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All rugby players (both Backs and Forwards) need to be strong. But getting stronger requires effort. Train the wrong way and you’ll find yourself tired, injured and avoiding the gym. This rugby strength training program is designed for rugby players to use during the off-season training period.Â
The objective of the program is NOT to help you add bulk. Instead, we want you to get much stronger without adding a whole lot of extra muscle mass.
The following superset programs are designed for rugby players to develop off-season strength. Each of these superset sessions is based on the principles of gymnastic strength and low-rep strength training protocols used by athletes like Charles Poliquin, Pavel Tsatsouline and Christopher Sommer. They are intended for experienced athletes with a moderate to advanced background in gym training and should not be attempted by novices or beginners.
Audience: you want to get stronger during the rugby off-season
Situation: youâve been training pretty hard but youâve hit a plateau
Reason: youâre likely not doing enough quality reps
Solution: low intensity, high volume, strength-focused training
Degree of difficulty: 8/10
NOTE: if you are a less-experienced weight lifter who is considering taking on this program, please skip to the conclusion section of this page for notes on adapting these sessions to your needs.
1. RAW STRENGTH
Bench + Farmers Walk
2. BODYWEIGHT
Pull-ups + Jefferson Curls
3. EXPLOSIVE POWER
Hang Clean + Hollow Holds
4. MOBILITY
Cossack Squats + Crab Walks
5. SCRUM STRENGTH
CT Squats + Loaded Crawls
6. LINEOUT SPEED
Hang Clean and Press + Depth Jump
Depending what online blog youâre reading, the barbell bench press is either the best or the worst exercise in the world. Some people will list the benchâs drawbacks by saying that itâs too linear because youâre laying flat on your back and not engaging supporting muscles. To that we say âgreat theoryâ but any exercise you could hope to substitute for the bench will have as many or more drawbacks.
Dips are tough on your shoulders if you have a narrow frame, push-ups are fine, but youâre only moving 60% of your bodyweight and most rugby players donât have the shoulder mobility for ring work (more on that later). So for developing upper-body strength, and preventing injury while training, the bench press has the most upside and the least downside. You could also substitute in dumb bells if you really want to. But understand that this will require using a lower total weight.
One of the most common strongman lifts, the farmerâs walk is an oldie but a goodie. Unlike the bench, which is push-specific and can be done quite quickly, the farmerâs walk uses a whole range of upper body muscles and should be performed for extended periods to get the most benefit.
Your arms will be torched. Your core will be activated. Your back and shoulders will burn. In essence, everything thatâs not your chest and anterior deltoids is fully activated during the farmerâs walk. This makes the Farmer’s Walk the perfect partner exercise for super-setting with the barbell bench press when seeking to develop raw upper-body strength.
Setup – do a couple of sets of bench press to get limber. Your warm up should be at about 30% of your 1RM. Then stack on your weights up to 60% of your 1RM for your working sets. Find a space where you can comfortably walk 20-30m without bothering anyone. Place two 45lb plates at one end of that area.
Start the Clock – this session is time-based. We are going to be restricting rest intervals so that each new set starts on 3mins. Set 1 starts at 0, set 2 starts at 3, set 3 starts at 6 and so on. Do not mess with these intervals. If you have not recovered sufficiently from the previous set to perform the upcoming set, reduce the weight you are working with or the distance of your farmerâs walk.
Focus on Form – because weâre not working with 100% of our 1RM, we can focus on getting our technique right during lifts. For the bench, that means pinching your shoulder blades, moving the bar smoothly without a bounce and gripping as hard a possible. For the farmerâs walk, keep your head & eyes up, your shoulders down and take smaller steps than if you were walking normally.
Rest Periods – your setup and working periods should max out at about 90 sec (if you have a lonnnnng farmerâs walk) which will leave you plenty of rest time. Breathe deeply and clear your head before your next set.
Forearm Explosion – thereâs a good chance that this session is going to destroy your forearms. When that happens, feel free to break up the Farmerâs Walk with another static strength movement like the Hollow Hold. Try the variation below when you hit your forearm limit.
Barbell Bench + Farmerâs Walk
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Barbell Bench + Hollow Holds
4 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Barbell Bench + Farmerâs Walk
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
There isnât a better exercise for improving your power-to-weight ratio than the pull-up. Pull-ups are recommended by almost every S&C coach in the business because they provide an equipment-free way to train the entire posterior chain, forearms, shoulders and core. Powerlifters have long known that improving your lat strength using pull-ups has a positive effect on your bench, squats and deadlifts as well. Itâs also an excellent test of your power to weight ratio.
