Can you get fit to fight in 3 weeks?

[Reala]

My fitness is pretty good anyway but got a call asking if I could fight in 3 weeks... usually I spend about 6 weeks preparing for a fight.

So my question to you guys is, can a fighter increase his fitness in 3 weeks and if so how:

Today - May 11th
Fight - June 01st

 

[Derek McConnell]

Is any advice anyone gives you going to change your mind?

 

[Curtis Gibbs]

Of course you can. Depends on how hard you work.
When I had to prepare for a 1.5 weeks before the fight I did 5x600 meters with 1 min breaks inbetween, wait about 10 minutes 1x3 miles at 6:30 am - boxing training 5 nights a week 3 nights sparring a week.

-Run every morning atleast 5 times a week
- Burpee complexes
-Knee tuck jumps tabata intervals(all the way not the half way ones. make your knees touch your chest with just using your legs, and explode)
-Hurdles ( I did 8 Hurdles, sprint the remainder of the gym in a circular motion then 8 Hurdles for again, for 2 minutes straight 30 sec break)
Just anything very intense.
Try Density work for 2-3 minute rounds

 

[krellik]

Effectively you got 2 weeks, got to taper...

Do you feel 2 weeks out of a fight ready?
How important is it for you, can you loose and see it as a learning experience?

 

[Reala]

It's not my first fight, it is my 9th fight... and yes if I lose I'll take the positives from it

Thanks Curtis, anyone else?

 

[Dustin Ashford]

id focus mainly on running ... 2 x per day if possible .... sprints / skipping .... lots of sparring rounds .... i find running gives the fastest results when it comes to cardio ...

 

[paolo27th]

With 3 weeks out I`d say go to the gym, put your protections on and spar hard for the lenght of the fight and see how that goes. IMHO there`s no point going crazy for 3 weeks. If you are not in a decent shape now you`ll never make it.
Then if you decide to take it I`d say forget about GPP. Get on the mats and roll/spar/hit the bag & pads like a MOFO.

 

[Fozzy1]

I agree with Curtis, HIIT stuff will be the most beneficial for a fight at this point 3 weeks out. Not only running sprints, but maybe even Barbell complexes, other weight bearing exercises that you can do to some sort of lactic acid buildup, will help in your over all conditioning. Remember it's not only your lung capacity, it's the muscle endurance that you'll need for the fight.

But you can get alot of that from the skill training I am sure you do, and would know about from 8 previous fights.

Good luck

~Foz

 

[EZA]

With only 3 weeks out from a fight you are essentially wasting your time and energy by doing a bunch of non specific conditioning exercises like sprints and strength work and intervals and such. These things help develop your energy systems, but you do not have enough time for any real development.

Fight specific conditioning transfers your level of development into the needs of your fight and that's all you have time for at this point. Virtually 90% of your conditioning should be specific to your fight. That means you should be using MMA specific drills and sparring for conditioning, period. You should strive to match the work rate, rest intervals, and total duration of the fight you're going to be in. This is how your body learns to most effectively use the energy production you are capable of within the context of a fight.

Listen to Paolo and get in the gym and do nothing but drilling and sparring over the next 3 weeks. Start by doing the full number of rounds with the right rest intervals but keep your pace lower so you can finish it all. Then gradually start picking up the pace and increasing it over the next three weeks until it's time to fight.

Going out and putting a bunch of energy into general conditioning drills is the wrong way to go.

 

[paolo27th]

With only 3 weeks out from a fight you are essentially wasting your time and energy by doing a bunch of non specific conditioning exercises like sprints and strength work and intervals and such. These things help develop your energy systems, but you do not have enough time for any real development.

Fight specific conditioning transfers your level of development into the needs of your fight and that's all you have time for at this point. Virtually 90% of your conditioning should be specific to your fight. That means you should be using MMA specific drills and sparring for conditioning, period. You should strive to match the work rate, rest intervals, and total duration of the fight you're going to be in. This is how your body learns to most effectively use the energy production you are capable of within the context of a fight.

Listen to Paolo and get in the gym and do nothing but drilling and sparring over the next 3 weeks. Start by doing the full number of rounds with the right rest intervals but keep your pace lower so you can finish it all. Then gradually start picking up the pace and increasing it over the next three weeks until it's time to fight.

Going out and putting a bunch of energy into general conditioning drills is the wrong way to go.

I see you are learning well my friend!

