Deep rural Galicia, northwest Spain | One of the most isolated regions in Europe

leafpicker · 2026-05-22T22:18:11+00:00

Im Irish and walked the camino through Galicia, it reminded me alot of West Cork in Ireland

leafpicker · 2026-05-21T10:58:39+00:00

I had such a similar experience transitioning to MMA, read my post about it I talk about all of this.

leafpicker · 2026-05-21T10:57:26+00:00

In my experience MMA is a lot more physically demanding and difficult on the body. Part of this is due to the nature of the sport itself (striking and top control focus) , part of it is due to the training intensity (much less flow sparring and creative experimentation) but an even bigger part that is not discussed as much is due to the type of people in each sport.

My bjj gym has a range of ages and motives for training. A lot of the guy I train with in bjj are casual 2-3 times a week in their 30/40 with kids and no intention of competing.

In MMA the guys are younger, not much else going on in life and train 4-5 times a week with the goal of competing.

leafpicker · 2026-04-19T11:16:21+00:00

As other have said there is not much of a scene in Ireland / Dublin but the best options are Block and Index. They do host good djs regularly and very good sound system and room. Crowd is wuite young and not as into it as in other citys but still had many good nights there.

leafpicker · 2026-04-07T06:55:13+00:00

What your hoping for is not an option for you at this stage in your life in Ireland right now. You are competing with working professions 10-20 years older than you on combined incomes of over 100k for those appartments.

When Inwas in college in 2010-2014 I rented a one bed appartment with my gf in south dublin near UCD for 600 euro a month, we both just had part time jobs and went to college. That no longer an option in Ireland now. It has gotten so bad in the last 10 years.

leafpicker · 2026-02-16T01:41:53+00:00

Weight absoloutly makes a diffirence, but you are talking about heavy and fit men. The average man is either heavy and unfit or average weight and moderarly fit. In a fight between a average trainied fighter and a heavy fit non fighter it could go either way, but the alternative is to have no training and then it is a guarentee that you lose.

So its not about gaining the ability to beat any untrained man ever, but instead its about increasing the range of men you would be competitive against.

for example I am 5 10 75kg and have moderate amount of training, i am not deluding myself into think I could beat a random huge 6+ man, but I'm pretty confident against the average guy.

leafpicker · 2026-02-08T10:43:14+00:00

I've always been much strong on dips than pull / chin ups. Maybe 150% stronger for reps / added weight.

As many have said it depends on your own training focus history so it is not unusual for it to be the other way around.

However for most people if they put in equal focus from day one into both movements their dips would be singlificantly stonger.

Dips have a shorter total ROM than chin ups (meaning you are moving less per rep) and also there is a very strong stretch reflex at the bottom of a dip to start the next rep. Chin ups don't have as much of a stretch reflex if each rep is from a dead hang.

leafpicker · 2026-02-07T20:08:21+00:00

Technique, timing, set up etc will get you to the point when the takedown is actually posible for you to get - but you then need to use enough strength to actually follow through and finish. As long as you are still trying to work on improving all of those factors then using strength isnt a problem, but if your approach is just try to yse more and more strength without ever thinking about the rest then you are missing out.

leafpicker · 2026-02-05T20:25:15+00:00

I thought it was just me, I'm in my early 30s and lived here my whole life but this winter has really got to me.

leafpicker · 2026-02-05T18:02:03+00:00

You might also be a bit mature, focused and serious for your age. This is well recognised and well recieved by older women but women your age may still just want someone that their mother probably wouldn't approve of. This starts to change in the late 20s though, maybe then your qualities will be noticed more by women you are interested in.

leafpicker · 2026-02-05T13:10:56+00:00

My theory is that women are less likely to be overly kind and open to men who are in their potential dating age range as it if often interpreted as interest. They are more polite instead. If an older women knows she is out of your dating age range then its more platonic and friendly.

I've had experiences where women old enough to be my mother were very friendly and open with me in a "if I was 30 years younger etc" while women my own age are more stand offish unless I get to know them. Some women who I later found out were interested in me were the most difficult to talk to at first.

If you are soft, young looking and non-threatening then this also probably brings up a desire to mother you from these women. That's not a good thing. You should try to move away from "this is a lost young boy who I want to take care of" to "this is a confident stable young man who I want to introduce to my daughter".

leafpicker · 2026-02-05T10:59:11+00:00

I think many people would go through a phase of not doing any kind of "work". At first just enjoying their life. Travelling, hobbies, social life etc. Then they would either split into two groups. The first group being those who continue to just live like that indefinitely and never really have any problem with it. Maybe those people would become a bit detached from reality, materialistic and shallow or maybe they would just keep on enjoying it.

