RugbyIQ Conditioning Blog

It may seem obvious to many of you that the way you train varies according to the time of the season. However I am constantly finding players who come to me for advice that hardly even know how to divide up their rugby year let alone how their training should be adjusted accordingly. It is very important that you as a player or coach understand the different phases of the year and understand the basic training implications. So here goes:

Active Rest or Transition

This phase starts as soon as the competitive season of playing games ends. It provides the player with an opportunity to rest and recover fully from a long hard season. This time is used to allow niggles and minor injuries the player has been carrying to heal as well as using corrective exercise to address muscle imbalances that may have developed.

The duration of this phase will depend on the intensity and volume of rugby played during the in-season period. A general guideline would be a transition phase of 4 weeks if you have played more than 28 games in the season. Those who have played less can take a shorter time “off”, but a minimum of 2 weeks is recommended. Even though this phase is seen as a rest phase, to prevent detraining occurring, some light cross-training or other activities such as swimming, core strength work, etc should be included in the weekly schedule.

Off-season

The major problem encountered by the professional rugby player today is the lack of a proper off-season. Top players are literally playing rugby 10 to 11 months of the year!

Why is this a problem?

The major emphasis of the off-season is to give the player the opportunity to increase his conditioning foundation on which all the other fitness components are built. That is strength and endurance. These two components require higher volumes of training to illicit the necessary adaptation response the player is trying to achieve.

Let us use speed as an example. As mentioned earlier one of the most important factors you have to improve if you are wanting to increase your speed is your strength. The off-season is the time for adding muscle and doing a large portion of your strength work for the upcoming season. With little or no off-season it is difficult to improve significantly on your strength and therefore your chances of really improving your speed on a yearly basis is negatively affected.

For the school boy or club player however the off-season presents him with an ideal opportunity to significantly improve his strength and endurance capabilities. It is a time for fitness testing and evaluation and some hard work in the gym and on the field or track.

This phase usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks again depending on your level of involvement. With the major training focus being on stability, core strength, strength hypertrophy and general to specific endurance training.

 It is also advisable to include a few short sharp speeds sessions to remind your muscles how to move quickly especially with larger volumes of slower endurance training taking place during this phase.

Preseason

Preseason begins when serious training in preparation for the next season starts, and ends when the first game takes place.It is the period of time when rugby specific training is undertaken.

Pre-season usually begins with higher-volume and lower-intensity physical conditioning and skill work. As the season approaches, the intensity of physical conditioning increases and the volume decreases.

The goal of the pre-season is to get your self into the best possible physical condition and optimally develop the skills needed specific to rugby.

First transition (late pre-season) sees an increase in intensity and decrease in volume of the training to help accustomise the player to the in-season phase.

The training done in the preseason becomes increasingly more specific to the actual activities needed in rugby. The components developed in the off-season are “converted” to be more game specific.

Due to the increased time needed for technical and tactical training there is less time for conditioning work so the volume of training is reduced. Even though the volume of training is less the quality and intensity of the sessions should remain high as specific adaptations are needed during this phase which require high intensity application for effective transfer.

Skills work should also be a significant part of this phase integrated into the conditioning schedule. Again rugby specific training using the correct progressions specific to the individual is essential. So if you are serious about your rugby, the time and effort spent in seeking the correct advice will prove to be invaluable.

Muscle and strength built in the off-season is maximised and converted to power. Endurance work done lays the foundation for high intensity anaerobic work and quality speed and speed endurance training. Agility is also worked on aggressively during the preseason while core strength and stability should remain a component of your training all year round.

The length of the pre-season is in part determined by the actual season’s length but duration of the preseason is usually about 6 weeks but should not be less than 4 if possible to allow enough time for the necessary fitness components to be trained effectively.

In-season (competition)

This begins with the first game of the year and ends with the last game of the year. Normally, the volume of training is at its minimum, with the intensity of physical training reaching its maximum during the in-season.

Skill training is also high and emphasised in this phase. The goal during the in-season is to maintain physical conditioning and skill levels for the entire season and to achieve peak skill levels and physical conditioning for the major competitions usually found near the end of the season.

As far as conditioning goes this is the most complex phase as a balance must be found to accommodate technical, tactical, conditioning and recovery sessions.

