Rugby Training Motivation

There is more to strength training than looking like a musclebound Justin Bieber, bench pressing a small family car and eating your body weight in chicken breast. I bet you know someone like that.

When it comes to strength training for a sports like Rugby its all about getting the basics right and keeping the shit simple. I mean that should be the case with vast majority of the strength training (full stop). However when it comes to a combative sports like ruby you have to be little more intense to meet the demand of this brutal sport.

As a rule for Rugby:

• The more muscle the better
• The tougher the better
• The stronger the better
• The more intimidating the better

When it comes to a packing muscle working on a simple 5×5 programme works really well. Get a solid mobility warm-up and then get some Squats going… Make it good by the I mean form, go deep as you can without breaking form, go heavy as you can. Following that here are the rest of the exercises I recommend:

• Squats (I know I have already said that but its worth saying it again)
• Deadlifts (oh yeah)
• Bench Press (bench press yes its functional, don’t listen to cross fitters of boss ball strength coaches)
• Bent Over Rows (cause you need a back your team mates can rely on)
• Military Press
• Chin Ups and all its variations
• Bulgarian Split Squats
• Stiff Legged Deadlifts or Good Mornings
• Loaded Carry work you know something along the lines of Farmers Walk, Sled Work or perhaps carrying your team mate from one side of the pitch to the other.
• Explosive Hinge Movement (aka Kettlebell Swings and its variations)
• Add some more assistance exercise in each programme. Stick to 5sets x 5reps for strength and keep a note of your progress.

All that is left is for you got go and train hard and oh yeah go and play some raga.

On the way to the gym and the pitch here is some motivation.