South Dublin Strength and Conditioning

09/02/2026

Were not very active on here anymore (more so in Instagram) but we're still working hard in the gym!

A short video capturing the vibe of a typical group session. Shot and edited by Lisa over at Shoot | Cut | Grade

16/05/2023

Just under a month until we host .erbacher for the 4th time!

There are more and more gyms using the ergs as a large part of their training (if not their entire training) and there are numerous coaches still teaching them as an afterthought, putting the damper setting at 10, jumping on and pulling like crazy.

Learn to use AND coach these machines safely, efficiently and effectively.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn and increase your knowledge and performance on all 3 ergs.

Go beyond the standard approach of learning from a youtube video or an instagram reel, immerse yourself in the details and level up in a fun and supportive environment with like-minded individuals and learn from a world renowned coach.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/sdsc-dublin-x-erg-army-tickets-625861547737?fbclid=PAAaaO6h_U-1hlE_I9vLsjYc8NtiJRHi1Rij2zIe_grYwnTMrPwjikVmKgAGU

Invest in yourself - whether you are a coach or just looking to get the most out of your workouts.

10th & 11th June,

10/02/2023

I don't really update this page much but we had a great day at the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships last Saturday...

It’s been a while since we got to make the road trip to Limerick and I’m already looking forward to next year!

We couldn’t get everyone down this time but it shows the growth of the gym that we were still able to bring home a few medals 🏅

had an amazing performance in the men’s lightweight 500 race. Falling off the seat at the very start 🤣 he managed to show amazing determination and get back on (after giving everyone a few seconds head start) and win 🚀

had a strong performance in the women’s 500m to take second place.

The lads hulk smashed their way to a first place in the men’s relay 🥇 and the women came second in theirs (having not practiced transitions).

There were a few more PRs and some folks getting their first taste of pre competition nerves (and doing amazing!).

The Team Tuesdays and Thursdays with are paying off 👌🏻

Super proud of everyone ❤️

06/12/2022

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 Workout 5 …

We had to fit this one in somewhere! A slight variation on the previous one - instead of an emom, this one is going on every second minute 🔥

05/12/2022

Getting out of my own way…

This really hit me again last week as I was coaching the deadlift. I had a relatively new member in and they were doing good - I was tempted to change a few things on the set up or talk more about bracing but then I stopped myself.

The person was moving well and with a weight they were unlikely to hurt themselves with. I figured it was better to let them get a feel for the lift and practice without getting in their way and over complicate things too soon (or ideally at all!).

I always strive to use the most concise coaching point or cue and that can depend entirely on the individual - whether they are a visual (demo), auditory (spoken) or kinesthetic (touch) learners. Different cues will be more effective for different people.

It is very tempting to display knowledge and look to convey value by ‘over-coaching’ or leaning into the complex but true knowledge is distilling expertise in ‘layman’s’ terms - much like training, using the minimal effective does for the maximum response.

The middle ground can also be the most treacherous… non-beginners who have ideas of being advanced in their own journey and looking for the coach to dispense advanced ‘tips’ when really, it is all about mastering the basics.

I notice particularly when I am tired, I tend to coach more than I need to. Maybe this is a way of over-compensating for diminishing energy levels but this often makes things worse and the experience for the member more convoluted and confusing.

I always joke about having a talent for making things more complicated than they need to be (in all areas of life) but often times, less is more. Unless it’s money in the bank…

05/12/2022

🎄🎄🎄🎄 Workout 4

Classic Mikko’s Triangle 🔺
🚣‍♀️ ⛷ 🚴

Scoring (total cals)…

Men 5 pts: > 525
Men 3 pts: > 475
Men 1 pts: < 475

Women 5 pts: > 360
Women 3 pts: > 320
Women 1 pts: < 320

03/12/2022

🎄🎄🎄 Workout 3 🎄🎄🎄

Scoring:

5pts: men >135 cals | women >100 cals

3pts: men >120 cals | women >80cals

1pt: men

02/12/2022

🎄🎄 workout 2 🎄🎄

This will be scored on total time taken to complete - so no rowing at 3 strokes a minute 👀

30/11/2022

🎄 Workout 1 🎄

It’s that time of the year again! Here’s the first workout…

Every 5th minute (for 10 rounds)

Bikeerg:
2000m for men / 1600m for women

Set the damper at 1 and increase each round. There will be scoring for total time cycled…

29/11/2022

A general list on the ‘low hanging fruit’ and riskier options when it comes to planning a robust strategy which will thrive in and not be broken down by the chaotic nature of life.

A link to the article is in the bio.

This is my own slant on the above but this line of thought and many others that I have are influenced by

29/11/2022

Barbell Strategy - maximising the upside of a given approach and minimising the risk...

This post is not actually a rant on how to load or unload a barbell the correct way – although at times I think there should be one as a reference, but it is influenced by (completely taken from) the works of Nassim Nicholas Taleb and from his book Antifragile, which I read during lockdown when tr...