While strength is the ultimate goal of the programs on this page, adding superficial bulk is not. If youâve been training for 3 months say and youâve put on 10lbs of muscle, but you can still only do a set of 4 pull-ups, thereâs a good chance youâve been wasting your time. Having enough mass is important for rugby players, but our power to weight ratio is a much better test of a rugby playerâs strength and conditioning. That’s why you’ve seen rugby players get dramatically leaner over the past decade.
Weâve spoken in several blog posts about why the Jefferson curl is one of the best exercises for rugby players, especially when used prior to rugby training to help prevent hamstring injuries. But itâs also the perfect exercise to pair with pull-ups when youâre looking to develop posterior chain strength and flexibility.
J-Curls are useful because they are a weighted stretch. Stretching generally is something most rugby players donât do enough of. The J-Curl is a very simple way to increase hamstring flexibility, core strength (especially in the mid back) and grip strength. When super-setted with the pull-up, this movement provides a complete posterior chain workout at low intensity and using very little weight.
Setup – do a couple of sets of J Curls to get warm. Start with the same weight as you would during a working set. But because youâre cold, you naturally wonât have the same range of motion as during the rest of the workout. Hold your warm up sets for slightly longer at the bottom of the movement.
Start the Clock – this session is also time-based. Start each new set of pull-ups on the 3min. A set of 3 J-Curls should take between 50-60 seconds. So if your pull-ups start on the top of the minute, start your J Curls after 30 seconds. If it takes you 60 seconds to complete, your working time will be 90 seconds and your rest time will be 90 sec.
Focus on Form – if you havenât done a lot of pull-ups before, donât worry. The goal is not to crank out 10 max sets. That would be crazy talk. If your max set is say 6 reps, try to do 10 sets of 2 during the course of the 30 min superset session. If your max reps set is 15, maybe go as high as 4. But whatever you do, donât give up after 4 sets. If the last 2-3 sets need to be single rep sets, thatâs totally fine. Keep at it!
Rest Periods – ideally you want to be working and resting for about the same period, 90 seconds and 90 seconds.
Forearm Explosion – as with the first superset session, your forearms are going to be burning. When (not if) this happens, try the variation below to help you get through the 30 mins.
Pullups + Jefferson Curls
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Jefferson Curls + Hollow Holds
4 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Pullups + Jefferson Curls
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
For explosiveness and gains in athletic performance, hang cleans bridge the gap between strength and speed better than any other weight room exercise. The hang clean, performed at a submaximal level is one of the most effective tools for developing speed-strength and strength-speed portions of the force-velocity curve. We recommend the hang clean over the full clean for its simplicity. Movement from the floor is fantastic for developing raw strength.
But the hang clean is a better choice for rugby players as it requires triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles in a coordinated, explosive pattern â a movement that simulates the triple extension in both sprinting and jumping. Itâs also a very similar exercise to the log lift recommended by World Rugby fitness expert Ben Gotting in this video.
While the Jefferson Curl is the perfect way to work your entire posterior chain, the Hollow Body Hold (Hollow Hold) gives you the same effect on your anterior chain. Both movements are essential components of gymnastic strength training which requires a huge amount of core strength endurance.
What else requires core strength endurance? Rugby. Scrummaging, lineouts, tackling, driving, weâre using our core in everything we do on the rugby field. So the Hollow Hold can give us the core strength to excel in those functional movements during a game of rugby.
Setup – warmup for this workout using the same weight you would during working sets. Do 1-2 sets of 3-5 deadlifts and 1-2 sets of 3-5 high pulls. Find an area for Hollow Holds, preferably near a mirror so you can check your form during the movement.
Start the Clock – each set begins on 3 mins. If youâre doing a set of 2 hang cleans, these should be completed within 10-15 seconds. Followed by a 30 sec Hollow Hold. That should leave you a little over 2:15 rest time. This additional rest time (over and above the other programs in this eBook) is important because your body needs time to recover for the hang clean movement.
Focus on Speed – doing 30 reps of hang cleans probably seems like a lot, doesnât it? That would definitely be the case if we were asking you to do 3 sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest. But this session aims to develop strength-speed and speed-strength by getting you to perform your hang clean at maximal speed with well over 2 mins rest between sets. This formula is known by the term âHS, LRâ (high-set, low-rep) and has been successfully employed by strength athletes like Charles Poliquin, Doug Hepburn, Pat Casey and Christian Thibaudeau.
