Performance in Athletic Conditioning and Exercise

Performance in Athletic Conditioning and Exercise Strength and Conditioning

06/09/2026

102.5kg
Var Called it . is the only one who can testify
PB ✅️

05/09/2026

BRACING IS A SKILL — AND IT MATTERS 💪

When you’re performing big lifts like squats, deadlifts, RDLs or heavy rows, being able to brace properly is hugely important.

Bracing isn’t just “tensing your abs.”

It’s about creating 360° pressure around your trunk — using your abs, obliques, lower back and diaphragm together to create a strong, stable base.

Think of your torso like a cylinder. Before you lift:

👉 Take a breath into your stomach and sides
👉 Create pressure all the way around your midsection
👉 Tighten your trunk as if you're preparing to take a hit
👉 Maintain that pressure through the hardest part of the lift

The stronger and more stable your base is, the better you can transfer force into the bar.

Before chasing heavier weights, learn how to brace.

Strength isn't just about producing force — it's about being able to control it.

PACE_14_

21/08/2026

To anyone getting their Leaving Cert results today — best of luck! 🙌
And remember, if you don’t get the results you were hoping for, it’s all good. It doesn’t define you or decide where you’ll end up.
There are so many different routes into education and careers.
Once you’re 23 or over, you can apply to college as a mature student, where entry can be based on things like an interview, experience and suitability rather than just your Leaving Cert points.
Your results are one route, not your only route.
Enjoy the day, be proud of yourself, and whatever the piece of paper says — there’s always another way forward. 💪

20/08/2026

HOW CLOSE TO FAILURE DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO TRAIN? 💪
We hear “train to failure” all the time.
But what does that actually mean?
Muscular failure is basically the point where you can no longer complete the lifting (concentric) part of the rep through the intended range of motion while maintaining the intended technique.
Proximity to failure simply means how close you get to that point.

Think of it like this:
5 reps left = far from failure
3 reps left = getting closer
1 rep left = very close
0 reps left = failure
So do we need to hit 0 every time?
No.
Research comparing training to failure with stopping around 1–2 reps short has found very similar muscle growth, with training to failure creating more fatigue.
That's where exercise selection matters.
If I'm doing a 140kg RDL and I know I've probably got another 1–2 reps physically in me, but getting them means significantly changing my technique just to keep the weight moving...
Are those extra reps really worth it?
Sometimes, no.
That doesn't mean stop when a rep gets hard.
A slow rep isn't a bad rep.
A grindy rep isn't automatically a bad rep.
We WANT high effort.
But there's a difference between getting close to failure and forcing ugly reps just so you can say you trained to failure.
Train hard. Get close to failure. But understand that failure isn't always necessary for growth.
📚 Refalo et al. (2024) — similar hypertrophy was found when training to momentary muscular failure versus stopping with approximately 1–2 reps in reserve.

16/08/2026

IS WEIGHING YOUR FOOD OBSESSIVE? ⚖️🍚

I hear this one a lot…

"Weighing your food is obsessive."

But is it?

We measure loads of things when we want a specific outcome — our steps, our bodyweight, the weight we lift in the gym, even our finances.

So why is measuring the amount of food we eat suddenly considered obsessive?

A food scale is simply a tool.

If your goal is fat loss, muscle gain or improving your nutrition, weighing your food can help you understand how much you're actually eating, rather than relying on guesswork.

And you'd be surprised how different an estimated portion can be from an actual measured portion — especially with calorie-dense foods.

That doesn't mean you need to weigh every gram of food for the rest of your life.

The important distinction is precision vs obsession.

If you can't eat something because you don't know its exact weight, you're extremely anxious when you can't track, or it starts affecting your social life and relationship with food, that's a different conversation.

But weighing 80g of rice because it fits your nutrition plan?

That's not automatically obsessive. That's just measuring.

The scales aren't the problem.

It's your relationship with them that matters.

15/08/2026

TIME UNDER TENSION vs MECHANICAL TENSION 💪

We hear these words thrown around in gyms all the time:

“Time under tension.”
“Mechanical tension.”

But can you actually show someone what they mean?

That’s what I wanted to demonstrate in this video.

If I deliberately slow a rep down, I've increased the time under tension. The muscle is working for longer.

But more time doesn't automatically mean a greater stimulus for muscle growth.

What we're really interested in for hypertrophy is mechanical tension — the force experienced by the muscle fibres as they produce force against resistance. Current research continues to identify mechanical tension as a primary stimulus underpinning resistance-training-induced hypertrophy.

As fatigue builds throughout a hard set, our ability to produce force decreases. To keep moving the same load, neural drive increases and higher-threshold motor units are recruited.

That’s why those final reps start to naturally slow down, even though your intent is still to move the weight.

That's very different from deliberately making every rep slow just to increase the number of seconds the muscle is working.

So instead of just repeating words like “mechanical tension”, understand what they actually mean — and more importantly, be able to demonstrate them in practice.

Control the load.
Train with intent.
Get close to failure.
Let fatigue slow the reps naturally.

More time doesn't automatically mean more growth.

13/08/2026

CAN A PAD HELP YOU GROW YOUR CHEST?

The answer is always "It Depends"

In this video, I explain how using a pad can increase the range of motion on certain chest exercises, allowing the upper arm to travel further behind the body and putting the pecs into a greater stretched position under load.

Why does that matter?

Mechanical tension is a key driver of muscle growth, and research suggests that exposing a muscle to high levels of tension while it's at longer muscle lengths can be particularly effective for hypertrophy.

By using the pad to increase your available range, you're not simply chasing a bigger stretch — you're creating an opportunity for the pecs to produce and experience high mechanical tension in that lengthened position.

The pad isn't magic, and more ROM isn't automatically better. It needs to be a range you can control while keeping the pecs loaded.

Greater effective ROM → tension at longer muscle lengths → greater potential hypertrophy stimulus.

Don't just move the weight.

Create tension where it matters. 💪

Bodybuilding TrainingTips PACE

Fat loss doesn't need to be complicated. You basically have 2 options (if you are already hitting your protein 2x bodywe...
09/08/2026

Fat loss doesn't need to be complicated.
You basically have 2 options (if you are already hitting your protein 2x bodyweight in kg)
Option 1 - You can keep everything the same and eat less of the same foods
Or
Option 2 - You can move more and keep your food the same .

03/08/2026

🤔 Do Slow Reps Build More Muscle?
Not necessarily.
A common misconception is that you should intentionally slow every rep down to build more muscle.
The goal is actually to move every rep with maximum intent while maintaining good technique.
As fatigue builds, force production decreases and the weight naturally slows down—even though you're trying to lift it as fast as possible.
That natural slowdown is a sign you're creating high mechanical tension, which current evidence suggests is the primary driver of muscle hypertrophy.
So if your last rep is moving at the same speed as your first, you may not be training close enough to failure to maximise your growth stimulus.
Don't move the weight slowly... let fatigue slow the weight.
💬 Fast intent. Natural slowdown. Maximum tension.

The best coaches never stop learning... and the best instructors are built through experience, not just textbooks. 👊Most...
29/07/2026

The best coaches never stop learning... and the best instructors are built through experience, not just textbooks. 👊

Most people know me for helping clients lose fat, build muscle and transform their physique...
But that's only one part of what I do.
Alongside coaching, I'm also an ITEC Gym Instructor Tutor and Practical Examiner, helping develop the next generation of fitness professionals.
Watching students grow from having little confidence in a gym environment to planning programmes, coaching clients and passing their practical assessments is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
Whether you're looking to transform your own body or begin a career in the fitness industry, education and quality coaching will always come first.

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