I will begin my (roughly) 10 week off-season training for rugby union tomorrow morning. I have played scrumhalf (4 years), flanker (4 years) and am now transitioning to loosehead prop.
This is my first time maintaining an online log. This is also my first time hiring a professional coach so for those of you maintaining your own programming, hopefully this will give you a look into what the top level coaches and program managers are providing players for the modern game.
The focus of this program will be increasing speed, with a secondary objective of increasing aerobic capacity.
Feel free to provide feedback, support, disapproval, ask questions, etc.
Incline treadmill walk: 2min each @ 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3mph. 1min each @ 2.4, 2.5mph
Upper body warm-up- sprinting arm action 60 sec, long arm action 30 sec, joint circles, med ball HALO’s 10 each way, prone med ball series (HALO 10each, straight arm raisex10, bend elbowsx10)
Neck bridge on bench-flexion - 30seconds
Superset w/1-arm DB Shrug - 10rep/arm (50lbs) - 3 sets
Tempo Run Warm-up
3 easy strides, roughly 50 meters
Static hip flexor stretch
Power speed drills over 10M - A skips, running A, RLRL bounding, backwards run, stiff leg dolly
3 each with walk back recovery
2 easy strides, roughly 60 meters
Set 1: 3 X 100meter run @ 75% effort (roughly 18seconds for 100m, 43 seconds for 200m)
after each run the following abdominal work was performed (20 dynamic side planks, 5 McGill curl ups, 20 side planks)
This was followed by a walk from touch line to 15m and back, then into next run.
Set 2: 100m, 100m, 200m, 100m
Set 3: 100m, 200m, 200m, 100m
Set 4: 2 x 100m (no abdominal work this set)
Roughly 180 sec rest between sets
Abs-260 total reps - Dynamic front plank, McGill curl ups
Speed drills over 10M, roughly 2 min each- lateral A skip, A skips, running A, stiff leg dolly, butt kicks, backwards run
4 strides over 10-30meters
Alactic Sled sprints (sled composed of ~20lb chain dragged in grass, attached to belt)
10Meter x 6-30sec rest
20Meter x 6-45sec rest
30Meter x 6-60sec rest
Hip mobility drills
TKE, single leg step down, X band walks
Split squat w front foot elevated - 2 x 10 each leg
Aerobic back squat (continuous reps, no joint lockout) - 110lbs, 20, 16, 13
Aerobic Romanian deadlifts - 120lbs, 20, 16, 13
Neck bridge (extension only) 3 x 30seconds
Chin-ups - full retraction and depression of scapula, start each rep from dead hang, hands off bar between reps
15 x 1
Bike warm-up
3 min @ 90rpm
quadraped hip mobility x 20 each way
dynamic side planks x 20each
2 min @ 100rpm
cat stretch
dynamic side planks x 20 each
in n outs x 20
1 min @ 110 rpm
hamstring stretch
cat stretch
Bike Tempo
2 x 6 x 40seconds (pedal easy 20sec between work intervals)
Pretty sore from the week’s training
Tempo warm-up:
2 easy strides, roughly 20meters
Power drills over 10meters (A skips, lateral A skips, butt kicks, stiff leg dolly, backwards run)
Stretching between drills
Hill tempos
30meters x 1 x 10
Completed each sprint in roughly 7 seconds, minimal rest between each (walk back down hill)
Treadmill walk:
2min @ 2.0mph, 2min @ 2.1, 2min @ 2.2, 2min @ 2.3, 1min @ 2.4, 1min @ 2.5
Upper body warm-up:
sprinting arm action-60seconds
long arm action-30seconds
joint circles
med ball HALO’s 10/10
prone med ball series: HALO’s straight arm raise, bend and flex elbows x 10
Bench Neck bridge-flexion - 45 seconds S/S with 1 arm shrug on Smith (1pie) x 2
Strength Aerobic Bench press - 110 lbs. 28, 22, 16 3 min rest b/w sets
Yates Row - 12, 10, 8 135, 185, 205lbs
Shoulder giant set 2 x 12 - front DB raise, lateral DB raise, cable pull-aparts
Rhythmic Decline close grip pushups S/S fat bar curls - 3 x 15
Why would you endeavour to turn a powerlifting lift into an “aerobic” exercise? Seriously, wtf?
