Fight By Design Blog
Structure, recovery, and performance thinking for fighters who want better preparation.
High Cortisol Is Blocking Your Testosterone
Most fighters who think they have low testosterone are actually dealing with a cortisol problem. Here's the mechanism — and six fixes that work.
The Nervous System, Fascia, and Human Performance
How chronic stress reshapes movement, mobility, and force expression in fighters and athletes — and why you can't out-stretch a nervous system that doesn't feel safe.
Why Fighters Keep Getting Sick: The Hidden Physiology Behind Hard Training
If you get sick every time training ramps up, your immune system isn't broken — it's overstretched. Here's what's happening and how to fix it.
The Benefits of Doing Bulgarian Split Squats for Fighters
Why Bulgarian Split Squats belong in every fighter's program — and how to progress them for strength, hypertrophy, power, and conditioning.
Muay Thai Strength and Conditioning Test Standards
A Muay Thai strength and conditioning testing battery with performance bands for strength, power, conditioning, durability, and fight readiness.
Loaded Jumps & VBT — A Fighter's Blueprint for Real Explosive Power
Velocity Based Training and loaded jumps built around a 2.0 m/s target, plus a full 6-week power block for combat athletes.
10 Scientific and Time-Tested Principles to Level Up Your Coaching
From Soviet sport science to CrossFit's virtuosity model — ten principles for coaches who want to stop guessing and start designing adaptations.
The #1 Legal Supplement Fighters Overlook — And Why It's a Mistake
Creatine isn't just for bodybuilders. For fighters it delivers explosive power, faster recovery, and emerging benefits for brain and concussion resilience.
How Elite S&C for Fighters Is Really Built
The 10 modalities behind the Fight By Design system — max strength, explosive power, plyos, speed, rotation, Zone 2, anaerobic, unilateral, mobility, isometrics.
The Hidden System That Builds Fight IQ in Motion
Why elite fighters seem to move like they're wired differently — it isn't luck, it's proprioception, and it can be trained.
The Best (and Worst) Exercises for Fighters
What to keep, what to drop, and what to cut completely — a coach's honest breakdown of exercise selection for combat athletes.
Fight Week — What to Do, What to Avoid, and Why It Matters
A day-by-day fight week plan covering CNS priming, aerobic flush, weight cut, rehydration, and a fight day warm-up protocol.
Smart Supplementation for Fighters — Why It's Not Optional for Some
The core supplement stack that actually supports fighters — plus the mass-market products you should skip, and how to individualize your plan.
Real Hydration: More Than Just Water
Hydration isn't about drinking more — it's about electrolyte balance, plasma volume, and getting fluid into the cells where it matters.
Fast Is Slow, Smooth Is Fast — How I Build High-Performance Fighters
Six coaching principles for fighters who want to stop chasing chaos and start earning the right to go fast — from mechanics-first progression to virtuosity.
You Don't Have to Win to Be a Winner
Eight mindset shifts inspired by Inner Excellence — why your evolution through the sport matters more than your record, and how to live it.
Fight Camp Periodization: How to Peak for Fight Week
A fight camp periodization framework for timing strength, conditioning, tapering, energy system work, and peak performance for fight week.
Rhabdo: The Silent Killer Fighters Need to Know About
Rhabdomyolysis is the condition that cost Jake Sendler his life at 21. Here's what it is, why fighters are at higher risk, and how to train hard without triggering it.
Why Fighters Should Balance Combat, Zone 2, Intervals, and Strength Training to Truly Perform
Zone 2, VO2 max work, combat skill, and strength — why each pillar feeds the others, and what an intelligent week of fight prep actually looks like.
The Female Athlete's Guide to Training With Your Menstrual Cycle
Your cycle is a roadmap, not a limitation. How to train, fuel, and recover across all four phases — and what fighters specifically need to know.
The Fighter's Guide to Immune System Recovery
Hard training creates a temporary immune dip. Fighters need carbs, sleep, heat, micronutrients, and deloads to stay healthy while training hard.
Maximizing Athletic Performance with Contrast Therapy
Ice baths, saunas, and smart contrast therapy can support recovery, cardiovascular health, inflammation management, and long-term performance.
This Should Be Illegal: A Cheap, Legit Recovery Tool Hiding in Plain Sight
Sodium bicarbonate is a low-cost recovery and performance tool that can buffer acidity, support high-intensity efforts, and improve recovery markers when used intelligently.
The Top Contrast Sets to Boost Fighters Strength, Power and Performance
Contrast training pairs heavy strength work with explosive movement so fighters can build strength, speed, and power in the same session.
Unleashing Your Killer Instinct: How to Flip the Switch and Stay Mentally Powerful in Every Fight
Killer instinct is trainable. Visualization, breath control, pressure sparring, mental cues, and body language help fighters stay dangerous when fatigue hits.
Strength and Conditioning Exercises for Fighters
The best strength and conditioning exercises for fighters build usable strength, explosive power, durability, endurance, and movement efficiency.
