Fitness

Rugby Fitness

Rugby requires endurance, strength, power, and speed. In order to be successful, each player much work on her own to develop these skills. We will do some fitness work in practice. We will do some plyometrics and your cardiovascular fitness will improve just by the amount of running around we do at practice. But that is not enough!

The best way to prevent injury and to improve your game is to do fitness training on your own! This fitness plan is designed to be do-able by everyone , even if you do not have access to a gym!

This is simply an outline. If your usual workout routine goes above and beyond this plan, please continue with your usual routine. However, everyone's workout needs a shake-up now and then. Plyometrics, fartlekking, and intervals are not part of most people's workouts. These exercises are especially useful to rugby players because of the unique combination of strength and endurance that playing rugby requires.

Please use the outline and links below to design a challenging workout that fits your schedule and fitness level. Don't get overwhelmed! If you have never worked out in your life, start out slowly and do what you can. Find a workout buddy and help each other. If you have any questions, please email Spice.

Weight Training Supersets
Each group is designed to work a completely different set of muscles so you can do one set right after the other without resting-a superset. For example, do one set of squats, then immediately do one set of lat pull downs. Two minutes after you started the first set of squats, do another set of squats immediately followed by another set of lats. Do three sets. Then move on to the next group. You can do a whole-body routine in one day or split up the workout into upper and lower body over two days.

One-Day Weight Training Routine

Group 1. Squats - lat pull downs
Group 2. Leg curls - bench press
Group 3. Leg extension - seated row
Group 4. Leg press - shoulder press
Group 5. Calf raises - bicep curls
Group 6. Seated calf raises - triceps pushdowns
Group 7. Lower back extensions - crunches (sets of 20-30)

Two-Day Split Routine

DAY 1 - Upper Body
Group 1. Lat pull downs - bench press
Group 2. Seated row - incline bench press
Group 3. Shoulder press - bicep curl
Group 4. Lateral raises - triceps pushdowns
Group 5. Lower back extensions - crunches (sets of 20-30)

DAY 2 - Lower Body
Group 1. Squats - calf raises
Group 2. Leg press - seated calf raises
Group 3. Leg curls - leg extensions
Group 4. Hip adduction - hip abduction
Group 5. Lower back extensions - crunches (sets of 20-30)

Plyometrics

Plyometrics are a series of exercises that combine movements such as jumping, bounding, skipping, and throwing in a quick and repetitive manner. Using plyometric drills has been shown to improve speed, agility, and power-all key elements to being a successful rugby player. They also improve joint stability, a key to preventing injury.

For all plyometric exercises, you should be focusing on explosive power. Emphasize lift-off when jumping, and make sure you use your entire foot, all the way through your calf and your ankle down to your big toe. Spend as little time in contact with the ground as possible. Form is critical. As with weight training, plyometrics should not be performed on consecutive days. Choose three to five exercises and do three sets of ten. Rest at least one minute between sets.

Ankle Hops -Jump using your ankle strength. Try not to bend your knees except to absorb the impact of landing.

Bounding -Take over-sized strides while running 30 meters. Concentrate on spending more time in the air and a minimal amount of time on the ground.

Power Skipping -Skip using powerful jumps. Swing your arms high, and focus on height and minimal contact with the ground.

Front Obstacle Jumps -Jump two footed over 10 hurdles focusing on height and distance. 1-minute rest between jumps.

Lateral Obstacle Jumps -Same as obstacle jumps, but jump sideways.

Lateral Step-Ups -Stand to the side of a box and step up onto it using the leg closest to the box making sure that this is the leg that does all of the work. Fully extend the leg standing on the box and then step back down.

Tuck Jumps -Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Jump up and bring your knees to your chest. As you land, repeat immediately, keeping ground contact time to a minimum.

Push-Ups with Hand-Claps -Perform the lowering phase of the push-up as normal. Hold for one second at the bottom of the press up and powerfully and quickly so that you can perform a clap before landing back for the next push-up. Try to perform 3 sets of 5 press-ups with 3 minutes rest between each set. If you can't do a real push-up, you can do this on your knees. If you can't clap, just try to get some space between your hands and the floor. Focus on exploding up from the bottom of the push-up.

