Fitness Sessions

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I'm a back rower looking to improve my fitness for next season. I'm 15, going into the U16s next season. I'm looking for some good fitness sessions as just running is boring and doesn't really replicate a rugby game. Please give me some suggestions if you have any. Thanks.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I'm a back rower looking to improve my fitness for next season. I'm 15, going into the U16s next season. I'm looking for some good fitness sessions as just running is boring and doesn't really replicate a rugby game. Please give me some suggestions if you have any. Thanks.

If you google it you'll find some good ones that includes thins like 30m sprint, then push ups then another sprint then jog back, then repeat.

It's interval training or HIT in certain respect. I knows a bit vague but you should find some good ones on line. I think Haskell has a good few.

As a lock I used to do interval rowing which was a brad thorn method (easier on the knees).

It used to be 4 X 400m rows full out with 30seconds rest . Then rest 3 minutes and repeat 4 times. Brutal but amazing for fitness.

 

[Groundhog]

HIIT em up. I'm a hypocrite as I do v.long runs regularly as I'm sure a certain someone will be quick to point out. But yeah High Intensity Intervals are better for you fitness wise, need only take like 8 minutes of combined exercise and is far more suited to the nature of fitness needed for rugby. Started doing a few of em in lieu of 14km and it's way more brutal in comparison.

 

[McTallshort]

Don't matter when your 15, I smoked 20 a day and drank Thunderbird before most games when I was that age and still managed a decent junior level and even managed the army a year later.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Don't matter when your 15, I smoked 20 a day and drank Thunderbird before most games when I was that age and still managed a decent junior level and even managed the army a year later.

Even if true, good to get into good fitness habits young anyway. Better to be used to going to the gym and looking after your fitness than do what I did - hit the dreaded late 20s, realised that I was no longer able to coast by on natural athleticism and tried to force myself to make major lifestyle change (with only mixed success).

To the original question, I'm currently doing HIIT on the stationary bike (can't do impact stuff - bad ankles). 30 seconds full in, 1 min recovery, x8 or more if I'm feeling motivated enough. The "recovery" part is important though, as with all HIIT. You don't just sit back and catch your breath, you should still be going hard enough to still be breathing heavily, and still feel a bit of burn in your muscles.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Thanks for the replies. But I don't have access to a stationary bike or rower very often. Does anyone have a sprint HIIT session I can use?

 

[Groundhog]

Thanks for the replies. But I don't have access to a stationary bike or rower very often. Does anyone have a sprint HIIT session I can use?

Yeah you can do it with pretty much any cardio excercise at a high intensity. So like 20 seconds sprints, 15 seconds burpees then 30 seconds rest. Repeat like 7 or 8 times. This is just a loose suggestion I'm sure there's more profesional timings and stuff out there. There's no exact science behind it though, because it's highly dependant on how fit you already are. Just go out, give it a belt, see what you can do and build on that.
My main advice to you would to not be a washed up old hack like @Tallshort up there, who probably looks at a picture of Lewis Moody or Martin Corry every morning and just breaks down in tears, before skyping Tigs Man so they can have a nice cry together at what they and the city of Leicester have become before he goes to his job at used johnny recycling plant, where everyone has called in sick because Jamie Vardy had another party or something.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Yeah you can do it with pretty much any cardio excercise at a high intensity. So like 20 seconds sprints, 15 seconds burpees then 30 seconds rest. Repeat like 7 or 8 times. This is just a loose suggestion I'm sure there's more profesional timings and stuff out there. There's no exact science behind it though, because it's highly dependant on how fit you already are. Just go out, give it a belt, see what you can do and build on that.
My main advice to you would to not be a washed up old hack like @Tallshort up there, who probably looks at a picture of Lewis Moody or Martin Corry every morning and just breaks down in tears, before skyping Tigs Man so they can have a nice cry together at what they and the city of Leicester have become before he goes to his job at used johnny recycling plant, where everyone has called in sick because Jamie Vardy had another party or something.

Listen to this guy, don't be a dark skinny jean wearing wannabe Irish member of 1D and try longer distance running.

And who the fek is an old hack Bruv.

 

[Groundhog]

Listen to this guy, don't be a dark skinny jean wearing wannabe Irish member of 1D and try longer distance running.

And who the fek is an old hack Bruv.

You actually got the dark skinny jeans thing pretty bang on but still, word on the street is that your ma is a velociraptor and our da is literally father time himself you old fogey.
EDIT: A bunch of moths just flew into my room send help.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

You actually got the dark skinny jeans thing pretty bang on but still, word on the street is that your ma is a velociraptor and our da is literally father time himself you old fogey.
EDIT: A bunch of moths just flew into my room send help.

