So this week was not the same as any other week.
First, last week I mentioned that I was going on a stag in Wexford, so the resulting few days was very fragile. I was inded a thirsty boy on Saturday, drinking pints, I never drink pints anymore. Still it was nice to let loose after a hard sssion Saturday. I was weary of how I would react to this weeks session after the “sesh”. My heart sank when I got a message of Davy saying “Here lad, would you mind training with me on Tuesday?”. My heart sank but i thought feck it, why not? I replied cheekily saying “Only if you dont get upset when I outlift you.” My stupid mouth always gets me in trouble. He replied with a wink face.
Session One :
Session one actually started the day before. I challenged myself to get a run in this week. Anyone following this blog knows I really enjoy hitting the roads, at least 5 time a week. With my knee injury becoming quit prevalent I have been reduced to walking. Not the same buzz. So I strapped my knee up and went for a run. For the first 4k there was no issue, the last 2k though the pain came back. I took that as progression though, from nothing to 6k is a plus in my book. My legs were tight and sore , but sure I was only due to do chest and back the next day so all good, right? Wrong. It was leg day…….shite.
Training with Davy is a completely different animal then to the personal training with him. Dead lifts and bar squats started us off on the day, with plates getting stacked on every set. A surprise there was plates to stack considering Davy had his bar fully loaded for dead lifting. I always shy’d away from dead lifts and squats in my training before hand, laziness really. Davy and Vinny were on hand though to make sure everything was done right. I was surprised with the elongated rest periods, something I was not that accustomed to previously due to the mentality of “Get into the gym, and then get out.” It worked though, sets were complete and done right. This was followed by hack squats and calf raises and sandbag carrying. The sandbag carrying is a strongman staple, and it was fun to diversify and keep the body guessing. two and a half hours later we finished out training.
Session Two :
The variation of the exercises is a testament to the knowledge of the workers within the gym. Tuesdays session was unlike anything I experienced before, and Thursdays once again was a completely different experience. Lee was on hand for the chest and arm workout we were about to embark on, with the focus on failure sets. Training to failure means selecting a weight that’s heavy enough so that the last rep taxes you to the point that you struggle to complete it in that set. To be honest i did not know we were doing this until Le informed me halfway through. He would say do 15 reps, I would struggle, then the next set we would add plates, and say do 15. I would would once again struggle and aim for 15, with Lee knowing full well I wouldn’t hit it. I did not know that and I would strive to get that number. Sometimes my muscles failed me, but that was the point, I would of throwing in the towel if the reps were set lower. Three days later and I am still feeling the effects. I left that day like I leave every other day, with more knowledge. Everyday in there is a learning curve and I am glad for it.
Session Three :
I had an active week filled with soccer and dog walks, so I was feeling good mentally driving to the gym .Arms and shoulders is a day I always relish. they are probably the muscle groups you notice the biggest changes in first. My arms in particular have aesthetically never felt as good as they do now. They feel strong, and honestly I am loving it. I also love training with Vinny, he is great craic, never letting you give up on yourself. I am probably a bit more brazen with Vinny then Davy. He would say do three sets, and I’d say “three? Why not four?”, knowing full well I would regret saying that, but it is part of the banter. We did some shoulder exercises I never done before, isolating different muscles within my traps, delts and beyond. Tough as always, even tougher when he follows up the shoulders with an arm circuit.
I briefly mentioned to him about my grip strength, so wouldn’t you know he throws a forearm set into the circuit. Two triceps exercises, two biceps and one forearm, 30 second break, and repeat x4. The squeeze has become a staple in every arm set, and a welcome one. We kept it interesting by doing half lifts on the biceps, bringing it up to the top and drop the bar halfway down and straight back up. We ended the set by hanging from a bar, holding my own weight and timing it. Its to help grip strength, and now next week I have a target to beat.
We are now left with just 12 sessions, another month of learning from the best.
If you want to make a change, you can contact Davy on 0892528904 or email [email protected].