If you have not done your work in the off and preseason you will struggle. Trying to get fit for rugby by playing is lining your self up for injury and well below optimal performances.

Ideally this phase is high intensity low volume training to maintain and fine tune your conditioning.

The duration obviously varies depending on your seasons length but generally last between 32 and 36 weeks. Maximum strength, power, speed, agility and game specific anaerobic endurance training make up the focus of the training you need to be doing.

See the RugbyIQ.com members section for a complete training guide specifc to the different phases.

Steve Mac

A rugby player does not need to only accelerate and move in multiple directions rapidly, they should also have the ability to repeat rapid movements with minimal loss of speed.

Rugby is a multi-sprint sport where players are often required to repeat several high intensity runs, all-out sprints and sharp changes in direction without rest. This type of activity leads to rapid blood lactate accumulation severely hindering peak power and rate of force development.

The accumulation of blood lactate disturbs the excitation-contraction coupling and cross-bridge formation. In other words, the muscle’s mechanical properties are disturbed. The result? A decrease in force production, peak force and velocity.

Correct training can help to curb lactate accumulation and increase the rate of clearance. For many players, the introduction of one or two speed endurance sessions during the latter stages of pre-season training is an important component of the overall speed training programme

A speed endurance session is created by reducing the work to rest ratio (i.e. 1:1) and increasing the work intervals (i.e. >30 seconds). Unlike basic speed and agility training, speed endurance conditioning is highly fatiguing and energy depleting. For this reason it may be more appropriate for skill and tactical work to occur beforehand in the training session

Speed endurance drills will help you to maintain a higher work rate for longer. Training can improve the clearance rate of lactate and reduce early lactate formation.

Both sub maximal aerobic exercise and interval training can improve the body’s ability to buffer and tolerate lactate. However, only intense interval training can increase various important components of anaerobic power and capacity.

Speed endurance training is similar to speed or sprint training, however there are two important distinctions:

1. Repetitions should last from 30 seconds up to 2-3 minutes as opposed to 5-10 seconds for speed drills.

2. Rest intervals between repetitions is reduced to prevent complete recovery

Speed endurance training should form the later part of pre-season training and in-season training. It is important to develop a solid fitness base beforehand, which includes strength and endurance conditioning.

No more than two speed endurance sessions are required. This may be reduced to once a week during the competitive season. Because speed endurance training can be so demanding, keep session duration to 20-30 minutes maximum. Rest intervals should consist of active recovery exercises such as walking or jogging slowly on the spot.

See the members section of RugbyIQ.com for a complete guide to speed endurance training and drills.

There is no doubt, after watching the first 2 rounds of the Super 14, that the pace of the game has increased and the speed at which everything takes place, especially the breakdown is significantly faster. The players themselves are commenting that this is the fastest they have ever experienced the game being played at.

The main reason is obviously due to the new application/interpretation of the breakdown. There are more rucks than anything else during a game so if you are going to create a situation where you are going to really “clean up” the breakdown and allow for quicker, cleaner ball to emerge you are going to create a quicker, faster game. The contest and ability to steal and slow down balls at the breakdown has been reduced allowing for quicker rucks, faster ball and overall a generally more attacking style of play with the amount of phases a side can build on attack increasing. Not only does allow for more attacking structure but obviously puts more demand on defence as you generally will need to defend for longer periods through more phases without being able to turn over the ball.

Counter rucking for turnovers now becomes a more important turnover tool, as well as offensive tackling and the ability to hold players up in tackles to prevent the ruck being formed and force turnovers in this manner.

Highly mobile, explosive, fast and technically correct players are going to be needed to play this kind of game effectively. I watched the Newcastle Falcons vs London Irish this weekend and the difference in pace, specifically regarding the breakdown and the time it took the ball to be recycled was very evident. Currently there is much more of physical contest occurring at the breakdown in the Northern hemisphere rugby vs the Super 14. I had a smile on my face when I saw big Faan Rautenbach come on for Irish off the bench looking massive, and wondered how long he would last if he came back home to play for the Stormers again?

So what are the possible implications from a conditioning perspective? Well firstly mobility and athleticism are going to be critical. Just take a look at the Super 14 front rows vs the Guiness Premiership front rows and you will already see the athletic difference.

