Crazy Rugby Fitness

We all like to over-complicate things.

Perhaps you are after the most attractive and specific fitness programme guaranteed to bring you the best condition of your lives.

We turn to the fancy dumbbells, spandex offerings and nicely kitted out gyms.

Well, what happens when you are faced with 30 grizzly rugby players whose greatest idea of a night out is tearing up phone books after 20 pints.

The answer lies in getting back to basics.

The humble sandbag has been effectively used in pre-season to boost fitness levels whilst satisfying the old-school amongst us. 20-30kg of sand piled in to sandbags that are then fastened internally with split proof bags, have proven more than adequate to turn even the most avid gym junkie into a gibbering wreck.

Here are my top three tips for getting the most out of the old-school.

1. Choose Rugby Specific Movements

Rugby fitness is all about utilising the most amount of muscle potential in explosive and static bouts of work.

Where else would you need fitness for jumping to catch a high ball, absorbing a tackle, making a tackle, sprinting short bursts, ripping a ball from your partner. Your rugby fitness with sandbags must focus on rugby specific movements.

Squats, cleans, push presses, lunges, press ups, rows and deadlifts will all have a tremendous carry over into your quest for ultimate rugby fitness.

2. Create a Rugby Fitness Circuit

Rugby fitness is geared around short bursts of work lasting anywhere from 30-90 seconds. Underpinning this is a sound speed-endurance base.

Gear your training sessions around these demands.

In our training sessions, for example, three groups are created. Group one is working on 30 second sprints, group 2 performs a sandbag drill and group 3 rests. We rotate round in 30-45 second bouts of work for 6 exercises. We then will rest for 2-3 minutes before performing again.

3. The Ultimate Sandbag Drills for Rugby Fitness

Big Bang movements that incorporate a great deal of multi-joint activity with the upper body, lower body and trunk will bring a new level to your rugby match fitness.

Try this for a great lung-busting rugby fitness workout A1) front Squats A2) Press Ups A3) Deadlifts A4) Bent Over Rows A5) Lunges A6) Clean and Press.

You and Your players will be fit to drop particularly after a cheeky set of sprints!

So give them a go. Simple and effective. Just don't come crying to me when you feel like your legs have detached themselves from the rest of your body.

Yours in rugby

John Lark
www.getfitforrugby.com

p.s. Is there any reason why you haven't purchased 'Get Fit for Rugby'. 12 years of trial and error condensed into a results-driven manual?

Seriously, I would love to hear from you. If there is anything you would love to see, or have explained then please let me know and drop