To those that have followed the Lions tour of Aus, how do you think the Lions would have coped with Coach Davies training them? Interesting that he has been received here with such vigour (and rightly so) and guys like Matt Dawson and Austin Healy have been compalining about how hard their training was. To any other Kiwis, maybe the Coach could help out with the All Blacks so we can reclaim our birthright, “NO. 1, and world domination” hahahaaha
Coach Davies, any particular advice for hoe to condition for rugby, Im a foward(hooker), thanks Ed
Odd how things work out - In my homeland, I am an outcast, “The Renegade” is no crap - Equipment companies hate me because I talk of time when a gym was the domain of the hard-core, magazines don’t want me to be heard because there advertisers don’t like my no-nonsense approach and most strength coaches fear me because of my relentless approach. So-if you’ve go room for a nasty old coach who just does one thing (WIN and want to train - In faith, Coach Davies
Ed-one piece of advice for one of the greatest sports on the planet, the one that requires, strength, power, agility, speed and the spirit of the warrior. So, we’ve got some players-tell me about your training and lets see what we can do. Besides it would be great if everyone would be exposed to rugby players work ethic. In faith, Coach Davies
I am also a Hooker, but likely moving to the backs or at least flanker in the upcoming season, I was stuck at hooker mainly because I was the only person on my team tough enough to repeatedly subject my body to the middle of a scrum. I have about exactly one month until the season starts, and existing injuries in both shoulders, and my neck, for obvious reasons, ROM is rather limited. I have kettlebells (plate-loaded), a water filled lifting keg, but no wheel-barrow or tractor tires or anything else fun that you often talk about. But I plan on this being my best season yet, as each season I’ve played thus far has been better than the last. Anyways, like Ed said I’d be very interested in seeing what kind of recommendations you might have. Thanks, Nick.
Firstly, New Zealand’s birthright isn’t on top. It’s just that Australia are finally finding their way there. To their home at the top of the tree.
And to Coach Davies and Kato, thanx for anything you can throw at us below the equator as far as spec advice for rugby. And maybe we have even more room here in Australia for you than those damn Kiwis.
Hyphnz , i don’t think that the lions wouldn’t have faired any better with a better strength coach, although it kills me to say it, the aussies outplayed us brits+ire, even the “ape like,plank forwards”-austin healy.
as for NZ being the best nation, we invented rugby and will prove it at the next world cup. unfortunately it looks like those boys in gold for the tri=nations as well!
Well I am looking forward to this - but I need some ideas on what you’ve been doing. I would like to get started asap so the more details you can give me the better. In faith, Coach Davies
I’m 5’11", 200lbs. and have been doing sprint workouts, disguised as ball handling, twice a week and playing a match or two a week. Then I’ve been figuring out my kettlebells on my non-running days, as well as jumping rope, and lifting a keg full of water (cleaning, jerking, pressing) conventional lifting only once a week. Really jumbled. Anyways, my goals are to strengthen my shoulders and neck, improve my speed (currently ~4.8 40), and explosive power. Hope that helps a bit.
Coach Davies, currently I am training in a revised westside powerlifting manor, 4x weekly with various extra workouts for injuried shoulder, and hamstring and I love forearm training(sometimes all you can grab is jersey and then hand strength is really important). Mon we do max squat, lots of abs and hammies and glutes. Tues max bench, lots of triceps, lats, neck, bi/rear delt. Thursday speed squats and deads, traps, abs hammies, calves. Fri speed bench tri lats bicep/rear delt.
Also 3x weekly I run. Running consists of mon: Fartliek= sprint100 meters jog 100 meters for a couple miles. Wednesday consists of sprints(started at 30 and increases by week) from akward positions, flat on ground, sprint and come around, (simulating proper entrence to a ruck when off sides) and back ward kneeling, etc. this is followed by “chaous” training where two of us run suicides and the third roams between and with a pad and can strike you at any time to simulate unexpected contact. Fridays we run what we call the death drill, basically you jog 10 yards on an angle from your teamates holding sheilds, and then turn and sprint with the ball into contact, or tackle a player or bag, or ruck and then you rise and immediatly jog again 10 yards away again. The players holding the shields set up so that you dont know weather the situation requires rucking or tackleing or scooping the call and attacking untill you turn and are advancing after doing this for a couple sets you truely beg for death(we tend to publically insult each other to keep the runner going when the legs lock up). Also we occasionally will run through a 4 mile woods course that has pushup stations, pullups, sit ups, etc. And sometimes we will run hills for distance where we try to ask each other questions that require you to think while you are running. one other drill that is very benificial is to wrestle greco roman style, is is exhausting in the same ways rugby is. We used to do a lot of technique rucking, but after a few years we realized that rucking when you tired and when your fatigued are two diffrent beasts. Also occasionally when we are feeling stale or burnt out, we will do something inspiring like a 4:30 six mile run to watch the sun rise in the town woods, or go swimming for hours upstream, this keeps us fresh and gives us a sense of accomplishment. I and my two partners and teamates would love any advice you can give and we would be glad to add it to our workouts or completely change our style. One more question do the athletes you train eat a certain way, or avoid alchohal, we never drink before training days, but we are known to tip a few on friday and saterday, also on these days we relax our diets and enjoy food, whereas Sun-Fri we eat for performance. Thanks Coach, Ed
Coach, I would also be interested in what you have to say. I am 6’00’ 210 and play 6 and 7. My split looks like this:
Day 1 heavy bench, Incline DB, heavy push press, heavy dips, California press.