Substitute High-Pulls – The All Blacksâ are well known for their teamâs collective strength and power outputs. One of the exercises youâll see them doing a lot of is the high-pull. Catch Owen Franks cranking these out in our prop workout program. This movement is a simplified variation on the Hang Clean which still gives you a solid pull motion but allows you to use a higher weight because thereâs no âcatchâ at the top of the movement.
Hang Clean + Hollow Hold
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
High Pull + Hollow Hold
4 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Hang Clean + Hollow Hold
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
The human body has 3 planes of movement; Sagittal, Coronal and Transverse. When weâre weightlifting, we typically only work on the Sagittal plane meaning forwards and backwards. The lack of movement in the Coronal (side to side) and Transverse planes (horizontal) in training can leave rugby players susceptible to overuse injury and muscular and joint imbalances/weakness.
The Cossack Squat is the ultimate solution to the range of motion (ROM) issues caused by straight-line leg work like the Squat and Deadlift. For the purposes of this superset workout, weâve chosen the Cossack Squat because it will help us restore our ROM and improve joints and connective tissues in the process.
Again, this module is all about mobility. One of the greatest limiting factors for rugby players in developing upper body strength is the flexibility and ROM of their shoulder joints especially during extension. Getting into a standard Crab position can be damn near impossible for the average rugger who has spent too many years benching and not enough time on shoulder mobility.
The Crab Walk is an elegant solution that can be done anywhere and requires no equipment. There is a good chance that the first time you do this module, you wonât be able to walk forwards. Thatâs ok! Just work on getting into the position for now and build up to walking in subsequent attempts. Hollow holds will definitely help get your core to a point where Crab Walks are easy.
Setup – warm up for Cossack Squats using just your body weight. After youâve done 2-3 sets of 3-4 reps, find a Kettlebell of adequate but not crazy size for use during your working sets. Use a mat for Crab Walks and Holds. But ideally you want to be in a wide area away from people.
Start the Clock – do your squats first and wait until the top of the next min before starting your walks. 20 sec doesnât sound like much for the Crab Walks, but during your 1st session, this is plenty.
Focus on Form – Cossack Squats donât need to be super fast. In fact, youâre better off taking it slow. Remember, weâre working on a plane of movement that is chronically under-utilized so your body is going to take some time to loosen up. Do not start walking forwards in a Crab position until you can hold your body horizontal for at least 30 seconds. If you start moving like the joker in that first video link, you may as well just crawl on the floor like a 2yr old.
Recovery – if you already have pretty strong legs, youâre not going to find the Cossack Squats terribly taxing, but you will notice muscle soreness in your IT band, hamstrings and adductors. Both of these exercises have the potential to improve joint flexibility and connective tissue strength.Â
But itâs important to realize that connective tissue, due to the lack of bloodflow in joints, takes longer to repair than normal muscle fibers. If you are doing all the other modules on the list once a week, we suggest doubling the rest time on the Mobility module to give that connective tissue time to recover.
Hang Clean + Hollow Hold
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
High Pull + Hollow Hold
4 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Hang Clean + Hollow Hold
3 sets of 2-3 every 3 mins
Our next two modules are all about forward-specific strength training. The first being situationally focused on scrummaging. Whatâs happening in a scrum? Well, youâre in a crouched position, with a flat back and youâre pushing with 7 of your mates against 8 other people. The result is a complex movement that requires strength and power under tension. Standard squats are a great way to build your strength base. But they donât replicate what itâs like to be in a scrum.
You canât pause at the top of a rep with straight legs while scrumming. You canât rep twice while scrumming and then bail out. No, instead, scrumming will force you to remain under tension (or load) for an extended period (10+ seconds) and to work within a small range without ever reaching either end of the movement. In other words, a constant tension squat. The CT Squat is performed using much less than your 1RM lifting weight. Take it down to around 50% and focus on staying under load for about 20 seconds.
The CT Squat is about as close to a scrumming movement as you can get, but the Loaded Crawl is the perfect partner because it puts you in an actual scrumming position. Loaded Crawls can be performed using a 45lb plate on your back, or even just body weight. The idea is NOT to race forwards splaying out your feet and swiveling your hips. Instead, keep your head up, your ass down, your back flat, your knees at 90 degrees and your toes and feet facing fowards in perfect alignment. Now, walk forwards 10-12 paces and then backwards 10-12 paces.