Has anyone noticed how much leaner Matt Dunning is looking? Body fat % averages will drop and pure speed, strength and technique will become more and more important. Running fitness, specifically anaerobic endurance capabilities, are going to needed to be improved from previous years in order for players to keep up with the relentless pace, meaning more time will need to be spent during the off-season building quality endurance bases and capabilities. Don’t forget that your strength training will still remain the “glue” that keeps everything together.

Getting really specific in your training is going to be important to adequately prepare for this new multiple quick phased game. It is quite common for phases of play to last over a minute. Conditioning drills should be designed accordingly to mimmic the game specific demands.

For example players work in pairs and work through an on field circuit that could look something like this:

Start with a 0m-5m-0m-10m-5m-10m shuttle, shift laterally 5m, hit the deck, up and drive a shield 5m, peel off and tackle a bag 10m away, get up and back pedal diagonally 5m, hit the deck, up and drive another shield 5m, peel off and sprint back diagonally 30m to make a “cross cover “ tackle on another tackle bag, get up and immediately do another 0m-5m-0m-10m-5m-10m shuttle, first guy finished picks up a ball and as 2^nd guys finishes they wrestle for the ball for 20seconds to end the circuit. 30 seconds break – repeat x 5.

Steve Mac

If you are a player you rely on correct training to prepare yourself to play rugby. So the more you know, and the more you understand about training, the more effective your training will be and the better prepared you will become.

For example there are three simple concepts you need to know and apply if you are trying to increase your muscle mass, namely applying the correct stimulus, correct nutrition and adequate recovery.

Stimulus – applying correct, progressive overload to your muscles to cause microscopic damage to the fibers, resulting in an anabolic adaptation response

Nutrition - after training the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel and have enough available protein and carbohydrates to repair and grow.

Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow. Rest is a vital part of the growth process, and one area where players often make a mistake.

Some other key concepts

Muscle size increases due to hypertrophic adaptation and an increase in the cross section area of individual muscle fibers. Intensive weight training impacts more on the strength influencing fast twitch type II fibers, therefore the increase in muscle size is accompanied by greater strength.

Training will deplete the muscle’s energy stores and cause microscopic damage to the muscle tissue. During recovery, these stores of glycogen and phosphocreatine will replenish from carbohydrates and creatine ingested as food or supplements. Amino acids supplied in the diet will trigger the protein synthesis that repairs the damaged muscle and lead to the creation of bigger muscle fibers.

To achieve continuous improvement you will need to keep reaching for higher levels of training intensity and ensure progressive overload is occurring otherwise the adaptation process will plateau and stop. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to plan for provided certain basic principles and rules are clearly followed. The members section of RugbyIQ.com gives in depth and detailed info on all these relevant training principles.

Correct rest Intervals

The amount of weight lifted is the key in deciding rest intervals for strength training. For loads around 90% of 1 repetition maximum, 3-5 minutes between sets is usually recommended.

Those involved in power training should take at least 3 minutes between sets or longer until complete recovery occurs. Muscular endurance training requires much shorter intervals between sets, perhaps as low as 30 seconds.

The length of rest time between weight lifting sets is just one component of a resistance training programme. Other factors necessary to success are proper lifting technique, adequate rest from one work out to the next, weight load, speed of lifting, concentric versus eccentric work and proper nutrition.

Prescribing the proper rest interval is very important. Increasing or decreasing a rest interval could mean the difference between you being fully rested before the next lift or not. It could also induce changes in anabolic hormones such as growth hormone as training intensity is closely linked to hormonal response.

Remember, rest intervals must be carefully analysed but they are not the only factor to consider. All relevant components of a good strength training programme must be addressed if you want to reach your strength potential.

Keep educating yourself and you will improve your training and raise your game.

Rugby players are always looking to increase their muscle mass, strength and power. Yet so many, especially the players new to training end up spending a lot of time doing the wrong exercises. The squat can help anyone gain muscle mass and strength. It is especially important for players, which should be basically everyone, who are looking to increase their speed and lower body power.

Squats will also increase your metabolism and keep your body fat % in check. They should be performed with care, using only strict form and correct technique. I often shudder when I see how some guys squat. Ask someone to show you how and practice with your body weight or bar only until your can execute the movement perfectly. If you’re going to learn a great exercise, you might as well learn it with great technique early on, rather than letting your ego get the best of you and suffering an injury down the road.

