The Art and Science of S&C loading for fighters
By Leroy Saunders | Strength & Conditioning Coach, Fight by Design
I’ve trained world class athletes, amateur up and comers, and everything in between. And I see the same issue over and over again: fighters or even athletes doing too much, too soon, with no plan.
They train hard, but that’s not the problem.
They:
Don’t taper.
Do jump into random S&C sessions with no structure.
Smash hard intervals on days they’re already beat from sparring.
Prioritize ego lifts and “cool looking” instagram movements over athletic movement.
Enter and leave fight week feeling sore, sluggish, and not at their peak.
Performance isn’t just about training your damn ass off. It’s about when, how, and why you apply stress to the body.
And that’s exactly what I’ve built my system around.
THE FIGHT CAMP LOAD CURVE or TIMING PERFORMANCE
Every fighter I coach is different. Some recover fast. Some need more mobility. Some respond better to shorter bursts, others to slower strength blocks.
But every fight camp still follows a fundamental wave based structure, built on four key variables:
Load and CNS demand
Force velocity focus
Energy system conditioning
Mobility, durability, and prehab
One of the biggest mistakes fighters also make is only doing strength and conditioning during fight camp.
The truth is, fight camp isn’t where you build performance, it’s where you refine it.
If you're starting your S&C when you're already cutting weight, sparring hard, and juggling recovery, you're way behind already.
Out of camp, year round, is where we lay the foundation, strength, mobility, endurance, durability. That’s the time to build the engine, fix imbalances, and raise your ceiling.
Then, when camp starts, we’re not scrambling to catch up where you lost out, we’re refining and adding on to what’s already there.
Year round S&C doesn’t just make you a better athlete, it makes fight camp safer, smarter, and way more effective.
This structure allows me to push when it’s time to push, recover when needed, and time a perfect taper that brings the athlete into fight week sharp, light, fast, and confident.
Train slow → fast. Build strength → transfer it to speed → peak with sharpness.
THE PHASES OF S&C LOADING FOR FIGHTERS
Let me break down how I, more or less, structure a typical 6 to 8 week fight camp using my method.
Week 1 starts with moderate load, focusing on slow strength and tempo work, paired with aerobic intervals. If the fighter or athlete has not been doing a lot of S&C consistently we put a big focus on building the base, prepping tissues, improving mechanics, and keeping CNS demand low.
In Week 2, the load ramps up to high, introducing heavy force work and contrast pairings. Conditioning shifts toward short intervals (like 30/30 or 20/40 splits). This week is where we start building explosive output and pushing strength under pressure.
Week 3 is a deload week with lower load, shifting the emphasis to fast force priming and VO2 max work such as sprints or intervals. This phase is all about transferring the strength we’ve built into usable speed, while giving tissues time to reload, this also varies heavily from one fighter to another.
Week 4 goes back to high load, now focused on explosive strength, things like heavy trap bar pulls into sprints or landmine jerks with reactive conditioning. We dial in fight paced lactate work, simulating bursts and scrambles.
In Week 5, we moderate the load again and lean more into speed - strength work, lighter, faster lifts and reactive plyometrics. Conditioning is built around simulated fight effort, often using 3x3-5min rounds in metcons to replicate pacing and transitions.
Week 6 is another deload phase, focusing on reactive speed and neural tuning. Strength volume drops, but we maintain power through short, sharp drills. Conditioning becomes lighter, with flow and movement patterns that emphasize tapering without loss of coordination.
Week 7 + 8 is the build up to fight week. Load is minimal, and we focus only on maximizing speed, control, and timing. No hard conditioning. No strength stress. Just precision, confidence, and CNS freshness to ensure the fighter peaks on fight night.
This format isn’t static. I adjust everything based on:
The athlete’s recovery scores
Injury history
Current sparring demands
Nutrition, sleep and lifestyle feedback
Their fight style and game plan
WHAT MAKES MY PROGRAMMING DIFFERENT to others
Unlike traditional strength programs, which mostly just push progressive overload, I use a contrast based system that rotates stress, integrates pre fatigue protocols, and builds joint resilience while enhancing power output.
