Getting back to Rugby log

eGu_Ryan

eGu_Ryan

eGu_Ryan

Associate
Joined
3 Jan 2009
Posts
536
Location
Leeds/Newcastle
After a year or so of weight training and not really focusing on strength I'm wanting to step back onto the rugby field.

I'd like to think I know reasonable amount when it comes to training and diet (I know 0 about a mobility but I'm working my way through that now) and wouldn't mind somewhere to log my progress and have a bit of input on any improvements!

Rugby training will be done on Tuesdays and Thursdays with match days being on a Saturday so working around that I think a 3 day split with a main focus on my Bench/Deadlift/Squat. Squatting is going to be a big part of it and I'm wanting to do this every day I train at the gym.

Cardio will be done at the end of the session, just 15-20 mins HIIT on a treadmill.

Diet wise I will eat everything in sight, trying to keep it clean with proteins at around 170g a day.

Current 1RMs are as follows:
Bench: 122.5KG
Deadlift: 225KG
Squat 190KG

My workout plan! (Any inputs would be great):
Day 1:
Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Bent over row 5x5
Dumbell Press 3x8
Bicep assistance (BB curls, hammer curls, whatever I fancy to get a sweet pump :D)

Day 2:
Squat 5x5
OHP 5x5
Deadlift 3x5
Lat Pulldown 3x8
Ab assistance (Rope crunches, planks)

Day 3:
OHP 5x5
Bench 5x5
Good mornings 3x5
Shrugs 3xFailure (I found going till failure on these I get best growth, just a preference)
Tricep assistance

First session doing this tonight, and because of insane chest DOMs from wednesday I'll be starting with Day 2, wish me luck!
 
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I could never quite figure out when to do a big leg day whilst training for rugby too. Wouldn't want to do it just before a match!

Good luck with it, what stopped you playing in the first place?
 
Just a quick thought before I run from the office, squatting every session plus training twice a week plus match day is going to leave absolutely no time for your legs to recover. I imagine that's going to be a very fast train to snap city.
 
tom_nieto said:
I could never quite figure out when to do a big leg day whilst training for rugby too. Wouldn't want to do it just before a match!

Good luck with it, what stopped you playing in the first place?
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That's my worry as well, so my thinking is if I smash them 3 times a week the DOMs won't have time to set in :p

Didn't get on with the guys I played with in the end, wasn't part of the clique and it went against me!
 
tom_e said:
Just a quick thought before I run from the office, squatting every session plus training twice a week plus match day is going to leave absolutely no time for your legs to recover. I imagine that's going to be a very fast train to snap city.
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Thanks, don't want injuries. Maybe worth dropping the squats from the Day 3 session in favour of OHP again. Obviously isn't set in stone and I don't know as much as a lot of the guys here :)
 
I think if I were doing training twice a week and playing on Saturdays as you are, I'd be tempted to do legs on Monday, rugby training Tuesday, upper body Wednesday, training Thursday, rest Friday and play Saturday. Squats every day is admirable, but you actually want to have some energy left to play rugby!
 
I used to have the same training regime as you for rugby. I squatted and did leg work on Mondays and Tuesdays with mobility and power and plyometric work on the Friday. Lots of food and lots of sleep. :) the training days were mainly drills and low impact stuff muscle wise so recovery was fine. But you have got to sleep and eat!
 
Freefaller said:
I used to have the same training regime as you for rugby. I squatted and did leg work on Mondays and Tuesdays with mobility and power and plyometric work on the Friday. Lots of food and lots of sleep. :) the training days were mainly drills and low impact stuff muscle wise so recovery was fine. But you have got to sleep and eat!
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My thinking was with enough cals, sleep and mobility training I should be relatively injury free unless something unavoidable happens in a match! Good to know it is doable though!

I've just finished day two of the workout and I am absolutely ruined! Usually I can smash lat pulldowns/pullups for fun but they killed me tonight due to the big lifts earlier in the session.

Since it's my first session I'm trying to workout where I am weight wise for sets of 5 but I managed the following:

Squat: 160KG
OHP: 85KG
Deadlift: 190KG

I'm quite happy with that for a first session - time to stretch and eat! :cool:
 
Used to play tight head prop for my old team. Just relocated to Leeds though and looking to move to Lock or Flanker. I like to run at people and don't really get the opportunity as much playing prop.

6 foot 1, currently sitting at 108KG. Could probably do with losing some fat like!
 
Just don't tell them you have ever played prop! Made that mistake with my new club. Being 2 stone lighter makes it much harder work! It does mean you always get a game though. I'm still baffled at my lack of gym strength after playing prop... Must be my excellent technique/cheating!

Good luck with it! I'm looking forward to getting back to it after breaking my ankle. I need to do some serious work on my withered calf!
 
I was outside centre when I played though jumped into flanker on occasion much prefer being a back. At the time I was 16st. Same height as you. :)

I'm now 20kg less than you though. If you keep up your training you'll get some good numbers for your weight in no time! :)
 
I reckon they'll click on that I've never played lock in my life! :o I'm hoping that being taller than the average prop puts me out of the running for the position!

I wouldn't have wanted to get in your way whilst you were playing outside centre. Going off the pics in the gym rats thread I'm guessing smash it up the middle was a standard move on your team :p

Just finished workout 3 there as I had nothing to do today. OHP was slightly less at 80kg but that may just be due to doing it yesterday. I know I'm only 2 sessions in but I'm really enjoying this. Time for more stretches :D
 
Well I've ****** up! Things were going too well, I sneezed whilst walking down the stairs and fell down half of them! Twisted my ankle and now nursing a nice bit of swelling. Gonna go to sleep now and hopefully it'll be in a bit of a better state tomorrow before my next rugby training session :(
 
tom_nieto said:
I think if I were doing training twice a week and playing on Saturdays as you are, I'd be tempted to do legs on Monday, rugby training Tuesday, upper body Wednesday, training Thursday, rest Friday and play Saturday. Squats every day is admirable, but you actually want to have some energy left to play rugby!
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Strongly agree with this - this is basically how I trained last season when I was playing (currently taking a break) - only exception is that I'd do a light plyo/mobility session on Fridays. Position is key obviously but as a prop I found I absolutely had to go light on Friday and rest Sunday, plus I really had to keep my lower body training as far out from match day as possible.

tom_nieto said:
Just don't tell them you have ever played prop! Made that mistake with my new club. Being 2 stone lighter makes it much harder work! It does mean you always get a game though. I'm still baffled at my lack of gym strength after playing prop... Must be my excellent technique/cheating
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At lower levels strength is far less important than technique. As you go up the levels I find that everyone has better technique so strength becomes more important. When I first started playing prop I was squatting over 200kg, but I sucked at being a prop. Last season was my best season as a scrummager but I couldn't squat very much at all.

If you're 6'1", I speak on behalf of loose-heads everywhere when I say - please play tight-head! We just short fat guys love getting underneath a tall guy and sending them skywards :D
 
The squatting every day thing is probably more due to worrying about losing gains :o I've trained quite hard to put size on when doing more a BB split and losing it would be crushing!

I always enjoyed having better technique than a bigger (read: fatter ;)) guy and demolishing him in the scrums. My forwards coach at my old club was a very, very good scrummager to always ensured our props were doing it properly! Also got the odd tip from an England prop as his brother plays for the team.

Quick question, in lower leagues (I'll be playing in Yorshire 2 as I'm not looking for anything too serious) are there many on gear? Got a mate who plays for National League 1 team and he reckons there's a good chunk of them on!

(Delete that part of the post if steroid talk is too much please mods)
 
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