Everything hurts, first full game of proper actual rugby since March 2020 did 76 minutes until I cramped up in both legs and hobbled off. Personally got through a load of work in carries and rucks with couple of decent tackles and a turnover.
Glad it’s a deload week, doing 1 lower and 1 upper before game on Thursday night.
Power Clean 57kg x3, 66kg x3, 74kg x3
Trap Bar Deadlift 151kg x3, 174kg x3, 197kg x3
Hip Thrust 80kg 3x8
SSB squats 60kg 3x8
Bodyweight calf raises 4x15
Upper body deload session
Shoulders and elbows still a little sore, lower body fine after session yesterday. Making me think about trying a full body light band and bodyweight session the day after a game to see if that aids blood circulation and eases soreness.
Chins - 3x10 bodyweight
1 arm DB Bench - 25kg 3x8
Bent Over BB Row - 60kg 3x10
Banded Neck Curls - 3x15
Banded Lateral Raise - 3x12
Banded 1 arm Tri Pushdown - 3x12
Full body deload
Game cancelled for today, due to play Saturday
High pull - 60kg x3, 69kg x3, 79kg x3
Landmine press 20kg 3x10
Banded underhand row 3x15
Bodyweight dead stop lunge 3x10
Banded Unilateral glute kickback 3x12
Had a decent game again Saturday again albeit in the seconds as our firsts had no game. Can’t play this weekend as the mrs has got a wedding to go to. Aching a bit this morning but nowhere near as bad as last week. Doing a 5 day Upper/Lower/PPL split this week
Upper:
Weighted Chins 17.5kg - 4 sets between 6-7 reps
1 arm DB Flat Bench 35kg - 4 sets between 5-6 reps, was aiming for between 6-8 but my right shoulder is painful and affecting my ROM, not the same pain/discomfort as usual just think I’ve pranged it playing. Think I’d have definitely got more reps without it.
DB Incline 1 arm Press 30kg - 4x8, this variation was more friendly on my shoulder
Chest Supported BB Row 80kg - 4 sets between 8-9 reps
Neck Harness Raises 20kg - 4x10, supersetted with some neck curls with bands, sets of 20
Lower Body:
Was scheduled for some Power Cleans + Trap Bar Deadlifts but got fair bit of pain in my elbow when extending my arm from a knock on Saturday. farted about a bit this morning:
BB Deadlifts with overhand grip 3x5 - 90kg, 110kg, 145kg
These weren’t taxing at all, tried to go to mix grip but couldn’t manage it with my elbow
SSB Squats - 110kg 4x8
Hip Thrusts 110kg - 4 sets between 7-10 reps
BW Calf Raises 4 sets AMRAP = 123 reps
Pull Hypertrophy
Was going to do a push session but elbow/shoulder still not great
T Bar Row - 85kg 3x12, last set 14
Pullups x2 sets AMRAP = 20 reps
Shrugs 97kg - 3 sets between 9-12 reps
Neck Curls 7.5kg 3x15, superset with band neck raises
Elevated band curls - 15,14
Superset with empty barbell and Gripz - 15,13
Not really feeling training this week, feel a bit under the weather and lethargic plus these little niggles are restricting me. As I’ve said in previous posts showing up and doing something even if you don’t feel like it is vital to keep momentum going.
Push Hypertrophy
Still restricted my elbow/shoulder pain
DB 1 arm Floor Press 27.5kg - 4 sets between 8-9 reps
Banded Side Lateral Raise superset with Front Raise - 4 sets between 12-15 reps
JC Band Press x2 set AMRAP - 51 reps
Banded Tricep Pushdown x2 set AMRAP - 41
Also did a fuckton of underhand grip band pullaparts in between exercises and to warm up.
Think I need to start getting some anti inflammatories down by neck also probably coupled some more frequent ice packs
Lower Hypertrophy
Trap Bar Split Squat 10kg a side - 4x10
SSB Good Mornings - 1st time doing this so going light, 60kg - 3 sets of 8, last set did 10
Giant Set
Banded Lying Leg curls x2 - 18,20
Banded Leg Extensions x2 - 17, 20
BB Calf Raises 80kg - 17, 15
Leg Raises - 2x10
Some good work in here man!
How’s prep for the season looking? You in good shape?
Cheers fella.
Played a couple of games in the 2s so far and played pretty well but struggling to be able to commit at the moment with weeknight training and regular weekend playing. My shoulders still not great so doing mainly unilateral work on upper body, fitness wise I’ve actually been blowing quite a bit but there’s no fitness like match fitness.
You still doing strongman training or you going to be back playing?
Sunday Session
Chins 17.5kg - 4 sets between 6-7 reps, more than last time
DB Flat 1 arm Bench 35kg - 4x6, more reps than last time
Chest Supported BB Row 80kg - 4 sets between 8-9 reps, no progression
Neck Harness Raises 20kg - 4 sets between 8-10 reps, fewer than last time
Banded Paused Face Pull - 3x15
Wanted to do some Landmine Presses but my shoulders were battered after unilateral bench. Much better than last week but still not fully recovered
Monday am Session
Not done much high intensity deadlifting over recent weeks due to injury/deload so wanted to do some heavy top set work. Am leaving 5/3/1 until I can do it properly, I.E once my back and shoulders are fully recovered.
