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Sam Gaier

@samgaier

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Maddy💍
@ignitefights and @absolutecombatleague (x2) 170lb champ
2x @subspectrumbjj absolute champ/170 champ
A class shooter

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Cage-side, watching the legend herself step into the arena

Spotting the big HH man himself

What a battle - not the result we wanted but Liz was ready and in fantastic shape.

Chicago has some cool buildings

Heard a lot about this place

How to windy-city-proof your face

Finally getting to hang out with Liz after working with her for nearly 2 years - so much fun. And talking about non-combat sport topics is actually really important to me 😂

Team Combathlete on tour

There were about 2000 photos on the wall of Harry’s joint

Famous hot dog that destroyed me

The infamous deep dish, blues-take, on Italian pizza

Almost like it was meant to be

The craziest Wizard of Oz Halloween display I’ve ever seen

Comedy club hazard alert

We will take the bone home with us, yes

Coolest zine shop I’ve ever seen

The oldest bullet hole in Chicago

The Immaculate Combustion

Hotel pump sesh
Paired sets with 90s rest between;

1a. DB Shoulder Press (no backrest) x 10
2x35, 2x40, 2x45, 2x50
1b. Lat Pulldown x 10
Wide Grip; 115, 130, 145, Chin Up Grip; 130

2a. Weighted Back Extension 2 x 15 @ 25
2b. Shrugs 2 x 15 @ 135
2c Neck Flexion + Extension 2 x 20 @ 25

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Comment ‘SKOOL’ and join 680 other members to level up your understanding of combat sports performance.

I watched GSP’s first UFC fight, live on television, against the legendary Judoka, Karo Parisyan, way back in 2004.

I used to work in an awesome Malaysian restaurant when I was a kid, serving drinks and washing glasses for some extra pocket money.

I would come home after work and watch UFC on Saturday night; the time difference in the UK meant I could catch live fights before I went to bed.

Those were the golden days - eating my Malaysian take away in the middle of the night and watching the UFC, at the ripe old age of 14!

Apply GSP’s principles to your training today and weaponise yourself!

#GSP #GeorgesStPierre #MMA #strengthandconditioning

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If you have bought a training programme for your combat sport, and it does not address these 6 areas of performance, burn it immediately, and buy my programmes, instead.

1️⃣ Evaluation / Testing  At Combathlete we do not like to guess.
We aim to assess every few weeks - especially before you begin working with us.
We establish your performance baselines, which informs your programming, and then we get to work.  
2️⃣ Work Capacity
This is the foundation of all performance training and comes under the title of ‘General Physical Preparation’.
There is no fancy performance training without capacity.
Out of camp, a portion of your training should be focused on building work capacity.
At the start of camp; build capacity before you train the fancy stuff.

3️⃣ Strength
I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘You can be too strong.’ Ever.
If two opponents are technically matched, the stronger, fitter one wins, every time.
This does not mean you copy what a powerlifter does, rep for rep, however.
You need to adapt your strength training so you can recover properly.

4️⃣ Explosiveness
I can’t think of a single area in combat sports where explosiveness is a disadvantage.
This type of training requires a foundation of preparation underneath it, and should be trained year-round.
We have an element of explosiveness at every phase.
We really focus on it during our Power phases, both in, and out of camps.

5️⃣ Reactive Strength
The ability to utilise the stretch shortening cycle in the body; converting forces into useful combative applications, is critical for fighters. You can’t just be strong without being able to use it. And no good being explosive in only one direction.
Reactive strength taps into your body’s ability to convert stored elastic energy into useable, concentric force.

6️⃣ Speed
The quickest of all qualities to perish (~7 days), speed is the icing on the cake.
It’s our last phase in-camp, right before the weight cut.
Speed kills in combat sports. Training for it is a must.

✅ Comment ‘Coaching’ if you’re interested in learning more about how The 5-3 Fight Method can help you develop into a complete human weapon, in just 2-4 hours per week.

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I had been dosing 1200iu a day of Vitamin D3 for the last couple of years.

All whilst dealing with some interesting health issues.

Including a lot of unnecessary fatigue.

This Vitamin D3 area was one piece of the puzzle.