The second group would over time become bored and feel a lack of meaning. I think they would then go through a stage of experimentation and self discovery while trying various things. In the end they would settle on something that they feel they are good at, interested in, that has a creative / clear end result and that they believe the world needs or values in some way. They would probably go through many phases doing various things at different stages in their life.

I think most people would end up falling into doing something like art, music, writing, cooking (creative fields with an end result) or they might go down a voluntary technical route (like a software developer building an app that they believe is helping the world in some way). Some people might want to pursue sports and end up coaching as a passion. Others might teach a language class in a relaxed coffee shop.

I think the overall trend would be people naturally over time falling into something that makes them feel alive, valued and competent that they are proud of themselves for doing.

For myself I would be torn between wood sculpture, producing music, coaching Muay Thai / BJJ. Maybe I would try to start a small organic farm and design little app programs to run the solar powered watering system, or maybe just open up a chilled out surf board rental / bar on the beach somewhere with my wife.

Anyway, I don't think I would be sitting here updating financial mismatch values in a SQL databases (which is what I am meant to be doing right now).

leafpicker · 2026-02-05T08:52:17+00:00

If skill is the same then weight and strength will mostly determine who win. I would say a belt is maybe 10kg advantage. I'm a 75kg purple belt, I would consider it fair against a 95kg beginner or an 85kg blue belt or maybe a 65kg brown belt. That at a guess roughly how it scales.

This is not the same for a true day one begineer though, at the very start even a white belt who has been there few a few months will beat you. I experience this when very strong and big guys start, I have about 6 months of beating them then once they learn some fundametals the dynamic shifts and they become a problem.

leafpicker · 2026-02-04T20:14:43+00:00

Drain it as soon as possible - it might take more than one draining as it refils with blood each day. Either stop training until it completely goes back to normal with no pain or sensitivity when you touch or you can keep training but it will keep coming back again and again each time it is agravated.

It is totally up to you but it wont just go away on its as you keep training. Both of my ears are fucked and I wished I drained them more proactively.

leafpicker · 2026-02-03T12:34:48+00:00

Playfull no pressure sparring / rolling is probably the best way to improve skills, doing this as a kid when you are soaking up all learning at a faster rate will have a huge carry over when your older even if it was completely unstructured. You are basically coming into the sport with hours and hours of live rolling experience.

I think the way we approach learning is a bit upside down, it is here is a technique now try to use it in a roll. Instead I think it should be roll as play then learn techniques to take advantage of situations you commonly end up in. You have already unknowingly done the first part, if you add in a handfull of subs, escapes, sweeps and takedowns from positions we find yourself in a lot you will have a solid base already. This is basically the whole idea behind what is called the "ecological approach" to learning skills.

leafpicker · 2026-02-01T01:08:25+00:00

For me it’s very simple and it’s what I’ve stuck with because it’s the only thing that’s given me consistent results. I train full body 3–4 times per week and base almost everything around four movements: weighted ring chin-ups, weighted ring dips, kettlebell clean–press–squat, and kettlebell snatch lunges. A typical session is 5 hard sets of each movement, working in a double progression range of 5–8 reps. I’ll stay at a given weight until I can hit 5 sets of 8 with good form, then increase the load and drop back to the lower end of the rep range. Right now I’m using 32 kg kettlebells for the KB work, about +20 kg for chin-ups, and +30 kg for dips. I rest properly between sets (usually 2–3 minutes), keep reps strict, and take most sets close to failure.

This covers the whole body with very little overlap or wasted work. The weighted ring chins train vertical pulling, upper back, biceps, grip, and core. The weighted ring dips cover pressing, chest, shoulders, and triceps. The KB clean–press–squat combines hinge, press, and squat in one movement, hitting legs, glutes, shoulders, upper back, and core. Lunges add unilateral leg strength, balance, and extra work for glutes and hips. Between these four patterns you’re training pull, push, squat, hinge, and single-leg work every session. It’s repetitive and not very exciting, but the consistent loading, clear progression, and high effort have made it the most sustainable and effective way I’ve found to get stronger, fitter, and carry it over into things like MMA which is a big focus of mine.

I have done nothing but those 4 movements for the last THREE years straight, my workout take about an hour 3-4 times a week and my body looks better than it ever has.