Please I don't have parents I was made from pure granite, hand craved by Zeus himself, with the heart of a lion, eye of the tiger and speed of a Frigatebird, I was blessed upon this land to make gains.

Moths do not like the smell of urine so no idea what they are doing in your room to being with. (And by room I mean cardboard box)

 

[Groundhog]

Please I don't have parents I was made from pure granite, hand craved by Zeus himself, with the heart of a lion, eye of the tiger and speed of a Frigatebird, I was blessed upon this land to make gains.

Moths do not like the smell of urine so no idea what they are doing in your room to being with. (And by room I mean cardboard box)

Any truth to the rumour you killed Richard the third and buried him in that Leicester car park because he brought an ounce of weed from you on tic and didn't pay it back?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Any truth to the rumour you killed Richard the third and buried him in that Leicester car park because he brought an ounce of weed from you on tic and didn't pay it back?

Very good bro you win, I'm too tired to get into this.................. (Which is what I said to your mum last night).

 

[LukeFitzgerald]

You should focus on a novice strength training programme for the next few months (Something like SS would be perfect).
Assuming your season starts in September, start doing HIT training once or twice a week max at the beginning of August to get a decent fitness level (while you continue on SS ofc). You need optimal recovery at the start of SS so you can get as strong as possible as quick as possible. Doing HIT at the start will cause you to hit a plateau much sooner.
Heavy low bar squat, deadlifts and power cleans will make a massive difference to your game.
Ofc if you dont have access to a gym, do some basic bodyweight exercises (push ups, pull ups, squats etc) along with HIT.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Yeah you can do it with pretty much any cardio excercise at a high intensity. So like 20 seconds sprints, 15 seconds burpees then 30 seconds rest. Repeat like 7 or 8 times. This is just a loose suggestion I'm sure there's more profesional timings and stuff out there. There's no exact science behind it though, because it's highly dependant on how fit you already are. Just go out, give it a belt, see what you can do and build on that.
My main advice to you would to not be a washed up old hack like @Tallshort up there, who probably looks at a picture of Lewis Moody or Martin Corry every morning and just breaks down in tears, before skyping Tigs Man so they can have a nice cry together at what they and the city of Leicester have become before he goes to his job at used johnny recycling plant, where everyone has called in sick because Jamie Vardy had another party or something.

I had a go at this one today and it hurt like a b**** but felt great. Thanks for all of the suggestions, I'm sure this will help me hugely.

 

[Rich Taff]

Do NOT let anyone talk you into pyramid training with weights.

A so called 'friend' introduced me to it.

You start with a relatively small weight, do 1 rep. Increase a weight, do 2. Increase a weight to 3.
Repeat to 10.
Then reduce a weight, do 9. Reduce a weight, do 8.
By the time you reach the lightest weight, one rep feels like trying to lift/push/squat an elephant.

I actually had to take time off work, as I couldn't move for 2 days afterwards.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Never heart of that before.

When I first started properly working out tended to just go
2 X sets of 10 reps on each exercise.
If i was finishing the 10 reps of the second set with ease increase the weight
If i couldn't finish the 10 reps without feking up my form i would reduce the weight.

My weight sessions tended to focus on
Monday - Shoulders, arms
Tuesday - Back Chest (Training @ Night)
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders, Arms (training @ Night)
Friday - Back, Chest
Saturday - Legs/Game
Sunday - rest day

Mind it's changed a bit since then though.

 

[Groundhog]

"Legs"..... Loser

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

"Legs"..... Loser

pic of Groundhog showing off his legs

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Do NOT let anyone talk you into pyramid training with weights.

A so called 'friend' introduced me to it.

You start with a relatively small weight, do 1 rep. Increase a weight, do 2. Increase a weight to 3.
Repeat to 10.
Then reduce a weight, do 9. Reduce a weight, do 8.
By the time you reach the lightest weight, one rep feels like trying to lift/push/squat an elephant.

I actually had to take time off work, as I couldn't move for 2 days afterwards.

I've done pyramids before but on the bench press. Was lethal but it worked, did it twice a week for 4 weeks and upped my max from 70 to 80. Hurts like hell but they're effective. Won't be doing them anymore though as my club s&c coach is giving me a weights programme to use twice a week on Monday.

 

[Rich Taff]

I've done pyramids before but on the bench press. Was lethal but it worked, did it twice a week for 4 weeks and upped my max from 70 to 80. Hurts like hell but they're effective. Won't be doing them anymore though as my club s&c coach is giving me a weights programme to use twice a week on Monday.

Yeah, I've no doubt it tore the heck out of the muscles, forcing the increased rebuild, but damn it's painful

- - - Updated - - -

pic of Groundhog showing off his legs