Every session is designed to:
Prime the CNS
Challenge movement under fatigue
Restore function and mobility
Build power, not just strength
Transfer directly into fight performance
Let me walk you through how this looks in training.
I program in layers. Each layer serves a purpose, not just to get the fighter "tired," but to make them a more dangerous athlete.
Here’s an actual example from my system, built to push power, capacity, and reactive strength without burning the athlete out:
MONDAY: POWER & PUSH
Goals: CNS wake up, explosive strength, shoulders & midline priming
Tabata Assault Bike (20:10 x 8)
Core & Plyo Block: Pallof Press → SA Sit-Up Get-Up → Depth Jumps
Shoulder Strength: SA Landmine Press 30X1 + SA Bent Over Row 2221
METCON: 6-min AMRAP + 2-min Burpee Max Out Finisher
Why it works:
This primes neural drive, reinforces bracing and explosiveness, and puts stress on both the upper and lower systems without destroying recovery.
WEDNESDAY: HINGE + SQUAT DOMINANCE
Goals: Posterior chain power, squat control, mixed recovery
Pre Fatigue: Kickstand Squats, Monster Walks, SL Cone Touch
Trap Bar Deadlifts (10min EMOM – build to heavy 3)
Paused Back Squats (5x4 with 2s pause coupled with plyo exercise)
METCON: 3 rounds – Run/Row + KB DL + Box Jumps
Finisher: Pike Leg Lifts + Russian Plate Sit-Up
Why it works:
We load glutes and hams early, fatigue the legs smartly, then contrast with fast movement, simulating fight scenarios.
FRIDAY: REACTIVE & ROTATIONAL WORK
Goals: Transfer strength to speed + improve reactive power
Depth Jumps + Skater + Band Rows
Split Jerks + Atlas Swings + Sled Push
Core Superset: Landmine Rotations + Russian Sit-Up Variations
EMOM: Shuttle Run, Kneeling Jump, Ball Slam / Ski Erg
Why it works:
This is where strength becomes usable fight power, everything from lateral movement to rotation under stress is built here.
Other things I PROGRAM THAT MOST COACHES MISS
PRE FATIGUE PROTOCOLS
Before we go heavy, I often pre load movement chains with banded work or low-grade cardio (Tabata, jogs, Cossack squats) to fire the CNS and stabilize joints.
MOBILITY EMBEDDED INTO STRENGTH
Every week includes hip openers, frog stretch variants, ankle work, deep squat holds, and controlled tempo movements to keep the fighter pain free and moving better, baseline and uniquely built in for each athlete.
UNILATERAL STRENGTH AND ROTATION
Fights are asymmetrical, movement is reactive and unbalanced. That’s why I use, but not limited to, landmines, split jerks, offset movements, and cable / band variations to train in functional planes.
CONDITIONING THAT BUILDS FIGHT OUTPUT
I rotate between:
VO2 intervals (3–5 min)
Lactate burst rounds (90s–2 min)
Fight sim rounds (3–5 min)
Anaerobic repeat sprints (15–30s bursts)
You’ll never see “random cardio” in my system. Every minute counts.
TAPERING IS A SCIENCE (AND AN ART)
Here’s where the real edge comes in. I don’t believe in cookie cutter deloads.
For elite athletes I taper based on:
HRV and recovery markers
Athlete feedback
Sparring intensity
History of performance under fatigue
Some fighters get a 2 week taper, with volume reduction, contrast to speed, and movement control.
Others need a micro taper, with volume staying high and intensity dropping only slightly.
No matter the method, the goal is the same:
Enhance explosive precision
Maintain movement patterns
Maximize confidence, clarity, and control
THE RESULT? YOU WALK INTO FIGHT WEEK FEELING UNSTOPPABLE
You’re not drained.
You’re not sore.
You’re not doubting yourself, second guessing your power, your lungs, or your movement.
You walk in knowing:
You can explode in every round.
You’ve trained smarter than your opponent.
You’ve peaked at the exact right time.
