training becomes something you look forward to as you wonder what you’re going to learn next.

Martial arts training also gives you more value for your time than running. An hour spent training styles like Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour, while running only burns about 400 calories. Swap your running sessions for martial arts classes if you don’t have much free time for fitness. You’ll get more done in less time.

Your heart and lungs aren’t the only vital organs that are pushed to their limits when training in martial arts. Your brain gets a decent workout as you react, strategize, and learn new techniques. You also get to develop other attributes like improved focus, discipline, and problem-solving abilities.

HIIT-style workouts deliver similar benefits to martial arts training. You can mix up circuits anyhow you want, and the calorie burn is comparable. However, you miss out on benefits like learning fighting techniques, improved hand-eye coordination, and increased flexibility.

2) Strength: Yes, You’ll Get Strong—Just Maybe Not Gym Strong

Martial arts training builds functional strength, tones your muscles, and boosts core power—but pair it with weight training if you’re chasing serious size gains.

Martial arts training won’t give you muscles like The Rock, but it will make your muscles stronger, more toned, and bigger. The strength gains you get from martial arts training will carry over into anything else you do. Activities like carrying grocery bags upstairs will feel much easier once you start martial arts training.

Martial arts training will make your muscles bigger, stronger, and more explosive, but it’s not as effective as resistance training. You’ll need an appropriate weightlifting routine to grow serious muscles. The only muscles in your body that martial arts training is more effective at building are your core muscles, since they’re engaged when performing most techniques.

Martial arts will help you develop an athletic, muscular physique, but you won’t get the same size gains as people with a bodybuilding approach. Martial arts training varies from class to class, so the many muscles in your body aren’t getting the same level of stimulation every training session. Pair martial arts training with an appropriate weight training routine, and it won’t take long for you to develop your dream physique. Grappling-based martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling are particularly known to build unmatched functional strength.

3) Fat Loss: Sweat More, Stress Less

Martial arts torches up to 1,000 calories per hour, boosts post-workout burn, and makes weight loss feel fun—not forced.

Remember what we talked about earlier? Martial arts like Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, and BJJ burn up to 1,000 calories for every hour spent on the mat. That’s significantly more calories burned than conventional exercises like spinning, swimming, or running.

Martial arts training also triggers the afterburn effect, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which leads to your body burning more calories long after you’ve left the gym.

The calorie burn you get from martial arts training is often enough for most people to reach their weight loss goals if they train three to five times weekly. Reduce your consumption of carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, and you’ll have a six-pack in no time.

The best part of the calorie burn you get from martial arts training is that it doesn’t feel like you’re working as hard as you are. You’re too busy learning new techniques and sharing laughs with training partners. You’ll never dread showing up for training sessions; the time you spend at the dojo will become your favorite part of the day.

4) Mobility: Become A Real-Life Contortionist (Sort Of)

Martial arts is a fun, effective way to boost mobility, balance, and coordination—without the boredom of traditional workouts.

Martial arts training might be what you need if improving your mobility is your main fitness goal. Martial arts training improves your coordination, flexibility, and balance, allowing you to move more easily.

Learning a martial art will improve your overall athleticism, allowing you to enjoy a wider range of physical activities. It’s an effective way for seniors to fight off the reduced mobility that comes with aging.

Conventional exercises like calisthenics and plyometric can also help to boost mobility, but it’s a lot easier to get bored with them.

The Verdict: Should You Ditch The Gym?

Figuring out if you should ditch the gym comes down to your main fitness goals. If you only have a few free hours to dedicate to training week and your main fitness goal is weight loss, more toned muscles, improved mobility, or improved cardiovascular endurance, martial arts training is enough on its own.

However, you shouldn’t throw out conventional exercises if your main fitness goal is to build muscle mass or explosive power. Conventional weightlifting exercises remain the most effective way to do that.

You may also like: 

Why Every BJJ Beginner Feels Lost At First (And Why That’s A Good Sign)