A Rugby Winger and His Workouts

Training Training Logs
161

Feb 24

Bench Press 2 x 8 x 80kg, 1 x 6 x 80kg, 1 x 6 x 70kg, 1 x 6 x 60kg

Incline Chest Press 4 x 8 x 50kg

A1 Chin Ups 4 x 8

A2 Incline Curls 4 x 8 x 10kg

B1 California Press 4 x 8 x 40kg

B2 Single Arm DB Extension 4 x 8 x 12.5kg

Ab Circuit - 2 mins (before), 2 x 2 mins (after)

Treadmill Walk 20 mins 3 deg incline 6.6kph

Arm session was from Poliquin, A1 A2 2 mins rest B1 B2 2 mins rest A1A2… really enjoyed it as it was pretty intense on the arms, all sorts of grunting noises were coming out of me during cali press. Finished with abs, still sore from yesterday and treadmill was a nice recovery. Surprised at just how much my bench dropped with short recovery, looking forward to a CV fitness & abs day tomorrow.

162

Feb 25

Treadmill Walk, 45 mins 3 deg incline 6.6kph - carb fasted AM cardio

Track Work

4 x 6 shuttle runs (run 55m, run 55m, jog 55m)

No ball or going to ground this time and it wasn’t nearly challenging enough. I could only use the local cinder track as all grassy areas are waterlogged.

Abs

Crunch w Pause 3 x 20
Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 15
Weighted Twists 3 x 30 x 10kg
Seated Leg Raise 3 x 20
Reverse Crunch 3 x 20
Chest to Floor 3 x 20 - not an ab exercise, thought I should include these since there were none in my shuttle runs

These were quite easy, could probably do an extra 5-10 reps of each but I wanted to play it safe so i’m not incredibly sore for legs tomorrow.

163

[quote]Fezz wrote:
Feb 22

Snatch (1) to Overhead Squat (reps) 3 x 10 x 40kg

Rugby Match (Lost 24-19)

Really good game, back from 19-7 down to draw and then conceded in the final minute. I played outside centre (for non-rugby folk that’s the guy infield of the winger) and saw a lot more of the ball. I was much happier with my fitness and the ground was slightly firmer so I could run faster. I had a few breaks from our own 22 and went 60-70 metres each time, I had a 1 v 1 with their full back which I should’ve taken but I tried a long pass that didn’t work out. Broke down the wing beyond two people and kicked it through for our wing to chase, there was a scramble on the try line and I touched it down but not sure whether the try was mine.

Knees are a little bloodied and bruised but no injuries, changing up my sessions as a former training partner has sent me some new training outlines that I want to try and follow, including shorter rest periods and higher volume as well as a cardio & abs day in the middle of my four lifting days.

I say it a million times but diet is my biggest problem and i’m trying to get back on track, keeping it simple and looking to be consistently decent rather than stick to an unrealistically clean plan.[/quote]

Sounds like your training is starting to translate to better result on the pitch. Good work, keep it up.

164

[quote]Fezz wrote:
Really good game, back from 19-7 down to draw and then conceded in the final minute. I played outside centre (for non-rugby folk that’s the guy infield of the winger) and saw a lot more of the ball. I was much happier with my fitness and the ground was slightly firmer so I could run fasterâ?¦

I say it a million times but diet is my biggest problem and i’m trying to get back on track, keeping it simple and looking to be consistently decent rather than stick to an unrealistically clean plan.[/quote]

Good to see that your hard work is paying off. Good feeling, isn’t it?

Was wondering how you eat? Do you follow any plans? Count macros?

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165

Hey Bird,

I think my problem is never having someone give me a concrete eating plan, I aim for P200 C250 F75 and have a bigger meal when my body craves it. At the moment breakfast is oats and 3 eggs, mid morn snack of whey protein & nuts, lunch is pasta/rice, fish & veg and dinner is chicken, potato & veg. I’ve never been properly lean and when I try I seem to lose muscle mass.