Day 2 power clean, full back squat, full front squat, russian DL’s or lunges.
Day 3-off
Day 4 high rep bench or speed bench, incline Bench, lighter stand overhead press, light dips, tris
Day 5 heavy deads, rows, chins, bis.
Day 6,7 off.
I havnt started my running yet. Season starts in Oct. Typically do Cardio 2-3 times a week , 20 min each time on the stair stepper. Do abs, calves 2-3 times a week as well. Looking to play at 215 this season w/ 10% BF (I cant run as well carrying more weight).
Coach, give us the drum. I’m 6’7" and go around 285 during the season to 295 off. I play lock and am moving to 8 next year. I’ve also got a season of American Football starting at the end of this month. My 40 is just on the high side of 5 and my vertical is an abysmal 29".
I have been out of the weight room for about 12 weeks due to a shoulder injury. I need to pik up functional strength and endurance but I have no idea how to program your style of training during the American Football season.
My diet consists of steak primarily, with whatever else I can follow it down with.
Thanks for responding men - I’m glad you all gave plenty of details of your training. I have enormous respect for Rugby/Aussie Football and I wanted t-mag readers to read what tough SOB’s you really are! (If you don’t realize thats about the highest form of compliment I am capable of). By the way Ed - my training is brutal, my athletes eat like kings with tons of meat. Our “play-time” is just as hard and you’ll never find this Renegade backing down from a few. Ed - tell me more about your mates, so that I know what better to prescribe. So lets see Ed, Mitchell, Pete we’re going to develop your explosive speed and agility. Krakkerz you are an anchor that any team can build upon - some of greatest success comes with the big men - so this will be great. I have a few more simple questions & hopefully we can come to a consensus and tell me if you do any of the following now or ever- 1-any agility ladder work 2-any rope skip 3-any flexibility 4-any jump drills 5-can you run 4 or 5 days per week (just sprints no distance). Send your answers when you can. Once I get them I will post a daily workout for you all. And tell me if you want me to write about Rugby training. AGAIN - I cherish the opportunity to help one of the last great bastions of tough team sport athletes. I will not fail you men. In faith Coach Davies
Coach, my two summer training partners are american football converts. One is 6’4 310 lbs and is a loosehead prop, and the other, my brother is 5’10 and 200lbs and is a very undersized tighthead prop, but he is a powerhouse. All of us are in our early twentys and are very commited to workouts. The three of us have trained together for 3 years, and Ive trained with my brother for almost 8 years now. To answer your questions if you mean ladder as in fast footwork out of a “ladder” of rope on the ground yes, if not please describe it to me. 2 A few summers ago I did a good deal of rope skipping, while training for boxing, but have not done much at all lately. 3 If by flexiblity you mean pre and post work streching yes, if you mean streching during a conditioning workout then no. 4 yes have done jump drills in the past mostly from an adapted american football workout, cone hurdles, box jumps, weighted jumps etc… 5 Whatever you think would make me better i can do, unlike most people currently I have no job and no stresses in life so I can train as much as neccesary. The season starts on sept 22 so I have two+ months left to condition. I would love to see any articles geared toward rugby there is very little info out there that really translates to power, and more importantly power-endurance on the field.
Coach, on another thread you asked about access to equipment, so in case you need to know I have a sled, dbs I can swing or throw but NO Kettlebells, a heavy bag that can be used to bear hug(180lbs?) 140 lb sand bag, med balls of 10, 15, 50, 60(the last two are homemade) a wheel barrow and a =200 lb, 6 foot log to lift, also have various shaped rocks with varity of weights. Ed
coach davies, seems a waste to turn down the offer of help you’re gonna give the other blokes so hope you don’t mind if i join in, I’m 6foot 210 pounds outside centre, ~10%B.F, i’ve played county rugby ad semi pro and still haven’t come across any decent advice for training.