Squats are more than just the perfect quad exercise. In addition to stressing the front thighs, they actually work a variety of major muscles throughout your entire body, including the glutes, hamstrings, abdominals and lower-back muscles. This is why squats are considered by many to be the king of all weightlifting exercises.

The squat is perhaps the most effective weight-training exercise for total-body development. The legs may be moving the body, but it takes a stable trunk and strong upper body to provide a foundation in which the legs can produce force. This is especially true when you start adding weights to your squats. Whether it be a back squat, front squat, split squat or overhead squat, many muscles of your whole body work together in order to lower and raise your center of gravity.

This multiple muscle interaction also generates a serious release of muscle-growing hormones that flood not merely your legs, but your entire body, resulting in enhanced growth and strength over the entire body. I often get a weird look from guys when they ask me how to get bigger arms and I say stop doing so many bicep curls and start squatting properly. Now you know why.

Although the majority of weighted squat exercises involve the use of barbells, other types of equipment can be used to achieve similar results. For example, dumbbells can be substituted for barbells in most cases by holding them at the sides or atop the shoulders for the desired resistance.

While both beginners and advanced weight trainers can experience tremendous benefits from performing squats, the path taken to achieve these results should vary. For beginners:

* Body-weight squats are the best for initiating proper technique.

* Squats and pushes, overhead body-weight squats and single-leg squats will further reinforce proper mobility and stability of the body before you actually add some weight to the exercises.

For advanced:

* Advanced squat exercises require more core strength.

* Emphasis should be on increasing overall strength levels as well as postural stability.

* If you are already doing standard squats but you’re not getting the results you want, you might want to try some variations.

Hit the squat rack and raise your game!

The I.O.C. defines it as “the administration or use of a substance in any form alien to the body or physiological substance in abnormal amounts and with abnormal methods by healthy persons with the exclusive aim of attaining an artificial and an unfair increase of performance in competition.”

Common categories of drugs that are banned but used by athletes to better their performances are: Androgenic steroids, stimulants, narcotics, beta-blockers and diuretics. In rugby it is the anabolic steroids and stimulants that are the most “abused” drugs. The main reason why these drugs are banned from use in sport is that they have a potential for causing either acute or chronic damage to the athletes physical or mental health. For example androgenic steroids can cause acute and chronic sterility, risk of liver and other cancers, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes as well as affecting the athletes level of aggression and risk taking behaviour that may result in other undesirable consequences.

So if “doping” is illegal, and can have dire consequences on ones’ health, why do rugby players sometimes still make use of these drugs?
Many athletes have a high level of stress placed on them as well as high demands to succeed. Some of these pressures are self-induced, but others arise from their coaches, parents, sponsors and spectators.
Many athletes have unbalanced lives where their perception of self worth is too highly attached to performance outcomes in their sport, instead of a balanced approach of multiple facets made up of social, religious, work, knowledge, physique, family and sport. Because of the antiquated perception of self-concept (collection of ideas that makes up their understanding of self), their self esteem is directly related to being successful in competitive sport, and the perception of failure is too painful, humiliating, and unacceptable as failure will mean in loss of self worth. For these athlete’s, success is the only viable outcome, and they will use any means possible.
” Everyone is doing it! Within a certain subculture, most of the members will see a negative behaviour as positive. “Positive deviance.”
” The “superhuman complex”, athletes will often feel impervious to the known ill effects of “doping” as well as believing that they “won’t get caught!”
” Research shows time and again that most people will when given the choice between instant small reward or a larger reward that requires a period of waiting, will choose the former. This is truer for children and immature adults. Unfortunately, it is often the immature athlete, who falls foul to doping as they do not have good self-regulating skills and are consumed by power of immediate performance success!

So unfortunately “doping” does have positive effects, albeit minimal in certain classes of drugs. Yet for some athletes this may promise to be the edge that they are seeking to break through into the “big time”. Often the placebo effect is even more powerful than the product, or technique of doping employed. Even more unfortunate are that the negative effects are often not considered by the naive athlete, these including the physical and mental ill health, not to mention costs to the athlete, if they are “caught”, i.e. loss of a job, loss of self worth, loss of respect and for some even the loss of identity.

