A Rugby Winger and His Workouts

Training Training Logs
381

4 Aug

BW Jump Lunges 3 x 10

Back Squat (fast up) 3 x 5 x 90kg

Back Squat 5 x 3 x 115kg

OHP 5 x 3 x 57.5kg

Bent Over Row 3 x 6 x 70kg - still quite controlled at this weight and can lower slowly

Pullups 5 x 7 - in the squat rack between sets of OHP and rows

Single Arm Bench Press 3 x 6 x 30kg - fixed weight barbell, balance is tough so I used little finger of free arm to stabilize the bar

A1 Tricep Dips 3 x 11

A2 DB Walking Lunge 3 x 12 x 22.5kg

Lack of broad jump as I did a lot of speed work yesterday. Squats were more of a struggle than I expected. Press started off hard but was smooth after the first two sets. Superset some of my exercises that hit different muscles to get done quicker and saved myself about 15 mins. Rugby S&C coach has kindly written us sessions for next month so i’ll try to keep that going as it’s nice to have some exercise consistency.

382

6 Aug

Press ups 5 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 5 x 20

After reading the T-Nation article I thought i’d give these a go. I chose small sets as active recovery and with arms overhead I was able to work on form. even if I did this one a week i’d rack up over 2,500 press ups and 5,000 squats in a year so would really help my form.

7 Aug

BW 74.3kg (164lbs)

Press ups 2 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 2 x 20

Speed Skaters 3 x 10

A1 Power Clean 3 x 5 x 75kg

A2 Depth Jump + CMJ 3 x 5 - what I was doing before was a shock jump, this time I rebounded off as high as I could

Front Squat 4, 4, 4, 3 x 87.5kg - felt ok, still messing around with my grip

RDL 3 x 12 x 72.5kg - perfect weight

Clap Push-ups 3 x 10 - strong

Bench Press 4,4,4,3,2 x 90kg - meant to do 15 reps, don’t ask me how I thought that added up to 15…

B1 T-Bar Rows 3 x 10 x 60kg - did think this was lagging behind bent over row but forgot the weight of the bar

B2 BB Front Raise 3 x 8 x 15kg

Chin Ups (30 total) w 5kg - nice to include a weight as these are easier than pull-ups

Brandon Carter Abs, 3 rounds

The press up & squat routine paid off immediately and my clap push-ups were stronger as was my bench. Straight into the groove with squats as well. Really happy with this session from start to finish and had some energy left to do abs.

383

8 Aug

Grass Runs

3 x (8 x 100m) with 5 mins rest

3:15.8, 3:11.2, 3:25.8 (avg 3:17.6)

Target would ideally be 3:00 but I was suffering from DOMS having done a really challenging RDL yesterday. I was paying attention to my split times and could tell it was not happening. I tried 100 fast 100 slow for the first run and actually got to the end feeling quite fresh. The final run was down to lack of recovery as I probably needed 7-8 mins between reps. Taking my average 3:18 and optimistically assuming I could hold that through to 1200m i’d be looking at 4:57, with my fitness test last month being 5:16. It’s not about passing a test and if I keep doing these runs in-season I think it will benefit my rugby.

384

11 Aug

Press ups 5 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 5 x 20

12 Aug

Rugby Training

Plyo’s, Defence drills, 4 man attack drills, tackle drill, 9 v 9 game with tackle suits

Brandon Carter Abs, 3 rounds

Had a killer headache on Monday and was still sore from weights so I missed out on rugby training and went this evening instead. Really good combination of drills and I learned a few new things. Very happy with my footwork and acceleration in the 9 v 9 as I finished off 3 of our moves with tries in a short space of time. Busy day tomorrow so will try to gym Friday.

385

13 Aug

Press ups 3 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 3 x 20

16 Aug

Press ups 3 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 3 x 20

17 Aug

Rugby Training

Defence drill, Attack drill, 8 v 8 touch, 12 v 8 (attack v defence) contact, 6 x 150m

Having trained on Wednesday I had a few busy days of work and decided this would be a good time to take a few days off to let my body recover. I found out Mon & Wed training is very similar so for me it’s easier to do Monday, then weights Tues & Thurs, aerobic work Sat. Someone landed on my foot and it bent an odd way but other than that I feel good for weights this afternoon (18th). I’m pleasantly surprised by my speed but aware that in a months time when it rains and the ground softens up it’s a lot harder to sprint at pace.