Feb 26

Deadlift 4 x 8 x 100kg

Front Squat 8 x 80kg, 3 x 8 x 70kg

A1 Good Mornings 8 x 50kg, 3 x 11 x 50kg

A2 Forward Lunge 8 x 60kg, 3 x 7 x 60kg

Calf Raise 80kg x 8, 9, 10, 11

KB Swings 20kg x 10, 15, 25, 50 - thrown in because the session felt too easy, format from Dan Johns 10k swing method

Abs Circuit - 2 mins pre, 2 x 2 mins after

Treadmill Walk, 15 mins 6.6kph 3 deg incline

Not that hard a session, I was worried about tiring my back out and not being able to do anything else so DL was light, and I haven’t front squatted in ages so that needed a practice weight. GM’s were a touch light so I did more reps and lunges were hard. I added in KB swings as I felt I was cheating myself otherwise. Abs were tough, though no doms from yesterday so again I made abs too easy.

166

Feb 27

A1 OHP 3 x 8 x 50kg, 1 x 6 x 50kg

A2 Pullups 3 x 8, 1 x 7

B1 Pendlay Rows 4 x 6 x 70kg

B2 Hyperextensions 4 x 8

C1 Incline Hammer Row 4 x 10 x 17.5kg

C2 Lateral Raises 4 x 12 x 5kg

Abs 2 mins pre, 2 x 2 mins post

I meant to sub in something for hyperextensions but couldn’t remember what so kept it where it is. This session was quite tame, it was challenging but rather than 100% muscular it was predominantly challenging my breathing. I think this week can be a foundation on which to build and once I find the balance I can see these five days as being tough to get through.

167

Mar 2

Back Squat 5 x 8 x 102.5kg - increased the weight and put in a full effort

A1 RDL 4 x 8 x 70kg

A2 Reverse Lunge 1 x 8 x 60kg, 3 x 7 x 60kg

B1 Swiss Ball HS Curls 4 x 8

B2 Resistance Band HS Curls 4 x 8

Single Leg Calf Raises 4 x 15 per leg

KB Swing 20kg x 10, 15, 25, 50

Ab Circuit 2.5 mins (before session), 2 x 2.5 mins after session

Treadmill Walk, 15 mins 3 degree inclince 6.7kph

Tried to leave nothing in the tank for this session, all sorts of growling going on during the squats and I got every rep. Had weakness in my back between RDL and reverse lunges and took a short break mid-set. Added in KB swings for an extra metabolism boost and thought i’d increase abs this week.

168

Mar 3

Bench Press 75kg x 8, 8, 8, 8, 5

Incline Chest Press 50kg x 9, 9, 8, 8

A1 Chin Ups 4 x 9

A2 Incline Curls 4 x 9 x 10kg

B1 California Press 4 x 9 x 40kg

B2 DB Extension 3 x 9 x 12.5kg, 1 x 9 x 10kg

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Treadmill Walk 20 mins 3 degree 6.6kph

Much more balance to this workout and everything was a challenge, got a huge pump from the supersets and had to decrease the weight for the final set. Abs were difficult too.

169

Mar 4

Track Work

2 x 4 x 100m (40m jog between) time per 400m 1:18, 1:16
4 x 2 x 200m (80m jog between) time per 400m 1:14, 1:13
2 x 400m (lie face down weeping between reps) 1:13, 1:10

Good session. I went round the track and stopped the timer after 100m, jogged 20m past the line and back, then started the timer again and ran to the next 100m marker. Didn’t intend to get quicker but as I saw it progressing I worked hard to keep it quicker. 400s were horrible, I was keeping 3 mins rest between sets to always be slightly out of breath and I felt like I was walking over the finish. Got to 300m of the final run in 51 secs so a big drop off on the home straight.

Abs

A1 Crunch w Pause 4 x 30
A2 Reverse Crunch 4 x 30

B1 Weighted Twists 4 x 30 x 10kg
B2 Hanging Leg Raise 4 x 15

Treadmill Walk 20 mins 6.6kph

Twists were too easy, should’ve done 40 reps or got a 15kg plate. Worked harder this time and think I did about 100 reps more than last week.

