CrossFit Ireland One Day Course, Sunday 14th March

I was at this today.

I think this may have been one of the most useful Sundays I have ever spent. I had decided to go based on the fact that I have been working on Linear progression on my own for a few months now and I don't really have access to anyone who can be of any use in terms of making sure my lifts are dialled or if looking for form issues.

I arrived just before 10am to be greeted by Colm, Will, Tom and James at the office signed some declarations and got down to it.

We were taken through the Catalyst Athletics warmup, which is a mobility session. Tis good, although Inchworms and spiderman lunges suck. Suppose I need to do them more...

Throughout the day the 8 participants were taken in groups of 4 and more or less back and forth between Colm and Will. Which meant you ever never far from your next set and you always had the eye of either of the coaches.

The earlier session was largely taken up with various forms of squatting.
A noble activity indeed. We started with air squatting, which I had been doing wrong, moved to Back squat, deadlift, front squat OHS and then to the overhead lifts. Most of which I have some issues with and was very happy to haves them pointed out, explained and remedied.

After lunch we got a run through the Olympic lifts, which was brilliant, cos Oly lifting is an Epic activity. I was really keen to be taught the snatch and Colm even invited me to stay after at the end of the day so he could look at my clean at Work weight. Colm (Will had the other group) has a simple and demystified approach to teaching them, which is not to say he made me feel they were easy, just that there are certain things that are of higher priority at the novice stage and he laid them out really well. I feel I know my Clean better now.

After the Oly lifts we stopped with the barbells. Its never a bad thing to learn new stuff and anything that helps me stay healthy and strong I am all for. We did Kettle Bell swings first. I have been doing a few of them with DBs but (as I suspected) not particularly well. Also having swung with a KB, I see what I am missing. Quality exercise. We then moved on to bodyweight stuff, Kipping pullups, Muscleup progressions and Handstand stuff.

Its always good to have your arse handed to you. The Kipping pullups might have come had I all day. The ring stuff was absolutely hilarious cos I was shaking like a leaf, (Colm: "Wheres your bench press now buddy?")
And the Handstand, lets just say I need work. That and I take a hit well.

It was interesting cos some of the earlier barbell stuff that was new I had very little trouble picking up, bar some ROM issues. This stuff was alien, but I will say it was coached really well by Colm, Will and James. I clearly have things to work on, and I will work on them.

James aka Jimminy (who judging by the Blog is a formidable crossfitter) was there I gather to gain some coaching experience and I thought, did a great job of picking up on and cueing issues.

I think I have come away with everything I wanted and expected from the day. Plus a little bit more. The lads are sound out and great coaches, it was a great environment to learn in.

As I said above, Colm offered to look at my work weight after (Thanks again Colm) and in about 10 Min had isolated 2 issues which, when I fixed them, made my clean a lot better.

They mentioned they wanted to run this again.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone, if you want to use barbell but don't know what you are doing, Hell if you are doing starting strength on your own, you should keep an eye out for it and don't hesitate to sign up.

It was brilliant, seriously, I can't say enough for it.
I am literally chomping at the bit to get into the gym and apply this stuff.

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Thanks for the kind words d'Oracle, didn't even know it was you on the day!

Internet Anonymity must be conserved.
I don't want to be up in front of some Internet War crimes tribunal.:D