We have a friendly on 12 Sept and the first League match 19 Sept, giving us about a month to prepare.

386

18 Aug

Edit: BW 74.8kg (165lbs) - start creatine today

Box Jumps 3 x 5 - no box, just did them for height

Drop Jump to Broad Jump 3 x 5

Jump Squat 3 x 5 x 60kg

Back Squat 5 x 5 x 105kg - comfortable

OHP 5 x 5 x 52.5kg

Bent Over Row 3 x 6 x 70kg - making sure I pull shoulder blades together

Single Arm BB Bench Press 3 x 6 x 30kg - better balance

A1 Pullups 3 x 10 - can’t do 10 straight, was more like 7,1,1,1

A2 DB Walking Lunge 3 x 12 x 22.5kg

Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 10 x 60kg - just the right weight with a 2 min recovery (these replace dips)

Good session. I did upper/lower supersets with walking lunge & pull-ups, and with single arm bench and squats in order to finish sooner. Happy with squats, very controlled. Good technique in rows too, everything seems to be coming along nicely. My bestest best friend has gone to live in Australia for 2 years and left me a box of supps, so my pre-workout included beta alanine, creatine, d aspartic acid and my usual whey, BCAA’s & dextrose, so quite a concoction! Also have glutamine for PWO. Have been on creatine a bunch of times with good results, has been a while since i’ve used it.

387

20 Aug

Press ups 2 x 10
BW Squats (arms overhead) 2 x 20

Depth Jump (height) 3 x 5

Speed Skaters 3 x 10

Power Clean 3 x 5 x 75kg

Front Squat 5 x 5 x 85kg

RDL 3 x 12 x 72.5kg

Clap Push-ups 3 x 10

Bench Press 5 x 5 x 87.5kg - pretty solid

BW Chin Ups 3 x 10 - again can’t do 10 straight so short breaks, annoyed I couldn’t find the weights belt

A1 T-Bar Rows 3 x 10 x 60kg - not the best form but i’m not increasing it any time soon

A2 DB Lateral Raise 3 x 10 x 7.5kg

Pretty sore from Tuesday and this time last month was when I tweaked my adductor so I did extra warm up today but still felt my groin was super tight. I know from experience if I focus on ab work my front squat will jump up but i’m struggling to find the motivation to fit it in more than once a week. Would have moved this session back but I have a lot on Fri, Sat & Sun so no place for it to go.

388

21 Aug

Brandon Carter Abs, 1st round twice

23 Aug

Grass Runs

8 x 100m (800m) 3:11.9

20 x 45m (900m) 3:58.9

Brandon Carter Abs, 1st round twice

I planned to do 800 then 1200 with my normal 100m shuttles, but with the actual test being 20,40,60m x 5 I thought i’d do 40m to get to 800m and compare the difference. That didn’t work out as I paced it out in my football boots and got home to find i’d gone 5m further each time. It felt sluggish anyway and was a hit to my confidence having missed my aerobic work last week.

Rugby re-testing is on the 26th (3 days), a reminder that it’s a standing broad jump, 30m sprint through timing gates and 1200m of shuttle runs. My results from last time were:

Broad Jump: 246cm - best in club 247cm, want over 240cm again
30m sprint (and 10m split time): 4.08 (1.79) - best in club 4.03 (1.64), sub 4.00 would be cool
1200m shuttle: 5:16 - best in club 4:19 (worst in club 5:17!!), this is where I need to improve a lot, want under 5:00

389

26 Aug

Rugby Training

Fitness Tests - 30m (10m split) - 4.21 (1.81) soggy ground from the rain and sand to fill in the uneven ground, can’t compare to last time

1200m Shuttle Run - 5:00 beat my last time by 16 seconds, happy with that

We did a few other drills and learned the warm-up we’ll try to use every game. Can’t wait to get back in the gym tomorrow.

