Cheers dude! That's awesome. One thing you should certainly do is pop down and get a workout in down my gym. Give us a shout closer to the time if you want me to sort that out.

Guinness Tour; get a dart out to Howth and walk up Howth head then grab some seafood and a pint are musts in terms of things to 'do' in Dublin. But generally the magic of Dublin is hanging out in great little pubs and letting the day wash over you (avoid Temple Bar like the plague). Drop us a PM when you've got your itinerary worked out and I'll send you on whatever information I have to hand.

Workout 380, Saturday 6th 11:00am

Warmup

Dynamic stretching

Strength

5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
1 @ 65kgs
1 @ 70kgs
1 @ 75kgs
1 @ 80kgs
1 @ 85kgs
1 @ 90kgs
F @ 95kgs
F @ 95kgs

Bah, my Power Clean is so embarrassing. Pulled both of these high enough but technique not good enough to get under and catch it.

Rowing Block

6:56.5 // 1:44.1 // 18 SPM

1:46.7
1:45.5
1:44.0
1:40.3

Back on the rower, nothing spectacular.

Mobility

Shoulder Band Stretch
Couch Stretch

Workout 381, Monday 8th 19:30pm

Warmup

Dynamic Stretching

Strength

5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
2 @ 65kgs
2 @ 70kgs
1 @ 75kgs
3 x 2 @ 80kgs
---Technique Work---

New coach down the gym, nice fellah. Really broke down my Power Clean and tried to fix my first pull. Need to work harder on trying to pull into the pocket and hitting good positions consistently. I'm just muscling it up there at present and it is never going to progress if I don't actively try to learn.

Rowing Block

4:47.9 // 1:35.9 // 23 SPM

48.7
48.4
48.0
48.5
47.7
46.7

Okay, supposed to be an easy introduction to the week.

Mobility

Hamstring Stretching

Workout 382, Tuesday 9th 19:30pm

Warmup

Stretching

Rowing Block

2:57.8 // 1:19.0 // 43 SPM

22.0
19.4
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5

Very happy with that.

Getting to the extreme end of the training cycle. A work block like this is very bespoke and doesn't carry over to anything other than a 500m time. And spending time on this would mean you're taking time and energy away that could be spent doing aerobic training / assistance work, etc. That's what's required at this stage however.

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
12 x 1 @ 60kgs (EMOM)

I want to improve my Press without taking focus away from the rowing so I'm going to try the 2 a week option from below:

Workout 383, Thursday 11th 19:00pm

Warmup

Stretching

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
3 @ 100kgs
2 @ 110kgs
1 @ 120kgs
1 @ 125kgs
5 x 3 @ 127.5kgs

I'm a bad squatter. As Dominic said after, I'm not really built to squat. These were hard and slow.

5 @ Bar
3 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
3 @ 70kgs
3 @ 75kgs
2 @ 80kgs

Metcon

11:57

Not much fun, but good honest work.

Workout 384, Friday 12th 19:30pm

Warmup

Hamstring Band Work
Scap Band Work
Shoulder Band Work
Dynamic Stretching

Strength

A couple of sets

5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
5 x 2 @ 140kgs

All at 31x1 tempo

Haven't done these in a while. The idea was to be really fast and snappy after the pause at the bottom and they were fast.

Rowing Block

1:59.4 // 1:19.6 // 45

19.7
19.9
19.9
19.9
20.0
19.9

Workout 385, Saturday 13th 10:00am

Warmup

Dynamic Stretching

Strength


8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
12 x 1 @ 60kgs (EMOM)

Didn't feel as good as Tuesday - to be expected

Rowing Block

5:00.0 // 1683 // 1:29.1 // 28

1:00.0 // 338 // 1:28.7 // 28
1:10.0 // 391 // 1:29.5 // 27
1:20.0 // 451 // 1:28.6 // 29
1:30.0 // 503 // 1:29.4 // 29

Different type of block - just feeling out a marker for it. Legs very tired after the past two nights which is to be expected. Solid enough week of training I think.

Workout 386, Monday 15th 19:30pm

Warmup

Stretching

Strength

5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
2 @ 65kgs
2 @ 70kgs
1 @ 75kgs
5 x 3 @ 80kgs (Interspersed with some technique work)

Power Clean still needs work. New coach reckons it is slightly improved so...you know.

5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
2 @ 140kgs
5 x 3 @ 160kgs

All fast and snappy which is what I wanted here.

Rowing Block

4:51.4 // 1:37.1 // 21 SPM

49.4
49.2
48.9
49.0
48.2
46.8

Took this easy.