Trap Bar Deadlift
Bar x12
77kg x8
97kg x5
127kg x5
157kg x5
187kg x3
217kg x3
Felt quite tough not having really done much quality work recently. I had decided pre training to do something I’ve not attempted before in an attempt to increase conditioning work
BW Trap Bar Deadlift for 100 reps
102kg, 100 reps done in 08:47
This really hurt, could do this as a standalone session or at the end going forward
DB calf raises 30kg 2x17
Mrs grabbed me after second set (honest, she did) to come and watch the little one while she picked up our eldest from school early. Due to some interview prep and work stuff had to leave it there. Am planning on doing something later once the kids are in bed as missed out on hip thrusts and dead stop lunges I’d programmed in. Not gonna lie the 100 rep deadlift challenge I set myself really stung
Sorry dude - Thought I posted this but it got saved as a draft.
I’m doing strong man only. I’m doing okay at it. And I want to see what I can do. Also I find it hard to play rugby for the people at my club. The team I like playing for are much lower level. So it’s a touch easy. But there is no way I’m putting in a shift for the 2nd team. I think most of them are twats. It’s hard to put your body in the line for guys you dislike.
If you’ve put on any muscle mass this will take time to get used to. Even in weight remains similar. No idea why but I went from a soft 95kg to a strongish 98kg and it took sometime to adjust.
Blockquote
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve been at the same club for years albeit a season at a higher level where I did find them to be twats and barely played since 2018.
I’m trying to shift a bit of fat at the moment using a moderate deficit and cutting around 0.5-1lb a week as I’m in no rush.
Full body strength day
BW Pullups x3 AMRAP = 32
SSB Squat 120kg - 4x7
DB Incline 1 arm Press 32.5kg - 4 sets between 6-7 reps
Had planned to do some hip thrusts and a row but the mrs had pissed me off beforehand and couldn’t get into it today, she then proceeded to come and try and talk to me whilst I was training after my warm up sets on squat and bench which only wound me up more and resulted in a shouting match. Once we’d finished I went back and did my work sets. Planning an accessory day tomorrow and game Saturday
So you started to have an argument - you left to go to the home gym, she followed you and carried on the argument?
I don’t like winding people up - but I’d feel aggrieved about that.
Back to rugby:
Thing is - I lack much skill. I’m big and strong and brave. So my game is based around physical presence. If I’m not mobile I’m not useful. I used to be fit. I used to run 8-10x400m in 40mins as a work out. But getting that fit requires effort. As does being a human battering ram. They both hurt as well. And there was no drive to endure pain for people that have 0 sense of team work.
Kind of, in fairness she came in to see what the noise was, I got pissed off I couldn’t get enough room to superset SSB squats and Incline bench so think I chucked the barbell somewhere in anger after already being wound up. She asked what I was smashing as we keep some of the gardening stuff and kids bikes in the shed. I may have responded to her question of what I was smashing with the answer - your mother. We both have short fuses and are very blunt and obtrusive when wound up which is exactly what you don’t want in someone when you’re already like that 
Very much my ethos on how I play, I love the collision and just want to run over the top of people for 80 minutes.
That’s some solid work, 400m is a disgusting length to run at high intensity. I need to get some more running in but struggling with time at the moment
Ha - kinda the same with my wife and I. We are both VERY used to being in charge at work. So we get into a lot of arguments indoors around that. She also uses a few manipulation techniques I can spot a mile off that other people wont. And we have some right arguments. That said we love each other. I was only talking about this today at work.
Yeah I was big, strong, brave and fit. That was all. But I did okay. Player of the season for the league winning side. I scored more tries from 2nd row than any other player.
Yeah this was done in about 65/75 seconds. Not amazing pace. About 80% effort. But after 10 of them I was toast. I used to set a 4 min timer and go till I could not any more. I’m a big fan of simple work outs. It worked though. As well as being top try scorer I scored 75% of my tries after the 60th min.
Accessory Day
Hip Thrust 115kg - 3x8
DB Close Grip Bench 22.5kg - 3 sets between 9-10 reps
BB Curls 5kg + Gripz - 3x12
Triset:
BB Shrugs 100kg - 3x10
Banded Lateral Raise - 3x15
Neck Curls 12.5kg - 3x15
BB Calf Raises 80kg - 3x15
Hanging Leg Raises - 3 sets between 12-15 reps
Game on Saturday
Unfortunately I seem to be attracted to fiery types, the couple of long term relationships I’ve had have been with what my friend refers to as “crazy types”. I’ve dated a couple of really nice women who were perfectly calm but completely non confrontational and I don’t know why I just can’t get on with that
Played Saturday, challenging game against the team who came down from the league above we were promoted to last season. Lost 33-5 but was a real spirited performance, main difference being we gave loads of penalties away. Personally had a couple of decent carries and made some decent tackles and got a turnover but nothing outstanding.
Did a full body light bands session yesterday which has done wonders for recovery.
Upper Hypertrophy day:
Chins 17.5kg - 4x7
Incline BB Bench, decided to put in a bilateral press this week. Just feeling it out as it’s been ages and still got mismatch in strength shoulder wise:
40kg x10
50kg x8
60kg x8
70kg x8
80kg x7
85kg x4
60kg AMRAP x11
Dropset 40kg x12
DB 1 arm Row 42.5kg 4x12
Landmine Press 40kg - 3x7
Neck Harness Raises 20kg 3x10-11 reps