390

27 Aug

Jumps for Height 3 x 5

Drop Jump to Broad Jump 3 x 5

Jump Squat 3 x 5 x 60kg

Back Squat 4,6,5,5 x 110kg - meant to be 5 x 4 but I was controlled and found it fine

OHP 5 x 4 x 55kg

Bent Over Row 3 x 6 x 70kg - put my head down and got a good squeeze on each rep, can go heavier

Single Arm BB Bench Press 3 x 6 x 30kg - best yet, thought I’d picked up something lighter it was so controlled

A1 DB Walking Lunge 3 x 12 x 25kg - went heavier as 22.5’s were in use, legs felt it

A2 Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 10 x 62.5kg - can go heavier again next week

Pullups 3 x 10 - somehow managed sets of 10, think i’m a kg lighter

Brandon Carter Abs, 1st round twice

Really good workout, increased a few exercises and everything felt solid.

391

31 Aug

Depth Jump (height) 3 x 5 - good height!!

Speed Skaters 3 x 10

Power Clean 3 x 5 x 75kg

Front Squat 5 x 4 x 87.5kg - better than normal technique

RDL 3 x 12 x 72.5kg - need to go heavier

Clap Push-ups 3 x 10

Bench Press 5 x 4 x 90kg - controlled

BW Chin Ups 3 x 10

Seated Rows 3 x 10 x 110lbs, 2 x 8 x 120lbs

Abs 9 mins total

Felt pretty lively warming up and my jumps were nice and explosive. Really deep on front squats, I know my abs are the limiting factor so when I can handle the weight the reps are no problem. Pleased with bench, I think I could’ve done sets of five with that weight. Discovered a seated row machine while searching for the handle I use for T-Bar rows and tried it out - prefer it.

392

4 Sept

Jumps for Height 3 x 5

Drop Jump to Broad Jump 3 x 5

Jump Squat 3 x 5 x 60kg

Back Squat 5 x 3 x 120kg - meant to be 115kg but I wanted to go heavier

OHP 4,4,4,3 x 57.5kg - should be 3’s but i felt great on pressing today

Bent Over Row 3 x 6 x 72.5kg

Single Arm BB Bench Press 6 x 30kg, 2 x 32.5kg - used to have a fixed bar, first time on full Oly bar and it was good

Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 10 x 65kg

A1 DB Walking Lunge 3 x 12 x 25kg

A2 Pullups 3 x 10 - last one was 5,2,1,1,1

YES!! Good session. I had an over-sized lunch and had to move my session to 8pm, almost didn’t do it but glad I forced myself to. Increases in squat, press, 2x bench and pressing in particular felt super-easy. Want to hit the gym Monday, rugby training Wed and game on Sat.

393

7 Sept

Depth Jump (height) 3 x 5

Speed Skaters 3 x 10

Power Clean 3 x 5 x 75kg

Front Squat 4,4,4,3 x 90kg - should be 5 x 3 but felt fine

RDL 3 x 12 x 75kg - felt an imbalance in the effort my HS were putting in, all good though

Clap Push-ups 3 x 10

Bench Press 3 x 5 x 92.5kg - right ok, meant to be 5 x 3 but it just felt super easy

BW Chin Ups 3 x 10

Seated Rows 5 x 8 x 120lbs - like these

Abs 9 mins total

I love creatine. That and beta-alanine have been included in my pre-workout in the last month and I feel like i’m recapturing my old strength. I was tidying up a big pile of notes in my room and found a piece of paper with my 5/3/1 progressions from who knows when, had things like OHP 6 x 70kg and Bench 4 x 105kg, which gave me a little kick to maybe jump 2.5kg in some of my lifts as i’m capable of so much more. I remember doing front squat 100kg+ for 8 reps so that needs to come up as well.

Overall I feel there’s still an easy 5% to stick on certain lifts before I have anything that passes as a struggle. Rugby training on Wed, will foam roller my hamstrings and maybe do a light run tomorrow so they’re fresh, then my first and last pre-season friendly is Saturday.

394

8 Sept

Grass Run 2.8 miles (4.5km) in 24 mins

It was actually 3 miles in 27.5 mins but I forgot that I started the app while I was still walking to the park so when it told me i’d run 3 miles I stopped. Pretty chilled pace to get the blood flowing without straining, breathing was fine and happy with the pace (8:35/mi).

Will do foam roller now.