Setup – unless you feel comfortable cleaning and pressing a loaded bar overhead into a squatting position 30 times, we suggest working in a standard squat rack for the CT Squat. No, you donât have to. Yes, you probably should. During a CT squat, itâs more important to stay under load for the correct time than it is to use more weight. So only move up to a new weight once you can comfortably perform this module with 25 sec CT Squat sets. Find plenty of room for your Loaded Crawls. You should be working in the same physical space as you were for the Crab Walks.
Start the Clock – perform your set of CT Squats and wait until the top of the next minute to begin your Loaded Crawls. You should finish your crawls with about 75 seconds left before your next set of squats. Thatâs less rest time than the other modules in this eBook. So be mindful of that when you get started.
Vary your Speed – scrumming isnât a tempo movement. At different times youâre going to give or receive pressure, but this wonât happen at a standardized interval. To get the most out of this module, vary the speed of your flexion and extension during the CT squat and vary your moving speed during the crawls to simulate what will actually happen during a scrum.
CT Squat + Loaded Crawl
3 sets of 20 sec squats + 10-12 rep crawls in each direction
CT Squat + Hollow Holds
4 sets of 20 sec squats + 30 sec holds
CT Squat + Loaded Crawl
3 sets of 20 sec squats + 10-12 rep crawls in each direction
Youâve probably seen plenty of athletes doing box jumps as part of a plyometric workout. Theyâre a pretty standard part of beginners plyo work and make for great Instagram content showing rugby players like Carlin Isles or Perry Baker leaping over huge weight racks. What they donât tell you on Instagram, however, is that standard box jumps arenât the best way to improve your vertical jump.
Box jumps, weighted jumps and other âupâ movements focus on the concentric portion of the jump more than it does the âdownâ or eccentric portion. This is unfortunate, because training the eccentric portion actually translates to greater increases in vertical jump performance. In short, the depth jump will give you MUCH greater gains in VJ than will a standard box jump.
Setup – because youâre doing 30 sets of the HC&P, we donât want to work with a maximal weight. Keep it to around 50-60% of your 1RM. Depth jumps are a different story. Theyâre completely based on your ability to absorb impact through your ankle and knee joints. Make sure youâre not jumping from higher than your joints (knees, ankle and back) can handle.
Start the Clock – perform your set of HC&P and move immediately to the
depth jump. Donât pause until the top of the minute. Donât perform more than
4 depth jumps (2 on each leg). Even going as high as 3 jumps per leg is going
to prevent you from getting the most out of the exercise. As you fatigue during the set, youâll notice your explosive power declines.
Thereâs no point practicing the movement under fatigue within a set, thatâs just going to make you slower. Instead, rest for the full 2:00 and try again on the next set. You should be able to replicate your maximum jump height for the full 90 min session if donât go crazy within each set.
Extension – after speaking to USA Eagles Prop, Chris Baumann, about lineout technique, he made it clear that extension at the top of your lift is crucial âotherwise, youâre cheating your jumperâ. So during each press movement, get to and hold at the top of the lift. Even come up onto your toes if possible. Itâs not good enough to get a jumper to the top of their jump, you may need to keep them there for a couple of seconds waiting for the throw to arrive or to setup a driving maul. You can practice this by staying extended at the top of your lift.
Hang Clean & Press + Depth Jump
3 sets of 2 presses and 4 depth jumps on 3 mins
Bent Over Row + Depth Jump
4 sets of 2 presses and 4 depth jumps on 3 mins
Hang Clean & Press + Depth Jump
3 sets of 2 presses and 4 depth jumps on 3 mins
The workouts contained in this eBook are designed for intermediate to advanced weight lifters. Doing 30 repetitions of any exercise at around 60% of your 1RM is going to require a base level of strength that most beginners have yet to develop.
But if you are less experienced, you can easily modify these workouts to produce fantastic and most importantly low-risk results by shortening the length of each session. Instead of doing 10 sets of 3 on 3 mins. Do 7 sets or even as few as 5 sets. Our product testing team is currently running a test group of athletes beginning at 5 sets and working up to 15. Thereâs no reason you need to start at the high end of this range. 8 sets of 3 is more than enough volume to produce results.
The key thing to remember is that you always want to avoid failure. The final rep of each set should not be a struggle. If it is, youâre doing either too many reps OR (more likely) youâre pushing too much weight. Reduce the load and work within your limits. Working to failure within a set is going to extend your recovery time, meaning that you wonât have recovered before your next set begins. Aim for more sets, not more reps within each set.
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