 

[Reala]

Should have mentioned before that it is Thai, so not quite as bad as if it was an MMA fight because it is 5 x 2 minute rounds (not 3 x 5 minute rounds).

What do you guys think of something like Mon-Sat:

Morning:
Week 1 & 2 - 5 x 2 minutes - Kicks & Knees on Bag
Week 1 & 2 - 5 x 2 minutes - Boxing on Bag
Week 3 (Mon-Thurs) - 5 x 2 minutes Kicks & Punches
Mon, Wed, Fri 15 minute - Inclince Run,
Tue, Thur, Sat - 5 x 400m sprint

Evening:
1 Hour Technique Work
Shadow Boxing with weights 6 x 2 minute Rounds (5ib, 2.5ib, 0ib, 5ib, 2.5ib, 0ib)
Sparing 5 x 2 minute rounds
Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
(Maybe a circuit / complex here... any recommendations?)

 

[paolo27th]

Should have mentioned before that it is Thai, so not quite as bad as if it was an MMA fight because it is 5 x 2 minute rounds (not 3 x 5 minute rounds).

What do you guys think of something like Mon-Sat:

Morning:
Week 1 & 2 - 5 x 2 minutes - Kicks & Knees on Bag
Week 1 & 2 - 5 x 2 minutes - Boxing on Bag
Week 3 (Mon-Thurs) - 5 x 2 minutes Kicks & Punches
Mon, Wed, Fri 15 minute - Inclince Run,
Tue, Thur, Sat - 5 x 400m sprint

Evening:
1 Hour Technique Work
Shadow Boxing with weights 6 x 2 minute Rounds (5ib, 2.5ib, 0ib, 5ib, 2.5ib, 0ib)
Sparing 5 x 2 minute rounds
Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
(Maybe a circuit / complex here... any recommendations?)

I`d probably do something like this. Not saying that you should it this way, just how I would organise myself.

Week 1:

Morning:
Mon: -5x400m Sprints
Wed: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (punches, kicks, knees... the whole 9 plus movement)
Fri: -5x400m Sprints
Sat: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (same as above)


Evening:
Every Day: -1 Hour Technique Work
-Shadow Boxing 6 x 2 minute Rounds (in the ring, visualizing your opponent, going through the fight mentally)

Mon: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Tue: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Wed: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Thu: go home a lil early
Fri: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Sat: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds


Week 2:

Morning:
Mon: -5x400m Sprints
Wed/Fri: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (punches, kicks, knees... the whole 9 plus movement)


Evening:
Every Day: -1 Hour Technique Work
-Shadow Boxing 6 x 2 minute Rounds (in the ring, visualizing your opponent, going through the fight mentally)

Tue: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Wed: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Thu: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Fri: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds

Week 3:

Sun/Mon: -off/active recovery
Tue: Warmup/Shadow/Pads
Wed: Warmup/Shadow
Thu/Fri: active recovery (skipping/light shadow)
Sat: Fight!

 

[Reala]

I`d probably do something like this. Not saying that you should it this way, just how I would organise myself.

Week 1:

Morning:
Mon: -5x400m Sprints
Wed: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (punches, kicks, knees... the whole 9 plus movement)
Fri: -5x400m Sprints
Sat: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (same as above)


Evening:
Every Day: -1 Hour Technique Work
-Shadow Boxing 6 x 2 minute Rounds (in the ring, visualizing your opponent, going through the fight mentally)

Mon: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Tue: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Wed: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Thu: go home a lil early
Fri: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Sat: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds


Week 2:

Morning:
Mon: -5x400m Sprints
Wed/Fri: -Warmup, 5x2mins Bag (punches, kicks, knees... the whole 9 plus movement)


Evening:
Every Day: -1 Hour Technique Work
-Shadow Boxing 6 x 2 minute Rounds (in the ring, visualizing your opponent, going through the fight mentally)

Tue: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Wed: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds
Thu: -Sparring 5 x 2 minute rounds
Fri: -Pads 5 x 2 minute rounds

Week 3:

Sun/Mon: -off/active recovery
Tue: Warmup/Shadow/Pads
Wed: Warmup/Shadow
Thu/Fri: active recovery (skipping/light shadow)
Sat: Fight!

I'm up for giving this a go

 

[Ifight4Beer]

I wouldn't neglect my road work but Thai pads and rolling with a lot of fresh partners is by far the best last miunute conditioning. Push it hard and you'll be alright. 3 or 5 minute rounds? if its 3 then it will be real easy. 5 is a little harder to to get ready in 3 weeks.