I think as a prop (or any human being really) you need far more strength work - as a loosehead, heavy squats (possibly with bands or chains to train the top range of the movement more, which is needed in a scrum) should be a priority, imo.
Good work with training commitment though, sprints look hard. Keep up the effort!
[quote]halcj wrote:
Why would you endeavour to turn a powerlifting lift into an “aerobic” exercise? Seriously, wtf?
I think as a prop (or any human being really) you need far more strength work - as a loosehead, heavy squats (possibly with bands or chains to train the top range of the movement more, which is needed in a scrum) should be a priority, imo.
Good work with training commitment though, sprints look hard. Keep up the effort![/quote]
Are you referring to the squat? I don’t know that squats are specific to powerlifting. The first 2 weeks in this 10 week training program are basic GPP and building of work capacity, and I don’t want to speak for my coach but I believe the idea is to create more time under tension, hence stimulating muscle hypertrophy. This would be the time during off-season for hypertrophy exercises in place of strength/power work.
But above all, I have to place trust in my coach that he is giving me the tools to succeed on the pitch in 9 weeks time, so I do what I’m prescribed and let him do the heavy thinking.
Thanks for reading, always appreciate any feedback!!
Abs - 260 total reps, dynamic side planks, dynamic front planks, McGill curl ups
Sprint warm-up - joint circles, hip mobility, speedpower drills over 10 meters, lateral A skips over 10 meters, calisthenics, 3-5 strides building to 90% effort
Alactic Capacity sled sprints-
10 meter x 6 - 30sec rest, 20 meter x 6 - 45 sec rest, 30 meter x 6 - 60 sec rest
On the second to last 30m I got a shooting pain straight through the center of one of my knees, pushed through and felt even worse on last 30m so shut it down for the day.
11/25
Monday A.M.
Incline treadmill walk - same as above
Upper Body weights warm-up
Bench Neck Bridges- 3 x 45sec flexion only S/S 1-arm DB shrug 3x12 (65 lbs, should have gone heavier)
Strength Aerobic Bench - work up to 125 lbs 3 x 26, 21, 17 - 3min rest b/w sets
Yates Row - 3x12 x 165lbs (could have gone heavier)
Shoulder Giant set - db front raise, db lateral raise, cable pull apart 3 x 10
Rhythmic decline close grip pushups (5 x 15) S/S fat bar curls (15, 12, 10, 8, 6, ascending weight)
Extensive Tempo Circuit - between each run, 20 dynamic side planks, 20 McGill curl ups, 20 dynamic front planks
for 100m, walk touch to 15m/back for recovery, for 200m walk touch to goalpost/back. Runs from tryline to tryline
Set 1: 3x100
Set 2: 100,200,200,100
Set 3: 100,200,200,100
Set 4: 3x100
Stretch
Extensive med ball rebounds against wall - 5rounds x 50 reps each position - overhead front, side on, chest pass, underhand throw
Abs- 320 total reps
Sprint warm-up
Alactic Sled Sprints (pissing down rain here so had to do indoors. roughly 25meters, was my only option)
30m x 6 - staggered stance start
30m x 6 - start position- 2 x one knee, 2 x top pushup, 2 x falling start
30m x 6 - same as previous set
Lower Body weights warm-up
Split squat with front foot elevated - 2 x 12
Strength Aerobic Squat - 145lbs - 3 x 16, 13, 10 - 3min rest b/w sets
Strength Aerobic RDL - 165lbs - 3 x 16, 13, 10 - 3min rest b/w sets
Bench neck bridge - extension only - neck felt like shit so did static holds 4 x 30sec
Pullups - 25 sets x 1rep, 25sec rest b/w reps
Friday P.M. - (typically performed Fri AM, but had a couple drinks at Thanksgiving, so pushed to PM)
Treadmill warm-up
Upper body warm-up
Bench neck bridges-flexion only S/S 1-arm shrug on Smith machine 2 x 45seconds/35lb plates
Strength Aerobic Bench-140lb 3 x 24, 19, 15 3min rest b/w sets
Yates row 3 x 15, 12, 10 ascending weight
Shoulder Giant Set 2 x 15 db front raise, db lateral raise, cable pull apart
Rhythmic decline close grip pushups 3 x 20 S/S fat bar curls 3 x 8
Abs-640 total reps - stir the pot (100), McGill curl ups (240), dynamic front & side planks, remainder
Did not perform extensive tempo runs, legs destroyed from sprints during the week.