Workout 387, Wednesday 17th 19:30pm

Warmup

Stretching

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
3 @ 100kgs
2 @ 110kgs
1 @ 120kgs
1 @ 125kgs
4 x 3 @ 130kgs

Top sets were tough and slow but I held position well while grinding them out. Will told me to forget about the last set. This stuff is just about strength maintenance for the moment.

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
10 x 1 @ 64kgs (EMOM)

Fine, bar speed good throughout.

Rowing Block

8:38.9 // 1:43.7 // 18 SPM

1:45.6
1:45.0
1:44.2
1:43.1
1:41.0

Grand stuff.

subscribed

Workout 388, Friday 19th 19:30pm

Warmup

Stretching

Strength

5 @ 60kgs
5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
5 x 2 @ 145kgs

All at 31x1 tempo. Very grippy but fast.

Meh. Need to really focus a bit on pull ups / chin ups from February on.

Rowing Block

2:01.1 // 1:20.7 // 43

21.6
19.9
19.8
19.9
20.0
20.0

Poor.

Saturday 20th 13:00pm

Met a couple of the lads in Ballymun gym for a Christmas Crossfit Total. Good craic over three hours in the gym. Pints on the Saturday were well earned.

Warmup

Scap Slides
Scap Push Ups
Stretching

Strength

5 @ Bar
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
3 @ 100kgs
1 @ 110kgs
1 @ 120kgs
1 @ 130kgs
1 @ 140kgs

Had forgotten my belt and the bar was a bit thick and unstable so had no interest in going heavier than this. The 140kgs was quite slow too.

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
1 @ 65kgs
1 @ 70kgs
1 @ 75kgs
1 @ 80kgs
F @ 85kgs (bah, forehead height and stalled so gave up after a small struggle)

Meh, not today.

5 @ 60kgs
5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
2 @ 140kgs
1 @ 160kgs
1 @ 180kgs
1 @ 200kgs
1 @ 220kgs
F @ 232.5kgs (not close, off the floor and gave up mid shin)

The 220kgs felt good and the lads had been PBing for fun so gave this an attempt but it wasn't there.

Workout 389, Wednesday 23rd 11:30am

Warmup

Shoulder Band Work

Strength

5 x 5, green band

So I'm going to start doing a few sets of these before every workout. It's more prehab than anything else with the green band. Just to counter the pressing somewhat.

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
1 @ 60kgs
8 x 1 @ 67kgs

Dropped the EMOM component. Bar speed was pretty good.

8 @ Bar
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
3 @ 100kgs
2 @ 110kgs
5 @ 120kgs
3 @ 127.5kgs (missed the bounce on the second one and it was a grind to get it. Will asked me to rerack but I got ****ing eveything tight and made the third smooth and clean)
3 @ 135kgs (tough reps, but decent technically I thought)

Happy enough.

Rowing Block

4:39.9 // 1:33.2 // 26 SPM

47.0
47.3
46.9
46.6
46.4
45.6

Happy.

Good solid session. Christmas drinking season makes any work achieved kind of a bonus in many respects.

Workout 390, Wednesday 24th 09:30am

Warmup

Shoulder Band Work
Hamstring Band Work
Stretching

Strength

5 @ 60kgs
5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
2 @ 140kgs
1 @ 160kgs
1 @ 180kgs
3 @ 184kgs
2 @ 195kgs
1 @ 207kgs

Solid work.

3 x 5

Not easy - shoulders very sore

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
5 @ 90kgs
3 @ 96kgs
3 @ 102kgs

Tough.

3 x 10 @ 20kgs Bells

Metcon

10:00

Christmas drinking season has probably left me a little run down. This was very tough, was quite drained after.

Saturday 27th, Ben Dunne Sandyford, 15:00pm

Warmup

Zilch

Rowing Block

18:47.6 // 1:52.7 // 17

0.3s off my PB. Though I'm happy with the row given the week in it and the fact I've been suffering with a cold. Additional complication was that the straps on the rower I was using came loose after 500m which affected my ability to ramp up the last 700m. So yeah, happy with that time.

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
10 x 1 @ 60kgs (EMOM)
3 x 3 Push Press @ 60kgs (EMOM)

Fine.

Workout 391, Monday 29th, 11:30am

Warmup

Shoulder Band Work
Scap Slides
Scap Push Ups
Stretching

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
1 @ 60kgs
10 x 1 @ 67kgs (EMOM)

Bar speed slowest so far on this program.

