Combat Sports
Geoffrey Chiu
MMA Strength & Conditioning - Experts ...

With the pride, fame, and money that comes with prize-fighting, it's extremely important for strength and conditioning coaches to ensure the fighters are in top physical condition come fight night - the fighters' health depend on it.Strength and conditioning work must be balanced with martial arts skills training and psychological performance and therefore presents a complex problem for performance coaches to solve. Luckily there are professionals in the field to do just that - create strong and healthy athletes to elevate the sport of MMA.

MMA Strength & Conditioning - Experts ROUNDTABLE
Programming
Geoffrey Chiu
Periodization of Skill Acquisition & ...

Much of periodization has been focused around physical training, and how micro, meso, and macrocycles can be set up to aid in the improvement of strength, power and endurance. The periodization of skill acquisition and practice however, has yet to be examined to the same degree. In this article, I review a research paper by Farrow & Robertson (2016) and breakdown the "SPORT" framework of skill periodiation.

Periodization of Skill Acquisition & Performance
Programming
Geoffrey Chiu
Tapering & Peaking: How To Design A Taper ...

Part 2 will cover the details of a proper taper/peaking protocol. The manipulation of training variables will be discussed as well as the performance improvements that are expected from a taper.

Tapering & Peaking: How To Design A Taper and Peak For Sports Performance [Part 2 of Peaking Series]
Programming
Geoffrey Chiu
Overreaching and Overtraining [Part 1 of ...

Before we dive into the specifics of a deloading or tapering protocol, we must better understand why they're needed in the first place. Part 1 will go over the concept of overreaching, overtraining, and what type of stressors and symptoms an athlete might experience as a result of hard training.

Overreaching and Overtraining [Part 1 of Peaking Series]
Strength Training, Powerlifting
Geoffrey Chiu
The Building Blocks of Powerlifting Performance

First off, what is base building? It's a term I like to use to describe the rudimentary steps a beginner or intermediate strength athlete has to take in order to become successful 1, 3, or even 10 years down the road. 

The Building Blocks of Powerlifting Performance

Strength Training

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Alternatives to Olympic Weightlifting For Power Development

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Alternatives to Olympic Weightlifting For Power Development

Olympic weightlifting movements in the S&C environment is a controversial topic because some coaches are quite dogmatic about it’s use in power development. There are pros and cons to using them, depending on the context. Coach Jason lays out reasons to use alternatives and in what situations they would be best utilized.

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Optimizing The Warm-Up Using RAMP & Mobility Flows

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Optimizing The Warm-Up Using RAMP & Mobility Flows

The warm-up is also a component I’ve never stopped trying to refine over the years of coaching. I continuously ask myself: how do I help my athletes reach physiological and psychological readiness in the fastest, most efficient way possible?

A few principles I utilise follows the “RAMP” acronym.

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[Published on SimpliFaster.com] Individualizing and Optimizing Performance Training For Basketball

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[Published on SimpliFaster.com] Individualizing and Optimizing Performance Training For Basketball

In the world of performance training, a needs analysis of the sport is mandatory—but this only represents the first step to a fully optimized training program. Not all athletes of the same position will have the same playing style, and understanding this is important for designing and coaching a training program to optimize performance and injury mitigation.

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[Published on SimpliFaster.com] Plyometric Push-Ups and Progressions for Power Development

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Push-ups are one of the most commonly used exercises among fitness buffs and elite-level athletes. As a closed-chained exercise that targets the chest and upper body musculature, push-ups are highly effective for improving upper body pushing strength and endurance, and can be done with no equipment.

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Powerlifting Performance - 3 Commonly Neglected Areas

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Powerlifting Performance - 3 Commonly Neglected Areas

Having coached many competitive powerlifters for the last 3-4 years, I've noticed common areas in the realm of training and recovery that many strength athletes neglect. Either the importance of these areas have not been stressed enough by their coaches and the environment they lift in, or the athletes fail to see the impact it plays on their powerlifting performance.

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The Science of Core Training: Training Methods & Application (Part 2 of Core Training Series)

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The Science of Core Training: Training Methods & Application (Part 2 of Core Training Series)

Part 2 of this core stiffness article series will cover the core training principles and methods that drive short and long-term improvements in performance.

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The Science of Core Training: Core Stiffness & Performance Overview (Part 1 of Core Training Series)

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The Science of Core Training: Core Stiffness & Performance Overview (Part 1 of Core Training Series)

This article will overview the concept of core stiffness and how it's applied to several sporting performances and movements. Core stiffness may refer to the core's ability to maintain stability in response to the influence of external forces, which may vary in magnitude, direction and speed. 

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The Building Blocks of Powerlifting Performance

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The Building Blocks of Powerlifting Performance

First off, what is base building? It's a term I like to use to describe the rudimentary steps a beginner or intermediate strength athlete has to take in order to become successful 1, 3, or even 10 years down the road. 

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Concurrent Training: Science and Practical Application

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Concurrent Training: Science and Practical Application

Concurrent Training is the combination of resistance and endurance training in a periodized program to maximize all aspects of physical performance. This article will review the science behind concurrent training and help you get the most out of your training sessions.

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Better Long Term Athletic Development In Powerlifting

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Better Long Term Athletic Development In Powerlifting

Powerlifting is unique in that it revolves around performing lifts that would be otherwise used as a form of physical preparation in other sports. The squat, bench press and deadlift are all lifts that are commonly used in sports like football and hockey to increase upper body and lower body strength. As a powerlifter though, your success depends on  your strength on these big 3 exercises.

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How To Maintain Strength And Muscle Mass While Losing Weight

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How To Maintain Strength And Muscle Mass While Losing Weight

Even when losing weight, strength and muscle mass can be easily maintained or even improved when proper dieting and training adjustments are made. Here are 2 nutrition and 2 training tips to implement the next time you plan on losing fat:

about

My mission with GC Performance Training is to elevate the field of strength & conditioning for combat sports. Whether you’re an athlete or a coach, you’ll find content here to help you better understand the science and art of training.