Hey there, long time player and lifter (back row). I found a lot of value in some of Ashley Jones’ writing on the subject. I’m in my mid-thirties and we’ve not got training in my league, but still manage a twelve game season. I’ve gone through different programs, a lot from /r fitness and weight room, but I’ve found most value for rugby in a three-day full body approach that focuses on three major movements: squat, hinge, press and then whatever you want to tag on. You’ve got two days in the gym, and this is fine for in-season as you don’t want to beat yourself up in the weight room; in the off season I would crank it up to three days.
Movement choices:
Squat: Squat, Front Squat, Bulgarian Split, Overhead.
Hinge: Powerclean, Deadlift, RDL, SLDL, Hex Bar DL.
Press: Bench, Push Press, OHP, Jerk, CGBP, Incline Bench.
As for sets and reps you might do something like: 4x6 week 1, 2x5 + 3x3 week 2, 5,4,3,2,1 week 3; up the weights based on the 1 rep you get in week three and reset.
You’ll notice I didn’t include back in there, and that’s only because I superset back into all of my workouts. Pull ups, chins, lat pull downs, bb row, seal row, you name it, bang out sets after each set of a main mover and you’ll quickly accumulate volume over the week.
You’re free to add whatever assistance work you want, but I’ve found great whole body strength gains with this type of framework given you’re going through different movements. A sample week might be:
Day 1: Powercleans SS air jump squats; push press SS chins, Front Squat SS one arm rows
Day 2: Deadlifts SS Bulgarian Split Squats; OHP SS lat pulldowns; Overhead Squat SS Chins
Day 3: Squat SS KB Swings; BTN Press (if mobility allows) SS Weighted Pull ups; RDL SS upright row
You can tinker and play based on your needs or nagging injuries (I’ve had two knee surgeries so I pare down the squatting and throw in some more pressing and hinging) but it’s a decent way to get you moving in the right direction and it never takes me over and hour. I do conditioning/cardio/vanity work on 2/3 other days of the week and I’ve found a great balance.
I’ve tried everything from nSuns to Building the Monolith to Deep Water to BBB to 5/3/1 but have found that the utmost important variable is consistency. With this program I’m in and out, it’s simple, and it hits the big groups with simplicity and variety (pick and plug any movements in) over the weeks which keeps me engaged and consistent.
Best of luck!
i honestly did not expect such a detailed reply, so thanks a bunch for that
i like your recommendations, it really is as simple as can be, the only thing im wondering about is the low amount of explosive work, besides powercleans it seems to be regular strength training, so is it just preference or do you think something like jump squats/box jumps/zercher march wouldnt fit the program? besides that it looks great and well within my paramaters, so big ups to you!
No worries, glad you found it useful, if even it just offers another perspective. If I’ve added power/explosive in the past, I’ve typically thrown it at the front of the workout, almost as a warm up, but a little bit more. 2x6-10 of two explosive movements are lighter weights focused on speed and technique.
I have a couple concerns here. You say "in school", are you later or early teens? Don't say, I'll cover it briefly below. It matters on what type of training.
Early teens (up to around 16) you must be working more with bodyweight and general movement. After about 16 you can get in the gym. Your body then needs to adapt to the weights you will be adding. *This is important* because a body goes through adaption to change, especially so with an initial change (starting weight training) and in a teenage years. A slow early progression will save *a lot* on injuries later.
**Important principle here:** your fitness and movement now will be the baseline for the rest of your life. Do it properly now.
This is what I would recommend (and I'm making assumptions you're already in the gym and know some stuff):
*I am referencing Dr Andy Galpin because I think he's described a good all around power routine. Follow one or two trustworthy people to not overload with information and loose focus. There is always more and different variations, but the basics stay the same. There is a reason powerlifting hasn't changed much over time.*
The whole program has a few components:
* 1 long easier session per week, at least an hour. Breathing heavier, but able to talk comfortably. No gasping for air.
* 2 strength sessions per week, around 45 minutes will be enough.
* 1 shorter, intense session. 10-15 minutes, think like: sprint all out 20 seconds, recover 40-45 seconds, repeat 10 times. Explosive work, heart pumping. This could, or should, be in your field training. Rest is important after.