5 @ 60kgs
5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
2 @ 140kgs
1 @ 160kgs
1 @ 180kgs
1 @ 200kgs
1 @ 220kgs (slow enough rep)

Metcon

18:58

Yeah hard. Lost a lot of time on pull ups. This was a 17 second PB on this Metcon however so happy enough. Row times were:

1:46.6
1:46.7
1:47.5

Workout 392, Tuesday 30th, 10:00am

Worst session in a while. Bad cold beating me down allied to a stressful event yesterday and a bad night's sleep. Still went down to get something done.

Warmup

Shoulder Band Work
Hamstring Band Work
Stretching

Strength

6 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
3 @ 60kgs
3 @ 65kgs
4 @ 70kgs
3 @ 75kgs
3 @ 80kgs

Poor technique throughout.

3 x 3 @ 100kgs

Metcon

1:47.9
1:48.0
1:42.3

Called it at that.

1 / 6, but I'm not too disheartened by that tbh.

For this year:

HBBS: 170kgs
Deadlift: 250kgs
Bench: 125kgs
Press: 90kgs
500m Row: 1:18.9

I'm not going to set 2k or 5k row goals. I think power and strength will be the focus for another year. If I achieve all of the above then next year it might be time to look into some bodyweight / bf % goals during 2016. Slowly, slowly we'll get there.

Workout 393, Friday 2nd, 19:30pm

Took New Year's Eve off and decided to leave the rower in the corner until next week. Feel good about both decisions.

Warmup

Dynamic Stretching

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 60kgs
3 @ 80kgs
3 @ 100kgs
2 @ 110kgs
2 @ 120kgs
2 @ 127.5kgs
2 @ 135kgs
1 @ 142.5kgs (didn't catch the bounce perfect and had to grind it a little)
5 @ 120kgs (first couple of reps as perfect a squat I've ever done following some good input from Dave)

Happy with that.

Metcon

Good, every round 25 - 30s

Workout 394, Saturday 3rd, 11:00am

Warmup

Stretching
Shoulder Band Work

Strength

8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
12 x 1 @ 62.5kgs (EMOM)

Week 4 of this program complete. Starts to get heavier from here.


5 @ 60kgs
5 @ 100kgs
3 @ 120kgs
2 @ 140kgs
1 @ 160kgs
1 @ 180kgs
1 @ 200kgs
1 @ 210kgs
1 @ 220kgs (very strong rep)
3 @ 180kgs

Brilliant. No Squats or Deads for the next three weeks!!

Metcon

Got as far as the push-ups. Grip was shot which meant the first three sections involved more breaks than I'd have liked. Still useful work.

Workout 395, Tuesday 6th, 19:00pm

Warmup

Stretching
Shoulder Band Work

Strength



8 @ Bar
5 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
3 @ 60kgs
1 @ 65kgs
1 @ 70kgs
6 x 1 @ 72kgs

These will become a bit more meaty from here on in.



Lots of technique work and discussion with Dave @ 40kgs
3 Power Cleans EMOM @ 60kgs x 8

Trying to get this movement better. Dave's patience is helping - it's getting smoother.

Rowing Block



4:43.4 // 1:33.4 // 27

51.4
46.6
46.0
45.8
45.2
45.0

On the first one the clock started before I got going, hence the significantly slower time. Overall, very happy with this piece.

I can't believe it took me this long to see your log on the first page. Subbed. Also lol@ sq/dl/ohp ratio. strong back

Workout 396, Wednesday 7th, 19:00pm

Warmup

Stretching

Rowing Block

2:57.3 // 1:18.8 // 44

22.4 (clock running before I started again)
19.3
19.2
19.2
19.2
19.1
19.3
19.5
19.4

Good stuff.

Strength

8 @ Bar
3 @ 40kgs
3 @ 60kgs
2 @ 80kgs
1 @ 90kgs
3 x 5 @ 96kgs

Happy enough

5, 3, 3, 2

Eesh, nothing there.

4 x 3

Interesting

Metcon

65kgs Sled
80kgs Sled
85kgs Sled
90kgs Sled
90kgs Sled
90kgs Sled

Great craic.

Workout 397, Friday 9th, 19:00pm

Warmup

Stretching

Strength

2 x 3 @ 40kgs
3 @ 50kgs
3 @ 60kgs
3 @ 65kgs
3 @ 70kgs
3 @ 75kgs
3 @ 80kgs

Haven't done these in a while but Dave reckoned they were pretty good.

3 x 80kgs
3 x 90kgs
3 x 95kgs
3 x 100kgs
3 x 105kgs

Overall, lots of volume here.

Rowing Block

2:00.4 // 1:20.2 // 42

19.9
20.5
20.0
20.2
20.0
19.8

The reduced rest made these hard. Need to suck it up next week where it will be 40s rest.