Pre Rugby bulking up

[tommowins]

I have been sitting around during school holidays and then played cricket for school, so coming into rugby season I am not the best shape. Compared to the school rowers who were training for the school holidays as well as last term, I am getting a bit battered around. I was chubby when I was about 12-13 and I went on a bit of a diet which worked but I lost some muscle with that. I easily 'fatten up' so I am really looking to find that midway point of bulking up, being fit and strong rather than the extremes of getting fat or being skinny and weak.

Currently I am playing open flank, nearly 15 years old, around 5'2 (160cm) and weighing almost 50kg.

My parents are telling me to eat way more but no real excercise. But doing that won't help me with rugby, just make me 'larger'. Anyway I was wondering I you guys have advice for how to meet this balance where I eat + excercise my way to getting this fine line. Like how much should I be eating and how much/what excercise?

Oh yeah I am planning to ask my parents to help me buy a weights set with a barbell + bench.

 

[edinburgh_gunner]

Well eat plenty of the right foods, and do lots of things like running up hills (work your quads), press ups, squat thrusts etc (this is all going on the asumption that you don't do weights, I wouldn't recomend that 14 year olds started doing free weights - I started when I was 14 but I was very developed already by that stage) and do fitness work. At your age, size will come natrually and in maybe a year or so get started on a basic low intesnsity weights programme and start from there.

 

[O'Rothlain]

Sorry to come in late on this matter, but at 14 I'd stick to more natural exercises. Plyometrics and Multidirectional excersises would be best for you.
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Both of these videos can also be found in the Rugby Training Videos Section.

 

[best_fullback]

Yeah, not being an expert on this matter by any means, but I would say free weights at 14 is a bit premature.

The videos O'Rothlain has supplied should do you fine and build up your core well ready for when you hit around 15-16 and do free weights.

P.S. The girl in that first video is lush!