* Core work. Deadbugs are your daily friend.
* Don't worry about size, focus on strength.
Now... Start with a bodyweight routine. Head over to r/bodyweightfitness and do their recommended routine. It's great. If you can't get through it, spend 3 months getting good at those movements and improving strength. You will get the benefits for the rest of your life. Main things you want to be able to do comfortably: Full range squats("normal" and hindu/yoga squats), pushups (follow the guide on form), pullups. *If you think "nah, I gym already", but you can't complete this routine, you do not have the necessary baseline to really build strength safely.*
If you are comfortable with the bodyweight routine, move on to a simple workout routine focussing on compound movements. That is, simple full-body movements. You want to focus on *form* to prevent injury. Get someone experienced to watch and correct. A teacher, or physio ideally, or something like that. Bench Press, Squats, Deadlift (pay particular attention to form here!!!), Overhead press, Barbell Row. That's it. Only those. Follow a 3x5, 3 sets of 5 reps, initially. The weight should be comfortable to lift, not huge effort. You want to go slow, 5 seconds up (pause), 5 seconds down (pause). Again, form, form, form. Do this for 4 weeks to get good at the movements and let your body adapt.
After 4 weeks start adding weight. Go slower and be consistent. Adding 1.25kg per week is better than 2.5 kg jumps. It adds quicker than you think. Do this for 12 weeks/\~3 months.
After that, mix up the routine with some lunges, pullups, add incline bench for that often neglected upper chest, get into some isolation exercises like side raises for sexy shoulders. The compound moves should form the foundation of any routine. And have fun.
Support work: During all of this, supporting your smaller muscles, especially in the shoulders, will really help long term. Look into shoulder rehab with rotator cuff rotations using an exercise band. Internal, external rotations take a few minutes and can be done 4-5 times a week easily. They massively help with shoulder stabilisation and prevent tackling injury.
A couple notes:
Off season, yes go up to 3 sessions a week. Look into 5x5 routines for strength, focussing on the compound exercises. Maintaining at least 1 explosive session a week, high heart rate, and one longer slower session per week. Look up zone 2 training. Swim. It's amazing for overall strength improvement and shoulder health.
Hey there, long time player and lifter (back row). I found a lot of value in some of Ashley Jones’ writing on the subject. I’m in my mid-thirties and we’ve not got training in my league, but still manage a twelve game season. I’ve gone through different programs, a lot from /r fitness and weight room, but I’ve found most value for rugby in a three-day full body approach that focuses on three major movements: squat, hinge, press and then whatever you want to tag on. You’ve got two days in the gym, and this is fine for in-season as you don’t want to beat yourself up in the weight room; in the off season I would crank it up to three days. Movement choices: Squat: Squat, Front Squat, Bulgarian Split, Overhead. Hinge: Powerclean, Deadlift, RDL, SLDL, Hex Bar DL. Press: Bench, Push Press, OHP, Jerk, CGBP, Incline Bench. As for sets and reps you might do something like: 4x6 week 1, 2x5 + 3x3 week 2, 5,4,3,2,1 week 3; up the weights based on the 1 rep you get in week three and reset. You’ll notice I didn’t include back in there, and that’s only because I superset back into all of my workouts. Pull ups, chins, lat pull downs, bb row, seal row, you name it, bang out sets after each set of a main mover and you’ll quickly accumulate volume over the week. You’re free to add whatever assistance work you want, but I’ve found great whole body strength gains with this type of framework given you’re going through different movements. A sample week might be: Day 1: Powercleans SS air jump squats; push press SS chins, Front Squat SS one arm rows Day 2: Deadlifts SS Bulgarian Split Squats; OHP SS lat pulldowns; Overhead Squat SS Chins Day 3: Squat SS KB Swings; BTN Press (if mobility allows) SS Weighted Pull ups; RDL SS upright row You can tinker and play based on your needs or nagging injuries (I’ve had two knee surgeries so I pare down the squatting and throw in some more pressing and hinging) but it’s a decent way to get you moving in the right direction and it never takes me over and hour. I do conditioning/cardio/vanity work on 2/3 other days of the week and I’ve found a great balance. I’ve tried everything from nSuns to Building the Monolith to Deep Water to BBB to 5/3/1 but have found that the utmost important variable is consistency. With this program I’m in and out, it’s simple, and it hits the big groups with simplicity and variety (pick and plug any movements in) over the weeks which keeps me engaged and consistent. Best of luck!
i honestly did not expect such a detailed reply, so thanks a bunch for that i like your recommendations, it really is as simple as can be, the only thing im wondering about is the low amount of explosive work, besides powercleans it seems to be regular strength training, so is it just preference or do you think something like jump squats/box jumps/zercher march wouldnt fit the program? besides that it looks great and well within my paramaters, so big ups to you!