395

9 Sept

Rugby Training

Drills and Backs Drills

I think the 2nd XV have started their League but for the rest of us we’re playing a friendly this week and then League the week after, so it’s all about knowing the game plan. He split the 45 of us into three full teams and we ran drills with him shouting who should be where throughout the move. Would be hugely beneficial if I ever play 1st or 2nd team but I know that 3rds and below generally descends into chaos within 5 minutes of kickoff.

As a winger I had to clear an imaginary ruck about 20 times and that was my only contribution in 90 mins of training so I don’t plan on going again as my weekly schedule is better with weights on Mon & Wed.

396

12 Sept

Rugby Match 3rd XV (Friendly won 40-14ish)

Lost count when we were 26-0 up as it’s not really about the score. They were giving a chance to a lot of players so we had a squad of 23 and I played the second half. Only got the ball once and was eventually stopped by a few people. Tackling was a bit poor, need to work on that, but happy with my positioning and fitness was ok. Had two chances to score, one where the 12 passed it sloppily to 15 so it never made it to me, and another with a loose ball that the 15 spilled forward just as I went to pick it up and i’d broken away before the ref blew his whistle.

Will run 5km or more tomorrow as I feel pretty fresh, then weights Mon & Wed.

397

13 Sept

Grass Run 3.25 miles (5.25km) in 27 mins

Pushed myself harder and ran on a different patch of grass with more of an incline. Averaged 8:18/mi which is 17 seconds faster than last week. Felt quite laboured as I don’t get much stride length when i’m tired.

398

14 Sept

Jumps for Height 3 x 5

Drop Jump to Broad Jump 3 x 5

Jump Squat 3 x 5 x 60kg

Back Squat 5 x 3 x 125kg - forced myself to get full depth, couldn’t have done much more

OHP 5 x 3 x 62.5kg - jumped 5kg to challenge myself. Mayyyybe push pressed one rep a little bit.

Bent Over Row 3 x 6 x 72.5kg - can do 75kg next time

Single Arm BB Bench Press 3 x 6 x 32.5kg

Close Grip Bench Press 10, 10, 9 x 65kg

A1 DB Walking Lunge 2 x 24 x 22.5kg - someone pinched the 25’s so I thought i’d beast a pair of double sets, disgusting

A2 Pullups 3 x 10

Hideous session. No idea how I drove home given that I could barely get from my car to the front door. Bumped up my squat and press, was right on the limit of what I could handle. Walking lunges were too much, I did 12 steps then felt like I had to do 12 back even though I was gassing at 16 total. I literally fell over after the second set, legs just failed me.

Nice to give my all, probably have to push Wed session to Thurs but I have work Sat so no rugby.

399

17 Sept

Depth Jump (height) 3 x 5

Speed Skaters 3 x 10

Power Clean 3 x 4 x 75kg - only meant to wake up muscles, scrapped the 5th rep

Front Squat 5 x 92.5kg, 3,4,3 x 95kg - upper back struggled with 95kg but good depth and bar position

RDL 3 x 12 x 75kg - smooth

Clap Push-ups 3 x 10

Bench Press 5 x 3 x 97.5kg - serious chest aches before I even lifted, last reps were slow but I always had them

BW Chin Ups 3 x 10

Seated Rows 5 x 8 x 120lbs

Abs 9 mins total

Fantastic workout. Front squat felt in the groove and my grip was great. My chest has been sore for days and was troubling me in the push-ups and again for bench but I was pleased to finish 97.5kg. Think my front squat is advancing at a faster rate so will try to align the weight for that and bench in the next few cycles.

No rugby as i’m working. Looking to fit in another run either tomorrow or Sunday morning.

400

20 Sept

Grass Run 4 miles (6.5km) in 35 mins

As I said no rugby yesterday due to work. Was aiming for 6km but I extended my route and each lap was almost exactly 0.5 miles so I ran 8 laps. Pace started at a brisk 4:42/km and descended until the 6th one was 5:54/km. My legs feel really heavy and i’ve set a series of PB’s in the gym this week so I have no quarrels with the slow pace. I feel nice and springy for about 1.5km and then it becomes almost a shuffle.

I don’t want to go 8 days without the gym but at the same time I think I need a little deload or extended rest, might do a sprint session in midweek then i’ll at least have a stimulus for my legs.