170

Mar 5

Front Squats 75kg x 8, 8, 8, 8

Deadlift 110kg x 8, 8, 8, 8 - up from 100kg and pretty untroubled with short recovery

A1 Good Mornings 55kg x 8, 60kg x 8, 8, 8

A2 - Fwd Lunge 60kg x 7, 7, 7, 7

Calf Raise 90kg x 8, 8, 8, 8

KB Swings 20kg x 10, 15, 25 - legs struggled with 25 so didn’t even try 50

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Treadmill 5 mins then legs gave up

Worked much harder than last week, could have still done more. I moved front squat first and felt strong with 75kg. Deadlift was pretty easy too. I filmed my GM’s and they look shit, like a person squatting badly, will read up on form but might have to change to another exercise as I wanted the quick transition to forward lunge which is why I used the same weight. Could stick at 55kg and do more reps of lunges.

171

Mar 6

A1 Pullups 4 x 8

A2 OHP 4 x 8 x 50kg

B1 Pendlay Rows 4 x 8 x 60kg

B2 DB Curl & Press 4 x 7 x 15kg

C1 Incline Hammer Row 4 x 12 x 17.5kg

C2 Lateral Raises 4 x 12 x 5kg

Rotator Cuff 2 x 12 x 2.5kg

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Better session, think all five of those days were hard on me. Added in DB curl and press and was pleased with it, just about finished the reps. Was getting a pinching pain inside my right shoulder which in the past has been rotator cuff related so I put my sets in at the end.

172

Mar 8

Rugby Match (Lost 30-19)

Back to the 3rd XV after a few games in the 4ths. Came on in the second half as a winger at 17-0 down, outside centre did well to release me and I stretched to catch the ball at shin height, broke a tackle and ran about 60m to score under the posts. After that I had one or two runs through the middle but the forwards weren’t getting us much ball on the wing (I think the guy I subbed on for only touched it twice in the first half).

Really good conditions, firm ground but still soft enough to play on, perfect for fast running. We’d dominated the first five minutes and failed to score then after that they were only scoring as a result of us giving away penalties.

Moved house on Sat and getting weights today (Mon) so couldn’t do legs yday.

173

Mar 10

Back Squat 5 x 8 x 105kg - didn’t have my box to squat to, probably lacking a few inches in depth

A1 RDL 4 x 8 x 70kg

A2 Reverse Lunges 4 x 8 x 60kg

B1 Swiss Ball HS Curl 4 x 9

B2 SL Calf Raise 4 x 15 - supersetted to save time, HS curls don’t really make calf raises any harder

KB Swings - 10, 15, 10, 15 - don’t know where I was going with this, think i’ll go back to the Dan John sets

Jump Rope - 250 total reps

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

No longer have access to a treadmill and i’d feel weird brisk walking in public so I tried a circuit-style jump rope & KB swing set but it didn’t really work. Think I will do 100 KB swings and then steadily increase the jump rope. e.g. 300 reps/day in week 1, 330 in week 2 etc.

Session was good, very warm! Squats were strong if a little shallow, managed to do RDL & lunge without any back discomfort which was a nice change.

174

Mar 11

Bench Press 5 x 8 x 75kg

Incline Chest Press 4 x 8 x 52.5kg

A1 Chin Ups 4 x 9

A2 Incline Curls 4 x 9 x 10kg

B1 California Press 4 x 9 x 40kg - first set was skull crushers as I forget I switched exercises

B2 DB Extensions 4 x 9 x 12.5kg

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Jump Rope 5 x 60 reps

Nice balanced session, hit every rep (just about) and felt stronger than last week. Abs and consistent clean eating are making a difference, I can tell my torso is close to the best shape it’s ever been in. Will look to put an extra rep on every set next week.