Often the reasons for “doping” are psychological, and the combination of youth, fitness and pressures form a considerable obstacle to rational thinking. Controlling drug use in sport is not a simple task, but a necessary one, as we need to protect the innocent.

With rugby being a professional sport and only a few % of players actually making it to the pro ranks, the lure of doping to try and be one of those few is ever increasing. Besides being illegal with heavy fines and bans if caught, you can seriously damage your health. Doping may be far more harmful to you and your future than you think. Rugby has always been a game of honour, character and integrity, keep it clean. Don’t dope.

Without doubt one of the most common mistakes I see amateur rugby players make is how they train in the gym to prepare for rugby. Time and time again guys spend almost all of their gym preparation time doing body building type training, whether it be off, pre or inseason. Body building type training does have a place in a rugby players preparation, but it is usually only for a specific period, generally during the off-season when there is time to spend on this high volume, split routine type training in order for players to increase their muscle mass.

 So what is the difference between body building and training to increase your strength?

Bodybuilding involves breaking down a muscle. This is usually done by performing reps in the 6-12 range and working the muscle to exhaustion. Typically bodybuilders aim for a “burn” and a “pump” in the muscle. They use things like forced reps and negatives. If your goal is to build muscle then you are purposely trying to “damage” that muscle group. The idea is that when the muscle repairs itself, it will overcompensate and add a little more mass to that muscle group if fed and rested adequately. Over time, these muscle groups will become noticeably larger. A proper strength training programme aims for something much different.

A good strength training programme should focus on making a muscle stronger and more efficient, not in breaking down a muscle.  Think of bodybuilding as “muscle” based and strength training as “nervous system” based. In a good strength training program you are trying to train your nervous system to send stronger impulses to the muscle group being worked. Your strength training programme should be based around performing heavy weights and low repetitions.

Heavy weights generate stronger nerve impulses to the muscle than light weights. If you take a light weight and bench press it, you nervous system barely needs to work to contract your muscles. If you bench press a heavy weight your nervous system needs to work much harder. That is why an effective strength training programme is based around lifting heavy weights for low reps.

In order to train your nervous system to become more efficient, you need to train it to fire strong impulses to the muscle over and over again. You must perform a specific heavy lift enough times for the mind-to-muscle link to get stronger. Gaining strength is a skill that is developed with practice like any other skill, so your strength training programme needs to reflect that.  Sets should generally be between 2-5 reps, but you will need to perform many sets to get the proper practice. I recommend between 5-8 sets in the major lifts.

Training to failure is definitely a bodybuilding technique. None of your sets in your strength training programme should be taken to failure. Every time you train to failure you are teaching your nervous system to fail. You will be rewarded with weaker impulses sent to the muscle on the next sets you perform. When you train to failure you are taking a “few steps back” in your quest to gaining strength. Obviously forced reps are to be avoided as well.

Bodybuilders strive hard for things like “the pump” and they are trying to really exhaust their muscles, so they need to keep rest to a minimum. In a rugby strength training programme, you want maximum nerve impulses sent to the muscle each and every rep. In order to insure that really strong impulses are generated, you may need to rest up to 5 minutes in between each set. Schedule enough time in your strength training programme to rest 3-5 minutes in between each set.

Since your strength training programme isn’t breaking down your muscles, you should experience very little soreness the days after your workout. Since the muscles don’t need to repair themselves, you can work each muscle group more often than if you following a bodybuilding routine. Just make sure that you aren’t breaking the muscle down like a bodybuilder.

They key is knowing at what time of the year you should be doing what type of training. As a RugbyIQ.com member you will have full access to all this specific information and the relevant training programmes.

Let’s face it, if you are playing rugby at a professional level half of your fixtures are going to be away games, so travelling is going to play a big part of your regime. Some players travel better than others, sleeping easily on flights and seem not to be too adversely affected. For others, however, travelling can be difficult and can significantly negatively affect them.

Shelly Meltzer RD (SA) offers some great advice on how to counter some of these travel stressors and help get you to your away game in the best possible shape.

