GSP's physical and athletic abilities analyzed by Sport Science

[Hazuki Ryo]

I still don't know how such an athletic fighter could also be so endurant. The way he was able to sustain 5 rounds of high pace is still a mystery to me.

If you're explosive, you mostly have predominant fast twitch muscles fibers, in order to be able to perform powerful and fast movements. If you're endurant, you mostly have predominant slow twitch fibers muscles, which are resistant to fatigue (more mitochondria and myoglobin) because they rely on oxygen.

Sport science tested GSP's habilities and came up with the fact that he's both a powerful AND endurant freak of nature.

"The first statistic of interest came when St-Pierre performed a VO2 max test. This revealed that GSP’s anaerobic threshold, the process that makes lactic acid and causes athletes to fatigue, is 15 percent more efficient than most fighters."

"Amazingly, GSP is able to generate 2,859 pounds of force with a punch, 3,377 pounds of force with a kick, and a punch/kick combo registered over 6,000 pounds of force….and that’s in less than one second’s time!
St-Pierre’s punch managed to generate more power than light heavyweight Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (2,749 pounds of force) and heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez (2,230 pounds of force).
To measure speed, GSP worked takedowns on a grappling dummy. The force from GSP’s shoulders and hips generated a whopping 2,400 watts of power, and executed the takedown in a measly 1.17 seconds.
Brenkus put things into perceptive when he noted that former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans had identical statistics when performing the same test."

From bleachreport article on GSP appearing on ESPN's Sport science

Now sherbros, you need to know that the first step to achieve in order to become one of the GOATs is :

1) Win the genetic lottery

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

GSP would be a super star in almost any sport he tried... GOAT Level Athlete

 

[Dogshare]

Doesn't need to be just genetics. Can also be training or 'supplements'. But it's true that he doesn't seem to have the best cardio, or the best power, but both are at a high level. Like the perfect combination for MMA.

 

[Sweater of AV]

What about his pimp abilities?

 

[Hazuki Ryo]

Doesn't need to be just genetics. Can also be training or 'supplements'. But it's true that he doesn't seem to have the best cardio, or the best power, but both are at a high level. Like the perfect combination for MMA.

Maybe, but you can't have a superior vo2 max than the rest of the roster just with training or supplements. It needs to be backed up with great genetic. There's no way around it.

You say he doesn't seem to have the best cardio but from what i saw from his 5 rounds fights, he was able to keep a high intensity rhythm for 25 minutes and i always found it imrpessive.

 

[Royce's Gi]

GSP is a SPECIMEN!

Genetic lottery winner

 

[blackheart]

Cool stuff. But there are no universes in which GSP hits harder than shogun and Cain

 

[Lee_]

GSP didn't learn to wrestle until he was an adult; pretty amazing the way he could dominate accomplished wrestlers. Likely could have been Olympic level had he started as a kid training wrestling.

To answer your question also- GSP made all of his training sessions 25 minutes at a time for a reason- he was constantly training himself to go that length of time with maximum but not too much output. I liken it to distance runners (non-sprinting distances) who know how to gauge exactly how fast to run at various times in the race to ensure using all energy by the end but not before that.

 

[Lee_]

Maybe, but you can't have a superior vo2 max than the rest of the roster just with training or supplements. It needs to be backed up with great genetic. There's no way around it.

Correct. Championship distance runners and soccer players have different genetics than the rest of us to be able to keep that up. There is more to cardio than training.

 

[J-Pac]

I think him being really calm in there and having amazing timing had a lot to do with his cardio as well. Obviously he was in fantastic shape, but his takedowns were perfectly timed rather than trying to overpower guys and drag them down. Being super technical saves you from expending too much.

 

[TheBulge]

There's others like that. Silva, Usman, young Jones. Special cases.

 

[daniel san]

Amazing athlete and fighter, but these tests are a good measuring stick if they indicate that he hits harder than Shogun and Cain.

 

[Dogshare]

Maybe, but you can't have a superior vo2 max than the rest of the roster just with training or supplements. It needs to be backed up with great genetic. There's no way around it.

You say he doesn't seem to have the best cardio but from what i saw from his 5 rounds fights, he was able to keep a high intensity rhythm for 25 minutes and i always found it imrpessive.

Yes, but vo2 max rumours are always there. And also that you can adjust with supplements.

He doesn't have the best cardio, but I agree he has impressive cardio. There are people that have more natural abilities for cardio, like Cain of which you mention has less power, or Diaz. With GSP you see he has to control his breathing and he knows when to take moments to rest. GSP's combination of power and cardio together could be the best.

 

[Yellowcrab]

He's supposed to hit harder than some fighters in heavier weight classes in this test, yet he doesn't even have a single KO win in his whole career.

If those tests don't translate in real life, they're obviously not reliable.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

He's supposed to hit harder than some fighters in heavier weight classes in this test, yet he doesn't even have a single KO win in his whole career.

If those tests don't translate in real life, they're obviously not reliable.

Pad/target no hit back or move...so ofcourse numbers higher on pad .

No need to be upset

 

[Yellowcrab]

Pad/target no hit back or move...so ofcourse numbers higher on pad .

No need to be upset

You're the one who's actually upset : GSP is likely the most pillow fisted champion ever known in the UFC.

Once again, not a single KO win in his whole career (UFC or not) few TKO and mostly decisions.

 

[L0ki]

GOATSP.

Avenged all losses. Hendricks fight was questionable. I'm open to anything on that one, W/L/D and with that frame of reference, you could say he's beaten everyone he has ever fought, including avenging one of the losses twice.

Never once pissed hot.

And as much as I love Shogun, if he hits harder in that measured strikes, then hats off to him.

*it doesn't mean anything in terms of MMA achievement but the fact that he carried himself so well through the whole career, even towards peeps who talked mad ish, was awesome to see.

 

[ClosetVitorFan]

Another thing people don't talk about GSP is his reach. For his height his reach is HUGE. I've got like T Rex arms for my height.

 

[Spiderbite]

There's an interview with Chael, where he talks about getting the opportunity to train with GSP and he talks about how strong GSP was, but also how when he trains, he spars 5 hard five minute rounds, and that's it. I thought it was interesting.

 

[Barteh]

No doubt GSP is a physical specimen but there's no way he punches harder than Cain.