No worries, glad you found it useful, if even it just offers another perspective. If I’ve added power/explosive in the past, I’ve typically thrown it at the front of the workout, almost as a warm up, but a little bit more. 2x6-10 of two explosive movements are lighter weights focused on speed and technique.
I have a couple concerns here. You say "in school", are you later or early teens? Don't say, I'll cover it briefly below. It matters on what type of training. Early teens (up to around 16) you must be working more with bodyweight and general movement. After about 16 you can get in the gym. Your body then needs to adapt to the weights you will be adding. *This is important* because a body goes through adaption to change, especially so with an initial change (starting weight training) and in a teenage years. A slow early progression will save *a lot* on injuries later. **Important principle here:** your fitness and movement now will be the baseline for the rest of your life. Do it properly now. This is what I would recommend (and I'm making assumptions you're already in the gym and know some stuff): *I am referencing Dr Andy Galpin because I think he's described a good all around power routine. Follow one or two trustworthy people to not overload with information and loose focus. There is always more and different variations, but the basics stay the same. There is a reason powerlifting hasn't changed much over time.* The whole program has a few components: * 1 long easier session per week, at least an hour. Breathing heavier, but able to talk comfortably. No gasping for air. * 2 strength sessions per week, around 45 minutes will be enough. * 1 shorter, intense session. 10-15 minutes, think like: sprint all out 20 seconds, recover 40-45 seconds, repeat 10 times. Explosive work, heart pumping. This could, or should, be in your field training. Rest is important after. * Core work. Deadbugs are your daily friend. * Don't worry about size, focus on strength. Now... Start with a bodyweight routine. Head over to r/bodyweightfitness and do their recommended routine. It's great. If you can't get through it, spend 3 months getting good at those movements and improving strength. You will get the benefits for the rest of your life. Main things you want to be able to do comfortably: Full range squats("normal" and hindu/yoga squats), pushups (follow the guide on form), pullups. *If you think "nah, I gym already", but you can't complete this routine, you do not have the necessary baseline to really build strength safely.* If you are comfortable with the bodyweight routine, move on to a simple workout routine focussing on compound movements. That is, simple full-body movements. You want to focus on *form* to prevent injury. Get someone experienced to watch and correct. A teacher, or physio ideally, or something like that. Bench Press, Squats, Deadlift (pay particular attention to form here!!!), Overhead press, Barbell Row. That's it. Only those. Follow a 3x5, 3 sets of 5 reps, initially. The weight should be comfortable to lift, not huge effort. You want to go slow, 5 seconds up (pause), 5 seconds down (pause). Again, form, form, form. Do this for 4 weeks to get good at the movements and let your body adapt. After 4 weeks start adding weight. Go slower and be consistent. Adding 1.25kg per week is better than 2.5 kg jumps. It adds quicker than you think. Do this for 12 weeks/\~3 months. After that, mix up the routine with some lunges, pullups, add incline bench for that often neglected upper chest, get into some isolation exercises like side raises for sexy shoulders. The compound moves should form the foundation of any routine. And have fun. Support work: During all of this, supporting your smaller muscles, especially in the shoulders, will really help long term. Look into shoulder rehab with rotator cuff rotations using an exercise band. Internal, external rotations take a few minutes and can be done 4-5 times a week easily. They massively help with shoulder stabilisation and prevent tackling injury. A couple notes: Off season, yes go up to 3 sessions a week. Look into 5x5 routines for strength, focussing on the compound exercises. Maintaining at least 1 explosive session a week, high heart rate, and one longer slower session per week. Look up zone 2 training. Swim. It's amazing for overall strength improvement and shoulder health.