Marc Ramsay has often been described as an architect… and for good reason.
When you look at a training camp from the outside, you mostly see the boxing sessions, sparring rounds, pad work and physical conditioning.
But behind all of that lies a true logistical operation.
As the fight approaches, several sparring partners join the camp. Each one has specific characteristics and is brought in to meet a particular need in Christian’s preparation.
But bringing in the right sparring partners is only part of the job.
Their training sessions then have to be coordinated with Christian’s, sparring days have to be planned, conditioning sessions have to be incorporated and, above all, enough room has to be left for recovery.
Photo: Facebook – Christian Mbilli and Marc Ramsay
Because a training camp isn’t built on work alone.
It is also built on rest.
Physiotherapy, massage therapy, sauna, spa, active recovery, sleep… Everything has to find its place in the schedule. And every element affects the next.
A particularly demanding session today can change what happens tomorrow. An intense sparring session may require more recovery. A minor pain may require the intervention of a physiotherapist and lead to an adjustment in the workload.
The real challenge, then, is finding the perfect balance.
Too little work and we won’t be sufficiently prepared.
Too much work and we risk arriving at the fight having left part of our performance in the gym.
That’s where experience becomes so important.
Photo: Ring Magazine – Christian Mbilli and Marc Ramsay
Over the years, and through the many championship camps he has led, Marc Ramsay has become a true conductor. He constantly has to communicate with the coaches, sparring partners, strength and conditioning coach, therapists and, of course, Christian himself.
Every ingredient has to be there.
But most importantly, every ingredient has to be used at the right time and in the right amount.
A championship camp, then, isn’t simply about working harder.
It’s about getting boxing, conditioning, sparring, treatment and recovery to work together toward the same goal:
making sure Christian Mbilli is at his best when the bell rings.
And the closer the fight gets, the smaller the margin for error becomes.
To be continued in the next chapter… The Laboratory: What the First Major Sparring Sessions Teach Us.
Photo: IG – Christian Mbilli and Marc Ramsay
