This is for any of the guys on Prime Time at the moment.
How would you go about developing a training program for rugby union? I’m trying to help out my brother who is a second row forward. He obviously needs strength but in particular needs to develop his vertical leap as he is one of the main jumpers for the ball in a lineout situation.
During the season the team trains once per week. The season has just started and I want to make sure that he doesn’t overtrain. He can make the gym 3 times per week. During the off season he of course could do more.
[quote]bg100 wrote:
This is for any of the guys on Prime Time at the moment.
How would you go about developing a training program for rugby union? I’m trying to help out my brother who is a second row forward. He obviously needs strength but in particular needs to develop his vertical leap as he is one of the main jumpers for the ball in a lineout situation.
During the season the team trains once per week. The season has just started and I want to make sure that he doesn’t overtrain. He can make the gym 3 times per week. During the off season he of course could do more.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ben[/quote]
I’d train him very similar to the way that I’d train an absolute strength athlete like a shotputter. We’d look for increasing in body mass without negatively affecting relative power, though.
In terms of conditioning, I’d focus almost exclusively on short 10-50m sprint intervals.
Then again, all of this would depend on the athlete’s strength and weaknesses and whether or not it was the off-season or in-season.
Given that he’s in-season right now, I’d let him play his way into shape and limit outside conditioning sessions. In the weight room, attention would be focused on maintaining/improving maximal strength without considerable volume, but we’d also do quite a bit of prehab.
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
bg100 wrote:
This is for any of the guys on Prime Time at the moment.
How would you go about developing a training program for rugby union? I’m trying to help out my brother who is a second row forward. He obviously needs strength but in particular needs to develop his vertical leap as he is one of the main jumpers for the ball in a lineout situation.
During the season the team trains once per week. The season has just started and I want to make sure that he doesn’t overtrain. He can make the gym 3 times per week. During the off season he of course could do more.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ben
I’d train him very similar to the way that I’d train an absolute strength athlete like a shotputter. We’d look for increasing in body mass without negatively affecting relative power, though.
In terms of conditioning, I’d focus almost exclusively on short 10-50m sprint intervals.
Then again, all of this would depend on the athlete’s strength and weaknesses and whether or not it was the off-season or in-season.
Given that he’s in-season right now, I’d let him play his way into shape and limit outside conditioning sessions. In the weight room, attention would be focused on maintaining/improving maximal strength without considerable volume, but we’d also do quite a bit of prehab.[/quote]
EC,
Thanks for the reply, any recommendations on set/reps and the best exercises for rugby? What sort of prehab? I would imagine a lot of rotator cuff work due to the stresses placed on shoulders with tackling and the binding that goes with packing into a scrum, any other areas that should be focused on?
Thanks for the reply, any recommendations on set/reps and the best exercises for rugby?[/quote]
Sets and reps aren’t all that sport-specific by nature. It would be dependent on the athlete and the goal of the given training session.
[quote]What sort of prehab? I would imagine a lot of rotator cuff work due to the stresses placed on shoulders with tackling and the binding that goes with packing into a scrum, any other areas that should be focused on?
/quote]
Good start. You should also pay attention to the neck, scapular stabilizers, glutes (especially the hip abductors), and in some instances dorsiflexors.
BTW, a great vertical leap is not really a necessity to be a second row who is a jumper. As long as you’re not a totally unathletic person, it mostly falls on the lifters to get you up.
[quote]apayne wrote:
BTW, a great vertical leap is not really a necessity to be a second row who is a jumper. As long as you’re not a totally unathletic person, it mostly falls on the lifters to get you up.[/quote]
I totally agree with this, it is far more important to be strong and agressive at the breakdown, and in general play than having a good vert. Strength at scrum time is also vital to be an effective Second Rower.