Running an 8-week fight camp without burning fighters out

A fight camp is a project with a fixed deadline. Treat it like one: phases, checkpoints and a plan for what happens when something goes wrong.

Four phases

1. Weeks 1–2: base conditioning and technical sharpening.
2. Weeks 3–5: build sparring volume and specific game plan work.
3. Weeks 6–7: peak intensity, hard rounds capped and planned.
4. Week 8: taper — speed, timing, weight and rest.

Watch the warning signs

• Resting heart rate creeping up.
• Sparring sharpness dropping for more than a week.
• Weight cut running ahead of schedule.

Record sessions, attendance and skill ratings through the camp so decisions are based on what actually happened, not on how the last session felt.