‘Raw strength isn’t enough’ – How to train like a professional rugby player
How to train like a professional rugby player.
Training like a rugby player is not easy. Rugby combines strength, power, speed and agility.
Pre-season is about building strength and power, but for amateur players, how do you get a workout that mimics that of the professionals?
Rugby games are high-intensity. You need to be able to make high-intensity movements and then repeat those throughout the full 80 minutes of a game. This can put a strain on your body if you are not prepared.
A personalised workout plan can be tailored to suit your fitness level and position. Experts at Muscle Booster say the key when preparing for a gruelling rugby season is to focus on strength with high-intensity bursts of work repeated over time.
Muscle Booster has a library of 200+ workouts and 500+ extensive exercises from certified coaches. As the first stage of your pre-season workout, it can help to devise a plan at home using easy-to-find equipment such as a chair or a set of dumbbells. You can sign up for a play for as little as 43p per day.
Squats, deadlifts and bench presses are the holy trinity of rugby strength workouts and Muscle Booster can show you how to do these at home.
According to a report on pre-season training used by South Africa Rugby: “Low repetitions (i.e. 1-6 repetitions) have been shown to be the most appropriate for gains in strength.”
The report also says: “For optimal power development, players need to focus on both strength and velocity training. Lighter weights should be used during power training as the emphasis should be on the velocity of the movement and not the size of the weight moved.
“Olympic-type exercises such as the power clean, hang clean, hang-pull etc are perfectly suited for velocity-specific training.”
These can be inputted into a fitness plan such as Muscle Booster, which will then tailor it to your body type and BMI.
The plans have worked for one user: “One year ago today. What a year of consistency and dedication can do. March came and left, and turning 33 this year made me reflect on all the blessings and achievements I’ve made – taking care of my health being a huge part of that.
“I’m proud to say I’m in the healthiest state of my life, both mentally and physically. A year ago, I went from 190 lbs to 175. Today, I’m at 163 lbs. Time to bulk up.
“The secret? Staying consistent, finding balance, and listening to your body.”
Using a bespoke training plan like Muscle Booster can help you to lose weight and build up strength and fitness for the season ahead, but can it actually replicate a professional rugby training program?
How do professional rugby players train?
Our writer Alex Spink was given unprecedented access into an England training session this summer and the intensity was clear to see.
He said: “It included live scrummaging against TEN forwards, and a series of four-minute blocks of drills aimed at taking Red Rose stars deeper into fatigue than even a Test match manages.”
“(Steve) Borthwick started by sharpening the reflexes of his second-rows by throwing tennis balls to catch from point-blank range. From there, the players divided into groups for a variety of small-pitch drills.
Steve Borthwick at England training session.
“There were high ball restart drills, then onto footwork; catch and step inside slalom poles. Next came speed work, then contact skills, then clear-outs. Each in four-minute blocks, sharply executed.”
Replicating the high intensity of the England national team group sessions is a difficult task for an amateur player hoping to get match fit for the new season.
But what can you do to improve your chances of a successful season?
How to build a professional workout plan
It is time to ask the professionals what to do as the games approach and your home workout needs some extra support. Sam Warburton is a Welsh rugby legend and a British and Irish Lion. He runs the SW7 training academy.
He says: “Rugby is a power sport. Whether it’s a dominant scrum, a big carry, or tackling an opponent, strength is the foundation.
Through his training academy, Warburton warns: “Raw strength isn’t enough – you need to be explosive and agile.”
He recommends a fitness plan that includes Plyometrics (Box Jumps, Bounds), Cone Drills and Sled Sprints.
Plyometrics is a type of jump training that generates the rapid power needed for sprinting and leaping for high balls. Combined with cone drills, it can help to improve sidestep movements, turns and reaction times at high speeds.
Warburton also recommends sled sprints, which involve pushing or pulling a weighted sled to train acceleration and the leg drive needed to power through gaps in the defence.