A training block is a concentrated stretch of full-time training, usually one to three weeks, that you repeat on a schedule rather than treating as a one-off holiday. Two blocks a year, with consistent training at home in between, produces far more progress than one big trip and then nothing. The trip is not the training. The trip is the accelerator on top of the training.
Plenty of people do one trip, come home fitter than they have ever been, and lose most of it within three months. Then they book another trip eighteen months later and start almost from scratch. That cycle is common and it is avoidable.
This guide is about turning a trip into a structure: how many blocks, when to take them, what to do in between, and what it realistically costs in time and money.
Why Blocks Work Better Than One Big Trip
Skill needs repetition over time, not just volume in a week. Two weeks of daily training builds a lot. Six months of nothing removes most of it. The same two weeks, repeated twice a year with consistent work between, compounds instead of resetting.
You arrive with a base each time. Every block starts from a higher floor than the last. You spend less of each trip getting fit and more of it learning.
It gives the year a shape. Having a block booked changes how you train at home, because there is something to be ready for. That is the same reason people run better when they have a race in the calendar.
Relationships build. By your third visit the coaches know your game, not just your name. Corrections get specific in a way they cannot be for a stranger.
And the honest counterpoint: blocks cost money and leave. If one trip a year is what you can do, one trip a year is a good answer. The framing here is about getting more from whatever you can afford, not about spending more.
What a Year Actually Looks Like
A common and workable shape:
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| Block one | One to two weeks full time. Pick one clear goal. |
| The months after | Train at home two to three times a week. Work the thing you learned. |
| Mid-year check | Honest assessment. Has the block’s goal actually stuck? |
| Block two | One to two weeks full time. New goal, building on the first. |
| The months after | Consolidate. Rest properly at some point in the year. |
Two blocks a year is the sweet spot for most people with jobs. One block plus strong consistency at home also works. Three or more is for people with unusual flexibility, and there are diminishing returns unless the time between is used well.
The between is where it is won or lost. A block is an accelerator. If there is no engine underneath it, accelerating does nothing. Our published guide on staying consistent after you go home is the companion piece to this one and arguably the more important of the two.
Choosing When to Take Your Blocks
Around your work calendar first. The best block is the one you actually take. Fit it to your quiet season rather than to an ideal training calendar.
Consider the weather. November to February is the best weather and the busiest gym. April and May are hot and hard. The shoulder months are the quiet value. Our guide on training in high season and the broader best time of year guide both cover this.
Vary it if you can. One block in a busy month for the energy and the training partners, one in a quiet month for the coaching attention. Two very different experiences of the same gym.
Or fix it and forget it. Some people come the same fortnight every year. The advantage is that it stops being a decision, which means it actually happens. That is a real benefit and it should not be underrated.
Giving Each Block a Different Job
Repeating the same trip four times is not a structure. Give each one a purpose.
A skills block. One narrow technical goal. Clinch, weak side, one grappling position. The most common and most productive type.
A discipline block. Add something new. Wrestling if you strike, striking if you grapple. Our guide on grappling in Phuket is a good starting point if the new thing is grappling.
A conditioning block. Fitness-led rather than skill-led. Useful once a year, and it pairs well with strength work. See our guide on balancing Muay Thai with strength and conditioning.
A reset block. After an injury, a busy work period, or a long stretch of poor training. Lower volume, more technique, more coaching, no ego.
Deciding the job before you book is what stops a block becoming two weeks of turning up. Our guide on planning a second training trip covers how to pick a goal properly.
The Practical Side
Time. Two blocks of ten days each is roughly three weeks of annual leave including travel. For most people that is a large share of the year’s allowance, and it is worth being honest about that before building a plan around it.
Money. Flights are usually the biggest line, not training. Training and accommodation costs are on the pricing page, and for a realistic full budget see our guide on what it costs to train in Phuket. Prices change, so use the live page rather than anything quoted in an article, including this one, which is dated September 2026.
Booking rhythm. Book the next block before you leave the current one, or at least pencil the window. It is the same principle as booking your next dentist appointment on the way out: the decision gets made while you still care about it.
Recovery. Two intense blocks plus consistent home training is a real annual load. Plan a genuinely easy fortnight somewhere in the year. Our guide on avoiding common injuries is relevant well beyond the beginner stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many training blocks a year is realistic?
Two is the sweet spot for most people with full-time work. One block plus consistent training at home also works well. More than three has diminishing returns unless the time between is used properly.
How long should a training block be?
One to two weeks. Two weeks is where a specific goal becomes achievable, because the second week is when things start to stick.
Is it better to do one long trip or two shorter ones?
Two shorter ones, for most people. Progress compounds when you return with a base, and the gap gives you time to work on what you learned.
What should I do between blocks?
Train two to three times a week at home on the specific thing your last block gave you. The block is an accelerator, and it needs an engine underneath it.
Do I need to train the same discipline every block?
No, and varying it is often better. Just do not split a single short block across two disciplines and expect progress in either.
When should I book the next one?
Before you leave the current one, or shortly after. The decision is easiest to make while the training is still fresh.
Make It a Structure, Not a One-Off
The people who improve year on year are not the ones who train hardest on a trip. They are the ones who came back, with a plan, having kept something going in between.
Have a look at the packages page to work out what a repeatable block costs you, and the full class list if you are deciding what the next block’s job should be. When you have a window, book your next block here.
