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Fitness

Strength & power

Warm-up:

Start with a 5-10 minute cardio warm-up, such as jogging or jumping jacks, to get your blood flowing and increase your heart rate. Then, do some dynamic stretching to prepare your muscles for the workout ahead.


Strength Training:

  1. Deadlifts: 3 sets of 5 reps
  2. Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
  3. Bench Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
  4. Overhead Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
  5. Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps
  6. Rows: 3 sets of 8 reps


Power Training:

  1. Power Cleans: 3 sets of 5 reps
  2. Box Jumps: 3 sets of 5 reps
  3. Medicine Ball Throws: 3 sets of 5 reps
  4. Plyometric Push-ups: 3 sets of 5 reps


Cool-Down:

Finish with a 5-10 minute cool-down of light cardio and static stretching to reduce your heart rate and prevent injury.

Explanation:

The reason why this workout plan focuses on strength and power is because rugby requires explosive movements and strength to tackle, scrum, and run with the ball. Deadlifts, squats, and bench press are compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups and are essential for building overall strength. Overhead press, pull-ups, and rows focus on upper body strength, which is important for scrumming and tackling.

 

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Power training, on the other hand, focuses on explosive movements that mimic the actions needed in rugby. Power cleans, box jumps, and medicine ball throws are all exercises that require maximum effort in a short period of time, which builds power and explosiveness. Plyometric push-ups are also great for building upper body power, which is important for tackling and pushing opponents.

Overall, this workout plan is designed to improve a rugby player’s strength and power, which are essential for success on the field. It’s important to note that this is just one example of a workout plan, and it should be adjusted based on the individual athlete’s needs and goals.

core & conditioning

Warm-up:

Start with a 10-minute jog or bike ride, followed by dynamic stretching exercises such as high knees, butt kicks, lunges, and jumping jacks.

Core:
  1. Plank – Hold for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
  2. Russian twists – 20 reps, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
  3. Bicycle crunches – 20 reps, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
  4. Leg raises – 10 reps, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 3 sets

Conditioning:
  1. Shuttle runs – 10 sets of running back and forth between two cones placed 10 meters apart, rest for 30 seconds between sets
  2. Burpees – 10 reps, rest for 30 seconds, repeat for 5 sets
  3. Box jumps – 10 reps, rest for 30 seconds, repeat for 5 sets
  4. Hill sprints – Run up a hill for 20 seconds, rest for 40 seconds, repeat for 5 sets

Cooldown:

Finish with a 10-minute jog or bike ride, followed by static stretching exercises such as hamstring stretches, quad stretches, and calf stretches.

The reason for selecting this method is that rugby is a physically demanding sport that requires a high level of core strength and conditioning. The core exercises such as planks, Russian twists, bicycle crunches, and leg raises, are essential for developing core strength which is necessary for maintaining balance, stability, and power while playing rugby.

The conditioning exercises such as shuttle runs, burpees, box jumps, and hill sprints, are designed to increase the player’s aerobic and anaerobic capacity, which is crucial for rugby players to maintain their energy levels throughout the game and perform at a high level.
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Overall, this workout plan is designed to improve the player’s core strength and conditioning, which are essential for playing rugby at a high level.

HIit

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to improve the fitness and performance of rugby players. HIIT involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise, followed by periods of active recovery or rest. It is an effective way to build aerobic and anaerobic endurance, speed, agility, power, and explosive strength, all of which are essential for rugby.

Day 1: Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light jogging or skipping Main workout:
  • 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets.
  • 1 minute of burpees followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 5-10 sets.
  • 30 seconds of jumping lunges followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets. Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching

Day 2: Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light jogging or skipping Main workout:
  • 30 seconds of hill sprints followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets.
  • 1 minute of kettlebell swings followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 5-10 sets.
  • 30 seconds of box jumps followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets. Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching

Day 3: Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light jogging or skipping Main workout:
  • 30 seconds of shuttle runs followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets.
  • 1 minute of medicine ball slams followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 5-10 sets.
  • 30 seconds of squat jumps followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jog. Repeat for 10-15 sets. Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of stretching

The reason for selecting HIIT as the primary training method for rugby players is that it helps them to improve their physical fitness and performance in a short amount of time. HIIT is an effective way to build both aerobic and anaerobic endurance, which is essential for rugby, as the game requires both long-term sustained effort and short bursts of explosive energy.
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Additionally, HIIT can help rugby players to develop speed, agility, and power, which are all important for success in the game. These workouts also provide a challenging and varied training stimulus, helping to keep players engaged and motivated in their training.

Overall, a well-designed HIIT program can help rugby players to improve their overall fitness and performance, reduce their risk of injury, and enhance their ability to compete at a high level

Time Under tension

Day 1 – Upper Body
  1. Bench Press – 3 sets x 8 reps @ 3010 tempo
  2. Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 8 reps @ 3010 tempo
  3. Seated Cable Row – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  4. Lat Pulldown – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  5. Dumbbell Curl – 3 sets x 12 reps @ 3010 tempo
  6. Skullcrusher – 3 sets x 12 reps @ 3010 tempo
Day 2 – Lower Body
  1. Squat – 3 sets x 8 reps @ 3010 tempo
  2. Deadlift – 3 sets x 8 reps @ 3010 tempo
  3. Leg Press – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  4. Leg Curl – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  5. Calf Raise – 3 sets x 12 reps @ 3010 tempo
Day 3 – Total Body
  1. Pull-up – 3 sets x 8 reps @ 3010 tempo
  2. Push-up – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  3. Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 sets x 8 reps per leg @ 3010 tempo
  4. Barbell Hip Thrust – 3 sets x 10 reps @ 3110 tempo
  5. Farmer’s Walk – 3 sets x 20 meters @ 3010 tempo

For TUT training, the tempo notation is important. Each exercise is performed with a specific tempo, for example, 3010 means taking 3 seconds to lower the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom, 1 second to lift the weight, and 0 second pause at the top. This creates more time under tension for the muscle, which can lead to greater muscle growth and strength gains.

The reason for selecting TUT training for rugby players is that it can help to build functional strength and muscular endurance, both of which are important for rugby. Rugby players need to be able to maintain a high level of strength and power throughout a match, and TUT training can help to improve this.
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 Additionally, TUT training can help to prevent injuries by strengthening the muscles and connective tissues. Overall, TUT training can be an effective way to improve rugby performance and reduce the risk of injury.