1. Investigate the food service (choices, meal times, dining room and team room arrangements etc.) at the destination before leaving home. If possible liaise with caterers in advance to let them know meal timing and menu needs. If food is served ‘buffet style’ this can encourage ‘over-eating’ and ‘menu fatigue’ and it may be beneficial to work out individualized plans together with a dietitian with sports nutrition experience.
2. Ideally, players should work towards adopting destination sleep times, and if possible, even training times and meal times in the week before departure.
3. Don’t leave things to chance when it comes to airlines and airports. Work in a plan to make up for the disruption in meal times, the low volume of food served on many airlines and the need for extra fluid.   Water, mineral water, juices and sports drinks are the best fluid choices. Tomato juice, with its higher salt content, is also a good choice. The effect of caffeine on wakefulness should be considered and players should avoid taking alcoholic beverages during and after flights. Avoid eating out of boredom on the flight.
4. It may be useful to pack in portable carbohydrate-rich snacks (breakfast and dried fruit & sports bars, fresh and dried fruit, whole-wheat crackers). These snacks are also rich in fibre and so will help prevent constipation.  Familiar powdered liquid meal supplements and drinks should also be considered. Check to see that all food supplies taken with are within airline or quarantine regulations.
5. Investigate issues around food and fluid hygiene in new environments. To prevent “traveller’s diarrhea” wash hands with soap for 30s before each meal and dry them with a  clean towel or dryer; drink boiled or bottled drinks; avoid ice in drinks; eat foods that have been peeled or cooked, and avoid raw, uncooked fresh foods (meat, fish, shellfish, and eggs), unpasteurised dairy products and reheated foods. Be wary of buying street food and avoid food that has been sitting in warm places for extended periods of time (>2h).
6. On board the flight, set watches to the destination time and adapt meal and snack times accordingly. Exercise and move around as much as possible – walking, standing and stretching in the seat helps to reduce swelling of legs and feet. If the time of arrival is at night, avoid sleeping in the plane close to arrival time. If arrival is in the day time, rather than going to sleep, get outdoors for exposure to sunlight which helps adjust the body clock.
7. Drug interventions: the use of any medication, drug or supplement to minimize fatigue and jet lag should only be on the advice of the team doctor.

When it comes to results for rugby fitness planning is paramount during the season. Matches will take their, toll, injuries will occur. Often the best laid plans are put to rest via treatment after a training knock or match. Rather than sticking rigidly to a plan, keep your plans flexible and adhere to a few basic principles.

1. Stick to focusing on health and fitness through your nutrition

By focusing on your nutrition for rugby your performance will increase, your recovery will be enhanced (allowing you to train better and with more intensity) and your immunity will be strengthened. Basic health principles to keep in mind every day are increased hydration of good quality water, ensuring that there are an abundance of veggies and fruits in your diet at most meals of the day, getting 8-10 hours of quality sleep every night, managing your stress levels by including recovery sessions throughout the week are all key. Notice there is no emphasis on protein. Sure this is important but it is not the be all and end all. That is if you want to slow down your recovery, become highly acidic and place additional stress on your system! Eat in the morning on high training days only and on the morning of the match. Stick to fish and poultry as your choices.

2. Amateur Players need to be in the gym twice per week

If you are not in the gym commit to fitting it into your schedule with immediate importance. The game is changing. Physics are now playing a huge part. You need to become stronger to meet the demands. Stick to 2, 45 minute sessions that focus on the powerlifitng lifts (squat, deadlifts, bench and cleans) with lots of sets, relatively low reps and plenty of intensity. Watch your recovery improve and your injury incidences reduce.

3. Focus on your recovery

During the season you will put your body under huge stress. Make sure that you have a balance to this with plenty of recovery. Some great options that are quick and easy include Epsom salts bath (2 cups in a hot bath, lie for 20-25 minutes), Sauna, Massage, Pool Recovery, Walks, Stretching and Cat-Naps!

4. Step it up every 3 weeks

Every third week train harder. Add in one more session than you would normally do, maybe on a Monday or a Thursday. Try some strongman conditioning during this session for 30-45 minutes. This additional bout of stress will have a rebound effect when it comes to the following week.

5. Take your foot off the gas every four weeks.

Every 4 weeks step down the volume of training you are doing. Have Monday and Tuesday off. Swap your conditioning sessions for a recovery session. Sleep more. Take it easy. This back-off week will allow your system to recharge. Mentally you will feel fresher. Physically you will feel ready for more. Most of us don’t follow this principle, keeping our foot on the accelerator as slowly the intensity and purpose of what we are doing gradually diminishes.