I decided to get some more objective testing done and got my blood tested for Vitamin D3 levels in August this year.

The test results?

My Vitamin D3 levels were TOO LOW for how much training I do each week.

I was prescribed a higher dosage of 2500iu per day and have felt some improvements.

This week I am reviewing with my doctor and may very well be increasing to 5000iu per day.

So do MMA fighters need more vitamin D than the average bloke?

When the fighters took 6,000 IU a day, they improved their sprinting performance:

💪🏼 Peak power +7.5%
💪🏼 Mean power +4.9%
💪🏼 Total work +5.0%

Now save this post, and send it to a training partner who needs to get on the Vitamin D3 train.

And in case you don’t see this post again…

👉🏻 Follow @combathletecoaching for more strength and conditioning content for combat sports performance

Reference: Dzik, Jagłowska (2026)
“Differential and dose-dependent redistribution of vitamin D metabolites after acute high-intensity exercise in mixed martial arts athletes and untrained men” PMID: 41978112

#combatsports #vitamind3 #mma #bjj #strengthandconditioning

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✅ Comment “Gas Tank” to access our full yearly conditioning system

This 10 week format works well for grapplers in, and out of camp.

Test your baseline.

Do 2x conditioning sessions per week, focusing on the aerobic (heart and lungs) system, and the lactate (muscular) system.

(Unless you’re already getting a lot of aerobic power exposure in your skills training. If that’s the case, swap out the aerobic power for Alactic repeatability.)

#gastank #bjj #jiujitsu #grappling #conditioning

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✅ Comment “Gas Tank” to get access to our free yearly conditioning guide

(I’m sure @coachjonny_wrk appreciates my CLD image generation attempts 😂 He actually gets the credit for coaching on this one.)

#gastank #conditioning #mma #strengthandconditioning

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✅ Comment “Gas Tank” to get our free yearly guide teaching you how to structure your conditioning throughout the year.

#gastank #conditioning #combatsports #strengthandconditioning

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Coach is the biggest bully…

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Fighter call! Have any fighter interested fighting November 8th? We are still looking for a few matchups to add to the card. Amateur, novice, and grappling. DM for more info!

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I packed my life in to two bags and set off on a journey of 3000+km to make something of myself, way back in 2019.

The beginning was far from glamorous.

My first place of residence when I arrived in Canada, was sharing a mouse-infested, dilapidated, damp house, that a stiff fart could blow over.

My second place of residence, I slept on a yoga mat and thermarest stack, under a towel and snowboarding jacket, because I had only enough money to make the rent, not the furniture.

Fast forward with a ton of graft, hustle, output, and relentless pursuit of betterment, and I’m now the proud owner of a Dodge Ram V6 - a truck I have wanted since I was 18 years old.

No loans. No financing. No debts.

And all earned through the Strength & Conditioning industry; one that has been doomed as ‘broke’, ‘dead end’, and ‘futile’.

Well.
I did it.
With integrity.
With authenticity.
Without selling out, or peddling false promises.
Without changing lanes of expertise.
Without an ounce of bullshit.

Combathlete is my life’s work, and I’m proud to be a coach who can look after his family, pay the bills, and own a nice truck.

And that’s why I’m seriously contemplating opening up an S&C coaching for combat sports mentorship.

There’s next no zero help for new S&C coaches out there to survive in the real world, let alone in combat sports.

I have a ton of knowledge (still learning) and experience to be able to share with, and positively influence newer coaches, so they can avoid making the same mistakes I did.

👉🏼 If you’re interested in a very small group, 8-10 week coaching mentorship with me, DM me the word ‘MENTORSHIP’ and I will send you some more info.

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✅ Follow @combathletecoaching for more S&C content that works at all levels of combat sports performance

I’ve coached HUNDREDS of combat sports athletes, across various disciplines, in-person, and remotely.

These 32 pieces of wisdom have come from over 9500 hours of COACHING;

Things I have learned, observed, and even made mistakes with.

I guarantee they will help you, if you choose to take them on board.

👉🏻 And if you want more content like this, make sure you follow my page @combathletecoaching

#wisdom #strengthandconditioning #bjj #mma #boxing

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