I train 3 times per week with weights using pav’s bear system and twice per week at Taekwondo, the problem for me is tryin to fit training in around both sports as i fight in the black belt category i don’t want to spend too long on weights and vice-versa. i do sprint work occasionaly and only skip to warm up for the gym, my aims would to be more explosive in the leg region i.e side steps and high head kicks, as for rugby the main aims are to sustain speed of the blocks, i can run a 13 secs 100m. stretching is done regularly after all training, gonna start rugby specific training in a fortnight, cheers STU K.
Coach, you are, as they say, the man. For your questions. 1. Agility ladder - Only ever came into contact with one some time ago, but I’ll fashion one from rope if need be. 2. I always avoided jumping rope, but I,ve got a couple of good ones left from when I was smaller. 3. Flexibility. Dynamic warmup and passive cooldown stretching for training only. 4. Jump drills. Plenty, but I think they’re all wrong. 5. The only thing that might stop the sprints 4 to 5 days a week is that I’m currently in the American football season here until November. But I think 4 or 5 days should be fine.
Coach Davies, First of all, you helping us out is awesome, Thank You. As far as your questions, 1. I haven’t done ladder drills since high school football, some 4 years ago, but would also be happy to fashion one of my own. 2. I skip rope, but not on a regular basis, just when I’m stuck at the house and need to get some work in. 3. Flexibility, is done primarily before and after training, but not much just for the sake of flexibility. 4. Jump Drills, No, but I look forward to them. 5. I can and will run 4-5 times a week, especially if I will be held accountable by you. Thanks again Coach. Nick
Thanks for getting back to me. First, please feel free to email me personally-failing that the old coach will get over there to work with some real athletes. - Agility ladder can be easily made with rope or tape, 16-18 inches apart over roughly 12 yards. Don’t worry about being perfect. Before we go through the task of learning agility work, we will need to start something right away. I am going to post a straight-forward day and based upon your responses I will know which direction to go.
Rope Skip - 3 minute rounds, with one minute “break”, perform the following during the break: - rounds 1, 2 & 3: 12 burpees
- rounds 4, 5 & 6: 12 star jumps
Section A - Strength Complex – 4 sets, minimal rest between stations (that means < 40 seconds)
Med ball wood chopper with jump x 20
One arm k-bell or dumbell Snatch x 25 reps
Glute-Ham raise x 25, Overhead Squat x 10
Bent Press (pref K-Bell) x 10 reps
Towel chin x 6
Hang Snatch to full-overhead squat x 5
Section B- GPP
jumping jacks
shuffle jacks
burpees
star jumps - 30 seconds x 5 sets, continuous
Wheelbarrow/Farmers walk x 10 minutes, with as much weight you can handle for the time
Reverse Hyper 4 sets x 25 reps
Zottman curls 4 sets x 12 reps
Section C -Med ball Hybrid – 10 sets
Medicine Ball Scoop Throw Forward x 3
Burpee’s x 15
Medicine Ball Scoop Throw Backward x 3
Burpees x 15
Section D - Chinees (30/30 x 5 minutes)
I will wait your reply men. In faith, Coach Davies
Well Coach, I survived the first round. Once my body can adapt to that much work, it is easy to see how unstoppable I would become. Anyways, my report: Skipping rope, pretty hard, I sailed through the first two rounds, then had to grit my teeth like a mother to keep going in the third, then the last three rounds, I was only able to get in maybe 2 minutes of solid work. Strength section, I didn’t have as much trouble, but I may have been a little light on some things, because I used the K-bells for everything, as I don’t have a barbell at home, and my gym is under renovation, preventing me from doing this there, anyways it may have been a little light because my K-bells are plate loaded and I didn’t want to stop that long to change the weight between every lift. Couple questions in this area though, for the overhead squat, and hang snatch-overhead squat, what exactly were you looking for? And the one problem in this section, as is becoming common, the glute-ham raises were death, but I used my arms for assistance and struggled through them, and am definitely feeling the effects of them today. GPP- I assumed you meant, 30 seconds of jumping jacks, shuffle jacks, burpees, star jumps, X 5 sets apiece right? Farmers walk, put me in a trance and I almost broke my ankle when I stepped in a hole in my backyard, but that worked alright. Rest of the section was pretty straight forward. Med-Ball hybrid- the Med-Ball scoop forward and backward, this is just scooping the ball off the ground and tossing it right? and is the backward one tossed between the legs or over the head? Chinees were a tough finisher also, but I felt like a million bucks after it was all said and done, Total time was about an hour and a half, hope this helps us move along. And one final question, do you have your athletes finish their burpees with a jump or just in the standing position? Thanks again, Nick