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It’s possible to physically prepare for a fight in just two-weeks,
if you know the secret.
To take a fight at short notice you must be injury free, have maintained a good level of fitness and a competitive body composition. You shouldn’t have taken a fight that forces you to dehydrate to make weight, and although it’s possible to shed up to about 1.5kg of fat in the time left, it will be difficult. Right now you need to concentrate on fight preparation rather than making weight.
But how can you maximise the time you have left and prepare as best as you can?
Crash Training – Super Compensation
Many Olympic athletes have achieved spectacular results using this proven training method. Regardless of discipline, cyclists, swimmers and runners have boosted performance over a period of just two-weeks that conventionally would have taken 6 to 12 weeks! Quite simply crash training involves doubling your existing training load for a period of seven consecutive days, followed with seven days at half your normal workload.
Conventional training utilises a rest after each session, allowing physical recuperation to reduce the likelihood of over training in the long term. Crash training forces your body into an extended period of fatigue, producing a very high training stress with minimal recovery. When a rest period eventually comes, your body ‘super compensates’ adapting to the demands, rapidly increasing your physical capacity. This is an ideal way for fighters to achieve maximum fight conditioning in just two-weeks.
Worked Example
- Let’s assume that you normally run 3-miles, 5 times a week - a total of 15 -miles / week. During the initial week of crash training you will double this to 30-miles in the week or 10 x 3-miles.
- If you normally conduct 6-hours of Muay Thai training in the week, then during the crash training week you must carry out 12-hours.
- Following the 7-days of intense training you must take one day of complete rest. Then the next three days you train at half the normal load (half the normal running miles, half the normal Muay Thai hours). The final two days before the fight you have complete rest. When it comes to the fight you’ll physically peaked and ready to go!
Critical Rules
Other than the structure of the training sessions themselves, it’s important to adhere to the following rules to make sure that your body responds well to crash training.
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>Replacing lost potassium with pure OJ
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Never crash train for more than seven consecutive days.
- Doubling the miles ran and hours in the gym doesn’t mean at half the effort. Each session must be at full effort.
- Your carbohydrate intake must be increased to match the increased activity.
- A carbohydrate / protein snack should be consumed within 30-minutes of finishing each training session.
- Drink a glass of pure orange juice with all meals to help restore potassium lost through increased sweating. The increased vitamin C intake also helps to battle the stress of crash training.
- Drink plenty of water. You can loose up to a 1.5 litres of fluid in one-hour of intense training.
- It’s important that for every day of crash training an equal number of recovery days follow.
- Ensure that you get a minimum of seven hours sleep each night.
- Prepare a systematic pattern of crash training, detailing what activities you will do each day and for how long.
- Do not conduct weight training during the crash training period. The stress placed on your muscles reduces performance for up to two-weeks afterwards.
- No sparring in the final week before the fight. You don’t want to pick up an injury at this late stage.
- Fighters with a history of illness and/or injury should not be considered for crash training.
- Never issue crash training to a fighter unless they have fully understood the method and are committed.
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>Sparring concludes in
the first week
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Minimising Injury
A sudden increase in training load can cause injury. Your body can tolerate a seven-day boost, but any longer and you’ll be playing Russian roulette. If you’re concerned about withstanding the demands of crash training, you could at first experiment with a two-day routine before progressing to longer ones. Bear in mind that you’re body is much tougher and stronger than you think. It’s amazing what it can do if your mind is determined.
Psychological Advantage
Other than improved physical conditioning, crash training also cultivates mental resilience. This is a great by-product for a fighter, and a psychological boost before the bout. You’ll know what you can endure, and truly believe that you’ve physically prepared perfectly for this fight.
Prevent Over Training
Extended fight preparation periods can easily result in over training, with the usual symptoms being injury and/or illness before the fight. The seven intense days of crash training are long enough to stimulate a strong training response while being brief enough to prevent over training.
Just One Week’s Toil
The demands on both your time and physical reserves may be great during the first week of crash training, but it’s only seven days! I’m sure that you and your loved ones can invest seven days in preparation for your fight. This is the first test of your determination; the rewards for your 100% effort will be great.
Well that’s your fitness addressed, the technique and tactics are down to you. Good luck with your fight!
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