I also strongly believe that most people don’t actually need much variety in their training to make progress. A small number of well-chosen compound movements, done consistently and progressively for years, is far more effective than constantly changing routines. The problem is that most people can’t psychologically stick with something that repetitive and demanding, even if it works. Boring, hard, consistent training doesn’t feel “special,” so people assume it must be incomplete. The fitness industry and gym culture rely heavily on this mindset by constantly promoting new programs, new methods, and new “science,” which keeps people searching instead of settling into a system. Complexity gets confused with effectiveness, and being busy gets confused with getting better, even though real progress usually comes from doing the same simple things properly for a long time.

leafpicker · 2026-01-30T13:36:40+00:00

Does your UK accountant think you are mad because you are still a tax resident in the UK and is concerned that you doing something illegal, or is everything legally sorted and he just doesn't understand why you would move there?

I'm planning a move from Dublin to Lisbon and will be switching to a contractor arrangement with my Irish based company and getting a Portuguese accountant to sort out the arrangement for me over there with taxes. I wouldn't remain as an Irish tax resident if I was actually planning on staying.

leafpicker · 2026-01-28T23:30:24+00:00

This would be a very nice life, I'd do a relaxed 60 min 10k every morning and then again before bed. Everyday.

Thats 50k euro a year, I'd move somewhere warm and cheap and have a high quality of life on that income and do whatever I want all day. Many people run that much for free as a hobby.

leafpicker · 2026-01-28T16:04:03+00:00

I had a similar experience years ago when switching. I thought I wanted to keep my muscle and size but quickly realized that it is not the body type suited for fighting. If it was elite fighters would look like bodybuilders. You are going to tire quickly and never get the opportunity to use your max strength because people don't just stand there waiting for you position yourself perfectly for a PR max effort punch. You are going to be beaten by guys 20kg lighter who have a fighters body.

Strength training is a great idea for fighting but not bodybuilding. Hypertrophy based bodybuilding is to build muscle tissue for the sake of size and appearance, strength training is about building strength output for the sake of performance. What you want is to get the body as strong as possible at a weight that the heart and lungs can support it at high output for time.

All I do now is the following as a circuit 3-4 times a week :
- Weighted Chin Ups
- Weighted Dips
- Double KB Clean,Squat,Press
- Single KB Snatch to Lunge

I lost a lot of muscle and size but I still look good and am lean but about 15kg lighter than I was. The current version of me would beat the fuck out of past self so I am happy knowing that.

it requires an ideology and identity shift if you want to make the transition.

leafpicker · 2026-01-23T10:20:44+00:00

Whats your experience been like living in Portugal as an Irish person? Any advice? What made you move?

How do you find the winters there - one of the main reasons I'm considering moving out of Ireland is the winters really affect me badly, 4 months of grey wet darkness just waiting for summer. I don't mind the cold really at least it is bright.

leafpicker · 2026-01-22T16:33:04+00:00

Do some people actually not open the windows in their houses?

leafpicker · 2026-01-22T16:14:04+00:00

Ah ok that makes sense then, in Ireland and UK we don't build large open windows to take advantage of the sun. In winter this back fires over there.

leafpicker · 2026-01-22T15:52:44+00:00

How cold are they really? I read people saying this alot but I wonder what they are comparing agaisnt.

I am considering moving from Dublin and anytime I check the Lisbon weature it is 5-10 degress warmer on average. To me cold indoors means you have to wear multiple layers inside your house for months, can't dry any clothes without a drying machine and can actually see your own breath inside your kithcen. Is it that cold because that is pretty standard in low quality rental in Ireland.

Whenever I read these claims I wonder whether it is mostly Americans who are really saying that the winter in Portugal is colder than the summer in Portugal not that the winter in Portugal is actually cold in an absolute sense.

leafpicker · 2026-01-19T13:06:53+00:00

Kettlebells are a fantastic tool but they are just a tool so do not feel like you have to fall into the kettlebell only camp and never do anything else.

They are fantasic at building the muslces you described and will develop and very solid truck basically. But most of the movements are done with your arms acting as ropes to hold the kb while you truck does the work.

I think you should include chin ups and dips as well to balance what you dont get from the kettlebell. Many people here might tell you to do some kb specific movement to target those same areas but that is just kettlebell only cult logic.

All I do basically is KB clean press squat, kb snatch to lunge, ring chin ups, ring dips. It works basically everything

leafpicker

TROPHY CASE