Fight Week - What to Do, What to Avoid, and Why It Matters
By Leroy Saunders | Strength & Conditioning Coach, Fight by Design
In the final week before your fight, every choice matters.
Same as trying to start S&C 8 weeks from fight day, the week before is also not the time to try hit last minute gains, heavy conditioning, or “just one more session”. It’s the time for precision, control, and trust in the process.
Yet this is also where many fighters go wrong. They either push too hard and arrive empty… or do nothing at all and feel rusty, stiff, or mentally off.
As a strength and conditioning coach for fighters, my job doesn’t stop at building power and endurance, it carries through fight week to ensure each athlete shows up explosive, recovered, sharp, and mentally locked in.
Let’s break down the physiology, psychology, and structure of an optimal fight week, what to include, what to avoid, and how to peak at the right moment.
The Golden Rule: Don’t Build. Don’t Break. Just refine.
During fight week, you’re no longer adapting, you’re priming.
The work has already been done. What you’re doing now is:
- Maintaining nervous system readiness
- Managing fatigue and cortisol
- Supporting weight management protocols
- Keeping movement quality smooth
- Building confidence in body and mind
Trying to build fitness this week is a BIG mistake. So is doing nothing.
Instead, move with intention, enough to stay on point, not enough to accumulate fatigue.
The Fight Week Plan: Day by Day Breakdown
Each day of fight week has a clear goal. Here’s the structure I use and how each component supports fight performance.
Monday: Prime the CNS and refine Movement
AM: Light padwork, game plan drilling
PM: Max effort sprints (6–8 rounds, 10 seconds each, full rest between)
Why:
- Light padwork keeps the hands primed without spiking fatigue
- Short, max effort sprints stimulate the CNS, enhancing speed, coordination, and fast twitch recruitment
- Full recovery between efforts prevents cumulative fatigue
✅ Do: Move with focus, keep reps crisp, and get mentally locked in
❌ Avoid: Long cardio, high volume strength, they build fatigue, not readiness
Tuesday: Aerobic Flush and Mental Calibration (Carbs Drop)
AM: 30min zone 2 jog (nasal breathing only)
PM: Light padwork + study
Why:
- Zone 2 (aerobic) work promotes blood flow and recovery
- Nasal breathing regulates nervous system tone and reduces cortisol
- Film review sharpens mental strategy while energy intake (carbs) is managed
✅ Do: Keep heart rate in zone 2, breathe through the nose
❌ Avoid: Glycogen burning intervals or long sessions, energy availability is dropping
Wednesday: Minimize Stress, Keep the Body Moving (Sodium Drops)
AM: Light shakeout, shadowboxing, jump rope, mobility
PM: Full rest, prep for cut
Why:
- Movement without exertion maintains elasticity and neural readiness
- Sodium drops today, so hydration strategy shifts toward fluid manipulation
- The nervous system needs calm, not chaos
✅ Do: Flow-based movement, short drills, mobility circuits
❌ Avoid: Anything that elevates HR or requires long recovery, keep CNS stress low
Thursday: Water Restriction Begins, Movement Must Reflect That
AM: Light padwork, very low heart rate
PM: Optional weight cut begins
Why:
- With water dropping, thermoregulation becomes harder, overheating is dangerous
- Morning movement keeps rhythm in the body
- PM is reserved for sauna/sweating protocols if needed for cutting
✅ Do: Controlled movement, low-sweat drilling
❌ Avoid: Training beyond 60–65% intensity, no "burnout" sessions
Friday: Final Cut & Rehydration
AM: Finish cut, weigh in
PM: Begin rehydration + glycogen replenishment, sleep early
Why:
- Today is about restoring plasma volume, sodium balance, and glycogen
- Training is over, everything now is cellular prep and mental calm
- Sleep becomes a performance enhancer
✅ Do: Follow a structured rehydration and refueling plan
❌ Avoid: New foods, high fiber, or late night stimulation, keep it consistent
Saturday: Fight Day, Fire Up, Don’t Burn Out
AM: Shakeout session
PM: Controlled arousal, warm up protocol, ring prep
Why:
- A morning session wakes up the nervous system without overreaching
- Pre-fight warm-up elevates HR gradually, primes the CNS, and builds confidence
- Final breathing and visualization calm the mind
Example Fighter Warm-Up:
- Mobility prep (Cossack squats, T-spine, leg swings)
- Band activation (glutes, shoulders)
- Explosive drills (med ball slams, quick feet)
- Breathing protocols (box breath, visualization)
- Final burst (short pad rounds, footwork)
✅ Do: Stick to familiar drills. Trust the body. Prime, don’t overwork
❌ Avoid: Novel movements, static stretching, or full sparring, all risk CNS disruption
The Role of S&C in Fight Week: It’s Not What You Think
Strength and conditioning in fight week is about neuromuscular precision, nervous system priming, and mental sharpness, not muscle damage or aerobic gain.
Here’s what well designed S&C during fight week actually does:
- Supports movement confidence under fatigue
- Maintains explosiveness without overloading joints
- Reduces pre-fight anxiety through breathwork and light activation
- Keeps motor patterns active, especially in tired legs or recovering shoulders
- Helps weight cut by promoting lymphatic movement early in the week
Common Mistakes to Avoid During Fight Week
Even seasoned fighters fall into these traps:
❌ Training Hard to “Stay on point”
Reality: You’re making yourself worse.
High intensity late in fight week leaves you empty, flat or over reached. You don’t build speed or power in 72 hours. You drain it.
❌ Ditching Movement Entirely
Reality: Your nervous system stiffens.
Doing nothing leaves you feeling rusty, sluggish, and mentally unfocused. Light, smart movement is essential.
❌ Skipping Warm-Ups Because “It’s Light”
Reality: The CNS still needs activation.
Even light sessions should begin with joint prep, mobility, and neural activation, especially when cutting carbs, sodium, or water.
❌ Random Last Minute Drills
Reality: New stress ≠ new gain.
Don’t throw in random workouts, new movements, or “just one more” rounds. Fight week is about conservation, not innovation.
Case Study: Sample S&C Workouts from actual fighters Fight Week
Here’s an example on how we structure light conditioning during the taper:
Monday - CNS Tune Up + Light Circuit
AMRAP 15 min (light intensity):
15 KB swings (light)
20 gorilla box jumps
200m light runFollowed by 15 min stretching and recovery
Goal: Keep the system firing, stay agile, build a sweat without strain
WEDNESDAY - Aerobic Flush + Mobility
Warm-up: Toe walks, heel walks, pogo jumps
Main: 2–3km light nasal jog
Post: 15 min mobility work
Goal: Aid recovery, improve oxygenation, support weight cut
Fight Day Prep Routine
Dynamic mobility (T-spine, hips, band work)
Activation: Lateral monster walks, glute bridges, band pull-aparts
Fight warm-up:
Shadowboxing (progressive intensity)
Fast feet drills
Sprawls
Explosive plyometrics or med ball slams
Breathwork + Visualization:
Box breathing
Mental walkthrough of game plan
Final Burst:
Quick pads, footwork, sharp combo reps
Goal: Elevate HR, activate CNS, calm the mind, enter the ring ready
Too many fighters approach fight week like a mystery or as a last minute scramble. But the truth is, it’s a skill you can develop and refine, just like footwork, timing, or striking mechanics.
A well executed fight week doesn’t just preserve your hard work. It skyrockets the work you’ve put in.
“Fast is slow. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”
That applies here too. Take the time to move well, recover deeply, and prime your system with intention. Don’t leave performance to chance when you’re this close to the goal.