They often say the simpler the better. That would certainly be the case with strongman training for rugby. Simple and cheap equipment that you can implement in a group environment with minimal fuss is effective for rugby players from Super 14 to club amateurs. Strongman training is a cheap way to effectively condition yourself for rugby.

Ensure that you choose equipment that allows you to progress the weight Getting fit for rugby is based on the need to follow the simple principle of progressing. If you are not increasing the overload on your training then you are not progressing.

Flipping tyres is a great exercise, however, they are best for timed sets i.e. how many flips you can get in a certain time frame. Weight cannot be added. Better options would be yokes and farmers walks and resisted sleds.

Make a circuit. The best way to improve your rugby fitness with strongman equipment is to use them in a circuit. Combine a circuit of farmers walks, sled dragging, and tyre flipping. Add the number of sets you perform each week.

Perform Timed Sets. Use 20- 30 seconds of work followed by 40-80 seconds of recovery. Say for instance you wish to improve your team’s rugby fitness. Assemble them in small groups and work in the circuit. Whilst one works the others rest. Flipping tyres over 25-35m can work for this.

Perform Rep Sets. If you are more gym based then completing a pre-designated number of reps is also beneficial for improving rugby strength. Try 6 sets of 4-6 farmers walks over 25-35m or 5 sets of 3 heavy tyre flips with plenty of rest for more functional strength development.

Seek out Cheap Options The beauty of this form of training is how cheap this is! Tyres can be recycled and usually carry no charge from the local tyre stop or friendly farmer. Rugby fitness can be cheaper with the hand of a good welder who can make up for you farmers walks and pulling sleds.

Strongman training differs form traditional weight training in that the objects that are pushed, pulled, lifted, dragged or carried are not uniform in size or shape or weight, nor are the players that we come across on a rugby field. You should primarily use strongman training as a strength endurance circuit where players are paired off and one player works for one minute whilst the other rests and motivates and encourages his partner, when both players have worked for one minute they move onto the next exercise.

You usually have about 10 exercises, but depending on the size of your squad and the e availability of equipment the choice is endless.

Always be on the lookout for equipment that you maybe able to use, check out the local dump and see what others have thrown out, truck tyres, odd shaped blocks etc.

Look at the training of the former generation on non-professional rugby players, many were active in farming, building and other tasks that required physical demands, so I guess this is a return to an older style of training.

This type of training is excellent for strength endurance and also strengthening those support muscles that are not easily targeted, but they do not replace the fact that maximal strength and strength-speed type training is best developed using weights in the gym.

Some of the favourites for training rugby players in this style of training are:

Fingals Finger - where you have to lift a post off the ground and then with your hands above your head walk it forward until it is vertical.

Conan’s Wheel - where you lift a bar, which is connected to a load, in the crook of your elbows and proceed to walk in a circular path until you can no longer continue.

Farmers Walk - where you pick up two implements, one in each hand, and walk till the implements fall from your hands as your grip gives out.

Tyre Flip - position yourself in a good dead lift position and lift the edge of the tyre off the ground and continue lifting and pushing with your knee until it flips over, continue for time and/or distance.

Chain Drag - simply grab hold of a length of anchor chain and walk backwards as you drag the chain.

Yoke Walk - Take a squat bar out of the rack or have a yoke make specifically for the purpose and walk for as far as you can, a real challenge.

Keg or stone or buoy or any heavy odd shaped object Lift and carry - pick the object up and take it for a walk, the more awkward the better as this will challenge your stabilizer muscles.

Steel Log - clean and press for reps or time, the log being quite a wide diameter makes it awkward to lift and also puts extra emphasis on lower back stabilization, which is a bonus.

Sled Drag - use a sprint sled and load it up and proceed to walk towing this behind you, again for time and/or distance.

I feel that this type of training is ideal for rugby and is a great way to add variety and challenges to your programmes. As with all training there are inherent risks involved in this type of training so ensure that your lifting mechanics are perfect, also because of the endurance aspects involved in this type of training monitor how you are feeling and progress slowly with adding weight or distance or time as your body accustoms itself to these new stresses and as I always believe make it fun.

Enjoy your training!