175

Mar 12

Track Work

2 x 4 x 100m (40m jog between) time per 400m 1:07, 1:07
4 x 2 x 200m (80m jog between) time per 400m 1:05, 1:10
2 x 400m (lie face down weeping between reps) 1:10, 1:07

Took ten seconds off my 4 x 100m runs, pleased to get back to speed in such a short time. Average was 17 secs per 100m for the whole 2.4km tempo, think the 100m could get down to 15 secs and the 200m to 16 secs.

Abs

A1 Weighted Twists 4 x 40 x 10kg
A2 Hanging Leg Raise 4 x 15

B1 Crunch w Pause 4 x 30
B2 Reverse Crunch 4 x 30

Prone Knee Tuck on Swiss Ball 4 x 10

Added in some knee tucks to get me to 500 reps, very tough session and seemed to take forever.

176

Mar 13

Front Squats 80kg x 8, 7, 6, 6

Deadlift 110kg x 8, 8, 8, 8

A1 SL Hip Raise 4 x 10

A2 - Fwd Lunge 60kg x 7, 7, 7, 7

Calf Raise 90kg x 10, 10, 9, 9

KB Swings 20kg x 10, 15, 25, 50

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Jump Rope 4 x 75 reps

Harrrdddd session. My abs were tired from yesterday so maybe front squats aren’t a great choice the day after. Lunges were a challenge, can feel my quads are tight and sore. Jump rope was easy which was a relief after all that.

177

Mar 14

A1 Pullups 4 x 8

A2 OHP 4 x 8 x 50kg

B1 Pendlay Rows 4 x 8 x 60kg

B2 DB Curl & Press 4 x 8 x 15kg

C1 Incline Hammer Row 4 x 12 x 17.5kg

C2 Lateral Raises 4 x 12 x 5kg

Rotator Cuff 2 x 12 x 2.5kg

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Jump Rope 90, 80, 70, 60

Massively wimped out on this session. I think if I write down sets, reps AND weight it leaves me no room to go harder as in my head it’s all I need to do. I put an 8th rep on clean & press but they should’ve been 9’s, pendlay 10’s, ohp 9’s, incline rows heavier and more reps on lat raise. I feel like i’ve done nothing and i’m quite annoyed that I was complacent throughout.

178

Mar 16

Bench Press 77.5kg x 8, 8, 8, 8, 4

Incline Chest Press 55kg x 8, 8, 8, 6

A1 Chin Ups 4 x 9

A2 Incline Curls 4 x 9 x 10kg

B1 California Press 4 x 9 x 40kg

B2 DB Extensions 4 x 9 x 12.5kg

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Birthday weekend, ate a whole load of junk food and all I had on the Sunday was half a peanut butter banoffee cake and a few protein shakes. I upped the weights, think i’ll just up it every time i complete a full series of 8 reps. Had banana burps throughout.

Mar 17

Back Squat 107.5kg x 8, 8, 7, 7, 6 - Got better depth this time and it sucked so much, my legs hate me

A1 RDL 4 x 8 x 72.5kg

A2 Reverse Lunges 4 x 8 x 60kg

B1 Swiss Ball HS Curl 4 x 10

B2 SL Calf Raise 4 x 15

KB Swings 20kg x 10, 15, 25, 40 - Couldn’t make the 50 rep without possibly falling over

Jump Rope - 300 total reps

Abs 2.5 mins pre, 2 x 2.5 mins post

Worked hard today, drenched in sweat and could barely walk after some of the sets.

179

[quote]Fezz wrote:
Mar 12

Track Work

2 x 4 x 100m (40m jog between) time per 400m 1:07, 1:07
4 x 2 x 200m (80m jog between) time per 400m 1:05, 1:10
2 x 400m (lie face down weeping between reps) 1:10, 1:07

Took ten seconds off my 4 x 100m runs, pleased to get back to speed in such a short time. Average was 17 secs per 100m for the whole 2.4km tempo, think the 100m could get down to 15 secs and the 200m to 16 secs.

[/quote]

Still pretty good times on the 400m after the other work.
Good stuff, keep it up.

180

[quote]Fezz wrote:
Worked hard today, drenched in sweat and could barely walk after some of the sets.[/quote]
Thats what I like to hear.

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