I’m a sophomore in college and am playing rugby for my third year now. I have been weight training for nearly five years now, but it has been more of a bodybuilder style workout(one body part per day, hour and a half sessions), but I am asking if there is a better workout plan to increase my usable strength and overall body functionality. I guess something more like what an athlete would do in the gym as opposed to a bodybuilder’s routine. Any help would be great
Well I’m currently practicing for rugby two nights a week, so I cut my workouts to twice a week. One day an upper body workout and the other a lower body workout.
LOWER BODY
A. Power - clean or snatch variation
B. Core lift - squat or deadlift variation
C. Supplemental - good morning, squat, or deadlift variation
D. Unilateral - squat, lunge, or step-up variation
UPPER BODY (and Speed squat)
- Speed box squats *
A. Core lift - vertical or horizontal press
B1. Row variation
B2. Pullup variation
C. Shoulder (optional)
D. Tricep
My workout is based on a template, so I can just pick and choose different exercises when I have a weakness to address or when I just need to switch things up. The rep ranges wave depending on the slot.
Such as for Power, I’ll stay 1-5 reps, Core lifts I will hit a 3-5 rep max most week, with a few 3x6 weeks thrown in, and other than that its pretty much common sense where most lifts stay between 6-15 reps. Deadlifts and squat variations will have lower reps than bulgarian squats, etc.
I’m 17 right now and it’s only my first year of rugby so I’m currently in the process of learning and such. But, this setup has been pretty effective for me. You may be able to find something like 5x5 or WSFSB that may work well for you.
Good luck.
Steve
Go to the scrum.com and look around their Fitness section.
Good stuff there - power movements, three day splits.
right now I am doing ABBH 1…and my 1st match is in 5 weeks in Savannah (yes, I am a bad person).
That being said once the season rolls around I’ll be switching to a 3 day a week split, full body workouts. It’ll be a high set low rep scheme, w/ some oly lifts thrown in.
If you want I can let you know what I am gonna do over the summer in preparation for fall, gonna figure that out towards May though, so it could be a while b4 I have my general plan set in stone.
that would be great, i’m in mid season right now, and probably will begin my off-season lifting around early may
i second the advice for going to scrum.com Some excellent info. Dont negect your cardio!
What are your goals?
Get bigger? Get leaner? Better endurance?
What position do you play?
I am a scrumhalf, about 5’10" 190, and I want more size, specifically in the lower body, and some exercises that would also help in agility and quickness for breaking around rucks and mauls
Squat, deadlift, cleans, sprint, agility drills with cones.
Best of luck.
cheers
guys i know seem to do a lot of barbell stepups, both straight up and to the side, [stepping off the box sideways]
Overhead squats, oly lifting, deads squats, and lots of medicine bal throws into a net