The game of rugby can be broken down into many individual phases of play where both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are called upon in intervals. The faster your body can switch between these systems and recover, the higher your physical performance will be. Interval training simulates these conditions with long periods of intense exercise followed by small amounts of recovery jogging. Try the beginner level first. If you feel you can run the beginner intervals without much difficulty, add more laps or move on to the higher levels. Don't stagnate! Add laps each week. Also, try increasing the % running speed. The goal of the interval training is to reach a 100% sprint. Don't forget to begin with a warm up and end with a cool down and stretch.

Beginner--Using a rugby field run the try line at 75% and jog up the touchline. Then repeat once you reach the other try line. This will complete one lap of the field. Try to complete 3 continuous laps. Try to add a lap each week.

Intermediate--Still using the rugby field, run up the touchline at 75% and jog the try line. Try to complete 3 laps the first week. Add a lap each week.

Advanced--Run 75% diagonally across the filed from corner flag to corner flag, then jog the try line. Then run 75% diagonally in between the other two corner flags and then jog the other try line back to the start. This is one lap. Try to complete 3 continuous laps. These are called winders.

Is this a joke?--Still using the rugby field, run 75% every horizontal line (try line, 22-meter line, 10m line) and jog the touchline that connects each horizontal line. For example; run the try line at 75% and then jog the touchline until it meets the 22-meter line. Then run 75% down the 22-meter line and jog up the touchline until it meets the 10-meter line, etc, all the way down the field.

Indoor Intervals--If you can't make it to a field during the week, you can also do interval training at the gym. Use a treadmill, elliptical machine, or bike. Repeat the following interval three times. Go at a fast pace for 30 seconds. Go at a medium pace for 90 seconds. Keep reducing the rest time by 15 seconds. (Fast for 30, medium for 75. Fast for 30, medium for 60. Etc.) End with Fast for 30, medium for 15, fast for 30.

Fartlek is Not a Dirty Word

Fartlek is a Scandinavian word meaning "speed play." Use a High School or College 440-yard track. Starting at the middle of one straightaway jog to the middle of the first turn (110 yards). Sprint through the rest of the turn (55 yards) and jog to the middle of the straightaway (55 yards). At this point an exercise is performed (10 jumping jacks, 10 pushups, 10 star jumps, or 10 sit-ups, rotating through). Following the exercise the jog-sprint-jog is continued to the next straightaway and exercise. Once through all four exercise stations is one-half mile. Keep it up for at least 30 minutes. Add time as your fitness level improves.

Again, if you can't get outside, you can fartlek at the gym. On the treadmill, run at 7-8mph for two minutes. (You can increase or decrease the speed based on your ability, but this should be quite a bit faster than a jog.) Slow jog for one minute. Repeat five more times. This does not include the exercises between the sprints, but you will see that it is still a good workout! Be careful if you are not experienced with running fast on the treadmill. Go at a safe pace.

Long Slow Distance

Long slow distance runs are designed to get the lactic acid out of your muscles after game day. DO NOT sit on the couch all day Sunday. Even if you can only muster going for a walk on Sunday, do it! Long slow distance is NOT a replacement or strength training, fartlekking, and interval training. It will provide you with a good aerobic base from which to work, but it will not get you fit for rugby! If you don't like jogging, you can substitute any exercise that gets you moving the day after a game. Do a workout DVD at home, take a yoga or aerobics class, go for a bike ride, or go to the park and play Frisbee. The important thing is to get moving. Try to do at least 30 minutes.

(From the end of the season to eight weeks before the first practice of the next season.)

Monday - Weight Training and Plyometrics
Tuesday - Interval Training or other activity
Wednesday - Weight Training and Plyometrics
Thursday - Light and Easy Interval Training
Friday - Off
Saturday - Any Sports Activity or Fartlekking
Sunday - Long Slow Distance

(Eight weeks before the first practice of the next season to the first club practice.)

Monday - Weight Training and Plyometrics
Tuesday - Interval Training
Wednesday - Weight Training and Plyometrics
Thursday - Interval Training
Friday - Off
Saturday - Fartlekking
Sunday - Long Slow Distance

Some Links to Help You Learn Mo re